Aerosol supply system and information identification control circuit, smoke cartridge and control method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses an aerosol supply system and an information identification control circuit, a smoke cartridge and a control method thereof. The information identification control circuit comprises a first circuit which comprises a first identification resistor and a first capacitor which are connected in series; the second circuit comprises a first control switch and a heating element which are connected in series; when the first capacitor is charged, the first control switch is switched off; when the first capacitor is fully charged, the first control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating. According to the embodiment of the invention, the technical effects that the cost is low, and the information can be identified on the premise of not influencing the heating efficiency of the system are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aerosol supply technology, and in particular to an aerosol supply system and its information identification and control circuit, cartridge, and control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the e-cigarette industry, aerosol supply systems are configured to generate aerosols from an aerosol-generating matrix (e.g., containing tobacco or leaf substrate) for users to inhale. When using an aerosol supply system, it is necessary to obtain relevant system information, such as the flavor of the cartridge, in order to output the optimal system control scheme for different information. To enable the aerosol supply system to recognize information, existing solutions involve adding various special chips or excessive components with information to the system, which is too costly and may reduce the system's heating efficiency due to the increased number of chips and components. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes an aerosol supply system and its information recognition and control circuit, cartridge, and control method, to achieve the technical effect of low cost and enabling information recognition without affecting the system's heating efficiency.

[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides an information identification and control circuit for an aerosol supply system, comprising:

[0005] The first circuit includes a first identification resistor and a first capacitor connected in series;

[0006] The second circuit includes a first control switch and a heating element connected in series;

[0007] When the first capacitor is charging, the first control switch is turned off;

[0008] When the first capacitor is fully charged, the first control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating.

[0009] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0010] The first circuit and the second circuit are connected in parallel, and the two ends of the second circuit and the first circuit share the first electrical connection terminal and the second electrical connection terminal.

[0011] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0012] The first capacitor can be detected by detecting its charging voltage through the first electrical connection terminal or the second electrical connection terminal to obtain the resistance value of the first identification resistor.

[0013] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0014] The resistance value of the first identification resistor corresponds to the information of the aerosol supply system.

[0015] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0016] The circuit further includes a third circuit, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first electrical connection terminal and the second electrical connection terminal;

[0017] The third circuit includes a second identification resistor and a second capacitor connected in series;

[0018] When the first circuit is on, the third circuit is off; when the third circuit is on, the first circuit is off.

[0019] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0020] The first circuit includes a first unidirectional conduction circuit, which is connected in series with the first identification resistor; the third circuit includes a second unidirectional conduction circuit, which is connected in series with the resistor of the second identification circuit.

[0021] When a positive voltage is applied to the first electrical connection terminal, the first unidirectional conduction circuit is turned on, and the first circuit is turned on to charge the first capacitor.

[0022] When a positive voltage is applied to the second electrical connection terminal, the second unidirectional conduction circuit is turned on, and the third circuit is turned on to charge the second capacitor.

[0023] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0024] The second capacitor can be detected by detecting its charging voltage through the first electrical connection terminal or the second electrical connection terminal to obtain the resistance value of the second identification resistor.

[0025] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0026] The resistance value of the second identification resistor is the same as that of the first identification resistor.

[0027] In one embodiment of the information identification and control circuit of the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0028] The circuit further includes a fourth circuit; the fourth circuit includes a second control switch, which is connected to the third circuit, the second electrical connection terminal and the heating element respectively.

[0029] When the second capacitor is charging, the second control switch is turned off;

[0030] When the second capacitor is fully charged, the second control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a cartridge for an aerosol supply system, including an information identification and control circuit as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0032] In a third aspect, the present invention provides an aerosol supply system, the system comprising:

[0033] A cavity for containing materials that generate aerosols;

[0034] The information identification control circuit as described in any one of the first aspects or the cigarette cartridge as described in the second aspect;

[0035] A heating element is configured to heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol.

[0036] In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a heating control method for an aerosol supply system, based on the aerosol supply system as described in the third aspect; the method includes:

[0037] Obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor in the system to obtain the corresponding information;

[0038] The heating element is controlled to heat up based on the information provided.

[0039] In one embodiment of the heating control method for the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0040] The process of obtaining the resistance value of the identification resistor in the system to obtain corresponding information includes:

[0041] The capacitor connected in series with the identification resistor is charged, and the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor are obtained.

[0042] The resistance value of the identification resistor is obtained based on the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor.

[0043] In one embodiment of the heating control method for the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0044] The step of obtaining the resistance value of the identification resistor based on the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor includes:

[0045] Obtain the charging voltage of the capacitor for a first preset time, wherein the first preset time is less than the time it takes for the capacitor to fully charge;

[0046] The resistance value of the identification resistor is calculated based on the first preset time and the corresponding charging voltage;

[0047] or,

[0048] Obtain the full charge time of the capacitor;

[0049] The resistance value of the identification resistor is calculated based on the capacitor's charging time and charging voltage.

[0050] In one embodiment of the heating control method for the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0051] The method further includes:

[0052] In response to detecting that a user has begun to pump the system, the capacitor is charged to obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor.

[0053] In one embodiment of the heating control method for the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0054] The method further includes: controlling the heating element to start heating at a second preset time, wherein the second preset time is greater than the time it takes for the first capacitor to fully charge.

[0055] In one embodiment of the heating control method for the aforementioned aerosol supply system,

[0056] The information includes one or more of the following: the flavor of the e-cigarette cartridge, the identification code, and the authentication information.

[0057] In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides an electronic device including a memory, one or more processors, and one or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs are stored in the memory and are configured to, when invoked by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method as described in any one of the fourth aspects.

[0058] In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of program codes adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the method as described in any one of the fourth aspects.

[0059] The above-described technical solutions of the present invention have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0060] In implementing the technical solution of this invention, compared with the existing method of identifying and obtaining system-related information by adding special chips and too many components, this invention uses a circuit with a series identification resistor and capacitor. At low cost, system-related information can be identified and obtained by identifying the resistor. Since the heating element of the system only starts heating after the series capacitor is fully charged, the circuit with the identification resistor and capacitor does not consume the power supply voltage after the heating element is started, thus not affecting the heating efficiency of the system.

[0061] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0062] The disclosure of this invention will become more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that these drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention. Furthermore, similar numbers in the drawings are used to denote similar components, wherein:

[0063] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the information identification control circuit (single-channel identification resistor) of an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the information identification control circuit (two identification resistors) of an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the information identification and control circuit of an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention (controlled by two heating elements);

[0066] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure principle of an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the device end structure of an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the main steps of a heating control method for an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a capacitor charging process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0070] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation process of a heating control method for an aerosol supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0071] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0072] the term

[0073] Supply System

[0074] As used herein, the term "supply system" is intended to cover systems that deliver at least one substance to a user during use, and includes:

[0075] Combustible aerosol supply systems, such as cigarettes, cigarettes, and cigars, as well as tobacco for pipes or for self-rolled or self-made cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokeable materials);

[0076] Non-flammable aerosol supply systems that release compounds from aerosol-generating materials without burning the aerosol-generating materials, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and mixing systems, to generate aerosols using combinations of aerosol-generating materials; and

[0077] An aerosol-free delivery system delivers at least one substance to a user via mouth, nose, skin, or other means without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to lozenges, chewing gum, patches, articles including inhalable powders, and oral products (e.g., oral tobacco including snuff or wet snuff), wherein the at least one substance may or may not include nicotine.

[0078] According to this disclosure, a "combustible" aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the aerosol generating material is burned or ignited during use in order to deliver at least one substance to the user.

[0079] In some implementations, the supply system is a combustible aerosol supply system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigarettes, and cigars.

[0080] In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol supply system, such as a filter, filter rod, filter segment, tobacco stick, spill, aerosol modifier release component (e.g., capsule, thread, or bead), or paper (e.g., forming paper, tipping paper, or cigarette paper).

[0081] According to this disclosure, a "non-flammable" aerosol supply system is an aerosol supply system in which the aerosol generating material is non-flammable or non-ignitable and delivers at least one substance to the user.

[0082] In some implementations, the supply system is a non-flammable aerosol supply system, such as a powered non-flammable aerosol supply system.

[0083] In some implementations, the non-flammable aerosol supply system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vapor device or electronic nicotine supply system (END); however, it should be noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol generating material is not necessary.

[0084] In some implementations, the non-combustible aerosol supply system is an aerosol-generating material heating system, also known as a heated non-combustible system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0085] In some embodiments, the non-flammable aerosol supply system is a mixing system that uses a combination of aerosol-generating materials to generate aerosols, wherein one or more of these aerosol-generating materials can be heated. Each aerosol-generating material may be in the form of a solid, liquid, or gel, and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the mixing system includes liquid or gel aerosol-generating materials and solid aerosol-generating materials. Solid aerosol-generating materials may include, for example, tobacco or non-tobacco products.

[0086] Typically, a non-flammable aerosol supply system may include a non-flammable aerosol supply device and consumables for use with the non-flammable aerosol supply device.

[0087] In some embodiments, this disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosol-generating materials and configured for use with non-flammable aerosol supply devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles in this disclosure.

[0088] In some embodiments, a non-flammable aerosol supply system, such as its non-flammable aerosol supply device, may include a power source and a controller. The power source may be, for example, a power source or a heat source. In some embodiments, the heat source includes a carbon matrix, which may be powered to distribute power in the form of heat to the aerosol-generating material or heat-transfer material adjacent to the heat source.

[0089] In some embodiments, a non-flammable aerosol supply system may include an area for receiving consumables, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, nozzles, filters, and / or aerosol modifiers.

[0090] In some embodiments, consumables for use with a non-flammable aerosol supply device may include aerosol generating material, aerosol generating material storage area, aerosol generating material conveying component, aerosol generator, aerosol generating area, housing, packaging paper, filter, nozzle, and / or aerosol modifier.

[0091] In some embodiments, the supply system is an aerosol-free supply system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, dermally, or otherwise without forming an aerosol. This includes, but is not limited to, tablets, chewing gum, patches, articles including inhalable powders, and oral products (e.g., oral tobacco including snuff or wet snuff), wherein the at least one substance may or may not include nicotine.

[0092] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material not intended for aerosolization. Depending on the circumstances, any material may include one or more active ingredients, one or more flavoring agents, one or more aerosol-forming agent materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0093] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered includes an active substance. As used herein, an active substance can be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. Active substances can be, for example, selected from nutritional supplements, nootropics, and psychoactive substances. Active substances can be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. Active substances can include, for example, nicotine, caffeine, taurine, caffeine, vitamins (e.g., B6 or B12 or C), melatonin, or components, derivatives, or combinations thereof. Active substances can also include one or more components, derivatives, or extracts of tobacco or other plants.

[0094] In some embodiments, the active substance includes nicotine. In other embodiments, the active substance includes caffeine, melatonin, or vitamin B12.

[0095] As described herein, an active substance may include or be derived from one or more plants or their components, derivatives, or extracts. As used herein, the term "plant" includes any material derived from a plant, including but not limited to extracts, leaves, bark, fibers, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, shells, pods, etc. Alternatively, the material may include an active compound naturally occurring in a plant that is obtained through synthesis. The material may be in the form of a liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, fine particles, pellets, fragments, strips, flakes, etc.

[0096] Examples of plants include tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp plants, cocoa, fennel, lemongrass, mint, spearmint, red tea tree, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo, hazelnut, hibiscus, bay leaf, licorice, matcha, yerba mate, orange peel, papaya, rose, sage, tea (e.g., green or black tea), thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, anise, basil, bay leaf, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, red pepper, rosemary, saffron, and lavender. Grass, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderberry, vanilla, holly, perilla, turmeric, turmeric root powder, sandalwood, coriander leaves, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, Spanish bell pepper, nutmeg, damarin, marjoram, olive, lemon mint, lemon basil, chives, parsley, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, tetramethyluric acid, maca, Indian ginseng, dami, guana tea, chlorophyll, baobab, or any combination thereof. Mint may be selected from the following mint varieties: wild mint, mint CV, Egyptian mint, peppermint, basil mint CV, peppermint CV, spearmint, heartleaf spearmint, longleaf mint, pineapple mint, lip mint, spearmint CV, and apple mint.

[0097] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more plants or their components, derivatives, or extracts, and the plant is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more plants or their components, derivatives, or extracts, and the plant is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, and cocoa.

[0098] In some embodiments, the active substance includes or is derived from one or more plants or their components, derivatives or extracts, and the plants are selected from red tea tree and fennel.

[0099] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered includes flavoring agents. As used herein, the terms "flavoring agent" and "spice" refer to materials that, where permitted by local regulations, can be used in a product to produce a taste, aroma, or other bodily sensation desired by an adult consumer. These can include naturally occurring flavoring materials, plants, plant extracts, synthetic materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, licorice, hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, anise, cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herbs, holly, cherry, berries, raspberries, cranberries, peach, apple, orange, mango, citrus, lemon, lime, tropical fruits, papaya, rhubarb, grape). Durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Durum Brand, bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, mint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, bitter bean husk, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, arabesque tea, sorghum, areca leaf, coriander, pine, honey extract, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cinnamon, coriander, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel Mustard, green bell pepper, ginger, coriander, coffee, peppermint oil from any type of mint, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, red beans, flax, ginkgo leaves, hazelnuts, hibiscus, bay leaves, yerba mate, orange peel, rose, tea (e.g., green or black tea), thyme, juniper, elderberry, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, chili peppers, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak, turmeric, cilantro, myrtle, blackcurrant, valerian, Spanish bell pepper, dried nutmeg, dami It may contain ingredients such as sucrose, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, scallion, parsley, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene, flavor enhancers, bitter receptor blockers, sensory receptor activators or stimulants, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, cyclosulfonates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, plants, or breath fresheners. It may be an analogue, synthetic, or natural ingredient or a mixture thereof. It may be in any suitable form, such as a liquid like an oil, a solid like a powder, or a gas.

[0100] In some embodiments, the flavoring agent includes menthol, spearmint, and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent includes flavoring components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits, and / or cranberry. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent includes eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavoring agent includes flavoring components extracted from tobacco.

[0101] In some embodiments, in addition to or in place of aromatactic or gustatory nerves, flavoring agents may include sensory agents designed to achieve somatic sensations typically induced and perceived by chemical stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), and these may include agents that provide heating, cooling, tingling, or numbing effects. Suitable thermal agents may be, but are not limited to, vanillyl ether, and suitable coolants may be, but are not limited to, eucalyptol, WS-3.

[0102] Aerosol-generating materials are materials capable of generating aerosols, for example, when heated, irradiated, or electrified in any other way. Aerosol-generating materials may be in solid, liquid, or gel form, and may or may not contain active substances and / or fragrances. In some embodiments, aerosol-generating materials may include “amorphous solids,” which may alternatively be referred to as “monolithic solids” (i.e., non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. An amorphous solid is a solid material that can retain some fluid (e.g., liquid) within it. In some embodiments, aerosol-generating materials may, for example, comprise from about 50 wt%, 60 wt%, or 70 wt% to about 90 wt%, 95 wt%, or 100 wt% amorphous solids.

[0103] Aerosol-generating materials may include one or more active substances and / or flavoring agents, one or more aerosol-forming agent materials, and optionally one or more other functional materials.

[0104] Aerosol forming agent materials may include one or more components capable of forming aerosols. In some embodiments, aerosol forming agent materials may include one or more of the following: glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol, erythritol, meso-erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, diethyl octanoate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a mixture of glycerol diacetate, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, glyceryl tribocate, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0105] The other or more functional materials may include one or more of pH adjusters, colorants, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers and / or antioxidants.

[0106] The material may be present on or within a carrier to form a matrix. The carrier may be, or include, for example, paper, cardboard, cardboard, reconstituted materials, plastic materials, ceramic materials, composite materials, glass, metal, or metal alloys. In some embodiments, the carrier includes a receptor. In some embodiments, the receptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the receptor is located on one or both sides of the material.

[0107] Consumables are articles comprising or composed of aerosol-generating materials, some or all of which are intended to be consumed by a user during use. Consumables may include one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material delivery component, an aerosol-generating area, a housing, packaging paper, a nozzle, a filter, and / or an aerosol modifier. Consumables may also include an aerosol generator, such as a heater, which releases heat during use to cause the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol. The heater may, for example, comprise a combustible material, a material that can be heated by electrical conduction, or a sensor.

[0108] A sensor is a material that can be heated by being penetrated by a changing magnetic field (e.g., an alternating magnetic field). A sensor can be a conductive material, such that penetration by a changing magnetic field results in inductive heating of the heating material. A heating material can be a magnetic material, such that penetration by a changing magnetic field results in hysteresis heating of the heating material. A sensor can be both conductive and magnetic, allowing it to be heated by both heating mechanisms. In this paper, a device constructed to generate a changing magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator.

[0109] Aerosol modifiers are substances typically located downstream of the aerosol generation region, configured to modify the generated aerosols, for example, by altering their taste, flavor, acidity, or other properties. Aerosol modifiers can be disposed in aerosol modifier release components operable to selectively release the aerosol modifier. For example, aerosol modifiers can be additives or adsorbents. For example, aerosol modifiers may include one or more of fragrances, colorants, water, and carbon adsorbents. For example, aerosol modifiers can be solid, liquid, or gel. Aerosol modifiers can be in powder, filament, or granular form. Aerosol modifiers may not contain filter material.

[0110] An aerosol generator is a device configured to cause the generation of aerosols from an aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, an aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy in order to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, an aerosol generator is configured to cause the generation of aerosols from an aerosol-generating material without heating. For example, an aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0111] This disclosure relates to aerosol supply systems (which may also be referred to as vapor supply systems), such as aerosol sprayers or electronic cigarettes. In the following description, the terms "electronic cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be understood that this term is used interchangeably with aerosol supply systems / devices and electronic aerosol supply systems / devices. Furthermore, as is common in the art, the terms "aerosol" and "vapor," as well as related terms such as "evaporation," "atomization," and "aerosolization," are generally used interchangeably.

[0112] Aerosol supply systems (electronic cigarettes) typically (though not always) comprise modular components, including reusable device parts and replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge components. Typically, the replaceable cartridge component will include aerosol generating material and an vaporizer (which may be collectively referred to as an "atomizer"), and the reusable device part will include a power source (e.g., a rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be understood that these different parts may include additional components depending on their function. For example, the reusable device part will typically include a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operational status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part may include, in some cases, a temperature sensor to aid in temperature control. The cartridge is electrically and mechanically connected to the control unit for use, for example, using threads, bayonet connections, or magnetic connections with suitably arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol generating material in the cartridge is depleted, or when the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge with a different aerosol generating material, the cartridge can be removed from the reusable part, and a replacement cartridge can be attached to its appropriate position. Systems and devices that conform to this type of two-piece modular configuration can generally be referred to as two-piece systems / devices.

[0113] Electronic cigarettes typically have a generally elongated shape. For the sake of specific examples, some embodiments of this disclosure will be considered to include such a generally elongated two-piece system employing a disposable cartridge. However, it will be understood that the basic principles described herein can be equally applied to different constructions, such as single-piece systems or modular systems comprising more than two components, refillable devices and single-use disposable items, as well as other overall shapes, such as high-performance devices based on so-called box-shaped patterns that are typically box-shaped. More generally, it will be understood that some embodiments of this disclosure are based on an aerosol delivery system operationally configured to provide the functionality according to the principles described herein, and the construction aspects of the system configured to provide the functionality according to some embodiments of this disclosure are not of primary importance.

[0114] As described in the background art, existing methods for obtaining information about an aerosol supply system require adding special chips or too many components to the system, which is costly and affects the system's heating efficiency. For example, if a certain circuit is always in a conductive state, it will consume part of the system's power supply voltage, affecting the heating efficiency. Based on this, the present invention proposes an information identification and control circuit for an aerosol supply system, which enables the aerosol supply system to identify relevant information at low cost without affecting the system's heating efficiency, so as to achieve the best control scheme for the system based on the relevant information.

[0115] Specifically, an information identification and control circuit for an aerosol supply system includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a first identification resistor and a first capacitor connected in series. The second circuit includes a first control switch and a heating element connected in series. The relationship between the first and second circuits is as follows: when the first capacitor is charging, the first control switch is open; when the first capacitor is fully charged, the first control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating. The purpose of this invention is to identify and obtain relevant system information through the identification resistor. Furthermore, since the heating element only starts heating after the series-connected capacitor is fully charged, the circuit with the identification resistor and capacitor does not consume power supply voltage after the heating element starts, thus not affecting the system's heating efficiency. At the same time, compared to adding special chips and numerous components, this invention only adds a resistor, capacitor, and control switch circuit, resulting in low cost and good performance.

[0116] In one implementation, refer to Figure 1 In the information recognition control circuit, the first circuit and the second circuit are connected in parallel. The two ends of the second circuit and the first circuit share the first electrical connection terminal 100 and the second electrical connection terminal 200. The first identification resistor and the first capacitor connected in series in the first circuit are connected to the first control switch, so that when the first capacitor is fully charged, the first control switch is turned on, that is, the first control switch is closed, the second circuit is formed, and the heating element is started. Since the first control switch is turned on after the first capacitor is fully charged, the first circuit is equivalent to an open circuit at this time, and does not consume the power supply voltage from the first electrical connection terminal 100 or the second electrical connection terminal 200, so it has no impact on the heating efficiency of the heating element. Furthermore, the first capacitor can be detected by its charging voltage through the first electrical connection terminal 100 or the second electrical connection terminal 200 to obtain the resistance value of the first identification resistor. For example, in a series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor, the resistance value of the series resistor can be calculated if the initial voltage, full-charge voltage, and charging voltage of the capacitor at a certain moment are known. In this example, only two power supply terminals are needed to obtain the resistance value. It should be understood that the resistance value can also be obtained by other methods, such as adding a chip to directly obtain the resistance value through the voltage and current of the resistor. The control circuit structure of this example is not a limitation on the way to obtain the resistance value.

[0117] In one implementation, refer to Figure 2 The information recognition control circuit also includes a third circuit, with its two ends connected to the first electrical connection terminal 100 and the second electrical connection terminal 200, respectively. The third circuit includes a second identification resistor and a second capacitor connected in series. When the first circuit is on, the third circuit is off; when the third circuit is on, the first circuit is off. That is, the first circuit and the third circuit have opposite conduction directions. Therefore, whether the first electrical connection terminal 100 or the second electrical connection terminal 200 is connected to voltage and the other end is grounded, the capacitor of the corresponding path can be charged to obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor of the corresponding path, thereby obtaining the corresponding information. Specifically, the first circuit further includes a first unidirectional conducting circuit, which is connected in series with a first identification resistor; the third circuit includes a second unidirectional conducting circuit, which is connected in series with a resistor in the second identification circuit. Through the design of the unidirectional conducting circuit, when the first electrical connection terminal 100 is connected to a positive voltage and the second electrical connection terminal 200 is grounded, the first unidirectional conducting circuit conducts to charge the first capacitor, and the resistance value of the first identification resistor can be obtained from the charging voltage of the first capacitor; when the second electrical connection terminal 200 is connected to a positive voltage and the first connection terminal 100 is grounded, the second unidirectional conducting circuit conducts to charge the second capacitor, and the resistance value of the second identification resistor can be obtained from the charging voltage of the second capacitor. In this invention, the first and second unidirectional conducting circuits can be diodes. It is important to note that when the first circuit is conducting, the heating element can be activated once the first capacitor is fully charged, without affecting the system's heating efficiency. When the third circuit is conducting, the resistance value of the second resistor can only be obtained through the supply voltage to the second capacitor via the second electrical connection terminal 200, and the heating element cannot be activated. After the second identification resistor is identified and its resistance value calculated, the directions of the voltage supplied to the first electrical connection terminal 100 and the second electrical connection terminal 200 can be reversed to obtain the resistance value of the first identification resistor and activate the heating element. Furthermore, the resistance value of the second identification resistor can be the same as that of the first identification resistor, serving as an identification resistor with the same information in another power supply direction; alternatively, the resistance value of the second identification resistor can be different from that of the first identification resistor, allowing different types of system information to be obtained from different circuits.

[0118] In one implementation, refer to Figure 3The information recognition and control circuit also includes a fourth circuit. This fourth circuit includes a second control switch, which is connected to the third circuit, the second electrical connection terminal 200, and the heating element. Specifically, the second control switch is connected between the second capacitor and the second identification resistor, so that when the second capacitor is charging, the second control switch is open; when the second capacitor is fully charged, the second control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating. Based on this circuit, regardless of whether a positive voltage is applied to the first electrical connection terminal 100 or the second electrical connection terminal 200, the resistance value of the internal identification resistor can be measured through the capacitor. Simultaneously, when the capacitor is fully charged, the corresponding control switch can be turned on and the heating element can be started. Furthermore, regardless of which circuit with the identification resistor is active, the heating efficiency of the system will not be affected.

[0119] In the above embodiments, the resistance values ​​of the first identification resistor and the second identification resistor correspond to the information of the aerosol supply system. In this invention, the information of the aerosol supply system includes, but is not limited to, the flavor of the cigarette cartridge, the system ID, and authentication information. The first control switch and the second control switch can be MOSFETs. The entire information identification and control circuit does not require special chips. It only needs capacitors, resistors, and switching elements to realize the identified information without affecting the system heating system.

[0120] It is necessary to understand that Figures 1-3 This is merely a circuit schematic diagram and is not intended to convey the specific structure and component settings of each circuit. Other circuit architectures or related peripheral circuit designs that have the same function according to actual needs should also be within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0121] Furthermore, the present invention provides a cartridge for an aerosol supply system, including the information recognition and control circuit described above.

[0122] In one implementation, such as Figure 4 As shown, the first electrical connection terminal 100 is the first power supply pin of the cartridge, and the second electrical connection terminal 200 is the second power supply pin of the cartridge. The resistance value of the identification resistor in the cartridge can be obtained through these two power supply pins, thereby acquiring information about the cartridge, such as its flavor. This information is then used to optimize the power output of the heating element. Furthermore, regardless of which power supply pin of the cartridge is connected to a positive voltage, a circuit with an identification resistor and capacitor can be activated to obtain cartridge information without affecting the heating efficiency of the heating element. The specific structure and principle of the information identification control circuit within the cartridge are described in the above example of information identification control circuit; repetitions will not be repeated.

[0123] Furthermore, the present invention provides an aerosol supply system, the system comprising:

[0124] A cavity for containing materials that generate aerosols;

[0125] The information recognition control circuit as described above or the cigarette cartridge as described above;

[0126] A heating element is configured to heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol.

[0127] In one embodiment, the system includes a cartridge as described above and a reusable device terminal connected to the cartridge and having a power source, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the device includes a control circuit, a power supply, and a third power supply pin 300 and a fourth power supply pin 400 connected to the cartridge. The device also includes a measurement control circuit and a heating control circuit. When measuring the voltage of the power supply pins, the control circuit activates the measurement control circuit, and the power supply voltage of the third power supply pin 300 is collected and returned to the control circuit for calculating the resistance value of the identification resistor. When the device activates heating, the control circuit activates the heating control circuit, which heats the cartridge through the third power supply pin 300. It is important to understand that because both power supply pins in the cartridge are connected to a conductive identification resistor circuit, the resistance value of the corresponding identification resistor in the cartridge can be obtained regardless of whether the first power supply pin is connected to the third power supply pin 300 or the second power supply pin is connected to the third power supply pin 300. This means the cartridge can be inserted into the device from any direction. The specific circuit structure and principle in the cartridge are described in the example of the information identification control circuit above; repetitions will not be repeated.

[0128] Furthermore, the present invention provides a heating control method for an aerosol supply system, based on the aerosol supply system described above; specifically, as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the method mainly includes the following steps:

[0129] S101. Obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor in the aerosol supply system and obtain the corresponding information;

[0130] S102. Control the heating element according to the information.

[0131] In one implementation, the resistance value of the identification resistor is determined by: charging a capacitor connected in series with the identification resistor and obtaining the charging time and voltage of the capacitor; and then obtaining the resistance value of the identification resistor based on the charging time and voltage. Specifically, the resistance value of the identification resistor can be calculated using the following formula:

[0132] Vt=V0+(V1-V0)×(1-e -t / RC )

[0133] Where V0 is the initial voltage of the capacitor, V1 is the fully charged voltage of the capacitor, Vt is the voltage of the capacitor at time t, C is the capacitance value of the capacitor, and R is the resistance value of the identification resistor.

[0134] According to the above formula, given the capacitance value, the initial voltage of the capacitor, and the full-charge voltage, the resistance value of the identification resistor can be obtained simply by measuring the voltage value at the corresponding moment; or, the resistance value can be obtained by directly obtaining the time it takes for the capacitor to be fully charged. The principle is as follows. Figure 7 The diagram shows the relationship between time and voltage during the capacitor charging process. Since the resistance values ​​of the identification resistors differ, the charging time for the same capacitor also varies. Therefore, a fixed time, such as time T1, can be set to measure the charging voltage at that time. The corresponding resistance value of the identification resistor can be obtained from the charging voltage at that moment. Alternatively, the resistance value can be obtained from the instant of full charging, thus obtaining the information corresponding to the identification resistor. The information corresponding to the identification resistor can be the flavor of the tobacco cartridge, an identification code, or authentication information. Regarding the tobacco cartridge flavor, in this example, the device can calculate the resistance value of the identification resistor to obtain the flavor of the tobacco cartridge. Different flavors require different heating powers. The control circuit outputs the optimal power based on the flavor of the tobacco cartridge to control the heating element, improving the user experience. For example, corresponding to… Figure 7 The detection resistances were measured to be 1.0Ω, 1.2Ω, and 1.4Ω, respectively, and the relationships between these resistances and the flavor profiles of the tobacco cartridges are shown in Table 1 below:

[0135]

[0136]

[0137] Table 1

[0138] In one implementation, such as Figure 8 The process shown allows the capacitor to begin charging to obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor in response to the detection of a user inhaling the aerosol supply system. Specifically, when the user begins inhaling, the measurement and control circuit on the device side is activated, and the capacitor on the cartridge side begins charging. During charging, the voltage of the power supply pin is measured to calculate the corresponding resistance value of the identification resistor. Once the capacitor is fully charged, the control switch is activated, the heating element is connected, and the heating control on the device side is activated to control the heating element to heat according to the heating control output from the device side to generate aerosol. It is important to note that because the device side needs to obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor first and output the heating control scheme based on the information corresponding to the resistance value, the heating element's heating start time needs to be longer than the capacitor's full charging time. Figure 7 At time T2 in the middle.

[0139] Furthermore, the present invention also provides an electronic device, including a memory, one or more processors, and one or more application programs, wherein the one or more application programs are stored in the memory, and the one or more application programs are configured to, when invoked by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method described in any of the preceding technical solutions.

[0140] The electronic device in this embodiment of the invention mainly includes a memory and a processor. The memory can be configured to store a program for executing the heating control method of the aerosol supply system described in the above-described method embodiments. The processor can be configured to execute the program in the memory, which includes, but is not limited to, a program for executing the heating control method of the aerosol supply system described in the above-described method embodiments. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown. For specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0141] In embodiments of the present invention, the electronic device may be a control device comprising various electronic components. In some possible implementations, the electronic device may include multiple storage devices and multiple processors. The program executing the heating control method of the aerosol supply system in the above method embodiments can be divided into multiple subroutines, each subroutine being loaded and run by a processor to execute different steps of the heating control method of the aerosol supply system in the above method embodiments. Specifically, each subroutine can be stored in different memories, and each processor can be configured to execute programs in one or more memories to jointly implement the heating control method of the aerosol supply system in the above method embodiments, that is, each processor executes different steps of the heating control method of the aerosol supply system in the above method embodiments to jointly implement the heating control method of the aerosol supply system in the above method embodiments.

[0142] The aforementioned electronics are used for execution Figure 6 The embodiments of the heating control method for the aerosol supply system shown are similar in technical principle, the technical problems solved, and the technical effects produced. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the electronic equipment and related descriptions can be found in the embodiments of the heating control method for the aerosol supply system, which will not be repeated here.

[0143] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the method of the above embodiment of the present invention can also be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed by a processor, it can implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program includes computer program code, which can be in the form of source code, object code, executable file, or some intermediate form. The computer-readable storage medium can include any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, a medium, a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a computer memory, a read-only memory, a random access memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution medium, etc. It should be noted that the content included in the computer-readable storage medium can be appropriately added or removed according to the requirements of legislation and patent practice in the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, according to legislation and patent practice, the computer-readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunication signals.

[0144] Furthermore, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium. In one embodiment of the computer-readable storage medium according to the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium can be configured to store a program for executing the heating control method of the aerosol supply system described in the above-described method embodiments. This program can be loaded and run by a processor to implement the heating control method of the aerosol supply system described above. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiments of the present invention are shown; for specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiments of the present invention. The computer-readable storage medium can be a storage device device comprising various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiments of the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0145] Furthermore, it should be understood that the various modules are merely illustrative of the functional modules of the device of the present invention. The physical devices corresponding to these modules may be the processor itself, or a part of the processor's software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, the number of modules shown in the figures is merely schematic. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various modules in the system can be adaptively split or merged. Such splitting or merging of specific modules will not cause the technical solution to deviate from the principles of the present invention; therefore, the technical solutions after splitting or merging will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0146] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0147] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0148] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0149] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0150] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An information identification and control circuit for an aerosol supply system, characterized in that, include: The first circuit includes a first identification resistor and a first capacitor connected in series; The second circuit includes a first control switch and a heating element connected in series; When the first capacitor is charging, the first control switch is turned off; When the first capacitor is fully charged, the first control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating.

2. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first circuit and the second circuit are connected in parallel, and the two ends of the second circuit and the first circuit share the first electrical connection terminal and the second electrical connection terminal.

3. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first capacitor can be detected by detecting its charging voltage through the first electrical connection terminal or the second electrical connection terminal to obtain the resistance value of the first identification resistor.

4. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The resistance value of the first identification resistor corresponds to the information of the aerosol supply system.

5. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circuit further includes a third circuit, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first electrical connection terminal and the second electrical connection terminal; The third circuit includes a second identification resistor and a second capacitor connected in series; When the first circuit is on, the third circuit is off; when the third circuit is on, the first circuit is off.

6. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first circuit includes a first unidirectional conduction circuit, which is connected in series with the first identification resistor; the third circuit includes a second unidirectional conduction circuit, which is connected in series with the resistor of the second identification circuit. When a positive voltage is applied to the first electrical connection terminal, the first unidirectional conduction circuit is turned on, and the first circuit is turned on to charge the first capacitor. When a positive voltage is applied to the second electrical connection terminal, the second unidirectional conduction circuit is turned on, and the third circuit is turned on to charge the second capacitor.

7. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The second capacitor can be detected by detecting its charging voltage through the first electrical connection terminal or the second electrical connection terminal to obtain the resistance value of the second identification resistor.

8. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The resistance value of the second identification resistor is the same as that of the first identification resistor.

9. The information identification and control circuit of the aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 5-8, characterized in that, The circuit further includes a fourth circuit; the fourth circuit includes a second control switch, which is connected to the third circuit, the second electrical connection terminal and the heating element respectively. When the second capacitor is charging, the second control switch is turned off; When the second capacitor is fully charged, the second control switch is closed, and the heating element starts heating.

10. A cigarette cartridge for an aerosol supply system, characterized in that, Includes the information recognition control circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9.

11. An aerosol supply system, characterized in that, The system includes: A cavity for containing materials that generate aerosols; The information identification control circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9 or the cigarette cartridge as described in claim 10; A heating element is configured to heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol.

12. A heating control method for an aerosol supply system, characterized in that, Based on the aerosol supply system as described in claim 11; the method includes: Obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor in the system to obtain the corresponding information; The heating element is controlled to heat up based on the information provided.

13. The heating control method for the aerosol supply system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The process of obtaining the resistance value of the identification resistor in the system to obtain corresponding information includes: The capacitor connected in series with the identification resistor is charged, and the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor are obtained. The resistance value of the identification resistor is obtained based on the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor.

14. The heating control method for the aerosol supply system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The step of obtaining the resistance value of the identification resistor based on the charging time and charging voltage of the capacitor includes: Obtain the charging voltage of the capacitor for a first preset time, wherein the first preset time is less than the time it takes for the capacitor to fully charge; The resistance value of the identification resistor is calculated based on the first preset time and the corresponding charging voltage; or, Obtain the full charge time of the capacitor; The resistance value of the identification resistor is calculated based on the capacitor's charging time and charging voltage.

15. The heating control method for the aerosol supply system according to claim 13, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to detecting that a user has begun to pump the system, the capacitor is charged to obtain the resistance value of the identification resistor.

16. The heating control method for the aerosol supply system according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: controlling the heating element to start heating at a second preset time, wherein the second preset time is greater than the time it takes for the first capacitor to fully charge.

17. The heating control method for the aerosol supply system according to claim 12, characterized in that, The information includes one or more of the following: the flavor of the e-cigarette cartridge, the identification code, and the authentication information.

18. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory, one or more processors, and one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory and are configured to, when invoked by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12-17.

19. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The system stores multiple lines of program code adapted to be loaded and run by a processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 12-17.

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