Control circuit, aerosol generating device, and control method of control circuit

Abstract

A control circuit (100), an aerosol generating device (1000), and a control method of the control circuit. The control circuit (100) comprises a resonator (10), a switch (20), a driver (30), a voltage measurer (40), and a control module (50). The control circuit (100) can quickly and accurately acquire the temperature of a heater by using a voltage signal and a preset mapping relation, so as to facilitate accurate control of the temperature of the heater.

Description

[0001] The present application claims priority and benefits of a patent application No. 202211204127.6 filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on September 29, 2022, and the entire text of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to the technical field of atomizer, and in particular to a control circuit, an aerosol generating device, and a control method of the control circuit.THE RELATED ART

[0003] At present, thermistors and thermocouples are mainly used as temperature detectors for heating elements in heating-not-burning appliances on the market. Heating-not-burning appliances use circuit control to make the heating element reach a suitable temperature by baking an aerosol generating substance to generate aerosol in the process. Closed-loop control is used in the temperature control process, and thus, collecting the temperature of a heater is vital. If the temperature of the heater can be accurately and quickly collected, it will be helpful in improving the accuracy of temperature control in controlling of temperature.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides a control circuit, an aerosol generating device, and a control method of the control circuit for more accurately collecting the temperature of a heater.

[0005] A control circuit is used with an aerosol generating device. The control circuit comprises a resonator, a switch, a driver, a voltage measurer, and a control module. The resonator is configured to couple with a heater to make the heater generate heat. The switch is connected to the resonator. The driver is connected to the switch and is configured to control the switch to turn on and off. The voltage measurer is connected between the resonator and the switch and is configured to detect a voltage signal. The control module is electrically connected to the driver and the voltage measurer and is configured to acquire a temperature of the heater according to the voltage signal and a preset mapping relation. The mapping relation is a corresponding relation between an oscillation frequency of the resonator and the temperature of the heater.

[0006] In one of the embodiments, the resonator comprises an inductor and a capacitor connected in parallel, and under a condition that the switch is turned on, the inductor stores energy, and under a condition that the switch is turned off, the resonator generates oscillation according to the stored energy in order to make the heater generate heat.

[0007] In one of the embodiments, the control module comprises a trigger and a single pulse generator, and the trigger is configured to generate a trigger signal according to the voltage signal, and the single pulse generator is configured to generate a pulse according to the trigger signal, the driver is used for controlling the switch to turn on during an active time of the pulse and controlling the switch to turn off during an inactive time of the pulse.

[0008] In one of the embodiments, the voltage signal comprises a first signal and a second signal, and the voltage measurer detects the first signal under the condition that the switch is turned on and detects the second signal under the condition that the switch is turned off, and the trigger is configured to generate the trigger signal according to the second signal.

[0009] In one of the embodiments, the control circuit further comprises a processor, the processor is configured to acquire an actual oscillation frequency of the resonator according to a width of the pulse, an on-time duration of the switch, and an off-time duration of the switch and to acquire the temperature of the heater according to the actual oscillation frequency and the preset mapping relation.

[0010] In one of the embodiments, the single pulse generator is further configured to generate a calibration pulse, a width of the calibration pulse is a calibration width; the processor is further configured to: acquire the number of times that the switch is turned on with a preset period of time; acquire a calibration oscillation frequency of the resonator according to the preset period of time, the calibration width, and the number of times that the switch is conducted on; acquire a calibration temperature of the heater; and acquire the preset mapping relation according to the calibration oscillation frequency and the calibration temperature.

[0011] In one of the embodiments, the processor is further configured to: acquire a target temperature and an actual temperature of the heater, and the single pulse generator is further configured to adjust the width of the generated pulse according to the target temperature and the actual temperature in order to make the heater to the target temperature.

[0012] In one of the embodiments, the voltage measurer comprises a voltage source, a diode, and a detector, the voltage source is configured to supply a preset voltage, the detector is configured to acquire the voltage signal according to the preset voltage and a conduction voltage drop of the diode.

[0013] An aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device comprises a chamber, a heater, and a control circuit of any one of the above-mentioned embodiments. The chamber is configured to receive an aerosol generating substance. The heater is configured to heat the aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol. The control circuit is configured to control generation of heat by the heater.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, the heater comprises a soft magnetic material.

[0015] A control method of the control circuit. The control method of the control circuit comprises: acquiring a voltage signal detected by the voltage measurer; acquiring a preset mapping relation; and acquiring a temperature of the heater according to the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation, the mapping relation is a corresponding relation between an oscillation frequency of the resonator and the temperature of the heater.

[0016] The control circuit, the aerosol generating device, and the control method of the control circuit described above utilize the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation to quickly and accurately acquire the temperature of the heater, so as to facilitate accurate control of the temperature of the heater.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and easily understood from the description of the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic structure diagram of a control circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic structure diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram of a voltage signal detected by a voltage measurer in an application scenario; FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of a voltage signal detected by a voltage measurer according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic structure diagram of a control circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a corresponding relation between half oscillation period of a resonator and a temperature of a heater according to one embodiment of the present invention; and FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a control method of a control circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0018] In order to make the above-mentioned objective, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easier to understand, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, various specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0019] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up"", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", and "circumferential" indicate orientations or positional relation based on the orientations or positional relation shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0020] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" refers to at least two, such as two and three, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0021] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "interconnected", "connected", and "fixed" should be construed in a broad sense, for example fixed connection, detachable connection, or an integrated as one piece; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; the internal connection of two elements or interaction relation between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0022] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "on", "above", or "atop" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "under", "below", or "underneath" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0023] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "arranged on" another element, it may be directly on said another element or there may be an element in the middle. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to another element or there may be an element in the middle. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and similar expressions, as used herein, are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only way of implementation.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of the present invention provides a control circuit 100 (see FIG. 1) and an aerosol generating device 1000 (see FIG. 2). The aerosol generating device 1000 comprises a chamber 300 and a heater 200. The chamber 300 is configured to receive an aerosol generating substance, and the heater 200 is configured to heat the aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol to be used for inhalation. The control circuit 100 is applicable for the aerosol generating device 1000 to couple with the heater 200 of the aerosol generating device 1000 to make the heater 200 generate heat and to acquire the temperature of the heater 200.

[0025] The taste of the aerosol generated through heating of the aerosol generating substance is related to the temperature of the heater 200. For example, the higher the temperature of the heater 200, the higher the concentration of the aerosol; the lower the temperature of the heater 200, the lower the concentration of the aerosol. In order to avoid generation of harmful substances by high temperature burning, it is necessary for the heater 200 of the aerosol generating device 1000 to heat the aerosol generating substance on the basis of not causing burning of the aerosol generating substance. However, the aerosol generating device 1000 that is currently available from the market does not possesses a function of acquiring the temperature of the heater 200 and is hard to implement precise temperature control, and to avoid burning of the aerosol generating substance caused by imprecise temperature control. The existing aerosol generating device 1000 often uses a fixed power to make the heater 200 heating, and the aerosol so generated has monotonous taste. The control circuit 100 of the embodiment of the application can accurately acquire the temperature of the heater 200 in order to implement temperature control on the heater 200 according to the actual temperature of the heater 200 and generate aerosol of various tastes.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, the control circuit 100 comprises a resonator 10, a switch 20, a driver 30, a voltage measurer 40, and a control module 50. The resonator 10 is coupled to the heater 200 to make the heater 200 generate heat. The switch 20 is connected to the resonator 10. The driver 30 is connected to the switch 20 and used for controlling the switch 20 to turn on or off. The voltage measurer 40 is connected between the resonator 10 and the switch 20 and configured to measure a voltage signal. The control module 50 is electrically connected to the driver 30 and the voltage measurer 40 and configured to acquire the temperature of the heater 200 according to a voltage signal and a preset mapping relation. The mapping relation is a corresponding relation between the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 and the temperature of the heater 200.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1, one end of the resonator 10 is connected to a positive terminal of a power supply and another end of the resonator 10 is grounded. The switch 20 is located between the resonator 10 and grounding. When the switch 20 is turned on, current is allowed to flow through the switch 20, and the resonator 10, the switch 20 and the power supply are form a closed loop, and the closed loop generates a varying current, and the resonator 10 starts to store energy; if the switch 20 is turned off when the resonator 10 has stored energy, the current does not pass through the branch where the switch 20 is located and the resonator 10 releases the stored energy to generate a varying magnetic field. The heater 200 that is coupled to the resonator 10 is located in an alternating magnetic field, and the heater 200 cuts magnetic flux lines of the alternating magnetic field to generate heat. In one embodiment, a voltage source is connected between the positive terminal of the power supply and the resonator 10 to prevent the current of the resonator 10 from flowing back in a direction toward the positive terminal of the power supply when the switch 20 is turned off.

[0028] The voltage measurer 40 is connected between the resonator 10 and the switch 20. For example, in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, the voltage measurer 40 is connected to node P1 and can detect a voltage signal of node P1. The change of the switch 20 turning on and off corresponds to the change of state of the resonator 10 storing energy and releasing stored energy. The voltage signals detected by the voltage measurer 40 are different for states of the switch 20 being turned on and off, and thus, based on the change of the voltage signal detected by the voltage measurer 40, the oscillation period of the resonator 40 can be determined. The oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 is related to the oscillation period of the resonator 10, and the mapping relation between the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 and the temperature of the heater 200 is a known relation, so that the control module 50 can acquire the temperature of the heater 200 according to the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation. The change of the voltage signal is related to turning on and off of the switch 20 and the voltage measurer 40 can quickly capture the voltage signal, so that the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 can be quickly acquired according to the voltage signal, while the mapping relation is a corresponding relation between the pre-acquired oscillation frequency and the temperature of the heater 200, and it is only necessary to substitute the acquired actual oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 into the mapping relation to acquire a corresponding actual temperature of the heater 200, so that the control circuit 100 can quickly collect the temperature of the heater 200. It is appreciated that the corresponding relation between the oscillation frequency of the resonator 40 and the temperature of the heater 200 does not specifically refer to the relation between the characteristic quantity of the oscillation frequency of the resonator 40 and the temperature of the heater 200, but can also be any relation a characteristic quantity that can be unambiguously inferred from the oscillation frequency of the resonator 40 and the temperature of the heater 200, where the characteristic quantity can be for example the oscillation period of the resonator 40 and a half period of oscillation of the resonator 40, and is not subjected to any limitation herein.

[0029] Further illustration will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the resonator 10 comprises an inductor 11 and a capacitor 12 connected in parallel. Under a condition that the switch 20 is turned on, the inductor 11, the capacitor 12, the switch 20 and the power supply form an energy storage circuit to store energy in the inductor 11; and under a condition that the switch 20 is turned off, the inductor 11 and the capacitor 12 form a resonant circuit and generate oscillation according to the stored energy to cause the heater 200 to generate heat.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 3 which shows a waveform corresponding to the voltage signal measured by the voltage measurer 40, under a condition that the resonator 10 has stored energy, the switch 20 periodically performs steps of "off-on-off-on" to make the resonator 10 continuously oscillate for exceeding one oscillation period. It can be seen that when the resonator 10 oscillates, the voltage correspondingly measured by the voltage measurer 40 varies regularly: from point A1 to point B1, the voltage first increases and then decreases in one direction, and from point B1 to point C1, the voltage first increases and then decreases in another direction, and from point A1 to point C1 is one oscillation period. Combined with FIG. 4, in the embodiment schematically shown in FIG. 4, the configuration of the voltage measurer 40 is as follows: when the switch 20 is turned on, the output voltage signal is a fixed value, and when the switch 20 is turned off, the voltage signal is outputted according to the voltage of the connection point (node P1). FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of waveform corresponding the variation of the voltage measured by the voltage measurer 40 under the condition that the switch 20 is turned on once before each oscillation period ends. The driver 30 drives the switch 20 to turn on when each oscillation period proceeds to a half, so as to make the resonator 10 switched to the energy storage circuit to start energy storage after having oscillated for a half period of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2), and the corresponding voltage signal is a fixed value. As such, under a condition that the switch 20 is turned off, the voltage signal outputted by the voltage measurer 40 (from point A2 to point B2) is consistent with the voltage signal in one half of the oscillation period (from point A1 to point B1) shown in FIG. 3, and under the condition that the switch 20 is turned on, the voltage measurer 40 outputs a fixed voltage signal (from point B2 to point C2), so that the resonator 10 performs a reciprocating variation of energy storage-oscillation-energy storage-oscillation to make the heater 200 generate heat.

[0032] Referring to FIG. 4, in which the temperature of the heater 200 is related to the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 during the interval of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2). In one example, the preset mapping relation is the corresponding relation between the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 during the interval of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2) and the temperature of the heater 200. The oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 during the interval of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2) can be determined according to the voltage signal outputted by the voltage measurer 40 during the interval of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2). For example, in the condition that the voltage signal varies, the duration of voltage variation is recorded by a timer 70, and in the condition that the voltage signal stops varying (means the voltage signal is a fixed value corresponding to point B2 to point C2), timing performed by the timer 70 is stopped, so that the duration of oscillation of the resonator 10 can be obtained according to the voltage signal and the time recorded by the timer 70 (which is the time from point A2 to point B2), and thus the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 during the interval of oscillation (from point A2 to point B2) can be obtained. Thus, the control circuit 100 can accurately acquire the temperature of the heater 200 according to the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation.

[0033] In conjunction with FIG. 1, further, by controlling the on and off time of the switch 20 driven by the driver 30, the duration of oscillation of the resonator 10 can be adjusted, that is the duration from point A2 to point B2 can be adjusted, and the duration of oscillation of the resonator 10 is related to the temperature of the heater 200, so that the temperature of the heater 200 can be adjusted by controlling the on and off time of the switch 20 driven by the driver 30. Since the preset relation between the temperature of the heater 200 and the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 is known, the temperature of heating by the heater 200 that correspond to the on and off time of the switch 20 can be calculated, thereby realizing accurate control of the temperature of the heater 200. As such, the control circuit 100 can also make the heater 200 accurately heating to a preset temperature to meet requirement of heating temperature for various application scenarios. For example, the heating temperature of the heater 200 can be increased by means of the control circuit 100, so that the heater 200 may use a higher the temperature to heat the aerosol generating substance, so as to generate an aerosol with a stronger taste; the heating temperature of the heater 200 can also be reduced by means of the control circuit 100 to make the heater to heat the aerosol generating substance with a lower temperature, so as to generate an aerosol with a lighter taste.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the control module 50 comprises a trigger 51 and a single pulse generator 52. The trigger 51 is configured to generate a trigger signal according to the voltage signal. The single pulse generator 52 is configured to generate a pulse according to the trigger signal. The driver 30 controls the switch 20 to turn on during an active time of the pulse and controls the switch 20 to turn off during an inactive time of the pulse.

[0035] The single pulse generator 52 can transmit a single pulse with a preset width. The preset width is the active time of the pulse, and the time that is in the interval between two single pulses and does not have a pulse is the pulse inactive time.

[0036] In conjunction with FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the trigger 51 comprises a falling edge trigger, which is configured to capture a voltage value of the voltage signal in the falling edge phase. For example, the falling edge trigger 51 captures the voltage value of the falling edge S2-B2 segment, and generates a trigger signal when the voltage value of the voltage signal drops to the voltage value corresponding to point B2, and the single pulse generator 52 generates a pulse according to the trigger signal and transmits the pulse to the driver 30, so that during the active time of the pulse (point B2 to point C2), the driver 30 controls the switch 20 to turn on, and when the pulse becomes inactive at point C2, the driver 30 controls the switch 20 to turn off, and at this moment, the voltage measurer 40 detects varying voltage, and at point D2, the voltage value of the voltage signal once again triggers the falling edge trigger 51 to generate a trigger signal, making the single pulse generator 52 following the trigger signal to generate a pulse and making the driver 30 once again controls the switch 20 to turn on. In this way, in the condition that the pulse generated by the single pulse generator 52 is inactive, the resonator generates oscillation, and the voltage signal generates the trigger signal during the interval when the resonator generates oscillation, so as to trigger the single pulse generator 52 to generate a pulse by means of the trigger signal, and in the condition that the pulse is active, the resonator stores energy, and pulse becomes inactive automatically after an interval of time corresponding to the width of the pulse, so as to trigger the switch 20 to turn off for making the resonator generating oscillation, thereby realizing the reciprocal variation of energy storage-oscillation-energy storage-oscillation of the resonator for making the heater 200 generate heat. In some other embodiments, the trigger 51 may alternatively be a rising edge trigger 51, which captures the voltage value of a rising edge (such as A2-S2 segment), generating a trigger signal in the rising segment of the voltage value, and no limitation is imposed herein.

[0037] Further, by adjusting the width of the pulse, the active time of the pulse can be changed so as to adjust the energy storage time of the resonator. The energy storage time of the resonator affects the amount of work done by the resonator on the heater 200, and thus can adjust the temperature of the heater 200. Therefore, the temperature of the heater 200 can be adjusted by adjusting the width of the pulse. Furthermore, the temperature of the heater 200 is related to the oscillation period of the resonator, and the oscillation period of the resonator is related to the duration of the resonator in the interval of oscillation. The duration of the resonator in the interval of oscillation is the inactive time of the pulse, and the inactive time of the pulse can be adjusted indirectly by adjusting the active time of the pulse. Therefore, a corresponding relation exists between the width of the pulse and the temperature of the heater 200, and the temperature of the heater 200 can be accurately controlled by controlling the width of the pulse.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the voltage signal comprises a first signal and a second signal. The voltage measurer 40 detects the first signal when the switch 20 is turned on, and detects the second signal when the switch 20 is turned off. The trigger 51 generates the trigger signal according to the second signal. In some embodiments, the voltage measurer 40 comprises a diode 41, a voltage source 42, and a detector 43. The voltage source 42 is configured to supply a preset voltage. The detector 43 is configured to acquire the voltage signal Vt according to the preset voltage and a conduction voltage drop of the diode 41. The trigger 51 is connected to the detector 43 to receive the voltage signal Vt outputted from the detector 43. Assuming that the forward conduction voltage drop of the diode 41 is V1, the voltage value of the voltage source 42 is V2, the voltage measurer 40 is connected to node P1, and the voltage value of node P1 is Vp. Under the condition that the switch 20 is turned on, the inductor 11, the capacitor 12, the switch 20 and the power supply form an energy storage circuit, where Vp≥V2-V1, and Vt=V2; and under the condition that the switch 20 is turned off, the inductor 11 and the capacitor 12 form a resonant circuit, where Vp<V2-V1, and Vt=Vp+V1. In this, assuming the first signal is Vt1, and the second signal is Vt2, then Vt1=V2, Vt2=Vp+V1.

[0039] The second signal Vt2 is a varying voltage value, and in some embodiments, when the second signal Vt2 varies to a certain value, the trigger 51 generates the trigger signal. In conjunction with FIG. 4, in one embodiment, assuming the voltage threshold for the trigger 51 to generate the trigger signal is Vy, the voltage threshold Vy is set to the falling edge voltage value corresponding to the resonator at half an oscillation period (for example, the voltage value corresponding to point B2), and thus, in the case of Vt2=Vp+V1=Vy, the trigger 51 generates a trigger signal.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the control circuit 100 further comprises a processor 60. The processor 60 is electrically connected to the control module 50 and is configured to acquire an actual oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 according to the pulse width, the duration of on time of the switch 20, and the duration of off time of the switch 20, and to acquire the temperature of the heater 200 according to the actual oscillation frequency and the preset mapping relation.

[0041] In conjunction with FIG. 4, in one embodiment, under the condition that the width of the pulse is determined, the time Tac between point A2 and point C2 is a basic control cycle, and the time duration Tab between point A2 and point B2 is the off time of the switch 20, and time duration Tbc between point B2 and point C2 is the on time of the switch 20. Among them, the on-time duration Tbc of the switch 20 is the active time of the pulse. Under the condition that the width of the pulse is determined, the active time of the pulse is a known quantity, and within the basic control cycle, there must be one trigger signal generated by the trigger 51. Therefore, the off-time duration Tab of the switch 20 can be obtained according to the on-time duration Tbc of the switch 20 within a certain period of time and the trigger signal generated by the trigger 51. In other embodiments, the duration of time of the on and off states of the switch 20 can be directly detected in order to respectively acquire the on-time duration of the switch 20 and the off-time duration of the switch 20, and no limitation is imposed herein.

[0042] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the control circuit 100 further comprises a timer 70 and a counter 80. In one embodiment, the timer 70 and the counter 80 are separately electrically connected to the processor 60. The timer 70 is configured to record the total time Tt, and the total time Tt comprises at least one basic control cycle Tac. The counter 80 is configured to record the number Nt of trigger signals generated by the trigger 51 within the total time Tt. Then, the on-time duration of the switch 20 is Tbc =(Tt / Nt)-Tab.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 4, the oscillation frequency of the resonator is the multiplicative inverse of the oscillation period of the resonator, and the on-time duration Tbc of the switch 20 is half of the oscillation period. Assuming the actual oscillation frequency of the resonator is F, F=1 / (Tbc / 2). The actual oscillation frequency of the resonator is the oscillation frequency of the resonator in the current application scenario. The current temperature of the heater 200 can be acquired according to the actual oscillation frequency F of the resonator and the preset mapping relation.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the heater 200 comprises a soft magnetic material. Under the condition that the heater 200 and the resonator 10 are coupled together, the resonator 10, when oscillating, a varying magnetic field is generated. The heater 200 is located in the alternating magnetic field, and the surface of the heater 200 cuts through the magnetic field lines of the alternating magnetic field to generate an eddy current. The eddy current causes the carriers in the heater 200 to move irregularly at high speed, and the carriers and atoms collide and rub against each other to generate heat energy, so as to make the heater 200 heated. The soft magnetic material has a corresponding Curie temperature point, and a corresponding relation exists between the temperature at which the resonator 10 heats the soft magnetic heater 200 and the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10. The corresponding relation is the preset mapping relation.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the corresponding relation between the heater 200 and the oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 can be calibrated to obtain the preset mapping relation. The single pulse generator 52 is further configured to generate a calibration pulse, the width of the calibration pulse is referred to as a calibration width. The processor 60 is further configured to obtain the number of times that the switch 20 is turned on within a preset period of time; obtain a calibration oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 according to the preset period of time, the calibration width, and the number of times that the switch 20 is turned on; obtain a calibration temperature of the heater 200; and obtain the preset mapping relation according to the calibration oscillation frequency and the calibration temperature.

[0046] In the above, the calibration temperature of the heater 200 can be obtained through measurement implemented with a temperature measuring device, and the measured calibration temperature is transmitted to the processor 60. The temperature measuring device may comprise a thermistor sensor , infrared thermometer and so on, and no limitation is imposed thereon herein. Under the condition that the single pulse generator 52 generates a calibration pulse according to the trigger signal, the calibration pulse triggers the driver 30 to drive the switch 20 to turn on. Therefore, the number of times that the switch 20 is turned on can be determined according to the number of trigger signals generated by the trigger 51.

[0047] Assuming that the preset period of time is Ty, and the preset period of time Ty includes at least one basic control cycle Tac. The number of times that the switch 20 is turned on is Nd, which can be measured by the counter 80. The calibration width is Tb, which is a known parameter. Then, within the preset period of time Ty, the on-time duration of the switch 20 is Tyd=(Ty / Nd)-Tb, and the measured calibration oscillation frequency is Fb=1 / (Tyd / 2). By synchronously acquiring the calibration temperature corresponding to the calibration oscillation frequency Fb within the preset period of time Ty, a set of corresponding relation between the oscillation frequency and the temperature can be obtained. After change of the calibration width, the corresponding calibration oscillation frequency Fb of the resonator 10 also changes, and the calibration temperature corresponding to the calibration oscillation frequency Fb also changes, and thus, a next set of corresponding relation between the oscillation frequency and the temperature can be obtained. In this way, by changing the calibration width and measuring multiple sets of calibration temperatures, a corresponding relation curve between the half oscillation period of the resonator 10 and the calibration temperature of the heater 200 as shown in FIG. 6 can be obtained, and after conversion of the half oscillation period into the oscillation frequency, a curve of corresponding relation between the calibration oscillation frequency and the calibration temperature can be obtained. The curve of corresponding relation between the calibration oscillation frequency and the calibration temperature is the preset mapping relation.

[0048] Under the condition that the preset mapping relation is obtained, the temperature of the heater 200 can be acquired according to the actual oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 and the preset mapping relation to realize quickly and accurate acquisition of the temperature of the heater 200. The actual oscillation frequency of the resonator 10 can be obtained according to the width of the pulse, the on-time duration of the switch 20 and the off-time duration of the switch 20.

[0049] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the control circuit 100 can make the heater 200 to a target temperature. For example, the aerosol generating device 1000 has two temperature levels, which corresponds to the high temperature level when the temperature of the heater 200 reaches a first preset temperature and corresponds to the low temperature level when the temperature of the heater 200 reaches a second preset temperature, the first preset temperature being higher than the second preset temperature. Under the condition that an operation level of the aerosol generating device 1000 is set to the high temperature level, the first preset temperature is the target temperature, and the control circuit 100 is used to make the heater 200 generate heat and acquires the actual temperature of the heater 200, and varies the width of the pulse generated by the single pulse generator 52 under the condition that the actual temperature is not the target temperature, so as to vary the temperature of the heater 200, thereby performing closed-loop temperature control based on the target temperature (the first preset temperature) and the actual temperature of the heater 200. Similarly, if the operation level of the aerosol generating device 1000 is switched to the low temperature level, then the second preset temperature is set as the target temperature, so that closed-loop temperature control is performed based on the target temperature (the second preset temperature) and the actual temperature of the heater 200.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 7, the present invention also provides a control method of the control circuit 100. In conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 5, the control circuit 100 can be the control circuit 100 of any one of the above-described embodiments. The control method of the control circuit 100 comprises: 01: acquiring a voltage signal detected by the voltage measurer 40; 02: acquiring a preset mapping relation; and 03: acquiring a temperature of a heater 200 according to the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation, the mapping relation being a corresponding relation between an oscillation frequency of a resonator 10 and the temperature of the heater 200.

[0051] In conjunction with FIG. 7, in some embodiments, the processor 60 is configured to execute a method of the above-described steps 01, 02, and 03 so as to quickly and accurately acquire the temperature of the heater 200.

[0052] In summary, the control circuit 100, the aerosol generating device 1000, and the control method of the control circuit 100 according to the present invention utilizes the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation to quickly and accurately obtain the temperature of the heater 200, so as to facilitate accurate control of the temperature of the heater 200.

[0053] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments have been described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of the specification. Also, other ways of implementation can be derived from the above-described embodiments, so that structural and logical substitutes and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0054] The above-described embodiments only represent some ways of implementation of the present invention, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims of the present invention. It should be noted that for ordinary technicians in this field, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. A control circuit, applicable for an aerosol generating device, wherein the control circuit comprises: a resonator configured to couple with a heater in order to make the heater generating heat; a switch connected to the resonator; a driver connected to the switch and configured to control the switch to turn on or off; a voltage measurer connected between the resonator and the switch and configured to detect a voltage signal; and a control module electrically connected to the driver and the voltage measurer respectively and configured to acquire a temperature of the heater according to the voltage signal and a preset mapping relation, the mapping relation being a relation between an oscillation frequency of the resonator and the temperature of the heater.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the resonator comprises an inductor and a capacitor connected in parallel, and under a condition that the switch is turned on, the inductor stores energy, and under a condition that the switch is turned off, the resonator generates oscillation according to the stored energy in order to make the heater generate heat.

3. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control module comprises a trigger and a single pulse generator, and the trigger is configured to generate a trigger signal according to the voltage signal, and the single pulse generator is configured to generate a pulse according to the trigger signal, the driver controlling the switch to turn on during an active time of the pulse and controlling the switch to turn off during an inactive time of the pulse.

4. The control circuit according to claim 3, wherein the voltage signal comprises a first signal and a second signal, and the voltage measurer detects the first signal under the condition that the switch is turned on and detects the second signal under the condition that the switch is turned off, and the trigger is configured to generate the trigger signal according to the second signal.

5. The control circuit according to claim 3, wherein the control circuit further comprises a processor, the processor is configured to acquire an actual oscillation frequency of the resonator according to a width of the pulse, an on-time duration of the switch and an off-time duration of the switch and to acquire the temperature of the heater according to the actual oscillation frequency and the preset mapping relation.

6. The control circuit according to claim 5, wherein the single pulse generator is further used to generate a calibration pulse, a width of the calibration pulse being a calibration width; the processor is further configured to: acquire the number of times that the switch is turned on with a preset period of time; acquire a calibration oscillation frequency of the resonator according to the preset period of time, the calibration width, and the number of times that the switch is turned on; acquire a calibration temperature of the heater; and acquire the preset mapping relation according to the calibration oscillation frequency and the calibration temperature.

7. The control circuit according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: acquire a target temperature and an actual temperature of the heater, and the single pulse generator is further configured to adjust the width of the generated pulse according to the target temperature and the actual temperature in order to make the heater to the target temperature.

8. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage measurer comprises a voltage source, a diode, and a detector, the voltage source is configured to supply a preset voltage, the detector is configured to acquire the voltage signal according to the preset voltage and a conduction voltage drop of the diode.

9. An aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device comprises: a chamber, configured to receive an aerosol generating substance; a heater, configured to heat the aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol; and the control circuit according to any one of claims 1-8, the control circuit is configured to control generation of heat by the heater.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9, wherein the heater comprises a soft magnetic material.

11. A control method of a control circuit, wherein the control circuit comprises a resonator and a voltage measurer, the resonator is configured to couple with the heater to make the heater generate heat, the control method of the control circuit comprising: acquiring a voltage signal detected by the voltage measurer; acquiring a preset mapping relation; and acquiring a temperature of the heater according to the voltage signal and the preset mapping relation, the mapping relation is a corresponding relation between an oscillation frequency of the resonator and the temperature of the heater.

Images