Patent attributes
A control body is coupled or coupleable with a cartridge that is equipped with a heating element and contains an aerosol precursor composition, the control body and cartridge forming an aerosol delivery device. The control body includes a control to control the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition. The proximity sensor detects a presence of an object nearby the control body without requiring any physical contact with the object. And the proximity sensor or control component controls operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device in response to the presence of the object so detected. In another aspect, a cartridge may include a proximity sensor to detect a level of the aerosol precursor composition, and operation of functional element(s) may be controlled in response to the level of the aerosol precursor composition so detected.
