Suction detection circuit of aerosol generating device and aerosol generating device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of aerosol detection, in particular to a suction detection circuit of an aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating device.The suction detection circuit comprises a controller, the controller comprises a first signal port, and the first signal port is connected with a heater and controls a power source to transmit electric energy to the heater; the second signal port is connected with the first signal port, and the second signal port is used for monitoring a first signal of the first signal port; the timing counting unit is used for counting the level of the first signal in a preset duration; the comparison unit is used for judging whether the level counting value of the timing counting unit exceeds a threshold value or not, and if yes, it is determined that the aerosol generating device is used for smoking. By analyzing and processing the control signal information, the smoking behavior of the user is judged, the method is simple in measurement and judgment, interference of a constant-temperature control program to a mouth number measurement function is avoided, the scheme is simplified, and meanwhile the mouth number detection accuracy is guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aerosol suction detection, in particular to a suction detection circuit for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The heat-not-burn aerosol generating article is mainly a product that allows users to inhale by changing nicotine and other substances in the aerosol generating article into vapor through atomization and other means.

[0003] Currently, the suction frequency detection of the aerosol generating article mainly adopts the following methods:

[0004] 1. The mode of the air path and the temperature sensor, the principle of which is that when there is no suction, the feedback temperature value of the temperature sensor returns a relatively stable temperature value; when the user produces a suction behavior, the air flow caused by the air path planning passes through the temperature sensor, causing a sharp change in temperature, which can capture the user's suction behavior.

[0005] 2. The mode of detecting the temperature change of the heater, the principle of which is that the program of the smoking set scans the temperature of the heater at a specified frequency, and when there is no suction behavior, the temperature of the heater is relatively stable; when the user produces a suction behavior, a large amount of heat is taken away by the user's suction action, causing the temperature on the heater to drop, and the program detects the temperature change and captures the user's suction behavior.

[0006] The above-mentioned method 1 has related patents registered, and method 2 has some inaccuracy problems. When the temperature of the heater drops, the smoking set will intelligently increase the power to quickly restore the temperature to the target temperature. At this time, the user's suction force is relatively shallow, and the suction time is relatively long, and the temperature of the heater is quickly compensated, which will affect the puff count, that is, the temperature change is not obvious, resulting in missed puff count. SUMMARY

[0007] Therefore, the present application aims to provide a suction detection circuit for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device for detecting aerosol suction by monitoring the signal output by the controller to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present application provides a puff detection circuit for an aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a heating chamber, a heater for heating an aerosol-generating substrate accommodated in the heating chamber when in operation to generate an aerosol, a power supply, and the puff detection circuit, the puff detection circuit comprising a controller, the controller comprising: a first signal port connected to the heater and controlling the power supply to deliver power to the heater; a second signal port connected to the first signal port, the second signal port being configured to monitor a first signal of the first signal port; a timing counting unit configured to count a level of the first signal within a predetermined time duration; and a comparison unit configured to determine whether a level count value of the timing counting unit exceeds a threshold value, and if so, determine that a puff is made by the aerosol-generating device.

[0010] Further, the controller is a microprocessor, and the first signal is an IO control instruction signal.

[0011] Further, the controller is a PWM generator, and the first signal is a PWM control instruction signal.

[0012] Further, the controller further comprises: a puff frequency memory unit connected to the comparison unit and configured to memorize a cumulative puff frequency.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present application provides an aerosol-generating device comprising the puff detection circuit of the first aspect.

[0014] The aerosol-generating article is a smoking article, comprising an aerosol-generating substrate, which is typically composed of a variety of materials, including but not limited to tobacco extract, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, etc., which collectively act to provide a specific mouthfeel, aroma, and nicotine content. It generates an aerosol through heating, which is directly inhaled by the user's mouth into the user's lungs. Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate is a solid aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol-generating substrate can include both solid and liquid components.

[0015] It can be understood that tobacco itself has a unique flavor and aroma, which is a key feature that many aerosol-generating articles pursue. By extracting the active ingredients from tobacco and incorporating them as part of the aerosol-generating substrate, the smoking experience of traditional tobacco products can be simulated. Nicotine is the main alkaloid in tobacco and is also a component that many smokers pursue. By adding tobacco extract to the aerosol-generating substrate, it can ensure that the product contains an appropriate amount of nicotine to meet the needs of users.

[0016] An aerosol-generating device is a device that is configured to interact with an aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol-generating device is a heated smoking article that interacts with an aerosol-generating substrate of an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol that is directly inhalable by a user into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. The aerosol-generating device can be a holder for a smoking article.

[0017] The power supply can be any suitable power supply, for example a direct current voltage source such as a battery. In one embodiment, the power supply is a lithium-ion battery. Alternatively, the power supply can be a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery or a lithium-based battery, for example a lithium-cobalt, lithium-iron-phosphate, lithium-titanate or lithium-polymer battery.

[0018] The control element can be a simple switch. Alternatively, the control element can be an electrical circuit and can include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers.

[0019] The aerosol-generating system can comprise an aerosol-generating device and one or more aerosol-generating articles, the aerosol-generating device being configured to receive the corresponding number of heating chambers containing the aerosol-generating articles.

[0020] The heater can be an internal heater for insertion into the aerosol-generating article, an external heater located around the periphery of the aerosol-generating article or a combination of internal and external heaters; but is not limited thereto, as long as it is capable of heating the aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol for smoking.

[0021] From the above technical solutions, the aerosol-generating device and the puff detection circuit for the aerosol-generating device have the following advantages and positive effects:

[0022] The controller automatically sends a PWM control signal or an IO control signal to the heater when the temperature of the heater decreases. The number of puffs is determined by the control signal information. The circuit and method are simple to measure and judge, and the constant temperature control program does not interfere with the puff measurement function. The scheme is simplified, the accuracy of the puff detection is ensured, and the control signal is not further processed. No complex algorithm is needed. The number of puffs of the user is determined by comparing the threshold value group with the feature value group. The control has greater universality for different performance controllers, and can be applied to aerosol-generating devices of different structures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The above content of the present application and the following specific embodiments can be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are only examples of the claimed technical solutions.

[0024] Figure 1is a logic framework diagram of the suction detection circuit;

[0025] Figure 2 is a structural diagram inside the controller;

[0026] Figure 3 is a logic framework diagram of the IO signal suction detection circuit;

[0027] Figure 4 is a partial amplification circuit diagram of the microprocessor output IO signal;

[0028] Figure 5 is a partial amplification circuit diagram of the register output IO signal;

[0029] Figure 6 is a logic framework diagram of the PWM signal suction detection circuit;

[0030] Figure 7 is a flow chart of the aerosol suction port number detection method;

[0031] Figure 8 is a flow chart of the PWM signal suction judgment method provided by the first embodiment;

[0032] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the controller outputting PWM control signal information;

[0033] Figure 10 is a flow chart of the PWM signal suction detection judgment method provided by the second embodiment;

[0034] Figure 11 is a flow chart of the IO signal suction judgment method;

[0035] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the controller outputting IO control signal information.

[0036] Among them, the reference signs are explained as follows:

[0037] Heater 10;

[0038] Heater driving circuit 20, 20a, 20b;

[0039] Temperature feedback circuit 30, 30a, 30b;

[0040] Suction detection circuit / controller 40;

[0041] Control module 41;

[0042] First signal port 41a;

[0043] Signal monitoring module 42;

[0044] Second signal port 42a;

[0045] suction analysis module 43;

[0046] timing counting unit 431;

[0047] continuous high level counter 431a;

[0048] comparison unit 432;

[0049] suction number memory unit 433. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The detailed features and advantages of the present application are described in detail in the detailed description below, which is sufficient for any person skilled in the art to understand the technical content of the present application and to implement it, and the person skilled in the art can easily understand the related purposes and advantages of the present application according to the description, claims and drawings disclosed in the specification.

[0051] It should be noted that in the present specification, similar reference numbers and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0052] In the description of the present embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship when the product is usually placed, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0053] In order to make the purposes, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The aerosol generating device can include a heating chamber, a heater 10, a heater driving circuit 20, a controller 40, a temperature feedback circuit 30 and a power supply. The puff detection circuit mainly includes the controller 40, which further includes a control module 41 with a first signal port 41a, a signal monitoring module 42 with a second signal port 42a, and further, the puff analysis module 43 can include a timing counting unit 431, a comparison unit 432 and a suction number memory unit 433.

[0055] The first signal port 41a is connected to the heater and controls the power supply to deliver power to the heater; the second signal port 42a is connected to the first signal port 41a, and the second signal port 42a is used to monitor the first signal of the first signal port 41a; the timing counting unit 431 is used to count the level of the first signal within a predetermined time; the comparison unit 432 is used to determine whether the level count value of the timing counting unit 431 exceeds a threshold value; if yes, it is determined that the aerosol generating device is puffed and recorded as one puffing behavior; preferably, the puffing number memory unit 433 is connected to the comparison unit 432 and is used to remember the cumulative puffing number.

[0056] In the implementation manner of the present application, the controller 40 can be an MCU (MicroController Unit, microcontroller), which generates an IO control instruction signal and sends it from the first signal port 41a.

[0057] Exemplarily, please refer to Figure 3 According to the temperature information fed back by the temperature feedback circuit 30a, the signal monitoring module 42 controls the output waveform of the GPIO (General-purpose input / output, general-purpose input / output port) of the first signal port 41a of the control module 41, and then adjusts the instantaneous power of the heating driving circuit 20a. The continuous high-level counter 431a of the timing counting unit 431 counts the number of continuous high levels output by the synchronous clock IO given by the control module 41 (as long as a low level period appears, the value in the continuous high-level counter 431a will be cleared and re-counted), and compares the continuous high-level counter 431a with the preset "continuous high-level count threshold value" (for example, the preset threshold value is 2) through the comparison unit 432. When the value of the continuous high-level counter is greater than the continuous high-level count threshold value, the comparison unit 432 outputs a puffing or counting signal, and the puffing number memory unit 433 counts the number of puffs by 1.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 Taking the MCU as the CMS8S6990-QFN24 as an example. The OUT_EN signal of the PIN (pin) 20 of the MCU (U4) is connected to the power control circuit of the control module 41 (this signal is connected to M1 through Q3), and OUT_EN is connected to a self-defined register of the timing counting unit 431 inside the MCU, which is used for counting (the number of continuous high levels).

[0059] Please refer to Figure 5, the controller 40 can be a register to generate IO control signal and detect the puff signal or the number of puffs in a pure hardware manner. Specifically, taking a 74HC165 register as an example, the register U1 is a serial input and parallel output shift register, the serial data is input from the 10th pin, and the shift clock is input from the 2nd pin. The shift clock is the same as the IO detection clock, so it can be connected to the IO detection clock. With each clock, the register U1 will shift the corresponding serial signal to the parallel port (A-H) output. U2 is an AND gate logic chip, which can be a 74HCO9N for example. Only when the IO signal input is high, the output will be high, otherwise the output will be low.

[0060] When there is no puff, OUT_EN does not appear for 3 consecutive high level periods, at this time, the "output port number waveform" output signal is low, which is connected to the MCU or other counting circuit, and the port number increase value is 0.

[0061] When there is a puff, OUT_EN appears for 3 consecutive (or more) high levels, at this time, A-B-C three ports are all high, and the output of U2 is high. The rising edge of the output of the AND gate logic chip U2 from low to high is used as a counting trigger, and the port number increase is 1. In this way, the port number counting can be completed.

[0062] In the implementation mode of the present application, the controller 40 can include a PWM generator to generate a PWM control instruction signal from the PWM generator.

[0063] For example, please refer to Figure 6 The control module 41 adjusts the real-time power of the heater driving circuit 20b by adjusting the duty cycle value through the first signal port 41a to control the output waveform of the PWM generator according to the temperature information fed back by the temperature feedback circuit 30b. The comparison unit 432 detects the duty cycle of the PWM generator in real time and compares it with the preset duty cycle threshold value. When the real-time duty cycle of the PWM generator is higher than the duty cycle threshold value, the comparator outputs a count signal, and the corresponding "processor" counts the number of puffs by 1. When the real-time duty cycle of the PWM generator is lower than the "duty cycle threshold value", the next count cycle is entered.

[0064] The control signal outputted by the controller 40 can include IO control signal and PWM control signal, and the following is described by taking the PWM control signal as an example. The heater 10 is used to heat the aerosol generating substrate accommodated in the heating chamber during operation to generate aerosol. The controller 40 is used to control the input and output of the PWM control signal to the heater 10 through the heater driving circuit 20, collect and record the input and output of the PWM control signal, and analyze the PWM control signal. When the aerosol generating device is puffed by the user, in order to maintain the temperature of the heater 10 stable, the input and output signal is changed to increase the temperature of the heater 10. The power supply is electrically connected with the heater 10, the controller 40, the heater driving circuit 20, the temperature feedback circuit 30 and other elements, and is used to provide operating power.

[0065] Further, the controller 40 can include a control module 41, a signal monitoring module 42 and a puffing analysis module 43. The control module 41 can receive the temperature feedback signal transmitted by the heater 10 through the temperature feedback circuit 30. The control module 41 can generate the PWM control signal according to the temperature feedback signal. The control module 41 transmits the PWM control signal to the heater 10 through the heater driving circuit 20. The signal monitoring module 42 can collect and record the PWM control signal, and send the collection and recording results to the puffing analysis module 43. The puffing analysis module 43 can be used to analyze and process the collection and recording results of the PWM control signal, and transmit the processed results to the control module 41 to optimize the working parameters of the control module 41.

[0066] It can be understood that when the temperature of the heater 10 decreases, the control module 41 can obtain this information through the temperature feedback circuit 30. Then the control module 41 can generate the control PWM control signal to make the heater 10 heat and maintain the high temperature of the heater 10. The generated PWM control signal (duty cycle is not 0% or 100%) can be divided into high level waveform and low level waveform according to the characteristics of the waveform. During the operation of the aerosol generating device, the control module 41 can determine whether the user has the puffing behavior on the aerosol generating article in a temperature control period according to the waveform signal information corresponding to multiple time sequences.

[0067] Please refer to Figure 7 The method for detecting the puffing and the number of puffs of the aerosol through the controller of the aerosol generating device can specifically include the following steps.

[0068] Step 1: The controller starts the heater and monitors the working parameters of the heater. The controller outputs the control instruction signal information of multiple unit pulse groups to the heater according to the working parameters to adjust the working parameters of the heater. The working parameters are usually the heating temperature, and can also be the resistance, voltage or current of the heater and its associated elements related to the heating temperature.

[0069] Step 2: The controller processes the control instruction signal information to obtain a feature value group.

[0070] Step 3: The controller determines whether the feature value group of the control instruction signal information exceeds a threshold group. If yes, it is determined to be a puff and recorded as a puff behavior; if no, it continues to repeat step 2.

[0071] In the implementation manner of the present application, the controller 40 can send a start signal to the heater 10 through direct start, phased start, intelligent start based on environment and use habit, temperature regulation start, etc.

[0072] Specifically, the direct start feature is that the controller 40 directly sends a start signal to the heater 10 to start working. This method is simple and direct, and is suitable for scenes with low requirements on the start process.

[0073] The phased start feature is that the controller 40 starts the heater 10 in stages, usually starting the heating circuit with a higher resistance value first to prevent high current from damaging the battery power supply, and then switching to the normal heating circuit after the heater 10 is preheated or reaches a certain condition. This method can improve the protection of the battery power supply and help stabilize the heating process.

[0074] The intelligent start feature is that the controller 40 will obtain information such as the internal and external environment temperature of the aerosol generating device and the user's use habit before starting the heater 10, and then input these information into the heating model to determine the optimal heating power and start method. This method can dynamically adjust according to different use scenarios and user habits to improve heating effect and user experience.

[0075] The temperature regulation start feature is that the controller 40 calculates the resistance value change of the heating element of the heater 10 to convert temperature information, or adds a temperature measurement sensitive protection element (such as a thermistor) to monitor the temperature. When the temperature reaches the preset value, the controller 40 starts the heater 10 or adjusts the heating power. This method can ensure that the aerosol generating device works within a safe temperature range and avoid overheating damage.

[0076] In the process of the controller transmitting control signals to the heater, the following stages can be included: start stage, use stage and end stage.

[0077] Among them, when the heater is in the start stage, the controller wakes up the heater and continuously transmits control signals, so that the heater is turned on and enters the preheating state, and the temperature of the heater is continuously increased.

[0078] When the temperature of the heater reaches the pre-set temperature value, the controller changes from continuous transmission of the control signal to interval transmission of the control signal, and the output energy is only used to supplement the heat dissipated in the natural state, and the energy value is relatively small, thereby maintaining the working temperature of the heater and reducing unnecessary energy loss.

[0079] When the heater reaches the preheating temperature, the user starts to perform puffing, and enters the use stage.

[0080] In the use stage, after the user puffs the aerosol generating device, a large amount of heat energy of the heater is taken away, and the temperature of the heater is rapidly lost due to the low temperature of the external air supplemented in the heater. In order to maintain the working temperature of the heater, the controller changes the mode of transmitting the control signal to the heater from interval transmission of the control signal to continuous transmission of the control signal, so as to quickly supplement the heat consumed by the heater.

[0081] Correspondingly, when the heater returns to the working temperature, the controller changes the mode of transmitting the control signal to the heater from the original continuous transmission of the control signal to interval transmission of the control signal, thereby maintaining the working temperature of the heater and reducing unnecessary energy loss.

[0082] That is, the sign of "start of puffing behavior" is that the controller changes from interval transmission of the control signal to continuous transmission of the control signal.

[0083] And the sign of "end of puffing behavior" is that the controller changes from continuous transmission of the control signal to interval transmission of the control signal.

[0084] The time period between "start of puffing behavior" and "end of puffing behavior" is "puffing process".

[0085] When the heater is in the end stage, the controller stops transmitting the control signal to the heater.

[0086] By judging whether the "puffing process" exists, it can be determined whether the user puffs through the aerosol generating device.

[0087] By calculating the number of times of "puffing process", the number of times of the user's puffing behavior through the aerosol generating device can be determined.

[0088] It should be noted that the control signal sent by the controller of the present application can be an IO (Input / Output) signal. It can be understood that the control of the aerosol generating device by the IO signal is simpler than that by the PWM signal, and the IO signal is mainly responsible for the basic on-off control of the aerosol generating device. That is, the IO signal can control the opening and closing of the heater, providing the most basic control of the heater during the heating process, but generally does not involve fine adjustment of the heating process, so in some simple heating devices, the IO signal is sufficient to meet the basic control requirements and reduce production costs. In addition, the IO signal can monitor the working state of the heater and quickly cut off the power supply when an abnormal condition (such as overheating, short circuit, etc.) is detected to ensure the safety of the user.

[0089] In another implementable manner of the present application, the control signal sent by the controller of the present application is also a PWM (Pulse width modulation) signal. It can be understood that the PWM signal controls the average power of the heating element by adjusting the width (duty cycle) of the pulse, thereby achieving precise adjustment of the heating temperature. This adjustment method is more accurate and efficient than the traditional analog signal control in the aerosol generating device. The PWM signal is a fixed period, and the duty cycle inside changes, the duty cycle refers to the proportion of high level in a cycle. In addition, the PWM signal can accurately control the power of the heater, reduce unnecessary energy loss, and improve the energy efficiency of the aerosol generating device. This is particularly important for aerosol generating devices that need to be used for a long time, which helps to reduce the user's use cost.

[0090] In the present application, the start phase of the unit pulse group is the first time sequence of the high level signal, and the last phase is the time sequence of the low level signal.

[0091] Please refer to the following embodiments, first take the PWM signal as an example, in order to further understand the inventive concept of the present application.

[0092] Please refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 In an implementable manner of the present application, the PWM signal is a duty cycle adjustable signal. The two adjacent dotted lines form a PWM period. In a period, the left solid line part is the high time, and the right part is the low time, and the two parts are combined to form a complete PWM period.

[0093] When the heater reaches the preheating temperature, the user performs a puff, and the heater is in a constant temperature stage, and if there is no puff, the PWM duty cycle is relatively stable; when there is a puff, in order to maintain the temperature of the heating body stable, the PWM duty cycle value gradually increases to meet the requirement of increasing power required to maintain the temperature. When the program detects such changes in PWM, it can be judged that the user has a puff action. Here, the absolute value of the PWM duty cycle can be used for judgment, such as when there is no puff, the PWM duty cycle is ≤25%, and the program detects that the PWM duty cycle is ≥50% during the inspection process, which can be judged as a user puffing behavior.

[0094] Please refer to Figure 10 The present application can also be judged by the slope of the change of the duty cycle of the PWM signal, and the duty cycle value when there is no puff is recorded as A, and the detected duty cycle value at any time is recorded as B, and the quotient of B / A is recorded as the duty cycle change slope. When B / A is greater than a certain threshold, it is judged that the user has a puffing behavior.

[0095] It should be noted that the two judgment methods can be used independently or in combination, and the specific adjustment can be made according to the actual situation.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 11 The control signal is an IO control signal. The puffing behavior judgment of the IO control signal can be the number of consecutive high-levels, or the continuous pulse width time of the high-level cumulative number, and preferably, the pulse width of the high level is a fixed pulse width.

[0097] The number of consecutive high levels is used as a puffing behavior judgment, and in the puffing stage, the heater is in a constant temperature state and only needs to maintain the temperature, and the IO output signal will output a high level period + a number of low level periods, at this time, the high level period is not continuous (or the number of consecutive high levels is small).

[0098] When there is a puffing behavior, a large amount of heat is taken away, the heater cools down, and the aerosol generating device increases the power to the heater in order to maintain the temperature of the heater constant, and the IO port will continuously output a number of high level periods with a fixed pulse width. At this time, the judgment of whether there is a puffing behavior only needs to count how many high level periods the IO continuously outputs. For example, when there is no puffing, the IO continuously outputs 1-2 high level periods, and when there is a puffing, the IO continuously outputs 3 or more high level periods, so 3 can be used as a judgment threshold, and when it is detected that the IO outputs high for 3 consecutive periods, it is judged that the user has a puffing. When it is detected that the IO outputs a low period, the next puffing judgment is entered.

[0099] As Figure 12As shown, the continuous pulse width time accumulated by the number of high levels is described. When the heater reaches the preheating temperature, before the user performs the puffing, the controller is in the interval transmission control signal mode. In the unit pulse group corresponding to the interval transmission control signal, the continuous pulse width time of the high level signal of the IO control signal issued by the controller is 1 timing unit, the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal is 3 timing units, and the total pulse width time is 4 timing units.

[0100] After experiencing two unit pulse groups corresponding to the interval transmission control signal (timing 31-timing 38), when the user performs the puffing (timing 39), the IO control signal issued by the controller is converted from the interval transmission control signal mode to the continuous transmission control signal mode. In the unit pulse group corresponding to the first continuous transmission control signal (timing 39-timing 45), the continuous pulse width time of the high level signal is 4 timing units, the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal is 3 timing units, and the total pulse width time is 7 timing units.

[0101] The controller enters the interval transmission control signal mode again. In the unit pulse group corresponding to the interval transmission control signal (timing 46-timing 49), the continuous pulse width time of the high level signal is 1 timing unit, the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal is 3 timing units, and the total pulse width time is 4 timing units.

[0102] The controller is converted from the interval transmission control signal mode to the continuous transmission control signal mode again. In the unit pulse group corresponding to the second continuous transmission control signal (timing 50-timing 57), the continuous pulse width time of the high level signal is 5 timing units, the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal is 3 timing units, and the total pulse width time is 8 timing units.

[0103] It can be understood that when the IO control signal issued by the controller is in the low level, that is, the output power supply to the heater is stopped, the temperature of the heater is reduced.

[0104] In the embodiment of the present application, the continuous pulse width time of the fixed high level signal of the interval transmission control signal mode of the controller is 1 timing unit, the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal is 3 timing units, and the total pulse width time is 4 timing units.

[0105] The continuous transmission control signal mode is according to the duration of the "puffing process". The continuous pulse width time of the high level signal is at least 2 timing units, and the continuous pulse width time of the low level signal can be 3 timing units, which is the same as the continuous transmission control signal mode. That is, whether the puffing occurs in the unit pulse group can be determined by judging the continuous pulse width time of the high level.

[0106] In this embodiment, the heating control logic remains unchanged, and the threshold value (evaluation criterion) for determining whether a "puffing process" exists can be determined by a trained AI model. The specific training process and usage are as follows:

[0107] Collect the amount when the user has no puffing action (such as signal information when the heater is in the preheating state, signal information when the aerosol generating device is shaken, etc.) and the amount when the user has a puffing action. Specifically, record the level signal of the heater from the whole process of opening-preheating completion-puffing-stop, including the changes of voltage, current, temperature and other parameters. Simulate various shaking situations that may occur during the user's carrying or using process, and record the influence of these shaking on the output of the sensor (such as accelerometer, gyroscope). Collect various noise signals that may be generated inside and outside the device when there is no puffing action, such as electromagnetic interference, environmental noise, etc.

[0108] These data are processed by data cleaning, data labeling and feature extraction, etc. to remove outliers and noise points, and to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the data. The collected data are labeled to clearly indicate the corresponding state or event (such as "preheating", "shaking", "static no action", etc.) of each data segment. Useful features are extracted from the original signal, such as time domain features (mean, variance, peak value, etc.), frequency domain features (spectrum analysis, power spectral density, etc.), and statistical features (histogram, cumulative distribution function, etc.).

[0109] The training model can select appropriate machine learning or deep learning models according to the needs (such as classification, regression, anomaly detection, etc.) and data characteristics. For example, convolutional neural networks (CNN) can be used to process time series data, or recurrent neural networks (RNN) and their variants (such as LSTM, GRU) can be used to process data with strong sequence dependence.

[0110] Further, the data is divided into data sets: the processed data set is divided into training set, validation set and test set. Train the model: use the training set data to train the model, adjust the model parameters through the back propagation algorithm, and minimize the loss function. Validation and optimization: use the validation set to monitor the performance of the model, perform hyperparameter optimization and model selection, and avoid overfitting or underfitting.

[0111] To ensure the effect of the trained model, the trained model can also be evaluated, deployed and continuously optimized. Specifically, the test set is used to evaluate the generalization ability of the model to ensure that the model performs well in actual application. The trained model is deployed to the aerosol generating device or other related equipment to realize real-time state monitoring and event response. With the accumulation of data and the deepening of application, the model is updated and optimized regularly to adapt to new use scenarios and changes in demand.

[0112] In actual application, the trained model can be deployed in the local end, i.e. inside the aerosol generating device, to cooperate with the user to manually mark, so as to achieve more accurate effect of puff detection, or deployed in the cloud, the aerosol generating device sends data to the cloud and receives updated data transmitted from the cloud to update the threshold to the latest version, thereby improving the accuracy of judging the user's puffing behavior and outputting the number of puffs of the user puffing the aerosol generating device.

[0113] It should be noted that when it is determined whether the continuous pulse width time of the high level signal is greater than or equal to 2 timing units, it can be determined that there is a "puffing process", and the pulse width time of the low level is not limited.

[0114] It can be understood that, by using the temperature drop of the heater 10, the controller 40 automatically sends control signal information to the characteristics of the heater 10, and by analyzing and processing the control signal information, the number of puffs of the user is determined. This method is simple to measure and judge, avoids the interference of the constant temperature control program on the puff measurement function, simplifies the scheme, and ensures the accuracy of the puff detection.

[0115] In the implementable manner of the present application, the detection method can further include: step 4, the controller processes each puffing behavior to determine the total number of puffs; step 5, the controller determines whether the total number of puffs is greater than the threshold value of the number of puffs: if yes, the controller stops the heater from heating; if no, step 2 is continued.

[0116] It can be understood that by setting the preset threshold value of the number of puffs and increasing the judgment of the total number of puffs and the threshold value of the number of puffs, the heating protection of the aerosol generating device is improved, and the service life of the product is further improved.

[0117] In the implementable manner of the present application, the detection method further includes: step 6, the controller processes the control instruction signal information of each unit pulse group to determine the total control instruction signal information; step 7, the controller determines whether the total control instruction signal information is greater than the threshold value of the puffing duration: if yes, the controller stops the heater from heating; if no, step 2 is continued.

[0118] The total control instruction signal information can include the total level pulse time. For example, when the total high level pulse time is greater than the threshold value of the puffing duration, the controller stops the heater from heating.

[0119] It can be understood that by setting the threshold value of the puffing duration and comparing the total level pulse time with the threshold value of the puffing duration, the heating protection of the aerosol generating device is improved, and the service life of the product is further improved.

[0120] Further, steps 5 and 6 can cooperate with steps 4 and 5 to further improve the heating protection of the aerosol generating device.

[0121] In one embodiment, the method steps, devices and computer programs according to the present application can be implemented by at least one separate or embedded hardware module.

[0122] The computer program can be stored on at least one computer-readable medium, such as a memory circuit, a memory card, a magnetic or optical disk. Some functional entities can be implemented by program modules that are linked to another functional entity. Functional entities can also be stored in separate memories and executed by separate control modules 41, which can communicate by, for example, a message bus. One example of such a message bus can be a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0123] The terminology and phraseology used here is solely used for the purpose of description. The present application should not be limited to the terms and phraseology used. The use of such terms and phraseology does not preclude the equivalence of any feature described (or part thereof) and it should be recognized that various modifications can exist which should be included within the scope of the claims. Other modifications, changes, and substitutions can also exist. Accordingly, the claims should be considered as covering all such equivalents.

[0124] Also, it is to be noted that while the application has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art can devise various equivalent forms and alternatives to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the application. Any modifications, changes, and substitutions of the above-described embodiments should be considered as falling within the scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A puff detection circuit of an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising: A heating chamber, a heater for heating an aerosol generating substrate accommodated in the heating chamber in operation to generate an aerosol, a power supply, and a puff detection circuit, characterized in that the puff detection circuit comprises a controller comprising: a first signal port connected to the heater and controlling the power supply to deliver power to the heater; a second signal port connected to the first signal port, the second signal port being configured to monitor a first signal of the first signal port; a timing counting unit configured to count a level of the first signal within a predetermined time period; a comparison unit configured to determine whether the level count of the timing counting unit exceeds a threshold value, and if so, determine that a puff is made by the aerosol generating device.

2. The suction detection circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is a microprocessor, and the first signal is an IO control instruction signal.

3. The suction detection circuit of claim 1, wherein, The controller is a PWM generator, and the first signal is a PWM control instruction signal.

4. The suction detection circuit of claim 1, wherein, The controller further comprises: a puff number memory unit connected to the comparison unit and configured to memorize a cumulative number of puffs.

5. An aerosol-generating device comprising: An aerosol generating device comprising the puff detection circuit of any one of claims 1-4.

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