102 being cylindrical, the one or more marker elements, such as lines, may extend part of the way around the perimeter or circumference of the article 102 or all of the way around the perimeter of the article 102. In some examples the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b configured to sense the marker arrangement 126 may be arranged at a specific location within the apparatus 100. For example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may be arranged adjacent to one side of the chamber 112 and may have a limited detection range. Providing marker elements that extend all of the way around the perimeter of the article 102 facilitates the sensing of the marker arrangement 126 by the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b, irrespective of the particular orientation of the article 102 within the apparatus 100.

The marker arrangement 126 may be formed in a number of different ways, and be formed of a number of different materials, depending on the particular sensor arrangement 122a, 122b, of the apparatus 100 with which the article 102 is intended to be used. The marker arrangement 126 may comprise optical features such as lines, gaps or notches, surface roughness, and/or reflective material. The second marker 126b may comprise optical features such as a barcode or a QR code.

In other examples, the marker arrangement 126 comprises an electrically conductive feature and the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may be configured to detect a change in capacitance or resistance when the article 102, including the marker arrangement 126, is inserted into the apparatus 102. Providing a non-optical sensor arrangement 122 may potentially be more robust compared with an optical sensor because it would not be affected by deposition on an optical sensor or degradation of optical sensor over the life of the apparatus 100. Non-optical sensors may be in the form of RF sensors or a hall effect sensor along with a permanent magnet or an electromagnet and a hall effect sensor. The marker arrangement 126 may be formed from an appropriate material arranged to affect the non-optical signal received by the sensors 122a, 122b.

In other examples, the marker arrangement 126 may comprise a combination of optical features and electrically conducting features, for example, the first marker 126a may comprise electrically conductive features and the second marker 126b may comprise optical features.

The marker arrangement 126 may, for example, be provided externally of the smokable article 102, internally of the article 102, or both externally and internally of the article 102. Where optical sensing is used on its own or in combination with some other sensing, such as capacitive sensing, the marker arrangement 126 is preferably provided on the outside of the article 102 so that the marker arrangement 126 is visible to the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b of the apparatus 100.

The first marker 126a and the second marker 126b are spaced apart from each other as indicated by the pre-determined spacing, S1, as shown in FIG. 4. Providing a space between the first marker 126a and the second marker 126b reduces the likelihood of interference between the two regions. The sensor arrangement 122a, 122b comprises a first sensor 122a configured to sense the first marker 126a and a second sensor 122b configured to sense the second marker 126b. FIG. 5 shows an example of the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b comprising a first sensor 126a and a second sensor 126b, in which the first sensor 122a and the second sensor 122b are spaced apart by a distance S2. The first sensor 122a and the second sensor 122b are spaced from each other by approximately the same distance as the predetermined distance of the first marker 126a and the second marker, such that S1 is approximately equal to S2. The first sensor 122a and the second sensor 122b may be spaced apart from each other by any suitable distance within the apparatus 100. In one example, the first sensor 122a and the second sensor 122b are spaced from each other by less than 70 mm, more preferably less than 50 mm, more preferably less than 30 mm, more preferably less than 25, or more preferably less than 20 mm.

If the first marker 126a has been sensed by the first sensor 122a and the second marker 126b does not then line up with the second sensor 122b, then the second sensor 122b may not be able to read the identification information of the second marker 126b. As a result, matching the spacing between the first sensor 122a and the second sensor 122b and the first marker 126a and the second marker 126b provides an authenticity check of the article 102 and the apparatus 100 may be prevented from operating if the spacing does not match.

In one example, the first sensor 122a may have a first sense region in which the first sensor 122a is able to sense the first marker 126a and the second sensor 122b may have a second sense region in which the second sensor 122b is able to sense the second marker 126b. In this example, the first and second sensors 122a, 122b are spaced from each other such that a point in the first sense region and a point in the second sense region are spaced apart from each other by the predetermined distance. This arrangement provides some tolerance for the spacing of the first marker 126a and 126b. In one example, the first sense region defines a first distance along the longitudinal axis of the chamber 112 and the second sense region defines a second distance along the longitudinal axis of the chamber 112. In this example, the first and second sensors 122a, 122b are spaced from each other such by an amount between the predetermined distance minus the first and second longitudinal distances and the predetermined distance plus the first and second longitudinal distances. Again, this arrangement allows for some tolerance of the spacing of the spacing of the first marker 126a and 126b. In one example, the sense regions are defined based on the operational tolerances of the sensors. For example, the sense regions may be defined based on the field of view of an optical sensor or the range of an RFID sensor, for example, 20 mm.

This tolerance allows for the positioning of markers 126a and 126b on the consumable itself to vary between articles. For example, it may be difficult during production to ensure that the markers 126a, 126b are always in the exact same position on the consumable but the relative spacing between the markers 126a, 126b can be produced with high accuracy. By providing the sensors with a tolerance, the spacing between markers 126a, 126b can still be used for determining authenticity and/or other information of the article with a simpler production process.

In general, the sensor arrangement can be configured to determine a relative position between the first marker and a second marker. For example, the relative position may be expressed as a distance apart or a vector. The relative positioning of the first marker and the second marker can be used impart information about the article. For example, the spacing between the two markers may be used in a look up table to determine information and/or parameters relating to the consumable, such as a type of aerosolizable medium, a heating profile to use and/or whether the article is genuine. For example, relative spacing between the first and second marker may vary in increments of 0.1 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm or 2 mm.

In some examples the relative spacing between the markers is combined with further information read from the marker itself, such as barcode or 2-D barcode. The combination of the spacing and information read from the markers may provide a check on authenticity, with only some combinations valid. For example, a particular marker may be associated with a single relative positioning of the first and second marker. If the spacing does not substantially equal the spacing associated with the marker then the article may be determined as counterfeit.

In some examples where the sensors are operative over regions, the first sensor may indicate a position of the first marker within its sensed region as a baseline or datum for use by the second sensor. In such examples, the second sensor may determine a position of the second marker within its sensing region relative to the baseline or datum provided by the first sensor, allowing the relative position of the markers to be determined.

The first marker 126a may be configured to be sensed by the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b to determine whether the article 102 is in the vicinity of the first sensor 122a. In one example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to operate in a first mode when monitoring for the presence of the first marker 122a. In the first mode, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is not configured to detect the second marker 126b and so the apparatus may operate at a relatively low power. When the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b detects the presence of the first marker 122a of the article, it switches to a second mode in which the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to sense the second marker 122b. Restricting the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b to operate in the first mode, which consumes less power compared with the second mode, is efficient as the apparatus 100 does not have to utilize relatively high power to sense the second marker comprising identification information 122b, until the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b has already detected the first marker 122a of the article 102 is present.

In one example, in a first mode, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to non-continuously monitor for the presence of the first marker 126a. In one example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b periodically monitors for the presence of the first marker 126a at regular intervals. However, in other examples, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b monitors for the presence of the first marker 126a at irregular intervals. In one example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to monitor for the presence of the first marker 126a with a duty ratio of less than or equal to 10%. In one example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to monitor for the presence of the first marker 126a for 1 millisecond in every 10 milliseconds. Non-continuous monitoring for the presence of the first marker 126a is more energy efficient compared with continuously monitoring for the presence of the reference marker 126a as is does not require a constant source of power. It should be appreciated that the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may be configured to begin monitoring for the presence of the first marker 126a in response to a user input, e.g., such as switching on the apparatus 100 (e.g., via a user activated button on the outside of the apparatus 100). In addition, once the first marker 126a and the second marker 126b have been sensed, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may be switched off for a predetermined time (i.e., no further sensing occurs for the predetermined time). These options may further reduce energy consumption.

The sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may provide a first input to the controller 116 to indicate that an article 102 comprising a first marker 126a has been detected. Upon receipt of the first input, the controller 116 may be configured to signal the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b to operate in a second mode to sense the second marker 126b. In an alternative example, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b may be configured to sense the first marker 126a and the second marker 126b simultaneously.

The second marker 126b includes marker elements that are configured to be sensed by the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b to enable a parameter associated with the article 102 to be determined by the controller 116. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the second marker comprising identification information 126b includes four marker elements in the form of lines. The marker elements are spaced form each other at varying distances. The arrangement of the marker elements is indicative of a parameter of the article 102, as described in more detail below. For example, the arrangement of the marker elements may be indicative of the article 102 being a genuine article 102 intended for use with the apparatus 100, or it could be indicative of the heating profile to be used with this article 102. The sensor arrangement 122a, 122b is configured to provide a second input indicative of the parameter of the article 102 to the controller 116.

Where capacitive or resistive sensing is used, the marker arrangement 126 may be provided internally and/or externally of the article 102. The marker arrangement 126 may be literally “marked on” the article 102, such as by printing. Alternatively, the marker arrangement 126 may be provided in or on the article 102 by other techniques, such as being formed integrally with the article 102 during manufacture.

In certain examples, and depending on the nature of the sensing that is used to sense the marker arrangement 126, the marker arrangement 126 may be formed of an electrically conductive material. The marker arrangement 126 may be, for example, a metallic component such as aluminum or a conductive ink or ferrous or non-ferrous coating. The ink may be printed onto tipping paper of the article 102, using for example a rotogravure printing method, screen printing, ink jet printing, or any other suitable process.

In general, capacitive sensing as used herein operates by effectively sensing a change in capacitance when the article 102 is located within the apparatus 100. In effect, in an embodiment, a measure of the capacitance is obtained. If the capacitance meets one or more criteria, it may be decided that the article 102 is suitable for use with the apparatus 100, which can then proceed to operate as normal to heat the aerosolizable medium. Otherwise, if the capacitance does not meet the one or more criteria, it may be decided that the article 102 is not suitable for use with the apparatus 100, and the apparatus 100 does not function to heat the aerosolizable medium and/or may issue some warning message to the user. In general, capacitive sensing may work by providing the apparatus 100 with (at least) one electrode which in effect provides one “plate” of a capacitor, with the other “plate” of the capacitor being provided by the electrically conducting marker arrangement 126 of the apparatus 100 mentioned above. When the article 102 is inserted into the apparatus 100, a measure of the capacitance formed by the combination of the electrode of the apparatus 100 and the article 102 can be obtained, and then compared to one or more criteria to determine whether the apparatus 102 can then proceed to heat the article 102. As an alternative, the apparatus 100 may be provided with (at least) two electrodes, which in effect provide the pair of “plates” of a capacitor. When the article 102 is inserted into the apparatus 100, it is inserted between the two electrodes. As a result, the capacitance formed between the two electrodes of the apparatus 100 changes. A measure of this capacitance formed by the two electrodes of the apparatus 100 can be obtained, and then compared to one or more criteria to determine whether the apparatus 100 can then proceed to heat the article 102.

In some examples, the sensor arrangement 122a, 122b comprises at least two different sensing techniques, for example, the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to sense different properties. In one example, one sensor, such as the first sensor 122a, may comprise an optical sensor and the other sensor, such as second sensor 122b, may comprise a non-optical sensor, such as a capacitive sensor.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of an alternative example of an article 202 for use with an apparatus for heating aerosolizable medium. In this example, the marker arrangement 226 is in the form of a plurality of notches or holes formed in the article 202. As with the marker arrangement 126 shown in FIG. 4, the marker arrangement 226 in the example of FIG. 6 comprises a first marker 226a and a second marker 226b. In this example, the first marker 226a comprises a single marker element and the second marker 226b comprises marker elements spaced at a varying distance from each other. The first marker 226a and the second marker 226b are spaced apart by a distance S1.

FIG. 7 shows an illustrative example of an optical sensor arrangement 222a, 222b. In this example, the sensor arrangement 222a, 222b comprises a first sensor 222a in the form of a first light source 232a, such as an LED, and first light receiver 234a, such as light sensor, and a second sensor 222b in the form of a second light source 232b and a second light receiver 234b. The light receivers 234a, 234b are configured to receive light from the light sources 232a, 232b. In use, as the article 202 is located next to the sensors arrangement 222a, 222b in between the light sources 232a, 232b and the receivers 234a, 234b, the article 202 blocks the light and prevents it from being received at the receivers 234a, 234b. In other examples, the article 202 reduces the amount of light being received at the receivers 234a, 234b, rather than blocking it. However, light is not blocked in the location of the marker elements in the form of a notches. Therefore, the quantity of light received at the receivers 234a, 234b will vary across the length of the article 202 depending on whether a notch is within the light path between the light sources 232a and the receivers 234 or not. In this example, the first sensor 222a of the sensor arrangement is spaced from the second sensor of the sensor arrangement 222b by a distance S2.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a signal generated by the sensor arrangement 222a, 222b. In this example, a first signal 240 is a representation of light received by the first light sensor 234a from the first light source 232a and the second signal 242 is a representation of light received by the second light sensor 234a from the second light source 232a. The position of the peaks of the first signal 240 is equivalent to the positioning of the first marker 226a on the article 202 and the position of the peaks of the second signal 242 is indicative of the arrangement of the second marker 226b. As shown in FIG. 8, the distance between the center point of the peaks of the first signal 240 and the peaks of the second signal 242 is S3, which is substantially equal to S1 and S2. If the distance S2 between the first sensor 222a and the second sensor 222b is not substantially equal to the distance S1 between the first marker 226a and the second marker 226b, then part or all of one of the signals 240, 242 will be missing, which will be indicative of the article 202 not being genuine.

In one example, in a first mode, the sensor arrangement 222a, 222b is configured to non-continuously monitor for the presence of the first marker 226a so power is not supplied to the light source 232b and light receiver 234b during the first mode. The first signal 240 shown in FIG. 8 may be provided to the controller 216 as a first input, which determines whether the position and size of the first marker 226a indicates that the article 202 is genuine or not, for example, by using a look-up table. If the controller 216 determines that the first marker 226a is indicative of the article 202 being genuine, then the sensor arrangement 222a, 222b will switch to a second mode wherein power is supplied to the to the light source 232b and light receiver 234b to enable the second sensor 222b to sense the second marker 226b. The second signal 242 shown in FIG. 8 may be provided to the controller 216 as a second input. The controller 116 determines identification information of the article 202, for example, by using a look-up table. The second input is indicative of a parameter of the article 202 and so enables the controller