Control method for aerosol generating device and aerosol generating device

Abstract

This application provides a control method for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device includes a heater for heating an aerosol generating article to generate aerosol. The method includes: receiving a start-up request signal, the start-up request signal being a signal requesting the heater to be started to heat the aerosol generating article; determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state; determining start-up parameters based on cooling information and heating information, the start-up parameters including at least one of a target start-up time and a target start-up temperature of the heater, wherein the cooling information is information on the temperature change of the heater over time after shutdown, and the heating information is information on the temperature change of the heater over time when the aerosol generating device is started from a cold-start state; and starting the heater according to the start-up parameters. This application ensures a better smoking experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aerosol generating apparatus technology, and more specifically, to a control method for an aerosol generating apparatus and an aerosol generating apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing popularity of aerosol generating devices, various heating methods are also widely used in the market. Aerosol generating devices typically have two start-up methods: cold start and hot start. However, regardless of whether the aerosol generating device starts cold or hot, it immediately controls the heater to heat the aerosol immediately after starting. This control method results in a significant difference in taste between cold and hot start conditions, seriously affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a control method for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device to solve the problem of large differences in the taste of cigarettes.

[0004] One aspect of this application provides a control method for an aerosol generating apparatus, the aerosol generating apparatus including a heater for heating an aerosol generating article to generate aerosols, the method comprising: receiving a start-up request signal, the start-up request signal being a signal requesting the start of the heater to heat the aerosol generating article; determining that the aerosol generating apparatus is in a hot-start state; determining start-up parameters based on cooling information and heating information, the start-up parameters including at least one of a target start-up time of the heater and a target start-up temperature of the heater, wherein the cooling information is information on the temperature change of the heater over time after shutdown, and the heating information is information on the temperature change of the heater over time when the aerosol generating apparatus is started from a cold-start state; and starting the heater according to the start-up parameters.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state includes: obtaining the shutdown duration of the heater, wherein the shutdown duration is the time interval between the reception time of the start-up request signal and the most recent shutdown time of the heater; and determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state based on the shutdown duration.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state based on the shutdown duration includes: determining that the aerosol generating device is in the hot-start state when the shutdown duration is less than a preset time threshold.

[0007] In some embodiments, obtaining the shutdown duration of the heater includes: when the heater is off, periodically waking up the MCU to obtain the shutdown time; and when the start request signal is received, determining the shutdown duration based on the reception time of the start request signal and the shutdown time.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: obtaining the temperature of the heater during the shutdown period, obtaining multiple acquisition temperatures, and obtaining the acquisition time corresponding to the acquisition temperature; and determining the cooling information based on the multiple acquisition times and the corresponding multiple acquisition temperatures.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes: obtaining a temperature change curve of the heater during the preheating stage when the aerosol generating device is started from the cold start state, to obtain the temperature rise information, wherein the temperature of the heater during the preheating stage is positively correlated with the operating time.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the start-up parameters based on cooling information and heating information includes: determining, based on the cooling information, the temperature of the heater at each time point starting from the moment the start-up request signal is received, to obtain a first time point and a corresponding first temperature; determining, based on the heating information, the temperature of the heater at each time point when the start-up request signal is received and the heater starts from the cold start-up state, to obtain a second time point and a corresponding second temperature; determining the time point where the first temperature and the second temperature are the same, or the corresponding first time point and the second time point are the same, as the target start-up time point, and the first temperature or the second temperature corresponding to the target start-up time point as the target start-up temperature.

[0011] In some embodiments, activating the heater according to the activation parameters includes one of the following: activating the heater when the target activation time is reached at the current time, so that the temperature of the heater changes according to a preset first temperature curve; and activating the heater when the temperature of the heater reaches the target activation temperature, so that the temperature of the heater changes according to the first temperature curve.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining that the aerosol generating device is in the cold start state; activating the heater so that the heater changes according to a second temperature curve, a portion of the second temperature curve coinciding with the first temperature curve.

[0013] Another aspect of this application provides an aerosol generating apparatus, comprising: a heater for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol; one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including methods for performing any one of the methods described.

[0014] By applying the technical solution of this application, when a start-up request signal is received and the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state, the start-up time and / or start-up temperature of the aerosol generating device in the hot-start state are determined based on the temperature change of the heater over time after it is turned off, and the temperature change of the heater over time when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state. The start-up of the heater is then controlled based on the start-up time and / or start-up temperature. The same temperature rise curve can be used in both the hot-start and cold-start states, except that the heater starts later in the hot-start state, ensuring that the smoking taste is basically consistent between the two states and guaranteeing a good flavor. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another aerosol generating apparatus provided in an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic flowchart of a control method for an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 A graph characterizing temperature rise information provided according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0020] Figure 5 A graph characterizing cooling information provided according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0021] Figure 6 A schematic diagram showing the intersection of a cooling curve and a heating curve provided according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0022] The accompanying drawings include the following reference numerals:

[0023] 10. Battery cell; 20. Main board; 30. Heater; 40. Chamber; 50. Coil; 100. Aerosol generating device; 200. Aerosol generating product. Detailed Implementation

[0024] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other. This application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this application described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0027] As described in the background section, the control methods of existing aerosol generating devices result in poor smoking experience. To address this issue, embodiments of this application provide a control method for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device.

[0028] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery cell 10, a main board 20, and a heater 30. A controller for the aerosol generating device 100 is provided on the main board 20. The battery cell 10 and the heater 30 are electrically connected to the controller, so that the controller can control the battery cell 10 to provide electrical energy to the heater 30. The aerosol generating device 100 also has a longitudinally extending chamber 40, which is used to contain an aerosol generating product 200 used in conjunction with the aerosol generating device 100. The heater 30 is attached to the outer wall of the chamber 40 so as to heat the aerosol generating product 200 in the chamber 40. The active material filled inside the aerosol generating product 200 volatilizes when heated, generating smoke. Users can inhale the smoke by inhaling it from the aerosol generating product 200. In some embodiments, the heater 30 extends at least partially into the chamber 40, and its end extending into the chamber 40 is configured as a pin or a plate so that the heater 30 can be smoothly inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating.

[0030] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 may use electromagnetic induction heating to heat the aerosol generating article 200, such as... Figure 2 As shown, a coil 50 is wound around the outer wall of the chamber 40. An alternating current is passed through the coil 50 by the battery core 10. Under the action of the alternating current, the coil 50 generates a changing magnetic field. This changing magnetic field penetrates the heater 30, inducing eddy currents in the heater 30. The heater 30 generates heat under the influence of eddy current and hysteresis effects, thereby heating the aerosol-generating product 200. In some embodiments, the heater may include a resistive material that generates Joule heating when conducting electricity. In some embodiments, the heater may also include an infrared electrothermal coating that generates heat energy when energized, thereby generating infrared radiation of a certain wavelength, such as 0.75 μm to 1000 μm. In some embodiments, the heater can be used to directly heat the aerosol-generating product 200, or it can be used to heat air in the airflow channel, heating the air flowing through the air inlet channel to high temperature air. The high-temperature air then enters the aerosol-generating product, exchanging heat with it to achieve heating and baking of the aerosol-generating product.

[0031] This embodiment provides a control method for an aerosol generating device. It should be noted that although the steps shown in the flowchart of the accompanying drawings are logically ordered, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than that shown here.

[0032] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a control method for an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3As shown, the method includes the following steps:

[0033] Step S201: Receive a start request signal. The start request signal is a signal requesting the heater to be started to heat the aerosol-generated product.

[0034] Specifically, the activation request signal may include a command signal generated by the user through a drive trigger module, such as a signal generated by a button or screen trigger; it may also include a signal triggered by a sensor automatically sensing the insertion of the aerosol generating device, such as a pressure sensor, color sensor, or infrared sensor; or it may include a signal triggered by detecting changes in electrical signals, such as changes in inductance, voltage, current, or voltage, to sense whether the aerosol generating device is inserted.

[0035] Step S202: Determine that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state;

[0036] Specifically, before receiving the start request signal, the heater is in the off state. As the off time increases, the temperature of the heater gradually decreases. The longer the interval between the last time it was turned off and the current start request signal is received, that is, the longer the off time, the greater the temperature drop of the heater, and the lower the temperature of the heater or the room temperature.

[0037] The hot start state refers to the situation where, when starting the aerosol generating device, although some time has passed since the last time the heater was shut down, the temperature of the heater is still higher than the first preset temperature. It can also be understood as the residual temperature of the heater being relatively high when the start request signal is received.

[0038] Step S203: Determine the start-up parameters based on the cooling information and the heating information. The start-up parameters include at least one of the target start-up time of the heater and the target start-up temperature of the heater. The cooling information is the information on the change of the heater temperature over time after it is turned off, and the heating information is the information on the change of the heater temperature over time when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state.

[0039] Specifically, the target start time is the start time of the heater after receiving the start request signal, and the target start temperature is the start temperature of the heater. Since the temperature of the heater will gradually decrease as the shutdown time increases after it is turned off, the information obtained on the change of the heater temperature over time since the last time the heater was turned off is the cooling information.

[0040] The cold start state refers to the situation where, when starting the aerosol generating device, a period of time has passed since the heater was last shut down, and the heater temperature has dropped to less than or equal to the second preset temperature, where the second preset temperature is less than or equal to the first preset temperature; it can also be understood as the residual temperature of the heater being low or returning to room temperature when the start request signal is received.

[0041] Step S204: Start the heater according to the start-up parameters.

[0042] Specifically, the timing of heater activation is determined based on the target start-up time and / or target start-up temperature. In other words, when a start-up request signal is received and the current start-up state is a hot-engine start-up state, the heater will not be activated immediately, but will be activated with a delay to reduce the heating time of the heater in the hot-engine start-up state.

[0043] In this embodiment, a start-up request signal for the heater is first received. Then, if the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state, start-up parameters are determined based on the temperature drop information representing the heater's temperature change over time after shutdown, and the temperature rise information representing the heater's temperature change over time when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state. These start-up parameters include the start-up time and / or start-up temperature. Finally, the heater is started according to the start-up parameters. This application, upon receiving a start-up request signal and the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state, determines the corresponding start-up time and / or start-up temperature of the aerosol generating device in the hot-start state based on the temperature change of the heater over time after shutdown, and the temperature change of the heater over time when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state. Since the temperature rise curve of the heater is basically consistent between the hot-start and cold-start states, this embodiment controls the delayed start-up of the heater by monitoring the start-up time and / or start-up temperature, thereby ensuring that the smoking taste is basically consistent between the hot-start and cold-start states, thus guaranteeing a better taste.

[0044] In some embodiments, determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state includes: acquiring the heater's shutdown duration, wherein the shutdown duration is the time interval between the reception time of the start-up request signal and the heater's most recent shutdown time; and determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state based on the shutdown duration. In this embodiment, determining whether the current start-up state of the aerosol generating device is a hot-start state by using the shutdown duration can accurately determine whether the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state, and also eliminates the reliance on temperature sensors.

[0045] To further ensure the accuracy of the determined start-up state of the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device is further determined to be in a hot-start state based on the shutdown duration, including: when the shutdown duration is less than a preset time threshold (e.g., ...). Figure 5 In the case of the ty identifier, it is determined that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state. If the shutdown time is less than the preset time threshold, it indicates that the heater shutdown time is short, and the corresponding heater temperature is high, thus allowing for a more accurate determination that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state.

[0046] According to another specific embodiment of this application, obtaining the heater's shutdown duration includes: when the heater is off, periodically waking up the MCU to obtain the shutdown time; and when a start request signal is received, determining the shutdown duration based on the reception time of the start request signal and the shutdown time. In this embodiment, by periodically waking up the MCU to obtain the heater's shutdown time, the shutdown duration is determined, avoiding the energy waste caused by the MCU being in a working state for a long time, and achieving energy saving.

[0047] In practical applications, those skilled in the art can pre-set cooling information, for example: acquiring the heater temperature during the shutdown period to obtain multiple acquisition temperatures and the corresponding acquisition times; determining cooling information based on the multiple acquisition times and corresponding acquisition temperatures. Specifically, multiple sets of historical cooling information can also be acquired, each set including: multiple first historical moments and corresponding first historical temperatures of the heater under historical shutdown conditions; processing the multiple sets of historical cooling information to obtain processed information, the processing including one of the following: taking the average, taking the mode, or taking the median; establishing a relationship function between the first historical moment and the first historical temperature based on the processed information to obtain cooling information. In this embodiment, historical cooling information is used as the cooling information after the heater was last shut down since the start request signal. Specifically, multiple sets of first historical temperature data of the heater with the first historical time are obtained when the heater was shut down in the past. The average, mode or median of the multiple sets of data are processed to ensure that the processed information is relatively accurate. Then, a relationship function between the first historical time and the first historical temperature is established. This relationship function is the cooling information. There is no need to use a temperature sensor to test the current cooling information. This realizes the control of the aerosol generation device without relying on a temperature sensor, and further ensures that the control cost of the aerosol generation device is low.

[0048] Specifically, averaging refers to averaging multiple historical temperatures at the same historical moment. This can be done by taking the mode or the median. The historical moment can be the actual moment or multiple relative historical moment values ​​obtained starting from the moment the aerosol generator was shut down under historical conditions.

[0049] Of course, the method for obtaining cooling information is not limited to this approach. Other methods can also be used. For example, the method may include the following steps: obtaining historical cooling information, which includes multiple first historical moments and corresponding first historical temperatures of the heater when it was historically shut down; establishing a relationship function between the first historical moment and the corresponding first historical temperature to obtain the cooling information. Using the temperature change data of the aerosol generator heater over time after shutdown, collected historically, as the calculation data for the relationship function, allows for a relatively simple and quick way to obtain cooling information, simplifying the process.

[0050] For example, the method may also include: collecting the heater temperature during the shutdown period at predetermined intervals to obtain multiple collected temperatures and recording the corresponding collection times; establishing a relationship function between the collection times and the corresponding collected temperatures based on the multiple collection times and the corresponding multiple collected temperatures to obtain cooling information. In this embodiment, by collecting real-time data on the actual temperature change of the heater during the shutdown period to obtain cooling information, the accuracy of the obtained cooling information is ensured, thereby further ensuring the accuracy of the target start-up time determined subsequently based on the cooling and heating information.

[0051] For example, another method for obtaining cooling information is as follows: Establish an initial neural network model; acquire multiple sets of historical cooling information, each set including: multiple first historical moments and corresponding first historical temperatures of the heater when it was historically shut down, wherein different sets of first historical moments correspond to the same shutdown moment of the aerosol generating device; train the initial neural network model using multiple sets of historical cooling information to obtain the neural network model, wherein the input of the neural network model is time and the output is temperature; transform each moment corresponding to the shutdown duration and input it into the neural network model sequentially to obtain the temperature value corresponding to each moment; based on each moment and its temperature value, obtain cooling information representing the relationship function between time and temperature, wherein the transformation is the operation of unifying each moment within the shutdown duration to have the same shutdown moment as the historical moment.

[0052] The relationship function between time and temperature can be a function with time as the independent variable and temperature as the dependent variable, or it can be a function with temperature as the independent variable and time as the dependent variable.

[0053] It should be noted that the cooling information is not limited to the form of a relational function; it can also be represented as a relational curve. In other words, after obtaining the processed information, a graph can be plotted based on it. Figure 5The graph shown represents the relationship between historical time and historical temperature, indicating the cooling information. Alternatively, after collecting data at multiple temperatures and recording the corresponding times, a graph can be created based on these multiple times and temperatures, as shown below. Figure 5 The curve showing the relationship between the acquisition time and the acquisition temperature represents the cooling information. Here, T0 is the preset temperature and ty is the preset time threshold.

[0054] In another alternative, the method further includes: obtaining the temperature change curve of the heater during the preheating stage when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state, thus obtaining temperature rise information. During the preheating stage, the heater temperature is positively correlated with the operating time. In other words, the temperature rise information in this application only includes the temperature change of the heater during the preheating stage. Since the temperature change of the heater during the suction stage is the same regardless of whether the device is in a cold start state or a hot start state, only the starting point differs, the temperature rise information only needs to obtain the temperature change of the heater during the preheating stage, ensuring a smaller amount of data calculation and processing, thereby simplifying the data processing and calculation in the control process.

[0055] Furthermore, the method for obtaining the temperature change curve of the heater during the preheating stage when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state to obtain the temperature rise information, or the method for obtaining the temperature curve of the heater throughout the heating stage, can be as follows: Obtain multiple sets of historical temperature rise information, each set including: multiple second historical moments and corresponding second historical temperatures of the heater when the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state and has started; process the multiple sets of historical temperature rise information by taking the average, mode, or median to obtain the processed temperature rise information; establish a relationship function between the second historical moment and the second historical temperature based on the processed temperature rise information to obtain the temperature rise information.

[0056] According to another optional embodiment of this application, determining the start-up parameters based on cooling information and heating information includes the following steps:

[0057] Step S2041: Based on the cooling information, determine the temperature of the heater at each moment from the moment the start request signal is received, and obtain the first moment and the corresponding first temperature;

[0058] Step S2042: Based on the temperature rise information, determine the temperature of the heater at each time point when the start-up request signal is received and the heater starts from the cold start state, and obtain the second time point and the corresponding second temperature;

[0059] Step S2043: Determine the time when the first temperature and the second temperature are the same, or the corresponding first time and the second time are the same, as the target start time, and the first temperature or the second temperature corresponding to the target start time is the target start temperature.

[0060] In some embodiments, by using the moment when the first temperature and the second temperature are the same as the target start-up time of the heater in the hot-start state, and the first temperature or the second temperature corresponding to the target start-up time as the target start-up temperature, the system simulates the start-up temperature of the heater when the electronic cigarette start-up signal is received and the system is in a cold-start state. This further ensures that the temperature trend of the heater in the hot-start state can match the temperature trend in the cold-start state, thereby achieving a consistent smoking experience regardless of whether the electronic cigarette is started cold or hot. Furthermore, since the target time is later than the time the start-up signal is received, it is equivalent to allowing the heater to cool down for a period of time after receiving the start-up signal. This also avoids the heater temperature from being too high during startup, which could cause the vapor from the aerosol generated by the heater to overheat and burn the mouth, further ensuring a better user experience.

[0061] To further achieve flexible start-up control of the heater, specifically, the heater is started according to the start-up parameters, including one of the following: the heater is started when the target start-up time is reached at the current time, so that the heater temperature changes according to a preset first temperature curve; or the heater is started when the heater temperature reaches the target start-up temperature, so that the heater temperature changes according to the first temperature curve. In other words, this application can start the heater only when the target start-up time is reached at the current time, or only when the heater temperature reaches the target start-up temperature, or both when the target start-up time is reached at the current time and the heater temperature reaches the target start-up temperature.

[0062] The cooling information is a function representing the relationship between temperature and time. Step S2041 can be implemented as follows: starting from the receipt of the start request signal, the first time of each heater is substituted into the relationship function to calculate the first temperature corresponding to each first time.

[0063] The heating information is a function representing the relationship between temperature and time. Step S2042 can be implemented as follows: when the start request signal is received and the heater starts from the cold start state, the heater is substituted into the relationship function at each second moment to calculate the second temperature corresponding to each second moment.

[0064] In step S2043, the first temperature and the second temperature can be compared one by one to obtain multiple identical first and second temperatures. It is then determined whether the first time and the second time corresponding to the identical first and second temperatures are the same. If they are the same, the target temperature can be obtained. Furthermore, a curve showing the change of the first temperature with the first time can be plotted based on the first temperature and the first time, as shown below. Figure 6 The cooling curve shown, and the curve showing the change of the second temperature with the second time, based on the second temperature and the second time, yield the following results: Figure 6 The point where the heating curve and the cooling curve intersect is the target start-up time tm. According to... Figure 4 and Figure 6 It can be seen that the trend of the second temperature with the second moment is the same as the trend of the temperature with time in the heating information. The only difference between the two is the time of data collection.

[0065] In addition to the hot start state, the aerosol generating device also includes a cold start state. The method further includes: determining that the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state; starting the heater so that the heater changes according to a second temperature curve, a portion of which coincides with the first temperature curve. When the current start state is a cold start state, because the current heater temperature is low, to avoid the problem of the initially heated flue gas being too cold due to delayed heater start-up, the start-up delay is no longer performed, and the heater is started immediately. That is, when the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state, the heater is started immediately upon receiving a start-up request signal, further ensuring better taste from the aerosol generating device.

[0066] Specifically, the portion of the second temperature curve that does not overlap with the second temperature curve represents the temperature curve of the heater during the delayed start-up period in the hot-start state. If the current start-up state is a cold-start state, it indicates that the heater experiences a significant temperature drop upon receiving the start-up signal, resulting in a relatively low residual temperature.

[0067] In other embodiments, determining that the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state includes: acquiring the heater's shutdown duration, wherein the shutdown duration is the time interval between the reception time of the start-up request signal and the heater's most recent shutdown time; and determining that the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state based on the shutdown duration. In this embodiment, determining whether the current start-up state of the aerosol generating device is a cold start state by using the shutdown duration can accurately determine whether the aerosol generating device is in a cold start state, and also eliminates the reliance on temperature sensors.

[0068] To further ensure the accuracy of the determined start-up state of the aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device is further determined to be in a cold start state based on the shutdown duration, including: when the shutdown duration is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold (e.g., ...). Figure 5 If the value of ty is specified in the code, the aerosol generator is determined to be in a cold start state. If the shutdown duration is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold, it indicates that the heater has been off for a relatively long time, and the corresponding heater temperature is lower. This allows for a more accurate determination that the aerosol generator is in a cold start state.

[0069] In practical applications, the control of the heater in an aerosol generating device includes a preheating stage and a suction stage, as detailed below:

[0070] The first stage can be a preheating stage. As used herein, the preheating stage refers to a stage in which the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate is increased to a temperature at which a satisfactory amount of aerosol is produced. During the preheating stage, the battery of the aerosol generating device provides high power to the heater, thereby rapidly heating the aerosol-forming article to a predetermined temperature, increasing the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate to a temperature at which a satisfactory amount of aerosol is produced. Although the aerosol is generated during the preheating stage, it is generally not inhaled by the user. At the end of the first (preheating) stage, the tobacco stems and the solid tobacco contained therein may have reached the temperature at which the volatile components contained in the tobacco are released.

[0071] The first stage can have any suitable duration. The first stage can have a predetermined duration. The duration of the first stage can be equal to or less than one minute. The duration of the first stage can be equal to or less than 45 seconds. The duration of the first stage can be approximately 30 seconds. If the duration of the first stage is approximately 30 seconds, a good balance can be achieved between preheating rate and reduced energy loss. During the first stage, the power supplied to the heater can be gradually increased. The power supplied to the heater can be increased by changing the duty cycle of the power supplied to the heater. During the first stage, the heater can be supplied with maximum power; during the first stage, the heater can be supplied with a fixed power. In the first stage, the power supplied to the heater can depend on the target temperature set by the controller and the set time.

[0072] When the first stage ends, the second stage (inhalation stage) begins, and the power supplied to the heater is controlled to reduce the heater temperature to a second temperature below the first temperature. In the second stage, the cell maintains the temperature of the aerosol-generating article with a relatively small heating power, allowing the aerosol to be generated by the device at a satisfactory rate and inhaled by the user. The second temperature is within the permissible temperature range. It is generally desirable to reduce the heater temperature in the second stage because, after heating the aerosol-generating device and raising the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate for a period of time, at a given heater temperature, aerosol condensation in the device typically decreases and aerosol delivery typically increases. Additionally, reducing the heater temperature reduces the amount of energy consumed by the aerosol-generating device. Furthermore, varying the heater temperature during device operation allows for the introduction of a time-modulated thermal gradient into the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0073] The heater can be any suitable heating device used in an aerosol generating apparatus. In the embodiments of this application, the heater is a heating element, and the temperatures mentioned above are the inner wall temperatures of the heating element.

[0074] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of this application, the implementation process of the control method of the aerosol generation device of this application will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0075] This embodiment relates to a specific control method for an aerosol generating device, including the following steps:

[0076] Step S1: Obtain pre-stored cooling and heating information. Both cooling and heating information are pre-stored. The cooling information is a cooling curve drawn based on historical cooling information, and the heating information is a heating curve drawn based on historical heating information.

[0077] Step S2: Record the shutdown duration from the time the aerosol generator is shut down to the time the start-up request signal is received. If the shutdown duration is less than a preset time threshold, determine that the start-up state of the aerosol generator is a hot start. If the shutdown duration is not less than the preset time threshold, determine that the start-up state of the aerosol generator is a cold start.

[0078] Step S3: When the aerosol generating device is started from cold, upon receiving the start request signal, the heater is controlled to start and heat the aerosol generated product.

[0079] Step S4: When the aerosol generating device is started by heat, the time corresponding to the intersection of the cooling curve and the heating curve is determined as the target start time. Starting from the time the start request signal is received, when the target start time is reached at the current time, the heater is controlled to start and heat the aerosol generating product.

[0080] It should be noted that the steps shown in the flowchart in the accompanying drawings can be executed in a computer system such as a set of computer-executable instructions, and although a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases the steps shown or described may be executed in a different order than that shown here.

[0081] According to another aspect of this application, an aerosol generating apparatus is also provided, comprising: a heater for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol; and one or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and the one or more programs include methods for performing any one of them.

[0082] The processor contains a kernel, which retrieves the corresponding program units from memory. One or more kernels can be configured, and adjusting kernel parameters can at least address the problem of poor smoke quality caused by the control methods of existing aerosol generation devices.

[0083] The memory may include non-permanent memory in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM, and the memory includes at least one memory chip.

[0084] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the modules or steps of this invention can be implemented using general-purpose computing devices. They can be centralized on a single computing device or distributed across a network of multiple computing devices. They can be implemented using computer-executable program code, and thus can be stored in a storage device for execution by a computing device. In some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a different order than those presented herein, or they can be fabricated as separate integrated circuit modules, or multiple modules or steps can be fabricated as a single integrated circuit module. Thus, this invention is not limited to any particular combination of hardware and software.

[0085] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

[0086] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A control method for an aerosol generating device, characterized in that, The aerosol generating apparatus includes a heater for heating the aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol, and the method includes: Receive a start request signal, wherein the start request signal is a signal requesting the start of the heater to heat the aerosol-generated product; It is confirmed that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state; Based on the cooling and heating information, the start-up parameters are determined. The start-up parameters include at least one of the target start-up time and the target start-up temperature of the heater. The cooling information is the information on the temperature change of the heater over time after shutdown, and the heating information is the information on the temperature change of the heater over time when the aerosol generating device starts from a cold start state. The heater is started according to the start-up parameters; The process of determining the start-up parameters based on cooling and heating information includes: Based on the cooling information, the temperature of the heater at each moment from the moment the start request signal is received is determined, and the first moment and the corresponding first temperature are obtained; Based on the heating information, the temperature of the heater at each time point is determined when the start-up request signal is received and the heater starts from the cold start state, thus obtaining the second time point and the corresponding second temperature; The moment when the first temperature and the second temperature are the same is determined as the target startup moment, and the first temperature or the second temperature corresponding to the target startup moment is the target startup temperature. The heater is activated according to the activation parameters, including one of the following: If the target start-up time is reached at the current moment, the heater is activated so that the temperature of the heater changes according to a preset first temperature curve. When the temperature of the heater reaches the target start-up temperature, the heater is started so that the temperature of the heater changes according to the first temperature curve. The method further includes: determining that the aerosol generating device is in the cold start state; starting the heater so that the heater changes according to a second temperature curve, a portion of the second temperature curve coinciding with the first temperature curve.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state includes: Obtain the off duration of the heater, wherein the off duration is the time interval between the time of receiving the start request signal and the most recent off time of the heater; Based on the shutdown duration, it is determined that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining that the aerosol generating device is in a hot-start state based on the shutdown duration includes: If the shutdown duration is less than a preset time threshold, the aerosol generating device is determined to be in the heat engine start-up state.

4. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Obtaining the off duration of the heater includes: When the heater is off, the MCU is periodically woken up to obtain the shutdown time; Upon receiving the start request signal, the shutdown duration is determined based on the reception time of the start request signal and the shutdown time.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The temperature of the heater during the shutdown period is obtained, multiple sampling temperatures are obtained, and the sampling time corresponding to the sampling temperature is obtained; The cooling information is determined based on multiple acquisition times and corresponding acquisition temperatures.

6. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The temperature change curve of the heater during the preheating stage is obtained when the aerosol generating device is started from the cold start state, and the temperature rise information is obtained. In the preheating stage, the temperature of the heater is positively correlated with the working time.

7. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, include: A heater for heating an aerosol-generating article to produce an aerosol; One or more processors, a memory, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising methods for performing any one of claims 1 to 6.

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