Method for measuring number of puffs and aerosol-generating device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of electronic atomization, and discloses a puff number metering method and an aerosol generating device.According to the puff number metering method, starting from the relation between coil voltage and temperature during resonance, coil voltage at each moment is collected in real time; according to the method, the coil voltage of the induction heater assembly is detected, the real-time temperature of the induction heater assembly is determined according to the coil voltage, the number of smoking times of the aerosol generating device is measured according to the real-time temperature, energy is supplemented for the aerosol generating device according to the number of smoking times, and it is ensured that the amount of aerosol can be maintained to be adjusted in a smokable state. Therefore, the taste and the smoking experience are improved. Besides, the suction number of the aerosol generating device is determined through the coil voltage, dependence on a metering chip is eliminated, the problem that heat of an aerosol forming substrate is insufficiently absorbed or excessively absorbed due to the fault problem of the metering chip is solved, and the hardware cost can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of electronic atomization technology, and in particular to a puff count metering method and an aerosol generating device. Background Art

[0002] The aerosol generating device uses a heater to heat and bake the aerosol forming matrix to generate aerosol for users to use.

[0003] An aerosol-forming substrate is a substrate that can release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Such volatile compounds can be released by heating the aerosol-forming substrate. The amount of aerosol formers in the aerosol-forming substrate is limited, and as the number of puffs increases, the aerosol produced will become less and less, resulting in a bland taste. Therefore, by detecting the number of puffs of the aerosol-forming substrate, energy can be quickly replenished to ensure sufficient aerosol and better taste.

[0004] In some solutions known to the inventor of the present application, the number of puffs is measured by a metering chip, however, this method increases the hardware cost and has a high failure rate. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, some embodiments of the present application provide a method for measuring the number of puffs and an aerosol generating device, which can accurately measure the number of puffs while saving costs.

[0006] In a first aspect, some embodiments of the present application provide a puff count metering method, which is applied to an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device includes an induction heater assembly and a power supply, wherein the induction heater assembly includes an induction coil and a susceptor, wherein the induction coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field when a changing current flows through the induction coil, and the susceptor is configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil to generate heat, thereby heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, and the power supply is used to provide energy to the induction heater assembly;

[0007] The method comprises:

[0008] obtaining a coil voltage of the induction coil;

[0009] The number of puffs of the aerosol generating device is determined based on the coil voltage.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device according to the coil voltage comprises:

[0011] Determining a decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage;

[0012] Determining the slope of the decreasing value interval;

[0013] The number of puffs is determined according to the slope of the decreasing numerical interval.

[0014] In some embodiments, determining the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage includes:

[0015] Determining the duration of the decreasing value interval;

[0016] The decreasing value interval of the coil voltage is determined according to the coil voltage and the duration of the decreasing value interval.

[0017] In some embodiments, the duration of the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage is within 2 seconds.

[0018] In some embodiments, determining the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage includes:

[0019] Determining that the coil voltage is in a decreasing process;

[0020] According to a preset time threshold, the coil voltage in the decreasing process is divided into a plurality of decreasing sub-intervals;

[0021] Determining the slope of each of the descending subintervals;

[0022] According to the slope of the descending subinterval, the coil voltage to be retained in the descending subinterval is determined to form the descending value interval.

[0023] In some embodiments, determining to retain the coil voltage of the descending subinterval according to the slope of the descending subinterval to form the descending value interval includes:

[0024] Determining whether the slope of the descending subinterval satisfies a preset first slope threshold;

[0025] If the slope is greater than or equal to a preset first slope threshold, retaining the coil voltage in the descending subinterval to form the descending value interval;

[0026] If the slope is less than a preset first slope threshold, the coil voltage in the falling subinterval is discarded.

[0027] In some embodiments, determining the number of puffs according to the slope of the decreasing numerical interval includes:

[0028] Determining whether the slope meets a preset second slope threshold;

[0029] If the slope is greater than or equal to a preset second slope threshold, it is determined that there is a puffing action in the descending value interval, and the number of puffs is increased.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further comprises classifying the degree of the puffing action according to the slope of the descending numerical interval.

[0031] In some embodiments, the classifying the suction degree according to the slope of the descending numerical interval includes:

[0032] When the slope is greater than or equal to a first preset suction threshold, determining that the degree of the suction action is deep suction;

[0033] When the slope is greater than or equal to a second preset suction threshold and less than the first preset suction threshold, determining that the degree of the suction action is normal suction;

[0034] When the slope is less than the second preset suction threshold, the degree of the suction action is determined to be a light puff.

[0035] In some embodiments, obtaining the coil voltage of the induction coil includes:

[0036] collecting a coil voltage value of the induction coil;

[0037] The coil voltage value is filtered using a sliding average filtering method.

[0038] In a second aspect, some embodiments of the present application provide an aerosol generating device, comprising:

[0039] An induction heater assembly, comprising an induction coil and a susceptor, wherein the induction coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field when a changing current flows through the induction coil, and the susceptor is configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil to generate heat, thereby heating the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol;

[0040] a power source for providing energy to the induction heater assembly;

[0041] A controller is connected to the induction heater assembly and the power supply, and is used to execute the puff count metering method as described above.

[0042] The present application provides a method for measuring the number of puffs, which is applied to an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device includes an induction heater assembly and a power supply, wherein the induction heater assembly includes an induction coil and a susceptor, wherein the induction coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field when a changing current flows through the induction coil, and the susceptor is configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil to generate heat, thereby heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, and the power supply is used to provide energy to the induction heater assembly. The method includes determining the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device according to the coil voltage after obtaining the coil voltage of the induction coil.

[0043] In this embodiment, starting from the relationship between the coil voltage and the temperature at resonance, the coil voltage at each moment is collected in real time, so as to determine the real-time temperature of the induction heater assembly according to the coil voltage, and the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device is measured according to the real-time temperature, so as to replenish energy for the aerosol generating device according to the number of puffs, so as to ensure that the amount of aerosol can be maintained in a smokable state, thereby improving the taste and the smoking experience. In addition, by determining the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device through the coil voltage, the dependence on the metering chip is eliminated, and the problem of insufficient or excessive heat absorption of the aerosol forming matrix due to a malfunction of the metering chip is avoided, and the hardware cost can also be effectively reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device in some embodiments of the present application;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol-forming article in some embodiments of the present application;

[0050] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a method for measuring the number of puffs in some embodiments of the present application;

[0051] Figure 7 is a waveform diagram of the coil voltage in some embodiments of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The present application is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present application, but do not limit the present application in any form. It should be noted that, for those of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can also be made without departing from the concept of the present application. These all belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0053] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0054] It should be noted that, if there is no conflict, the various features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, all within the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, although the functional module division is performed in the device schematic diagram and the logical order is shown in the flow chart, in some cases, the steps shown or described can be performed in a sequence different from the module division in the device or the flow chart. In addition, the words "first", "second", "third", etc. used herein do not limit the data and execution order, but only distinguish the same items or similar items with basically the same functions and effects.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in this specification and in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0056] In addition, the technical features involved in each embodiment of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0057] Figure 1-Figure 4 An aerosol generating device 10 provided in some embodiments of the present application includes: a chamber 11, an induction heater assembly 12, a power source 14 and a controller 15. The controller 15 is electrically connected to the power source 14 and the induction heater assembly 12.

[0058] The chamber 11 is used to receive the aerosol-forming article 20. The aerosol-forming article 20 can be inserted into or removed from the chamber 11 through the opening A on the aerosol generating device 10.

[0059] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the aerosol-forming article 20 includes a filter segment 21 and a matrix material segment 22. The matrix material segment 22 includes an aerosol-forming matrix. The aerosol-forming matrix is ​​a matrix that can release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. Such volatile compounds can be released by heating the aerosol-forming matrix. The aerosol-forming matrix can be a solid aerosol-forming matrix. Alternatively, the aerosol-forming matrix can include solid and liquid components.

[0060] In certain embodiments, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a tobacco-containing material that includes volatile tobacco flavor compounds released from the substrate when heated. Alternatively, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a non-tobacco material. The aerosol-forming substrate may further include an aerosol former. The example of a suitable aerosol former is glycerol and propylene glycol.

[0061] The aerosol generated by heating the matrix material segment 22 is delivered to the user through the filter segment 21, which may be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter segment 21 may be sprayed with a flavoring liquid to provide a flavor, or a separate fiber coated with a flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter segment to improve the durability of the flavor delivered to the user. The filter segment 21 may also have a capsule in a spherical or cylindrical shape, which may contain a content of a flavoring substance.

[0062] exist Figure 3 Only the components of the aerosol-forming article 20 related to this embodiment are shown. Accordingly, those skilled in the art related to this embodiment should understand that the aerosol-forming article 20 may also include components other than Figure 3 For example, a cooling section for cooling the aerosol generated by heating the matrix material section 22 so that the user can inhale the aerosol cooled to a suitable temperature.

[0063] The power source 14 provides power for operating the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the power source 14 can provide power to the induction heater assembly 12, and the induction heater assembly 12 generates heat after receiving power to generate heating energy, and the power required by the display device, sensor, motor, etc. In addition, the power source 14 can provide the power required to operate other components provided in the aerosol generating device 10, such as the power required by the display device, sensor, motor, etc. The power source 14 can be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. The power source 14 can be, but is not limited to, a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. For example, the power source 14 can be a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCo02) battery or a lithium titanate battery.

[0064] When the aerosol-forming article 20 is inserted into the chamber 11, the power provided by the power source 14 can cause the induction heating component 12 to generate heating energy, which is transmitted to the aerosol-forming article 20, so that the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate therein is increased to generate aerosol. The generated aerosol is transmitted to the user through the filter segment 21 of the aerosol-forming article 20 for inhalation.

[0065] The induction heater assembly 12 is used to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the aerosol-forming article 20 to generate an inhalable aerosol. The induction heater assembly 12 includes an induction coil 121 and a susceptor 122. When a changing current flows through the induction coil 121, the induction coil 121 generates a changing magnetic field. When the changing magnetic field penetrates the susceptor 122, the susceptor 122 generates heat, thereby directly or indirectly heating the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol.

[0066] In some embodiments, the induction heater assembly 12 further includes a capacitor C1, a switch K1 and a switch K2, wherein the first end of the switch K1 is connected to the power supply 14, the switch K1 is connected in series with the switch K2, the second end of the switch K1 is connected to the input end of the capacitor C1, the second end of the switch K2 is connected to the ground end, and the capacitor C1 is connected in series with the induction coil 121. Specifically, the heating principle of the induction heater assembly is: the capacitor C1 and the induction coil 121 form an LC oscillator, when the power supply 14 outputs a DC voltage, the DC voltage will be provided to the LC oscillator through the switch K1, at this time, the capacitor C1 will also start to charge based on the DC voltage, when the voltage on the capacitor C1 reaches a certain value, the switch K1 will be turned off because the conduction voltage drop is lower than the threshold. When the switch K1 is turned off, the capacitor C1 will start to discharge through the switch K2. Based on this, the LC oscillator generates an inverter oscillation through the alternating energy storage and discharge of the capacitor C1, forming an alternating current flowing through the induction coil 121, so that the induction coil 121 generates an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor 122 is induced to generate eddy current and generate heat in the alternating magnetic field.

[0067] See also Figure 1-Figure 4 In some embodiments, the induction coil 121 is disposed on the outer surface of the tubular substrate. The tubular substrate is a tubular component along the axial direction of the chamber and surrounding the chamber. In some embodiments, the tubular substrate can be a tubular component made of a heat-insulating material.

[0068] It is understood that the susceptor 122 is made of a metal material, for example, Permalloy or stainless steel. Thus, the susceptor 122 can generate heat in the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil 121 to convert electrical energy into thermal energy. The shape of the susceptor 122 can be set by a person skilled in the art. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the susceptor 122 is a metal tube, which can serve as the inner wall of the chamber 11. When the aerosol-forming article 20 is inserted into the chamber 11, the susceptor 122 contacts the aerosol-forming article 20. Thus, when the susceptor 122 heats up, the heating energy can be effectively transferred to the aerosol-forming article 20 to bake the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0069] See also Figure 4In some embodiments, the susceptor 122 is a metal sheet disposed in the chamber. When the aerosol-forming article is inserted into the chamber, the susceptor 122 penetrates the aerosol-forming article 20 and contacts the aerosol-generating substrate. Thus, when the susceptor 122 heats up, the heating energy can be effectively transferred to the aerosol-forming article 20 to bake the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0070] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, a metal sheet or a metal needle is built into the aerosol-forming article 20. When the aerosol-forming article 20 is inserted into the chamber 11, the built-in metal sheet or metal needle acts as a susceptor 122, and generates heat under the action of the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil 121 to bake the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0071] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, when the susceptor 122 is heated, the heating energy can be effectively transferred to the airflow passing therethrough, so that the heated airflow enters the aerosol-forming article 20 to bake the aerosol-forming substrate.

[0072] The controller 15 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10. Specifically, the controller 15 controls the operation of the power supply 14 and the induction heater assembly 12, and can also control the operation of other devices. In some embodiments, the controller 15 includes a memory for storing program instructions corresponding to the puff count metering method in any one of the following method embodiments, and also includes a monitoring circuit or timer for monitoring the power supply time, a detection circuit for collecting the coil voltage, etc. Thus, the puff count metering method in any one of the following method embodiments is implemented, and the puff count is metered by the coil voltage to quickly replenish energy to ensure that the amount of aerosol can be maintained in a smokable state, thereby improving the taste and smoking experience. In addition, getting rid of the dependence on the metering chip, avoiding the problem of insufficient or excessive heat absorption of the aerosol forming matrix due to malfunction of the metering chip, and effectively reducing the hardware cost.

[0073] The following describes the puff count measurement method provided by some embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the exemplary application and implementation of the aerosol generating device provided by the embodiments of the present application. Figure 6 , Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for measuring the number of puffs provided in some embodiments of the present application. It is understandable that the execution subject of the control method may be one or more controllers. Figure 6 As shown, the method includes:

[0074] S10: Obtaining the coil voltage of the induction coil.

[0075] Based on the heating principle of the aforementioned induction heater assembly, it can be known that when the power supply inputs electric energy to the induction heater assembly and the induction coil forms an alternating current based on the electric energy, the driving circuit will output the coil voltage of the induction coil based on the alternating current. At this time, the controller will collect the coil voltage of the induction coil based on the sampling frequency, and store the coil voltage of the induction coil according to the sampling time. Optionally, the sampling frequency can be in microseconds or milliseconds.

[0076] In some embodiments, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 is a waveform diagram of the coil voltage in some embodiments of the present application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the horizontal axis is the operating time of the aerosol generating device, and the vertical axis is the coil voltage value collected based on the sampling frequency during the operating time. Among them, before the t2 moment is the preheating stage. In this stage, the sensor uses two different sensing materials, one of which has a positive temperature coefficient characteristic and the other has a negative temperature coefficient characteristic. The two sensing materials have different Curie temperature points. At t1, when the sensing material with the negative temperature coefficient characteristic reaches its Curie temperature point, the coil voltage reaches the lowest point. After t2, the aerosol generating device can directly enter the suction stage, or enter the suction stage after a certain degree of insulation stage (the temperature drop interval adjacent to t2 moment), at which time the aerosol generating matrix has reached the level of generating sufficient smoke. During the inhalation stage, the user will inhale the smoke that has been generated, and a new cold air flow will enter the interior of the aerosol generating product, causing the temperature of the receptor to drop rapidly, and the coil voltage will also drop accordingly. Once the temperature drop is recognized by the controller, it will provide more power to the induction heater assembly to increase the temperature of the receptor. Therefore, when the inhalation action occurs, the coil voltage will show a change of first rapidly dropping and then rapidly rising. For example, the t3-t4 interval and the t5-t6 interval each represent the occurrence of a inhalation action. In some embodiments, since the induction coil is directly connected to the battery cell, the coil voltage is easily affected by the battery cell power attenuation. For example, after the t2 moment, the coil voltage shows a very slow downward trend in addition to intentional temperature control. In some embodiments, the controller can also control the temperature to make the coil voltage show a downward trend.

[0077] In some embodiments, when collecting the coil voltage, since the directly collected coil voltage may jump, in order to prevent the situation where the number of puffs is misjudged due to the coil voltage jump, the coil voltage can be filtered after collecting the coil voltage. For example, the coil voltage is filtered using a sliding average filter method; specifically, the size of the time window is defined, that is, the average calculation is performed within a number of sampling points, and then based on the time window, the coil voltage corresponding to the current time point and several previous sampling points is obtained for average calculation, and the average calculation result is used as the filtering result at the current time point. Then, the coil voltage corresponding to the next time point of the current time point is used as the last sampling point of the time window, and the first sampling point of the time window is discarded, and the coil voltage in the new queue is averaged to obtain the coil voltage at the next time point. Based on this, the coil voltage corresponding to each sampling time point is filtered to improve the accuracy of the coil voltage corresponding to each moment.

[0078] S20. Determine the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device according to the coil voltage.

[0079] The aerosol generating device generates aerosol by heating the aerosol generating product, and when the aerosol generating device is inhaled, the cold air generated by the inhalation enters the aerosol generating device, thereby reducing the temperature of the receptor. Therefore, during the operation of the aerosol generating device, the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device can be known by detecting the temperature of the receptor. It should be noted that in the resonant circuit, the coil voltage and the quality factor affect each other, and the quality factor decreases as the temperature rises. Therefore, when the aerosol generating device is in operation, the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device can be determined based on the coil voltage of the induction coil.

[0080] In some embodiments, step S20 specifically includes:

[0081] S21. Determine a decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage.

[0082] The controller samples based on the sampling frequency, obtains the coil voltage at each sampling point, stores it, and makes a judgment, as follows:

[0083] In some embodiments, the controller compares the coil voltage at the current sampling point with the coil voltage at the previous sampling point, first determines whether the coil voltage at the current sampling point is in a decreasing process, and then determines the decreasing value range of the coil voltage based on the coil voltage in the decreasing process.

[0084] For example, when the controller collects the coil voltage U nWhen the nth coil voltage U n and the coil voltage U of the n-1th coil n-1 For comparison, if the coil voltage U n Greater than the coil voltage U of the n-1th coil n-1 , then the coil voltage U n For the rising process.

[0085] At this time, the controller will continue to collect the coil voltage U of the n+1th, n+2th, and so on. n+1 , U n+2 , ..., if the coil voltage U of the n+1th coil n+1 Less than the nth coil voltage U n , then the coil voltage U n+1 starts to decrease, and can be regarded as the voltage U of the nth coil n This is the starting point of this descent.

[0086] If the coil voltage U n+2 Less than the coil voltage U of the n+1th coil n+1 , then the coil voltage U n+2 Still in the process of decline.

[0087] If the coil voltage U n+3 Greater than the coil voltage U of the n+2nd coil n+2 , then the coil voltage U n+3 starts to rise, and can be regarded as the voltage U of the coil n+2 n+2 is the end point of this descending process. Therefore, the coil voltage U of the nth, n+1th, and n+2th coils is n , U n+1 , U n+2 A decreasing value interval of the coil voltage can be formed, and the next step S22 can be processed.

[0088] In some embodiments, the use of the temperature drop of the heating element to determine the puffing action is susceptible to the temperature drop caused by the attenuation of the power cell or the temperature control. Figure 7As shown, in the interval t2-t3, the coil voltage collected by the controller has been in a decreasing process. This is due to the influence of battery cell power attenuation or intentional temperature control, but there is no puffing action in the decreasing value interval collected in this interval. Generally, the temperature drop caused by puffing is characterized by a short decrease time and a large temperature drop amplitude. The temperature drop of the heating element caused by puffing, while the temperature drop caused by power cell attenuation or temperature control is characterized by a long decrease time and a small temperature change amplitude. In view of this, the controller can compare the coil voltage at the current sampling point with the coil voltage at the previous sampling point, first determine whether the coil voltage at the current sampling point is in a decreasing process, and then determine the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage based on the duration of the decreasing process.

[0089] To further illustrate the above example, if the coil voltage U n+1 Less than the nth coil voltage U n , then the coil voltage U n+1 starts to decrease, and can be regarded as the voltage U of the nth coil n As the starting point of this descent process, U n and U n+1 Insert the current descending value range.

[0090] If the coil voltage U n+2 Less than the coil voltage U of the n+1th coil n+1 , then the coil voltage U n+2 Still in the process of decline, judge U n+2 The sampling time is from the starting point U n If the time difference meets the preset time threshold, U n+2 Insert the current descending value range.

[0091] If the coil voltage U n+3 Greater than the coil voltage U of the n+2nd coil n+2 , then the coil voltage U n+3 starts to rise, and can be regarded as the voltage U of the coil n+2 n+2 is the end point of this descent process, then U n , U n+1 , U n+2 A decreasing value range of the coil voltage can be formed.

[0092] If the coil voltage U n+3 Less than the coil voltage U of the n+2nd coil n+2 , then the coil voltage U n+3 Still in the process of decline, judge U n+3 The sampling time is from the starting point Un If the time difference does not meet the preset time threshold (or the time difference exceeds the preset time threshold), it can be understood as starting from the starting point U n To U n+3 , the decreasing process has been going on, and the duration of the decreasing value interval has exceeded the preset time threshold, indicating that the decreasing value interval is decreasing slowly, then the decreasing value interval can be abandoned. In other words, the U n , U n+1 , U n+2 Abandon and redefine the starting point of the descending value range, for example: n+3 Put it into the current descending value range, and change U n+3 is identified as the new starting point of the current descending value interval; for example, U n+3 The coil voltage collected later in the falling process is used as a new starting point.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the time difference between each collected coil voltage and the starting point is judged one by one; in some embodiments, it is also possible to set a timing function so that the time difference is judged only for the coil voltage collected after a period of time from the starting point, which can save some calculations.

[0094] In some embodiments, the controller can compare the coil voltage at the current sampling point with the coil voltage at the previous sampling point, as long as the coil voltage in the falling process is placed in the falling value interval, and then the entire falling value interval is divided into multiple falling sub-intervals, and the division of the falling sub-intervals can be divided from first to last according to the preset time threshold, so that the coil voltage of the falling sub-interval with the earlier sampling time can be discarded, and only the coil voltage of the last falling sub-interval with the later sampling time is retained in the falling value interval. This can save calculations and make the process of judging the puffing action less susceptible to the influence of the temperature drop caused by the attenuation of the power cell or the temperature control, thereby improving the accuracy of the puff count.

[0095] In some embodiments, due to the temperature control logic adopted by the aerosol generating device, when the temperature drops to a certain extent due to the puffing, a certain power will be provided to the heating element, so that the temperature of the heating element rises. Therefore, after the puffing action occurs, there will be an obvious temperature rise process. In other words, when the puffing action occurs, it will be accompanied by a temperature rise process, which is reflected in the performance on the temperature curve, that is, the temperature drops first and then rises; it can also be understood that the puffing action occurs at the moment when the end of the descending numerical interval is approaching. Therefore, the controller can compare the coil voltage at the current sampling point with the coil voltage at the previous sampling point. As long as the coil voltage in the descending process is placed in the descending numerical interval, and after the end of the descending numerical interval appears, only the part of the coil voltage of the last descending sub-interval in the descending numerical interval is retained, and the duration of the retained coil voltage meets the preset time threshold, and the next step S22 is processed. This can not only save calculations, but also ensure that there are sufficient coil voltage values ​​for slope calculations, thereby improving the accuracy of puff measurement.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the preset time threshold can control the duration of the falling value interval, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of the puff count. In some embodiments, the preset time threshold is 0-2s. Accordingly, the duration of the falling value interval processed in the next step S22 is preferably controlled within 2s.

[0097] In some embodiments, after determining the descending numerical interval, the controller may also divide it into multiple descending sub-intervals, perform slope calculations for the starting point and end point of each descending sub-interval separately, and make judgments for the slope of each descending sub-interval. Determine whether each slope meets the preset first slope threshold. If the slope is less than the preset first slope threshold, it means that the temperature drop in the descending sub-interval is very gentle and there is no suction action, so the coil voltage value corresponding to the descending sub-interval is discarded. If the slope is greater than or equal to the preset first slope threshold, it means that the temperature drop in the descending sub-interval is relatively intense and there may be a suction action, then the coil voltage value of the descending sub-interval is retained and the next step S22 is processed. In some embodiments, the coil voltage values ​​of multiple descending sub-intervals that meet the preset first slope threshold are combined to form a new descending numerical interval for processing in the next step S22.

[0098] In some embodiments, the controller may also gradually divide the descending sub-intervals in the process of determining the descending numerical interval, and then perform slope calculations for the starting point and end point of the descending sub-interval, and make a judgment on the slope of the descending sub-interval. It is judged whether the slope meets the preset first slope threshold. If the slope is less than the preset first slope threshold, it means that the temperature of the descending sub-interval drops very slowly, and there may be no suction action, so the coil voltage value corresponding to the descending sub-interval is discarded. If the slope is greater than or equal to the preset first slope threshold, it means that the temperature of the descending sub-interval drops more violently, and there may be a suction action, then the coil voltage value of the descending sub-interval is retained for the next step S22. In some embodiments, the coil voltage values ​​of multiple descending sub-intervals that meet the preset first slope threshold can also be combined to form a new descending numerical interval for the next step S22.

[0099] The methods for determining the decreasing numerical value interval in the above multiple embodiments may be used separately or in combination without conflict.

[0100] S22. Determine the slope of the decreasing numerical range.

[0101] In some embodiments, after determining the decreasing numerical interval, the slope of the decreasing numerical interval is calculated by the starting point and the end point of the decreasing numerical interval. The slope of the decreasing numerical interval can be determined based on the linear function, the coil voltage, and the time corresponding to the coil voltage. It should be noted that the linear function is a linear function, and the slope of the decreasing numerical interval can be determined by substituting the coil voltage and the time corresponding to the coil voltage into the analytical expression of the linear function.

[0102] In some embodiments, after determining the decreasing numerical interval, all coil voltage values ​​can also be divided into multiple segments, and slope calculations can be performed on the starting point and end point of each segment of coil voltage separately, and then the slopes of multiple segments of coil voltage can be combined to perform average calculations to obtain the slope of the decreasing numerical interval.

[0103] S23. Determine the number of puffs according to the slope of the decreasing numerical interval.

[0104] In some embodiments, after obtaining the slope of the decreasing numerical interval, it is determined whether the slope of the decreasing numerical interval meets a preset second slope threshold. If the slope of the decreasing numerical interval is greater than or equal to the preset second slope threshold, it is considered that there is a puffing action in the decreasing numerical interval, and the number of puffs can be increased based on the recognition of the puffing action. If the slope of the decreasing numerical interval is less than the preset second slope threshold, the decreasing numerical interval may be caused by the attenuation of the battery power or due to intentional temperature control, and there is no puffing action, and the number of puffs will not be increased.

[0105] In some embodiments, in the process of determining the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device, the degree of the puffing action can be classified according to the slope of the descending numerical interval. Specifically, the slope of the descending numerical interval is first obtained, and then it is determined whether the slope meets the first puffing threshold and / or the second puffing threshold. If the slope is greater than or equal to the first puffing threshold, the degree of the puffing action is determined to be deep puffing; if the slope is less than the first puffing threshold and greater than or equal to the second puffing threshold, the degree of the puffing action is determined to be normal puffing; if the slope is less than the second puffing threshold, the degree of the puffing action is determined to be light puffing. It can be understood that deep puffing, normal puffing and light puffing are distinguishing terms based on the user's puffing amount and / or puffing duration. The identification of the degree of the puffing action is conducive to the understanding and statistics of user habits, and is conducive to personalized control of user habits.

[0106] In summary, the puff count metering method provided in the embodiment of the present application collects the coil voltage at each moment in real time based on the relationship between the coil voltage and the temperature during resonance, so as to determine the real-time temperature of the induction heater assembly according to the coil voltage, and to meter the puff count of the aerosol generating device according to the real-time temperature, thereby replenishing energy for the aerosol generating device according to the puff count to ensure that the amount of aerosol can be maintained in an inhalable state and adjusted, thereby improving the taste and the smoking experience. In addition, by determining the puff count of the aerosol generating device through the coil voltage, the dependence on the metering chip is eliminated, and the problem of insufficient or excessive heat absorption of the aerosol forming matrix due to a malfunction of the metering chip is avoided, and the hardware cost can also be effectively reduced.

[0107] It should be noted that the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative, wherein the units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place, or may be distributed on multiple network units. Some or all of the modules may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of this embodiment.

[0108] Through the description of the above implementation methods, ordinary technicians in this field can clearly understand that each implementation method can be implemented by means of software plus a general hardware platform, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Ordinary technicians in this field can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method can be completed by instructing related hardware through a computer program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, the storage medium can be a disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0109] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Under the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other changes in different aspects of the present application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of simplicity. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments can still be modified, or some of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for measuring the number of puffs, applied to an aerosol generating device, characterized in that: The aerosol generating device comprises an induction heater assembly and a power source, wherein the induction heater assembly comprises an induction coil and a susceptor, wherein the induction coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field when a changing current flows through the induction coil, and the susceptor is configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil to generate heat, thereby heating the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, and the power source is used to provide energy to the induction heater assembly; The method comprises: obtaining a coil voltage of the induction coil; The number of puffs of the aerosol generating device is determined based on the coil voltage.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining the number of puffs of the aerosol generating device according to the coil voltage includes: Determining a decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage; Determining the slope of the decreasing value interval; The number of puffs is determined according to the slope of the decreasing numerical interval.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The step of determining the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage includes: Determining the duration of the decreasing value interval; The decreasing value interval of the coil voltage is determined according to the coil voltage and the duration of the decreasing value interval.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The duration of the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage is within 2 seconds.

5. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The step of determining the decreasing value interval of the coil voltage according to the coil voltage includes: Determining that the coil voltage is in a decreasing process; According to a preset time threshold, the coil voltage in the decreasing process is divided into a plurality of decreasing sub-intervals; Determining the slope of each of the descending subintervals; According to the slope of the descending subinterval, the coil voltage to be retained in the descending subinterval is determined to form the descending value interval.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that The step of determining, according to the slope of the descending sub-interval, to retain the coil voltage of the descending sub-interval to form the descending value interval comprises: Determining whether the slope of the descending subinterval satisfies a preset first slope threshold; If the slope is greater than or equal to a preset first slope threshold, retaining the coil voltage in the descending subinterval to form the descending value interval; If the slope is less than a preset first slope threshold, the coil voltage in the falling subinterval is discarded.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that: Determining the number of puffs according to the slope of the decreasing numerical interval includes: Determining whether the slope meets a preset second slope threshold; If the slope is greater than or equal to a preset second slope threshold, it is determined that there is a puffing action in the descending value interval, and the number of puffs is increased.

8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The degree of the puffing action is classified according to the slope of the descending numerical range.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The classifying the suction degree according to the slope of the descending numerical interval includes: When the slope is greater than or equal to a first preset suction threshold, determining that the degree of the suction action is deep suction; When the slope is greater than or equal to a second preset suction threshold and less than the first preset suction threshold, determining that the degree of the suction action is normal suction; When the slope is less than the second preset suction threshold, the degree of the suction action is determined to be a light puff.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The obtaining of the coil voltage of the induction coil comprises: collecting a coil voltage value of the induction coil; The coil voltage value is filtered using a sliding average filtering method.

11. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that: include: An induction heater assembly, comprising an induction coil and a susceptor, wherein the induction coil is configured to generate a changing magnetic field when a changing current flows through the induction coil, and the susceptor is configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil to generate heat, thereby heating the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol; a power source for providing energy to the induction heater assembly; A controller, wherein the controller is connected to the induction heater assembly and the power supply, and is used to execute the puff count metering method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

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