Aerosol-generating device, aerosol-generating system and puff detection method

Abstract

The application discloses an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system and a puff detection method. The aerosol generating device comprises a containing member and a detection member. The containing member is provided with a containing cavity for accommodating at least part of an aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating device further comprises a controller configured to acquire capacitance information collected by the detection member, wherein the capacitance information represents a capacitance change caused by the aerosol generating article. Based on the change of the capacitance information, the controller detects whether the aerosol generating article is puffed, thereby ensuring the accuracy of puff detection. The structure of the aerosol generating device can be simplified, the structural reliability can be improved, the aerosol generating substrate can be prevented from being corroded, the reliability and stability of the detection member can be ensured, the sensor failure caused by the collision between the cleaning tool and the detection member can be avoided, the cleaning strength of the aerosol generating device can be ensured, and the user experience can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of aerosol technology, and more specifically, to an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and a suction detection method. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, when performing suction detection on an aerosol generating device, sensors (such as airflow sensors) are usually installed in the airway to determine the suction action based on changes in airflow in the airway.

[0003] However, when the accuracy of the airflow sensor is low or the environment changes (such as changes in humidity or temperature), measurement errors may occur in the airflow sensor, affecting the accuracy of the detection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and a suction detection method, which can ensure detection accuracy.

[0005] An aerosol generating apparatus according to one embodiment of this application includes: the aerosol generating apparatus includes a receiving element and a detection element, the receiving element having a receiving cavity for receiving at least a portion of an aerosol generating article; the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a controller, the controller being configured to: acquire capacitance information collected by the detection element, the capacitance information representing the capacitance change caused by the aerosol generating article; and detect whether the aerosol generating article is aspirated based on the change in capacitance information.

[0006] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain an aerosol generating article, wherein the dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article when heated is greater than that of air, and the controller is further configured to: determine whether the changing trend of a plurality of capacitance data meets a preset trend, the preset trend including first decreasing and then increasing; if so, determine that suction has been performed.

[0007] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain an aerosol generating article, wherein the dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article when heated is greater than that of air. The controller is further configured to: determine whether the changing trends of a plurality of capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, the preset trend including decreasing first and then increasing, or increasing first and then decreasing; if the changing trends of the plurality of capacitance data satisfy the preset trend, determine whether the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than a preset rate; and if the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than the preset rate, determine that suction has been performed.

[0008] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain an aerosol generating article, wherein the dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article when heated is greater than that of air. The controller is further configured to: determine whether the changing trends of a plurality of capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, the preset trend including decreasing first and then increasing; if the changing trends of a plurality of capacitance data satisfy the preset trend, determine whether the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than a preset magnitude and whether the speed is greater than a preset speed; if the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than the preset magnitude and the speed is greater than the preset speed, then it is determined that suction has been performed.

[0009] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: acquire the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data that exhibit an increasing trend among the plurality of capacitance data, and the increase time from the minimum value to the maximum value; and calculate the speed at which the capacitance data increases based on the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​and the increase time.

[0010] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: filter multiple capacitance data collected by the detection element to remove noise capacitance data, wherein the noise capacitance data is the capacitance data with abnormal fluctuations among the multiple capacitance data; and perform suction detection based on the changing trend of the multiple capacitance data after filtering to obtain suction detection results, wherein the insertion detection is used to detect whether the aerosol generating product is inserted into the accommodating cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further includes a heating element for heating the accommodating cavity for accommodating the aerosol generating product. During the insertion of the aerosol generating product into the accommodating cavity, different portions of the aerosol generating product pass through the detection element, and the capacitance data collected by the detection element differs. The controller is further configured to: perform insertion detection based on the changing trends of multiple capacitance data to obtain an insertion detection result, the insertion detection result including whether the aerosol generating product has been inserted or not; and, if the aerosol generating product has been inserted, control the heating element to heat and perform the suction detection, wherein the insertion detection is used to detect whether the aerosol generating product has been inserted into the accommodating cavity, and the suction detection is used to detect whether the user has suctioned the aerosol generating device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: increment the number of suctions by 1 when the suction detection result indicates that suction has been performed, and delete or set each of the capacitance data used to obtain the suction detection result as invalid data; and issue a prompt message after the number of suctions reaches a preset number.

[0013] This application also proposes an aerosol generation system, comprising: an aerosol generation article; and an aerosol generation apparatus according to any of the above embodiments, wherein the accommodating cavity of the aerosol generation apparatus is used to accommodate at least a portion of the aerosol article.

[0014] This application also proposes a suction detection method for an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device including a receiving element and a detection element, the receiving element having a receiving cavity for containing at least a portion of the aerosol generating product; the method includes: acquiring capacitance information collected by the detection element, the capacitance information characterizing the capacitance change caused by the aerosol generating product; and detecting whether the aerosol generating product is suctioned based on the change in capacitance information.

[0015] This application also proposes a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium containing a computer program, characterized in that, when the computer program is executed by a processor, the processor performs the suction detection method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0016] The aerosol generating apparatus, aerosol generating system, and suction detection method of this application acquire capacitance information collected by a detection element. The capacitance information characterizes the capacitance change caused by the aerosol generating product. Based on the change in capacitance information, it detects whether the aerosol generating product has been suctioned. Since the suction action can cause a change in the concentration of the aerosol generating matrix, the capacitance information can respond to the concentration of the aerosol generating matrix. Therefore, detecting whether the aerosol generating product has been suctioned based on the change in capacitance information can ensure the accuracy of suction detection.

[0017] Since capacitance information is generated based on the changes in electric field and dielectric constant caused by the aerosol-generated product being drawn in, capacitance information is less affected by environmental changes (such as humidity changes, temperature changes, etc.). Therefore, when detecting whether an aerosol-generated product has been drawn in based on changes in capacitance information, misjudgments caused by interference from the external environment can be avoided, ensuring the reliability of the detection results.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of this application 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 embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application scenario of the aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 2This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a scene of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a scene of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic flow diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the suction detection device of an aerosol generation apparatus according to certain embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection state of a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium and a processor in certain embodiments of this application.

[0033] Explanation of key component reference numerals:

[0034] 1000 Aerosol generation system; 100 Aerosol generation device; 101 Containing component; 102 Detection component; 103 Containing cavity; 104 Controller; 200 Aerosol generation product; 201 Front end component; 202 Medium section; 203 Functional section; 2031 Cooling section; 2032 Filtration section. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the embodiments of this application, and should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of this application.

[0036] To facilitate understanding of this application, the following explanations are provided for the terms and background information used in this application:

[0037] In related technologies, when performing suction detection on an aerosol generating device, sensors (such as airflow sensors) are usually installed in the airway to determine the suction action based on changes in airflow in the airway.

[0038] For example, taking the installation of an airflow sensor within the airway as an example, the airflow sensor can be used to detect airflow in the airway. When a suction action occurs, the airflow within the airway accelerates, and the sensor responds to the change in airflow by generating different outputs, thereby detecting the suction action.

[0039] However, when the accuracy of the airflow sensor is low or the environment changes (such as changes in humidity or temperature), measurement errors may occur in the airflow sensor, affecting the accuracy of the detection.

[0040] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an aerosol generating apparatus.

[0041] The application scenarios of the technical solution in this application will be introduced below. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 This application provides an aerosol generation system 1000, which includes an aerosol generation device 100 and an aerosol generation article 200. The aerosol generation device 100 includes a receiving member 101 and a detection member 102. The receiving member 101 has a receiving cavity 103 for receiving at least a portion of the aerosol generation article 200. The aerosol generation device 100 also includes a controller 104, which can be used to perform a suction detection method.

[0042] Optionally, the aerosol generating article 200 includes a front end 201, a medium segment 202 and a functional segment 203. The medium segment 202 is located between the front end 201 and the functional segment 203, and the medium segment 202 forms a receiving cavity that receives the aerosol generating matrix. The detection capacitor is disposed in the area opposite to the receiving member 101 and the medium segment 202.

[0043] The medium section 202 may be equipped with an aerosol generating product 200, which includes a matrix material capable of generating aerosols, such as tobacco, plant extracts (such as mugwort), etc. When the matrix material of the aerosol generating product 200 is heated by a heat source or subjected to physical atomization, it can release aerosols for use by the user.

[0044] The front-end component 201 can be used to prevent leakage of aerosols generated by the aerosol generating product 200.

[0045] The interior of the medium section 202 can form a closed containment cavity, which can be used to contain the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating product 200 to prevent the aerosol from being contaminated or damaged by the outside world.

[0046] Among them, functional segment 203 can come into contact with the user and can filter out impurities in aerosols, improving the user experience.

[0047] For example, please see Figure 8 Taking functional section 203, which includes a filtration section 2032 and a cooling section 2031, as an example, the aerosol-generating product 200 in the medium section 202, when heated, can release high-temperature aerosols. These aerosols pass through the cooling section 2031 and the filtration section 2032 before contacting the user (e.g., entering the user's mouth for inhalation). It is understandable that direct contact between high-temperature aerosols and the user could negatively impact user safety and experience. Therefore, by setting up the cooling section 2031, the temperature of the aerosol is reduced, preventing irritation and harm to the user and ensuring a better user experience. Aerosols generated from matrix materials often contain impurities such as tiny particles. By setting up functional sections, the user experience can be further improved. Furthermore, these functional sections can help regulate airflow, allowing the aerosol to enter the user's mouth more evenly.

[0048] Optionally, the aerosol generating article 200 may include a front end 201, a medium section 202, and a functional section 203, for example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 1 The aerosol generating article 200 includes a front end component 201 at one end and a functional segment 203 at the other end. A medium segment 202 is provided between the functional segment 203 and the front end component 201.

[0049] Optionally, the aerosol generating article 200 may include a functional segment 203 and a media segment 202. For example, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 The aerosol generating product 200 includes a medium section 202 and a functional section 203.

[0050] Optionally, the controller 104 may be a microcontroller unit (MCU) (a microcomputer chip that integrates multiple functions such as a central processing unit (CPU), memory, and input / output (I / O) interfaces), a digital signal processor (DSP) (a controller for digital signal processing), etc.

[0051] The aerosol generating apparatus 100 of this application will now be described in detail:

[0052] This application provides an aerosol generating apparatus 100. For ease of description, the example given is that the aerosol generating product 200 is provided in the accommodating cavity 103 of the aerosol generating apparatus 100.

[0053] Please see Figure 1 The aerosol generating apparatus 100 includes a receiving member 101 and a detection member 102. The receiving member 101 has a receiving cavity 103 for receiving at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 200. The aerosol generating apparatus 100 also includes a controller 104, which can be used to execute a suction detection method, wherein the suction detection method includes:

[0054] Step 011: Obtain the capacitance information collected by the test piece 102. The capacitance information characterizes the capacitance change caused by the aerosol-generated product 200.

[0055] Step 012: Based on the change in capacitance information, detect whether the aerosol-generated product 200 has been aspirated.

[0056] The aerosol generating device 100 can be a device or equipment capable of processing (such as heating) the aerosol generating product 200 to obtain an aerosol generating matrix.

[0057] The detection element 102 can be a capacitance detection device (e.g., a capacitance detection sensor). The detection element 102 can be used to collect capacitance information, which may include multiple capacitance values ​​caused by the aerosol-generated product 200 over a certain period of time, capacitance change trends, etc.

[0058] It is understood that the detection element 102 can also be a detection device capable of collecting voltage information (such as voltage value and voltage change), current information (such as current value and current change), and temperature information (such as temperature value and temperature change). Taking the collection of voltage information by the detection element 102 as an example, the detection element 102 can collect voltage information (such as voltage value change) caused by aerosol products.

[0059] The capacitance change can include the capacitance change trend and the amount of capacitance change within a preset time period (e.g., the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data within the preset time period). The capacitance information can be represented by a voltage value, and the capacitance change can be represented by the change in voltage value.

[0060] Since the detection element 102 exhibits different voltages for materials with different dielectric constants, the larger the dielectric constant of the detected material, the smaller the voltage output by the detection element 102.

[0061] It is understandable that the humidity at the detection point will affect the capacitance data collected by the detection element 102. By placing the detection element 102 in the area opposite to the dielectric section 202, or placing it at the front end 201, the characteristics of the dielectric section 202 and the front end 201 being non-hygroscopic can be utilized to avoid the detection element 102 being affected by moisture content, humidity, etc., which would lead to large differences in the obtained capacitance data and make it difficult to reflect the suction problem.

[0062] Specifically, the aerosol generating device 100 has a receiving cavity 103 within its accommodating member 101. The receiving cavity 103 can accommodate at least a portion of the aerosol generating product 200. The detection element 102 can output a corresponding value based on the dielectric constant of the material being detected. The aerosol generating device 100 can heat at least a portion of the aerosol generating product 200 within the receiving cavity 103. When the aerosol generating product 200 is heated, it releases aerosol. Without suction, the released aerosol accumulates, causing a change in the dielectric constant at the accumulation point. During suction, the accumulated aerosol is released, and the dielectric constant at the accumulation point also changes. The detection element 102 can collect capacitance information after accumulation and when the accumulation disappears. Based on the temporal changes in each capacitance value, it determines whether the aerosol generating product 200 has been suctioned. For example, based on whether the changes in each capacitance value meet a preset trend, if the changes in each capacitance value meet the preset trend, it is determined that the aerosol generating product 200 has been suctioned.

[0063] Thus, by acquiring the capacitance information collected by the detection element 102, which characterizes the capacitance change caused by the aerosol generating product 200, and then detecting whether the aerosol generating product 200 has been aspirated based on the change in capacitance information, since the aspiration action can cause a change in the concentration of the aerosol generating matrix, the capacitance information can respond to the concentration of the aerosol generating matrix. Therefore, detecting whether the aerosol generating product 200 has been aspirated based on the change in capacitance information can ensure the accuracy of the aspiration detection. Since the capacitance information is generated based on the change in electric field and dielectric constant caused by the aerosol generating product 200 being aspirated, the capacitance information is less affected by environmental changes (such as changes in humidity, temperature, etc.). Therefore, when detecting whether the aerosol generating product 200 has been aspirated based on the change in capacitance information, misjudgments caused by interference from the external environment can be avoided, ensuring the reliability of the detection results.

[0064] Please see Figure 4 In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity 103 is used to contain the aerosol generating article 200, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article 200 when heated having a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0065] Step 013: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data meet the preset trends, which include decreasing first and then increasing;

[0066] Step 014: If yes, then confirm that aspiration has been performed.

[0067] Specifically, let's take the example of a high voltage signal detected by the detector 102 when the aerosol generating product 200 is not releasing aerosols. When the aerosol generating product 200 is heated, it releases aerosols. Without suction, the aerosols accumulate outside the detector 102. Since the dielectric constant of the aerosols generated by the heated aerosol generating product 200 is greater than that of air, the dielectric constant gradually increases with the degree of accumulation, and the capacitance information output by the detector 102 can be represented by a gradually decreasing voltage signal (assumed to be defined as low voltage). During suction, the accumulated aerosols are rapidly carried away, the dielectric constant decreases rapidly, and the capacitance information output by the detector 102 can be represented by a rapidly increasing voltage signal. Therefore, for this change, the preset trend during suction can be set to include a trend of first decreasing and then increasing. By comparing the changing trends of multiple capacitance data collected by the detection element 102 with preset trends, if the changing trends match the preset trends (e.g., the changing trends and preset trends are the same), it is determined that the user has performed aspiration.

[0068] Please see Figure 5In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity 103 is used to contain the aerosol generating article 200, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article 200 when heated having a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0069] Step 015: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data meet the preset trends, which include decreasing first and then increasing, or increasing first and then decreasing.

[0070] Step 016: If the changing trends of multiple capacitance data meet the preset trend, determine whether the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than the preset rate.

[0071] Step 014: If the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than the preset rate, it is confirmed that suction has been performed.

[0072] The preset speed can be determined through experiments or by looking up tables, which can be used to determine the minimum rate of change of aerosols when suction occurs.

[0073] The rate at which the capacitance data increases can be the rate of change between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data. For example, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 6 , Figure 6 This example illustrates how capacitance data changes when suction occurs. The rate at which the capacitance data increases can be the rate of change from point a to point b.

[0074] Please see Figure 7 Optionally, the controller 104 can also be used to perform the following suction detection methods:

[0075] Step 017: Obtain the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data that show an increasing trend from the minimum to the maximum value among multiple capacitance data; and the time taken for the capacitance to increase from the minimum to the maximum value;

[0076] Step 018: Based on the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​and the increase time, calculate the speed at which the capacitance data increases.

[0077] Specifically, when a user draws in aerosols through the aerosol generating device 100, the aerosol concentration typically exhibits rapid, continuous, and non-steady-state changes (e.g., Figure 6As shown, during a single aerosol concentration change, the difference between the maximum and minimum aerosol concentration values ​​can be represented as a single suction event. Therefore, the occurrence of suction can be determined by the minimum (at which point aerosol accumulation occurs, corresponding to the maximum aerosol concentration) and maximum (at which point the suction action is complete and aerosols are carried away, corresponding to the minimum aerosol concentration) of the capacitance data showing an increasing trend. Then, when calculating the rate of increase in capacitance data, the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data showing an increasing trend, and the time taken for the value to increase from the minimum to the maximum, can be used to calculate (maximum value - minimum value) / increase time, thus obtaining the rate of increase in capacitance data. For example, please refer to [further details omitted]. Figure 6 Based on the difference between the maximum value b and the minimum value a of the capacitance data that shows an increasing trend, and the increase time (Tb-Ta) from the minimum value a to the maximum value b, calculate (ba) / (Tb-Ta) to determine the rate of increase of the capacitance data when the suction occurs.

[0078] Please see Figure 6 When no suction occurs, aerosols accumulate; when suction occurs, the aerosols are carried away; when suction stops, the aerosols accumulate again; when suction occurs again, the aerosols are carried away again… This accumulation and removal of aerosols is a cyclical process. Therefore, if the changing trends of multiple collected capacitance data satisfy the condition of first increasing and then decreasing (first suction occurs, aerosols are carried away, then aerosols accumulate) (e.g. Figure 6 From b to a), it can also be considered that suction may occur. To further improve the accuracy of suction detection, the rate of increase of capacitance data (the rate at which aerosol is carried away) can be compared with a preset rate. If the rate of increase of capacitance data is greater than the preset rate, suction is determined to have occurred.

[0079] Please see Figure 8 In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity 103 is used to contain the aerosol generating article 200, the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article 200 when heated having a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0080] Step 013: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data meet the preset trends, which include decreasing first and then increasing;

[0081] Step 019: If the changing trends of multiple capacitance data meet the preset trends, determine whether the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than the preset magnitude and whether the speed is greater than the preset speed.

[0082] Step 014: If the increase in capacitance data is greater than the preset amplitude and the speed is greater than the preset speed, then it is determined that suction has been performed.

[0083] The preset amplitude can be the difference between the minimum and maximum values ​​of the capacitance data during a preset time period (when the capacitance data changes). Alternatively, it can be the degree of change in the capacitance data (e.g., the rate of change, the absolute value of the rate of change, etc.).

[0084] Specifically, by comparing the changing trends of multiple capacitance data with a preset trend, if the changing trends match the preset trend (the changing trend satisfies the condition of first decreasing and then increasing), further detection is performed to determine whether to perform aeration. This not only improves the accuracy of detection but also reduces computation and saves computing power. When the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy the preset trend, the amplitude and rate of change are calculated based on the acquired capacitance data. A comparison of the amplitude and rate of change with preset amplitudes and preset rates determines whether aeration should proceed. If the amplitude and rate of increase in capacitance data are greater than the preset amplitude and rate, it indicates that a sudden change has occurred in the aerosol, satisfying the changes required for aeration, thus confirming that aeration has been performed.

[0085] Please see Figure 9 In some embodiments, the controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0086] Step 020: Filter the multiple capacitance data collected by the detection component 102 to remove noisy capacitance data. Noisy capacitance data refers to the capacitance data with abnormal fluctuations among the multiple capacitance data.

[0087] Step 021: Based on the changing trend of multiple capacitance data after filtering, perform suction detection to obtain suction detection results.

[0088] The suction detection is used to detect whether the user is suctioning the aerosol generating device 100.

[0089] Filtering can be used to remove capacitance data that interferes with the suction detection, thereby improving the accuracy of the suction detection. For example, filtering can include extreme value filtering and smoothing filtering.

[0090] The noise capacitance data can be abnormally fluctuating capacitance data caused by capacitance signal interference introduced by external environment, equipment, etc. For example, it could be a capacitance data that suddenly and drastically decreases during the process of increasing capacitance data detected by the detection device 102.

[0091] Specifically, by filtering multiple capacitance data collected by the detection device 102 (e.g., extreme value filtering, smoothing filtering, etc.), noisy capacitance data is removed, and capacitance data that better reflects the concentration and changes of aerosols is obtained. Based on the changing trend of multiple capacitance data after filtering, suction detection is performed to obtain suction detection results (including whether suction is performed), which can ensure the accuracy of suction detection.

[0092] Please see Figure 10 In some embodiments, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 further includes a heating element for heating the receiving cavity 103, which is used to contain the aerosol generating article 200. During the insertion of the aerosol generating article 200 into the receiving cavity 103, different parts of the aerosol generating article 200 pass through the detection element 102, and the capacitance data collected by the detection element 102 is different. The controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0093] Step 022: Based on the changing trends of multiple capacitance data, perform insertion detection to obtain the insertion detection results, which include whether the aerosol-generated product 200 has been inserted or not.

[0094] Step 023: With the aerosol generating product 200 inserted, control the heating element to heat up and perform suction detection.

[0095] The insertion detection is used to detect whether the aerosol generating product 200 is inserted into the accommodating cavity 103, and the suction detection is used to detect whether the user is suctioning the aerosol generating device 100.

[0096] The heating element can be a thermistor, etc.

[0097] Specifically, as described above, the aerosol generating article 200 may include a front end 201, a dielectric segment 202, and a functional segment 203, with the dielectric segment 202 located between the front end 201 and the functional segment 203; alternatively, the aerosol generating article 200 may also include a dielectric segment 202 and a functional segment 203. The front end 201, dielectric segment 202, and functional segment 203 have different dielectric constants. During the insertion of the aerosol generating article 200 into the receiving cavity 103, each part of the aerosol generating article 200 will sequentially pass through the detection element 102. The detection element 102 can collect different capacitance data. Based on the comparison between the changing trends of multiple capacitance data and a preset insertion trend, it is determined whether the aerosol generating article 200 has been inserted.

[0098] For example, taking an aerosol generating article 200 comprising a front-end component 201, a dielectric section 202, and a functional section 203, with a detection element 102 disposed within the accommodating cavity 103 and opposite to the functional section 203, let's assume that the capacitance data corresponding to the front-end component 201, the dielectric section 202, and the functional section 203 are low voltage, medium voltage, and high voltage, respectively, and the preset insertion change trend includes from low to medium and then to high. Then, during the insertion of the aerosol generating article 200 into the accommodating cavity 103, the detection element 102 sequentially... The front-end component 201, the dielectric section 202, and the functional section 203 are detected. In response to the detected aerosol generating product 200, the capacitance data output by the detection component 102 changes from low to medium and then to high, which is the same as the preset insertion change trend. Therefore, the insertion detection result of aerosol generating product has been obtained. When the aerosol generating product 200 has been inserted, the heating component (such as a thermistor) is controlled to heat the aerosol generating product 200 and suction detection is performed.

[0099] Please see Figure 11 In some embodiments, the controller 104 is also used to perform the following suction detection method:

[0100] Step 024: If the suction test result indicates that suction has been performed, increment the suction count by 1, and delete or set the capacitance data used to obtain the suction test result to invalid data.

[0101] Step 025: After the preset number of suctions is reached, a prompt message is issued.

[0102] The preset number of times can be determined based on the total aerosol generation amount of the aerosol generating product 200 or the number of times (orifices) that the aerosol generating product 200 can be drawn.

[0103] The notification information can be used to inform the user of the remaining amount of aerosol that can be generated by the aerosol generating device 200, the remaining number of suction ports, etc. The notification information can be issued in the form of text, voice, light, etc. For example, a light-emitting diode (LED) can be set on the aerosol generating device 100, and the LED can be kept on (or flashing) as a notification information; another example is that a text notification information can be issued by a terminal (such as a mobile phone) that is connected to the aerosol generating device 100.

[0104] Specifically, the aerosol generating article 200 can generate a limited number of aerosols, and the number of suctions performed by the aerosol generating article 200 is related to the number of aerosols it can generate. When the suction detection result indicates that suction has been performed, the suction count is incremented by 1 (i.e., the suction count is accumulated), and the capacitance data used to obtain the suction detection result is deleted or set to invalid data to avoid the used capacitance data affecting the calculation of subsequent suction port numbers (e.g., causing duplicate counting). The accumulated suction count is then compared with a preset number of suctions. If the preset number of suctions is reached, a prompt message is issued.

[0105] Please see Figure 12 To facilitate better implementation of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiments of this application, this application also provides a suction detection device 300. The suction detection device 300 can be used in an aerosol generating apparatus, which includes a receiving component and a detection component. The receiving component has a receiving cavity for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol-generated product. The aerosol generating apparatus also includes a controller. The suction detection device 300 includes an acquisition module 301 and a detection module 302. The acquisition module 301 is used to acquire capacitance information collected by the detection component, the capacitance information representing the capacitance change caused by the aerosol-generated product. The detection module 302 is used to detect whether the aerosol-generated product has been suctioned based on the change in capacitance information.

[0106] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating article, the dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article when heated is greater than the dielectric constant of air, and the suction detection device 300 further includes a determination module 303, which is used to determine whether the changing trend of multiple capacitance data meets a preset trend, the preset trend including first decreasing and then increasing; if so, it is determined that suction has been performed.

[0107] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating article, the dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article being greater than the dielectric constant of air. The determining module 303 is further used to determine whether the changing trend of multiple capacitance data meets a preset trend, the preset trend including first decreasing and then increasing, or first increasing and then decreasing; if the changing trend of multiple capacitance data meets the preset trend, determine whether the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than a preset rate; if the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than the preset rate, determine that suction has been performed.

[0108] In some embodiments, the accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating article. The dielectric constant of the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article when heated is greater than that of air. The determining module 303 is further used to determine whether the changing trend of multiple capacitance data meets a preset trend, which includes a decrease followed by an increase. If the changing trend of multiple capacitance data meets the preset trend, it is determined whether the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than a preset magnitude and whether the speed is greater than a preset speed. If the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than the preset magnitude and the speed is greater than the preset speed, it is determined that suction has been performed.

[0109] In some embodiments, the suction detection device 300 further includes a calculation module 304, which is specifically used to acquire the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data that show an increasing trend among multiple capacitance data, and the increase time from the minimum value to the maximum value; and to calculate the speed at which the capacitance data increases based on the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​and the increase time.

[0110] In some embodiments, the suction detection device 300 further includes a filtering module 305, which is used to filter multiple capacitance data collected by the detection device to remove noise capacitance data, wherein the noise capacitance data is the capacitance data with abnormal fluctuations among the multiple capacitance data; and to perform suction detection based on the changing trend of the multiple capacitance data after filtering to obtain the suction detection result. The suction detection is used to detect whether the user is suctioning the aerosol generating device.

[0111] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further includes a heating element for heating a receiving cavity for accommodating the aerosol generating product. During the insertion of the aerosol generating product into the receiving cavity, different parts of the aerosol generating product pass through a detection element, and the capacitance data collected by the detection element differs. The suction detection device 300 further includes a control module 306 for performing insertion detection based on the changing trends of multiple capacitance data to obtain an insertion detection result, which includes whether the aerosol generating product has been inserted or not. If the aerosol generating product has been inserted, the heating element is controlled to heat and suction detection is performed. The insertion detection is used to detect whether the aerosol generating product has been inserted into the receiving cavity, and the suction detection is used to detect whether the user has suctioned the aerosol generating device.

[0112] In some embodiments, the suction detection device 300 further includes a prompting module 307, which is used to increment the suction count by 1 and delete or set the various capacitance data used to obtain the suction detection result as invalid data when the suction detection result indicates that suction has been performed; and to issue a prompt message after the suction count reaches a preset number.

[0113] The apparatus has been described above from the perspective of functional modules in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. These functional modules can be implemented in hardware, in software instructions, or in a combination of hardware and software modules. Specifically, the steps of the method implementation in this application can be completed by the integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware and / or by software instructions. The steps of the method disclosed in this application can be directly manifested as being executed by a hardware encoding processor, or by a combination of hardware and software modules in the encoding processor. Optionally, the software module can be located in a mature storage medium in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads the information in the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps in the above method implementation.

[0114] Please see Figure 10 This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium 500 storing a computer program 510. When the computer program 510 is executed by the processor 520, it implements the steps of the aerosol generating apparatus of any of the above embodiments. For the sake of brevity, these steps will not be described in detail here.

[0115] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "some embodiments," "in one example," "exemplarily," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. 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. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0116] Any process or method described in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this application includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the function involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of this application pertain.

[0117] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device includes a container and a detection element. The container has a cavity for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol-generated product. The aerosol generating device also includes a controller for: Acquire capacitance information collected by the detection element, wherein the capacitance information characterizes the capacitance change caused by the aerosol-generated product; Based on the change in the capacitance information, it is detected whether the aerosol-generated product is being drawn in.

2. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating product, wherein the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating product when heated has a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller is further used to: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, the preset trend including first decreasing and then increasing; If so, then aspiration has been confirmed.

3. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating product, wherein the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating product when heated has a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller is further used to: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, wherein the preset trend includes either decreasing first and then increasing, or increasing first and then decreasing. If the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, determine whether the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than a preset rate. If the rate at which the capacitance data increases is greater than a preset rate, it is determined that suction has been performed.

4. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The accommodating cavity is used to contain the aerosol generating product, wherein the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating product when heated has a dielectric constant greater than that of air, and the controller is further used to: Determine whether the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, the preset trend including first decreasing and then increasing; If the changing trends of multiple capacitance data satisfy a preset trend, determine whether the magnitude of the increase in capacitance data is greater than a preset magnitude and whether the speed is greater than a preset speed. If the increase in capacitance data is greater than a preset amplitude and the speed is greater than a preset speed, then it is determined that suction has been performed.

5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: Among the multiple capacitance data, the maximum and minimum values ​​of the capacitance data that show an increasing trend, and the increase time from the minimum value to the maximum value are obtained; and Based on the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​and the increase time, the speed at which the capacitance data increases is calculated.

6. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: The multiple capacitance data collected by the detection device are filtered to remove noisy capacitance data, which are the capacitance data with abnormal fluctuations among the multiple capacitance data. and Based on the changing trends of multiple capacitance data after filtering, aspiration detection is performed to obtain aspiration detection results, wherein the aspiration detection is used to detect whether the user is aspirating the aerosol generating device.

7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device further includes a heating element for heating the accommodating cavity, which is used to contain the aerosol generating product. During the insertion of the aerosol generating product into the accommodating cavity, different portions of the aerosol generating product pass through the detection element, resulting in different capacitance data collected by the detection element. The controller is further configured to: Based on the changing trends of multiple capacitance data, insertion detection is performed to obtain insertion detection results, which include whether the aerosol-generated article has been inserted or not. When the aerosol generating product has been inserted, the heating element is controlled to heat up and a suction detection is performed. The insertion detection is used to detect whether the aerosol generating product has been inserted into the accommodating cavity, and the suction detection is used to detect whether the user has suctioned the aerosol generating device.

8. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, The controller is also used for: If the suction test result indicates that suction has been performed, increment the suction count by 1, and delete or set each of the capacitance data used to obtain the suction test result to invalid data. A prompt message will be issued after the preset number of suctions is reached.

9. An aerosol generation system, characterized in that, include: Aerosol-generated products; and The aerosol generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the accommodating cavity of the aerosol generating apparatus is used to accommodate at least a portion of the aerosol article.

10. A suction detection method, characterized in that, An aerosol generating apparatus, the aerosol generating apparatus comprising a housing and a detection element, the housing having a housing cavity for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol-generated article; the method comprising: Acquire capacitance information collected by the detection element, wherein the capacitance information characterizes the capacitance change caused by the aerosol-generated product; Based on the change in the capacitance information, it is detected whether the aerosol-generated product is being drawn in.

Images