Aerosol generation device

Abstract

An inhalation device (100) constituting an example of an aerosol-generating device comprises: a power source unit (111) for storing and supplying power; an accommodating portion (140) for accommodating a stick-type substrate (150); a heating unit (121) which uses power supplied from the power source unit (111) to heat the stick-type substrate (150) accommodated in the accommodating portion (140); and a control unit (116) configured to be capable of controlling the supply of power to the heating unit (121) and to be capable of acquiring a parameter relating to a temperature of the heating unit (121). The control unit (116) determines whether or not there is accumulated material, different from the stick-type substrate (150), present inside the accommodating portion (140), based on the parameter obtained by applying a sensing pulse, which is a predetermined power pulse, to the heating unit (121).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device.BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Inhalers that generate an aerosol with added flavor components and allow a user to inhale the generated aerosol, for example, are conventionally known. This kind of inhaler typically generates the aerosol by heating an aerosol source by means of a heating unit which is an electrically-resistive or inductively-heated heater, by supplying the heating unit with power from a power source such as a rechargeable battery.

[0003] For example, PTL 1 below describes technology in which an aerosol-generating device is switched from a normal mode to a cleaning mode when a control unit thereof senses that the aerosol-generating device is combined with a cleaning device which is used in order to clean the inside and / or the outside of the aerosol-generating device.CITATION LISTPATENT LITERATURE

[0004] PTL 1: JP 2022-518121 ASUMMARY OF INVENTIONTECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0005] However, the history of research and development into aerosol devices such as the inhaler described above is still at an early stage, and there is room for improvement from the perspective of providing users with a high-quality experience.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device capable of providing a user with a high-quality experience.SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is: an aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol source-containing substrate, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a power source unit for storing and supplying power; an accommodating portion for accommodating the substrate; a heating unit which uses power supplied from the power source unit to heat the substrate accommodated in the accommodating portion; and a control unit configured to be capable of controlling the supply of power to the heating unit and to be capable of acquiring a parameter relating to a temperature of the heating unit, wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, based on the parameter obtained by applying a sensing pulse, which is a predetermined power pulse, to the heating unit. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

[0008] The present disclosure makes it possible to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of providing a user with a high-quality experience.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an inhalation device 100 according to the embodiment. Fig. 2 shows an example of a smoking heating profile Pr1 of the inhalation device 100. Fig. 3 shows an example of a time-series transition of a voltage applied to a heating unit 121 in a sensing operation. Fig. 4 shows a first example of a time-series transition of an electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 during a sensing operation. Fig. 5 shows a second example of the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 during a sensing operation. Fig. 6 shows another example of a condition for determining that there is accumulated material present. Fig. 7 shows another example of the time-series transition of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 in a sensing operation. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing implemented by a control unit 116. Fig. 9 shows an example of a cleaning heating profile Pr2 of the inhalation device 100. DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of an aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an exemplary case in which the aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure is applied to an inhalation device. Note that the drawings are to be viewed in the orientation of the reference signs. Furthermore, hereinafter, identical or similar elements may be assigned identical or similar reference signs, and descriptions thereof may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.[1. Configuration example of inhalation device]

[0011] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an inhalation device 100 according to the embodiment. The inhalation device 100 of this embodiment shown in fig. 1 is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user, allowing the user to inhale the substance generated. Hereinafter, the substance generated by the inhalation device 100 will be described as being an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device 100 may be a gas.

[0012] As shown in fig. 1, the inhalation device 100 comprises: a power source unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a memory unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, an accommodating portion 140, and a heat insulating portion 144.

[0013] The power source unit 111 stores electrical power. The power source unit 111 then supplies the electrical power to each component of the inhalation device 100 in accordance with control performed by the control unit 116. Furthermore, the power source unit 111 may be configured to be chargeable by means of power received from an external power source which is not depicted. The power source unit 111 may be configured by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery, for example.

[0014] The sensor unit 112 acquires various types of information relating to the inhalation device 100. The sensor unit 112 is configured by, for example, a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor (e.g., a thermistor), etc., and acquires values associated with inhalation by the user. As an example, the sensor unit 112 may include a pressure sensor (also referred to as a "puff sensor") capable of acquiring a change in pressure in the inhalation device 100 caused by inhalation by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112 may include a flow rate sensor capable of acquiring a flow rate of air or the like generated by inhalation by the user. Furthermore, the sensor unit 112 may also include a temperature sensor capable of acquiring a temperature at a predetermined location (e.g., the power source unit 111 or the heating unit 121) within the inhalation device 100. The sensor unit 112 may further comprise an input device, such as an operating button or an operating switch for example, for accepting input of information (operations in other words) from the user.

[0015] The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 may, for example, be configured by a light-emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays images, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates, etc.

[0016] The memory unit 114 stores various information (e.g., programs and data) allowing the inhalation device 100 to operate. The memory unit 114 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example.

[0017] The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards that may be adopted include standard that employ Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0018] The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operation within the inhalation device 100 in accordance with various programs stored in the memory unit 114, etc. For example, the control unit 116 controls the supply of power from the power source unit 111 to each component including the heating unit 121 which will be described later. The control unit 116 is realized by a CPU (central processing unit) or an electronic circuit such as a microprocessor, for example. As an example, the control unit 116 can be realized by an MCU (Micro Controller Unit).

[0019] The accommodating portion 140 has an internal space 141, and holds a stick-type substrate 150 while accommodating a portion of the stick-type substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The accommodating portion 140 has an opening 142 allowing the internal space 141 to communicate with the outside, and accommodates the stick-type substrate 150 which has been inserted into the internal space 141 from the opening 142. For example, the accommodating portion 140 is a cylindrical body comprising the opening 142 and a bottom portion 143 serving as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path for supplying air to the internal space 141 is connected to the accommodating portion 140. An air inflow hole, which is an inlet for air into the air flow path, is disposed in a side surface of the inhalation device 100, for example. An air outflow hole, which is an outlet for air from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is disposed in the bottom portion 143, for example.

[0020] The stick-type substrate 150 is an example of an aerosol source-containing substrate, and includes a substrate portion 151 and mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 contains an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. If the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a drug. The aerosol source may, for example, be a liquid such as water or a polyhydric alcohol, for example glycerol or propylene glycol, containing the tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component, or may be a solid including the tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component.

[0021] In a state in which the stick-type substrate 150 is held (accommodated in other words) in the accommodating portion 140, at least part of the substrate portion 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141, and at least part of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. Then, when the user holds the mouthpiece portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via the air flow path which is not depicted, and reaches the inside of the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

[0022] The heating unit 121 heats the aerosol source to atomize the aerosol source, thereby generating the aerosol. In the example shown in fig. 1, the heating unit 121 is configured as a film heater formed by laying out a conductive track afforded by a heating resistive element having a correlation between electrical resistance value and temperature, and is arranged to cover the outer circumference of the accommodating portion 140. The heating unit 121 then generates heat when supplied with power from the power source unit 111. When the heating unit 121 generates heat with the stick-type substrate 150 inserted in the accommodating portion 140 (in other words the internal space 141), the substrate portion 151 of the stick-type substrate 150 is heated from the outer circumference, and an aerosol is generated.

[0023] A heating resistive element having PTC (positive temperature coefficient) characteristics, where the electrical resistance value increases in proportion to a rise in temperature, may be adopted as the heating resistive element of the heating unit 121, an example being nichrome or stainless steel.

[0024] The heat insulating portion 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating unit 121 to other components. For example, the heat insulating portion 144 may be configured from a vacuum heat insulating material or an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

[0025] A configuration example of the inhalation device 100 has been described above. The inhalation device 100 is, of course, not limited to the configuration described above, and may adopt various configurations, such as those illustrated below by way of example.

[0026] As one example, the heating unit 121 may have a blade-like form and may be arranged so as to protrude into the internal space 141 from the bottom portion 143 of the accommodating portion 140. In this case, the blade-like heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate portion 151 of the stick-type substrate 150 and heats the substrate portion 151 of the stick-type substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be arranged so as to cover the bottom portion 143 of the accommodating portion 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured by a combination of two or more from among a first heating unit covering the outer circumference of the accommodating portion 140, a blade-like second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom portion 143 of the accommodating portion 140.

[0027] As another example, the accommodating portion 140 may include an opening and closing mechanism such as a hinge for opening and closing part of an outer shell that forms the internal space 141. Then, by opening and closing the outer shell, the accommodating portion 140 may accommodate and clamp the stick-shaped substrate 150 that has been inserted into the internal space 141. In that case, the heating unit 121 may be provided on the part of the accommodating portion 140 gripping the stick-type substrate 150, and may heat the stick-type substrate 150 while pressing same.

[0028] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In this case, the inhalation device 100 comprises at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil for generating a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121. A susceptor which generates heat by means of induction heating may be provided in the inhalation device 100, or may be contained in the stick-type substrate 150.[2. Operation example of inhalation device]

[0029] An example of operation of the inhalation device 100 will be described next.(2-1. Aerosol generation)

[0030] In the inhalation device 100, the control unit 116 causes an aerosol to be generated by heating of the stick-type substrate 150 accommodated in the accommodating portion 140 by means of the heating unit 121, in response to an aerosol generation request from the user, for example.

[0031] The aerosol generation request may be an operation to insert the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140, for example. As another example, the aerosol generation request may be an operation to press the operating button provided on the inhalation device 100. Furthermore, the aerosol generation request is not limited to a direct operation on the inhalation device 100, and may equally be, for example, receipt of predetermined information (e.g., information instructing aerosol generation) from another device capable of communication with the inhalation device 100 (e.g., a smartphone of the user of the inhalation device 100; the same also applies below).

[0032] When the aerosol is generated, the control unit 116 may cause aerosol generation by controlling the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the predetermined heating profile prepared in advance, for example. The heating profile is, for example, information defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit 121, and is prestored in the memory unit 114, etc.

[0033] Note that the heating profile which is used to generate an aerosol among the heating profiles of the inhalation device 100 will also be referred to below as a "smoking heating profile Pr1". Furthermore, temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on the smoking heating profile Pr1 will also be referred to below as "heating control".

[0034] The smoking heating profile Pr1 is designed such that, when the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-type substrate 150, the flavor tasted by the user is optimized, for example. The user can be provided with a high-quality smoking experience (inhalation experience) by causing an aerosol to be generated while the temperature of the heating unit 121 is controlled on the basis of such a smoking heating profile Pr1.

[0035] Fig. 2 shows an example of a smoking heating profile Pr1 of the inhalation device 100. In fig. 2, the vertical axis denotes the temperature [°C] of the heating unit 121. Furthermore, in fig. 2, the horizontal axis denotes time [sec], and more specifically, the elapsed time since the start of heating control.

[0036] In the smoking heating profile Pr1 as shown in fig. 2, for example, a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time from 0 [s] to t1 [s] (where t1>0) is defined as T1 [°C], a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time from t1 [s] to t2 [s] (where t2>t1) is defined as T2 [°C] (where T2<T1), and a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time from t2 [s] to t3 [s] (where t3>t2) is defined as T3 [°C] (where T3>T2).

[0037] Accordingly, when heating control based on the smoking heating profile Pr1 shown in fig. 2 is performed, the control unit 116 first of all raises the temperature of the heating unit 121 to T1 [°C], then lowers the temperature to T2 [°C], and thereafter once again raises the temperature to T3 [°C]. Furthermore, the control unit 116 terminates heating control when t3 [s] has elapsed after the start of heating control. It should be noted that when inhalations have been taken a predetermined number of times (e.g., 15 times) after the start of heating control, the control unit 116 may terminate heating control at that point in time.

[0038] A period in which a sufficient amount of aerosol is expected to be generated in the inhalation device 100 will also be referred to as an "inhalation-possible period". Furthermore, a period from when heating control is started until the inhalation-possible period is started will also be referred to as a "preheating period". A timing at which the temperature of the heating unit 121 is expected to reach the initial target temperature so that the heating unit 121 is at a sufficiently high temperature is typically the timing at which the inhalation-possible period starts.

[0039] In the example shown in fig. 2, a period between 0 [s] and t11 [s] of the elapsed time from the start of heating control is the preheating period, and a period between t11 [s] and t3 [s] is the inhalation-possible period. Here, t11 [s] is greater than t10 [s], which is the elapsed time at which the temperature of the heating unit 121 is expected to reach the initial target temperature T1 [°C], and is smaller than t1 [s], which is the elapsed time at which the temperature starts to drop to T2 [°C], which is the target temperature following T1 [°C].

[0040] To give a more detailed description of temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, the control unit 116 controls the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on a deviation between the target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of the temperature control, and the true temperature of the heating unit 121 (also referred to below as the "actual temperature"). Specifically, at this time, the control unit 116 controls the temperature of the heating unit 121 so that the time-series transition of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 is similar to the time-series transition of the target temperature defined in the heating profile.

[0041] The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be realized by known feedback control, for example. For example, the control unit 116 may cause power from the power source unit 111 to be supplied to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In such case, the control unit 116 can perform temperature control of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

[0042] In the feedback control, the control unit 116 only needs to control the power supplied to the heating unit 121, e.g., said duty ratio, on the basis of the difference between the actual temperature and the target temperature, etc. Furthermore, the feedback control may be, for example, PID control (Proportional-Integral-Differential Controller). Alternatively, the control unit 116 may perform simple ON-OFF control. For example, the control unit 116 may perform heating by the heating unit 121 until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, stop heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature has reached the target temperature, and once again perform heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature falls below the target temperature.

[0043] It should be noted that the temperature of the heating unit 121 can be acquired (quantified, in other words) by measuring or estimating the electrical resistance value of a heating resistive element constituting the heating unit 121, for example. This is because the electrical resistance value of the heating resistive element varies with temperature. The electrical resistance value of the heating resistive element can be estimated (or namely, acquired) by measuring the amount of voltage drop at the heating resistive element, for example. The amount of voltage drop at the heating resistive element can be measured (or namely, acquired) by a voltage sensor measuring a potential difference applied to the heating resistive element.(2-2. Determination of state of accommodating portion 140)

[0044] Using the inhalation device 100 sometimes causes objects such as parts of spent stick-type substrates 150 or tobacco leaves that have spilled from stick-type substrates 150 (known as"smoking debris") to accumulate in that state inside the accommodating portion 140. Objects which have accumulated inside the accommodating portion 140 in this way will also be referred to below as "accumulated material".

[0045] It should be noted that, in the present description, etc., the stick-type substrate 150 accommodated in the accommodating portion 140 is not included in the accumulated material, unless specifically stated otherwise. More specifically, accumulated material in the present description, etc. is assumed mainly to be objects having a smaller volume or heat capacity than a new stick-type substrate 150, and the stick-type substrate 150 accommodated in the accommodating portion 140 and the accumulated material will be treated distinctly from each other, unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0046] If the temperature of the heating unit 121 is raised to try and generate an aerosol while there is accumulated material present, an inferior aerosol or smoke may be generated from the accumulated material, or the accumulated material may become stuck to the accommodating portion 140, making it difficult to remove. If such a situation were to arise, then the user could have an unpleasant feeling, and there could be a drop in the quality of experience provided to the user by the inhalation device 100. Suitable operation of the inhalation device 100 according to the state of the accommodating portion 140, including the absence or presence of accumulated material, is therefore desirable from the perspective of improving marketability of the inhalation device 100.

[0047] In the inhalation device 100, the control unit 116 therefore determines the state of the accommodating portion 140 based on a parameter relating to the temperature of the heating unit 121, and controls operation of the inhalation device 100 based on the determination result. This enables the inhalation device 100 to be suitably operated according to the state of the accommodating portion 140. Furthermore, by determining the state of the accommodating portion 140 on the basis of a parameter relating to the temperature of the heating unit 121, the state of the accommodating portion 140 can be determined using a simpler configuration than when the state of the accommodating portion 140 is determined by using an optical sensor or the like.

[0048] An electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 (more specifically, a heating resistive element constituting the heating unit 121) is an example of a parameter relating to the temperature of the heating unit 121. The parameter relating to the temperature of the heating unit 121 is assumed to be the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in the description below. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the heating unit 121 has PTC characteristics, and the electrical resistance value after heating unit 121 also increases in proportion to a rise in the temperature thereof. That is to say, the "temperature of the heating unit 121" and the "electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121" are interchangeable in the description below.

[0049] The control unit 116 determines the state of the accommodating portion 140 on the basis of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 obtained by applying a sensing pulse, which is a predetermined power pulse, to the heating unit 121. This enables the state of the accommodating portion 140 to be determined using a simple configuration with simple control. The control unit 116 more specifically determines, as the state of the accommodating portion 140, whether or not there is accumulated material, different from the stick-type substrate 150, present inside the accommodating portion 140. In other words, the control unit 116 senses the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140.

[0050] For example, when there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 when the sensing pulse is applied to the heating unit 121 is inhibited to a greater extent than when there is no accumulated material present. This is because some of the heat generated when the sensing pulse is applied to the heating unit 121 is taken away by the accumulated material. The control unit 116 can therefore determine whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 (i.e., the temperature of the heating unit 121) obtained by applying a predetermined sensing pulse to the heating unit 121.

[0051] For example, the control unit 116 determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 obtained by applying the sensing pulse to the heating unit 121 is equal to or less than a threshold. In this case, a predetermined value obtained by experimentation, etc. may be preset as the threshold by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100. This enables the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 to be accurately sensed from the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. That is to say, it is possible to accurately sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value, which is a parameter that increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121.

[0052] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may determine whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit 121.

[0053] For example, when there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 when one sensing pulse is applied is inhibited to a greater extent than when there is no accumulated material present. It is therefore feasible that the difference in temperature of the heating unit 121 between when there is and when there is not accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 will widen as sensing pulses are repeatedly applied to the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 can therefore sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 more accurately, by determining whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit 121. It should be noted that a specific example of a case of determining whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit 121, will be described later, and a description will therefore not be given here.(2-3. Control according to state of accommodating portion 140)

[0054] When it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 stops the supply of power to the heating unit 121 at that point in time, for example. As a result, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion 140.

[0055] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may cause the inhalation device 100 to change over to a locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140. When the inhalation device 100 is in a locked state, the control unit 116 does not implement heating control even if there has been an aerosol generation request. By changing over to such a locked state when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion 140.

[0056] By changing over to such a locked state when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, it is also possible to suggest to the user that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 by not implementing heating control. In addition, the user can also be prompted to remove the accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140.

[0057] Furthermore, when the inhalation device 100 is in the locked state, for example, the control unit 116 releases the locked state on receiving a reset request from the user. The reset request may be, for example, a predetermined resetting operation employing the operating button provided on the inhalation device 100. Furthermore, the reset request is not limited to a direct operation on the inhalation device 100, and may be, for example, reception of predetermined information (e.g., information instructing resetting of the inhalation device 100) from another device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100. As a result, even if the inhalation device 100 changes over to a locked state, the user can still cause heating control to be implemented by making a reset request after removing the accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140, enabling the user to inhale the aerosol generated by means of the heating unit 121.

[0058] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may cause the inhalation device 100 to change over to a special locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control when it has once again been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 immediately after the locked state of the inhalation device 100 has been released. As an example, the control unit 116 may cause a changeover to the special locked state when it has been determined by the first sensing operation (to be described later) after release of the locked state, that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140.

[0059] When the inhalation device 100 is in the special locked state, the control unit 116 may then release the special locked state on receiving a special reset request from the user. It will be assumed in this case that the reset request is a first operation, and the special reset request is a second operation requiring a more extensive operation than the first operation. That is to say, the special reset request may be an operation of reset request+α.

[0060] Making the special reset request an operation of reset request+α means that when the inhalation device 100 has been changed over to the special locked state, a more extensive operation than for the locked state is needed in order to cause heating control to be implemented. That is to say, by causing the inhalation device 100 to change over to the special locked state, a more extensive operation to cause heating control to be implemented can be imposed on a user who has tried to cause heating control to be implemented by performing only a simple reset request, without taking appropriate measures to definitely remove accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 when the inhalation device 100 has changed over to the locked state. The user can therefore be prompted to definitely remove accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 when the inhalation device 100 has changed over to the locked state (i.e., to ensure that the inhalation device 100 is not caused to change over to the special locked state).

[0061] Furthermore, when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 may notify the user, via the notification unit 113 capable of notifying the user of the inhalation device 100 of information, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present. As a result, it is possible to prompt the user to check the inside of the accommodating portion 140, and to prompt the user to clean the inside of the accommodating portion 140 in order to remove any accumulated material if there is accumulated material actually present.

[0062] As an example, when the notification unit 113 comprises a light-emitting device, the control unit 116 may notify the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing this light-emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emission mode. Here, the predetermined light emission mode may be, for example, a light emission mode which is used only when the user is notified that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, in other words, it may be a light emission mode different from other light emission modes indicating an error or the state of the inhalation device 100. Furthermore, the light emission mode here is a color of light emission, a number of emissions of light (e.g., the number of light-emitting elements being caused to emit light), or a light emission pattern (e.g., a flashing mode), or the like. It is thus possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0063] As another example, when the notification unit 113 comprises a vibration device, the control unit 116 may notify the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing this vibration device to vibrate in a predetermined vibration mode. Here, the predetermined vibration mode may be, for example, a vibration mode which is used only when the user is notified that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, in other words, it may be a vibration mode different from other vibration modes indicating an error or the state of the inhalation device 100. Furthermore, the vibration mode here is a vibration pattern (e.g., a manner of vibration), intensity of vibration, frequency of vibration, or a vibration time for which vibration lasts, or the like. It is thus also possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0064] As another example, when the notification unit 113 comprises a display device, the control unit 116 may notify the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing this display device to display a predetermined image or message. Here, the predetermined image may be, for example, an icon indicating that there is accumulated material present. Furthermore, the predetermined message may be, for example, a message saying: "Accumulated material may be present inside accommodating portion. Please clean inside accommodating portion.". It is thus also possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, and that the inside of the accommodating portion needs to be cleaned.

[0065] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may also cause the user to be notified, by means of another device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by sending predetermined information (information that there is accumulated material present) to that other device via the communication unit 115. In this case, the control unit 116 may cause the user to be notified that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing a display device, provided in the other device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100, to display a predetermined image or message such as described above. It is thus possible to notify the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, even if there is no notification unit 113 provided in the inhalation device 100.(2-4. Sensing insertion of stick-type substrate 150)

[0066] As described above, the aerosol generation request to the inhalation device 100 may be an operation to insert the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140, for example. The control unit 116 may therefore also determine, as the state of the accommodating portion 140, whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140. That is to say, the control unit 116 may also determine whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 obtained by applying a sensing pulse to the heating unit 121.

[0067] When it has been determined that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 may then start heating control (i.e., aerosol generation), on the assumption that there has been an aerosol generation request to the inhalation device 100. The user is thus able to cause an aerosol to be generated simply by inserting the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140, without the need for another separate operation. This can therefore reduce work for the user and offer better convenience for the user as compared to when not only insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140 but also another operation are needed to generate an aerosol.

[0068] It will be assumed below that the control unit 116 also determines whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, in addition to whether or not there is accumulated material present, as the state of the accommodating portion 140. Such a series of operations of the control unit 116 for determining the state of the accommodating portion 140 will also be referred to as a "sensing operation".

[0069] There is no particular limitation as to the condition which triggers the start of the sensing operation, but it may be detection of a predetermined operation on the inhalation device 100, for example. Here, the predetermined operation may be, for example, an operation which would be expected to be immediately followed by insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140, and more specifically may be an operation to open a cover for opening / closing the opening 142. The sensing operation may thus be performed at a timing at which the user intends to use the inhalation device 100, that is, a timing at which the user is able to operate or to clean the inhalation device 100. It should be noted that the operation to open the cover for opening / closing the opening 142 may be detected by means of a sensor provided on the cover or by means of a motion sensor, etc.[3. Specific example of sensing operation]

[0070] The sensing operation will be described in more specific terms below.(3-1. Example of voltage applied to heating unit 121 in sensing operation)

[0071] Fig. 3 shows an example of a time-series transition of a voltage applied to the heating unit 121 in a sensing operation. In fig. 3, the vertical axis denotes voltage [V]. Furthermore, in fig. 3, the horizontal axis denotes time [s], and more specifically, the elapsed time since the start of the sensing operation.

[0072] As shown in fig. 3, the control unit 116 can apply a sensing pulse group 10 to the heating unit 121 in the sensing operation. Here, the sensing pulse group 10 may include at least one first sensing pulse 11, and more specifically may include a plurality of first sensing pulses 11 at a predetermined pulse period (in other words, at predetermined pulse intervals), for example. As an example, the pulse period of the first sensing pulses 11 is 0.5 [s] in the sensing pulse group 10 shown in fig. 3.

[0073] The first sensing pulses 11, which have a predetermined voltage and pulse width, are power pulses intended for raising the temperature of the heating unit 121, and also intended for the control unit 116 to acquire the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. As an example, the voltage of the first sensing pulses 11 is V1 [V] (where V1>0), and the pulse width is 0.1 [s], in the sensing pulse group 10 shown in fig. 3. It should be noted that the pulse width of the first sensing pulses 11 is assumed to be smaller than the pulse period of the first sensing pulses 11 in the sensing pulse group 10.

[0074] One period of the first sensing pulses 11 in the sensing pulse group 10 will also be referred to below as a "sensing cycle". Each sensing cycle included in a single sensing operation will also be referred to, in chronological order from the preceding sensing cycle, as the "first cycle", "second cycle", etc. (see fig. 4 also). Furthermore, a time period in each sensing cycle in which the first sensing pulse 11 is being applied to the heating unit 121 will also be referred to as a "temperature-increase period". Meanwhile, a time period in each sensing cycle in which the first sensing pulse 11 is not being applied to the heating unit 121 will also be referred to as a "temperature-reduction period". Note that, as an example, sensing cycles are repeated up to a maximum of the 18th cycle in a single sensing operation in this embodiment.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in fig. 3, the sensing pulse group 10 may further include a third sensing pulse 13 as an initial power pulse. That is to say, the sensing pulse group 10 may apply one third sensing pulse 13 to the heating unit 121, and then apply the first sensing pulses 11 to the heating unit 121 at the predetermined pulse period.

[0076] Here, the third sensing pulse 13, which has a predetermined voltage and pulse width, is a power pulse intended for raising the temperature of the heating unit 121, and also intended for the control unit 116 to acquire the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. More specifically, the third sensing pulse 13 is a power pulse capable of raising the temperature of the heating unit 121 to a greater extent than the first sensing pulse 11 is capable of doing, and may be a power pulse with a larger pulse width than the first sensing pulse 11, for example. The voltage of the third sensing pulse 13 is V1 [V] and the pulse width is 0.5 [s], in the sensing pulse group 10 shown in fig. 3. It should be noted that the third sensing pulse 13 may be a power pulse with a greater voltage than the first sensing pulse 11, instead of or as well as having a greater pulse width.

[0077] If the temperature of the heating unit 121 is not increased to a certain extent, it is possible that the electrical resistance value (that is, the temperature) of the heating unit 121 will not fall to a suitable extent in the temperature-reduction period of each sensing cycle. The control unit 116 may therefore increase the temperature of the heating unit 121 to a certain extent by first of all applying the third sensing pulse 13 to the heating unit 121 as the sensing operation starts, and may suitably raise or lower the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in the subsequent sensing cycles.

[0078] It should be noted that the control unit 116 acquires the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of each sensing pulse included in the sensing pulse group 10, and at the end of application of each sensing pulse, for example.(3-2. First example of time-series transition of electrical resistance value of heating unit during sensing operation)

[0079] Fig. 4 shows a first example of a time-series transition of an electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 during a sensing operation. In fig. 4, the vertical axis denotes the electrical resistance value [Ω] of the heating unit 121. Furthermore, in fig. 4, the horizontal axis denotes time [s], and more specifically, the elapsed time since the start of the sensing operation.

[0080] A line 20 in fig. 4 represents an example of a time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where the stick-type substrate 150 is inserted into the accommodating portion 140 when 4 [s] have elapsed from the start of the sensing operation. That is to say, when the sensing pulse group 10 is applied to the heating unit 121 by means of the sensing operation, the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 may transition as shown by the line 20.

[0081] The temperature of the heating unit 121 rises when each sensing pulse included in the sensing pulse group 10 is being applied to the heating unit 121, and the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 also rises along with this. Meanwhile, the temperature of the heating unit 121 falls when a sensing pulse is not being applied to the heating unit 121, and the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 also falls along with this.

[0082] As shown in fig. 4, the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 therefore fluctuates up and down during the sensing operation. The electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 then gradually rises while repeatedly moving up and down in the process of the first sensing pulses 11 being repeatedly applied. That is to say, the voltage and pulse width of the first sensing pulse 11 are established so that the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 gradually rises in the process of the first sensing pulses 11 being repeatedly applied.

[0083] When the stick-type substrate 150 is inserted into the accommodating portion 140 during the sensing operation, the temperature of the heating unit 121 (i.e., the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121) may fall as compared to before the insertion. This is because the stick-type substrate 150 which has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 takes away the heat of the heating unit 121.

[0084] The control unit 116 therefore determines that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in one sensing cycle is lower than the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing cycle immediately before, as shown by the arrow 21 in fig. 4, for example. This makes it possible to accurately sense that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 from the time-series transition of (i.e., the change in) the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0085] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in one sensing cycle is lower than the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing cycle immediately before, as shown by the arrow 22 in fig. 4, for example. It is thus also possible to accurately sense that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 from the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0086] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in one sensing cycle is lower than the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing cycle immediately before, and also when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in that one sensing cycle is lower than the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing cycle immediately before. In this way, even if the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 deviates to some extent for whatever reason (e.g., effects of signal noise or external air), insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140 can still be accurately sensed from the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.(3-3. Second example of time-series transition of electrical resistance value of heating unit during sensing operation)

[0087] Fig. 5 shows a second example of a time-series transition of an electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 during a sensing operation. The focus here is on the areas that differ from those described in fig. 4, and the areas that are common to those described in fig. 4 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0088] A line 30 shown in fig. 5 represents an example of a time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed with accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 and without the stick-type substrate 150 inserted in the accommodating portion 140. Furthermore, a line 31 shown in fig. 5 represents an example of a time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed without accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 and without the stick-type substrate 150 inserted in the accommodating portion 140.

[0089] As described above, when there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 when sensing pulses are applied to the heating unit 121 is inhibited to a greater extent than when there is no accumulated material present. As shown by the lines 30 and 31 in fig. 5, the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 acquired in each sensing cycle is therefore lower when there is accumulated material present (see the line 30), than when there is not (see the line 31).

[0090] The control unit 116 may therefore determine that there is accumulated material present when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 is equal to or less than a first threshold Rth1 for a continuous predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) from the start of the sensing operation, as shown in fig. 5, for example. This enables the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 to be accurately sensed by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. It should be noted that the predetermined time and the first threshold Rth1 in this case can be preset by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100 by taking account of results, etc. from predicting the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed without accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, for example.

[0091] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 is equal to or less than a second threshold Rth2 for a continuous predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) from the start of the sensing operation, as shown in fig. 5. This also thus enables the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 to be accurately sensed by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. It should be noted that the predetermined time and the second threshold Rth2 in such a case also can be preset by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100 by taking account of results, etc. from predicting the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed without accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, for example.

[0092] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 is equal to or less than the first threshold Rth1, or when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first sensing pulse 11 is equal to or less than the second threshold Rth2, for a continuous predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) from the start of the sensing operation. This also thus enables the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 to be accurately sensed by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0093] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) from the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11 (the sensing pulse group 10 in other words) is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold (e.g., the first threshold Rth1). This also thus enables the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 to be accurately sensed by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. It should be noted that the predetermined time and the threshold in such a case also can be preset by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100 by taking account of results, etc. from predicting the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed without accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, for example.(3-4. Other examples of conditions for determining that there is accumulated material present)

[0094] The conditions for determining that there is accumulated material present are not limited to the examples above, and the following conditions may be given by way of example. The conditions for determining that there is accumulated material present which are given below by way of example also allow the control unit 116 to accurately sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 by utilizing characteristics of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0095] Fig. 6 shows another example of a condition for determining that there is accumulated material present. The focus here is on the areas that differ from those described in fig. 4 or 5, and the areas that are common to those described in fig. 4 or 5 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0096] The control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 transitions within a predetermined range 40 for a continuous predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) from the start of application of the first sensing pulse 11, as shown in fig. 6, for example. In this case, the predetermined time and the predetermined range 40 (e.g., the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the predetermined range 40) can be preset by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100 by taking account of results, etc. from predicting the time-series transition of the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 in a case where a sensing operation is performed without accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, for example. Furthermore, the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the predetermined range 40 may be fixed, or may gradually increase as time passes from the start of the sensing operation, as shown in fig. 6.

[0097] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present based on an amount of change in the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at a predetermined time during the sensing operation. More specifically, for example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when the amount of change is equal to or less than a threshold, the amount of change being the difference between the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application (or at the end of application) of the first sensing pulse 11 in one sensing cycle, and the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application (or at the end of application) of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing pulse immediately before.

[0098] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when a rate of change is equal to or less than a threshold, the rate of change being obtained by dividing the amount of change by the pulse period of the first sensing pulse 11, the amount of change being the difference between the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application (or at the end of application) of the first sensing pulse 11 in one sensing cycle, and the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application (or at the end of application) of the first sensing pulse 11 in the sensing pulse immediately before.

[0099] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 116 may determine that there is accumulated material present when the inclination of a regression line obtained from electrical resistance values of the heating unit 121 at the start of application (or at the end of application) of first sensing pulses 11 in a plurality of sensing cycles is equal to or less than a threshold.(3-5. Other examples of voltage applied to heating unit 121 in sensing operation)

[0100] The accuracy of sensing the absence or presence, etc. of accumulated material is improved by increasing, to a certain extent, the voltage of the sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 in order to sense the absence or presence, etc. of accumulated material. This is because, when the voltage of the sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 is increased to a certain extent, there is a more pronounced difference in electrical resistance values of the heating unit 121 when there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 and when there is not, or when the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 and when it has not.

[0101] The voltage of the sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 is preferably increased to a certain extent in order to sense more accurately the absence or presence of accumulated material, which has a smaller volume or heat capacity than the stick-type substrate 150. Meanwhile, it is still feasible for accurate sensing of insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 into the accommodating portion 140 to be possible even if the voltage of the sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 is reduced to a certain extent.

[0102] The control unit 116 may therefore apply a first sensing pulse 11 to the heating unit 121 until a predetermined time (e.g., 3 [s]) has elapsed from the start of application of the first sensing pulse (or from the start of the sensing operation), and may apply a sensing pulse having a smaller voltage than the first sensing pulse 11 to the heating unit 121 after the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0103] Fig. 7 shows another example of a time-series transition of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 in a sensing operation. The focus here is on the areas that differ from those described in fig. 3, and the areas that are common to those described in fig. 3 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0104] As shown in fig. 7, the sensing pulse group 10 may apply the first sensing pulse 11 to the heating unit 121 repeatedly for a predetermined number of times of twice or more, and may then repeatedly apply a second sensing pulse 12 to the heating unit 121 at a predetermined pulse period, for example.

[0105] Here, the second sensing pulse 12, which has a predetermined voltage and pulse width, is a power pulse intended for raising the temperature of the heating unit 121, and also intended for the control unit 116 to acquire the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. More specifically, the second sensing pulse 12 may be a power pulse with a smaller voltage than the first sensing pulse 11. The voltage of the second sensing pulse 12 is V2 [V] in the sensing pulse group 10 shown in fig. 7. Furthermore, as shown in fig. 7, the pulse width and the pulse period of the second sensing pulse 12 in this case may be the same as those of the first sensing pulse 11, for example.

[0106] It is thus possible to accurately sense whether or not there is accumulated material and whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, by using the high-voltage first sensing pulse 11 in the initial stage of the sensing operation. The sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 is then changed to the low-voltage second sensing pulse 12 from midway through the sensing operation so that a reduction in the power consumed by the sensing operation can be envisaged, while it is also possible to sense whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140.[4. Example of processing implemented by control unit]

[0107] An example of processing implemented by the control unit 116 will be described next. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing implemented by the control unit 116. The control unit 116 implements the series of processes shown in fig. 8 when neither a sensing operation nor heating control is being performed, for example.

[0108] As shown in fig. 8, the control unit 116 determines whether or not there has been a predetermined operation to trigger the sensing operation (step S1). When it has been determined that there has been no predetermined operation (step S1: NO), the control unit 116 repeats the processing of step S1 until it is determined that there has been a predetermined operation.

[0109] When it has been determined that there has been a predetermined operation (step S1: YES), the control unit 116 starts the sensing operation and starts applying the sensing pulse group 10 to the heating unit 121 (step S2). Furthermore, during the sensing operation, the control unit 116 acquires the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of each sensing pulse included in the sensing pulse group 10, and at the end of application of each sensing pulse.

[0110] The control unit 116 then determines whether or not application of the sensing pulse group 10 has ended (step S3). In this embodiment, the control unit 116 determines that application of the sensing pulse group 10 has ended when the 18th sensing cycle has finished. When it has been determined that application of the sensing pulse group 10 has ended (step S3: YES), the control unit 116 then terminates the series of processes shown in fig. 8 without any further operation. Meanwhile, the control unit 116 determines that application of the sensing pulse group 10 has not ended until the 18th sensing cycle has finished. When it has been determined application of the sensing pulse group 10 has not ended (step S3: NO), the control unit 116 then advances to the processing of step S4.

[0111] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 which has been acquired (step S4). When it has been determined that the stick-type substrate 150 is not inserted in the accommodating portion 140 (step S4: NO), the control unit 116 determines whether or not a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the sensing operation has been reached, which is to say a timing at which it is determined whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 (step S5).

[0112] When it has been determined that a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the sensing operation has not been reached (step S5: NO), the control unit 116 returns to the processing of step S3. Meanwhile, when it has been determined that a timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the sensing operation has been reached (step S5: YES), the control unit 116 determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 which has been acquired (step S6). Furthermore, after the timing at which a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the sensing operation has been reached (which is to say, after it has been determined whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140), the control unit 116 may change the sensing pulse applied to the heating unit 121 to the second sensing pulse 12.

[0113] When it has been determined that there is no accumulated material present in the processing of step S6 (step S6: NO), the control unit 116 returns to the processing of step S3. Meanwhile, when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present (step S6: YES), the control unit 116 stops application of the sensing pulse group 10 (step S7). The control unit 116 then notifies the user that it has been determined that accumulated material is present (step S8) while also causing the inhalation device 100 to change over to the locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control (step S9), and terminates the series of processes shown in fig. 8.

[0114] Furthermore, when it has been determined that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140 in the processing of step S4 (step S4: YES), the control unit 116 determines whether or not the inhalation device 100 is in a locked state (step S10). When it has been determined that the locked state is not in progress (step S10: NO), the control unit 116 starts heating control to cause aerosol generation (step S11), and terminates the series of processes shown in fig. 8. Meanwhile, when it has been determined that the locked state is in progress (step S10: YES), the control unit 116 terminates the series of processes shown in fig. 8 without starting heating control and without any other operation.

[0115] As described above, the control unit 116 determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 obtained by applying the first sensing pulses 11 to the heating unit 121. This makes it possible to sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion 140 using a simple configuration, and the inhalation device 100 can be suitably operated according to the absence or presence of the accumulated material. The inhalation device 100 is thereby capable of providing the user with a high-quality experience.

[0116] Furthermore, when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 stops the supply of power to the heating unit 121 at that point in time, for example (see step S7). As a result, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion 140.

[0117] Furthermore, when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, for example (see step S8). As a result, it is possible to prompt the user to check the inside of the accommodating portion 140, and to prompt the user to clean the inside of the accommodating portion 140 in order to remove any accumulated material if there is accumulated material present.

[0118] Furthermore, the control unit 116 causes the inhalation device 100 to change over to the locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control, for example, when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion 140 (see step S9). As a result, a rise in temperature of the heating unit 121 can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion 140.[5. Variant Example]

[0119] A variant example of the inhalation device 100 will be described next.

[0120] For example, the inhalation device 100 may have a cleaning heating profile Pr2, which is a heating profile for assisting in cleaning the inside of the accommodating portion 140, in addition to the abovementioned smoking heating profile Pr1. The cleaning heating profile Pr2 may be a heating profile for causing heating of the heating unit 121 in order to vaporize moisture in the accumulated material, etc. present inside the accommodating portion 140, for example.

[0121] Fig. 9 shows an example of the cleaning heating profile Pr2 of the inhalation device 100. In fig. 9, the vertical axis denotes the temperature [°C] of the heating unit 121. Furthermore, in fig. 9, the horizontal axis denotes time [sec], and more specifically, the elapsed time since the start of temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2. It should be noted that the smoking heating profile Pr1 shown in fig. 2 is indicated by the single-dot chain line in fig. 9 for comparison with the cleaning heating profile Pr2. Furthermore, in this section, the focus is on the areas that differ from those described in fig. 2, and the areas that are common to those described in fig. 2 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0122] In the cleaning heating profile Pr2 as shown in fig. 9, for example, a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time from 0 [s] to t20 [s] (where 0<t20<t3) is defined as T10 [°C] (where T10>T1 and T10>T3).

[0123] That is to say, the feature of the cleaning heating profile Pr2 lies in the fact that the maximum temperature of the heating unit 121 is higher than that of the smoking heating profile Pr1, which is the normal heating profile used for generating an aerosol, and there is also no change in temperature after this maximum temperature has been reached. The accumulated material present in the accommodating portion 140 can be heated at a high temperature and the moisture contained therein can be vaporized as a result of the control unit 116 performing temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on such a cleaning heating profile Pr2. The accumulated material therefore readily crumbles away from the accommodating portion 140 and can be removed more easily than when the accumulated material is stuck on.

[0124] The cleaning heating profile Pr2 also has a shorter duration of maintaining heating of the heating unit 121 than the smoking heating profile Pr1. That is to say, in the cleaning heating profile Pr2, the temperature of the heating unit 121 is raised to the high-temperature state of T10 [°C], which is not used in the smoking heating profile Pr1. Maintaining such a high-temperature state for a long time is undesirable from the perspective of protecting the inhalation device 100 which comprises the heating unit 121.

[0125] The inhalation device 100 is protected by making the duration of heating by the heating unit 121 in the cleaning heating profile Pr2 (t20 [s] in the example shown in fig. 9) shorter than the duration in the smoking heating profile Pr1 (t3 [s] in the example shown in fig. 9). As a result, even if the temperature of the heating unit 121 has been controlled on the basis of the cleaning heating profile Pr2, it is possible to prevent a high-temperature state of the heating unit 121 from being maintained for a long time, and occurrences of faults in the inhalation device 100 can be inhibited.

[0126] The control unit 116 performs temperature control based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2 on receiving a cleaning request from the user, for example. Here, the cleaning request may be, for example, an operation of pressing the operating button provided on the inhalation device 100 in a predetermined pattern (e.g., multiple times). Furthermore, the cleaning request is not limited to a direct operation on the inhalation device 100, and may be, for example, reception of predetermined information (e.g., information that temperature control based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2 is to be implemented) from another device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100. As a result, the user can cause temperature control based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2 to be implemented at a desired timing such as when cleaning of the inside of the accommodating portion 140 is judged to be a laborious task.

[0127] Moreover, the control unit 116 may also prohibit implementation of temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2 when it has been determined that the stick-type substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodating portion 140, from the perspective of ensuring safety of the inhalation device 100 and quality of the smoking experience provided to the user. That is to say, in a state in which the stick-type substrate 150 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 140, the control unit 116 may ensure the temperature control of the heating unit 121 based on the cleaning heating profile Pr2 is not performed, even if a cleaning request is received from the user.

[0128] An embodiment of an aerosol-generating device according to the present disclosure was described above, but it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such an embodiment. It is obvious that a person skilled in the art will be able to conceive of a number of variant examples or modified examples within the scope disclosed in the claims, and any such variant examples or modified examples are naturally understood to fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments described above may be combined in any way within a scope that does not depart from the essential point of the invention.

[0129] Furthermore, the control method described in the embodiments above can be realized by executing a pre-prepared program on a computer. This program is stored on a computer-readable storage medium and is run by being read out from the storage medium. The program may also be provided in a form stored in a non-volatile (non-transitory) storage medium such as a flash memory, or may be provided over a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, the computer that executes this program was the control unit 116 in this embodiment, but is not limited thereto. For example, the computer executing the program may be, for example, included in the inhalation device 100, but this is not limiting, and the computer may also be included in another device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100.

[0130] The present specification, etc. sets forth at least the following features. Corresponding components, etc. in the embodiments described above are shown by way of example in parentheses, but there is no limitation to such components. (1) An aerosol-generating device (inhalation device 100) for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol source-containing substrate (stick-type substrate 150), the aerosol-generating device comprising: a power source unit (power source unit 111) for storing and supplying power; an accommodating portion (accommodating portion 140) for accommodating the substrate; a heating unit (heating unit 121) which uses power supplied from the power source unit to heat the substrate accommodated in the accommodating portion; and a control unit (control unit 116) configured to be capable of controlling the supply of power to the heating unit and to be capable of acquiring a parameter relating to a temperature of the heating unit, wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material, different from the substrate, present inside the accommodating portion, based on the parameter obtained by applying a sensing pulse, which is a predetermined power pulse, to the heating unit.

[0131] According to (1), it is possible to sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion using a simple configuration, and the aerosol-generating device can be suitably operated according to the absence or presence of the accumulated material. This enables the user to be provided with a high-quality experience.

[0132] (2) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (1), wherein the parameter increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit, and the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter obtained by applying the sensing pulse to the heating unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0133] According to (2), it is possible to accurately sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion by utilizing characteristics of a parameter which increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit.

[0134] (3) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (1), wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, based on the time-series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit.

[0135] According to (3), the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion can be accurately sensed.

[0136] (4) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (3), wherein the parameter increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit, and the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter after a predetermined time from the start of application of the sensing pulse is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

[0137] According to (4), it is possible to accurately sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion by utilizing characteristics of a parameter which increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit.

[0138] (5) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (3), wherein the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter transitions within a predetermined range for a predetermined continuous time from the start of application of the sensing pulse.

[0139] According to (5), it is possible to accurately sense the absence or presence of accumulated material inside the accommodating portion by utilizing characteristics of a parameter which increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit.

[0140] (6) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (1) to (5), wherein the control unit stops the supply of power to the heating unit when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion.

[0141] According to (6), a rise in temperature of the heating unit can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion.

[0142] (7) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (1) to (6), wherein when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user, via a notification unit capable of notifying the user of information, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0143] According to (7), when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, it is possible to prompt the user to check the inside of the accommodating portion, and to prompt the user to clean the inside of the accommodating portion in order to remove any accumulated material if there is accumulated material actually present.

[0144] (8) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (7), wherein the notification unit comprises a light-emitting device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the light-emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emission mode.

[0145] According to (8), it is possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0146] (9) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (7) or (8), wherein the notification unit comprises a vibration device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the vibration device to vibrate in a predetermined vibration mode.

[0147] According to (9), it is possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0148] (10) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (7) to (9), wherein the notification unit comprises a display device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the display device to display a predetermined image or message.

[0149] According to (10), it is possible to notify the user, in an intuitive manner that is easy to understand, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

[0150] (11) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (1) to (10), wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of implementing heating control for controlling the temperature of the heating unit based on a heating profile defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit, in accordance with an aerosol generation request from a user, causes the aerosol-generating device to change over to a locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion.

[0151] According to (11), a rise in temperature of the heating unit can be inhibited in a state in which there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, so it is possible to prevent an inferior aerosol or smoke from being generated from the accumulated material, and to prevent the accumulated material from becoming stuck to the accommodating portion.

[0152] (12) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (11), wherein when the aerosol-generating device is in the locked state, the control unit releases the locked state on receiving a reset request from the user.

[0153] According to (12), even if the aerosol-generating device changes over to a locked state, the user can still cause heating control to be implemented by making a reset request after removing the accumulated material inside the accommodating portion, enabling the user to inhale the aerosol generated by means of the heating unit.

[0154] (13) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (12), wherein the control unit causes the aerosol-generating device to change over to a special locked state prohibiting implementation of the heating control when it has once again been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion immediately after the locked state of the aerosol-generating device was released, when the aerosol-generating device is in the special locked state, the control unit releases the special locked state on receiving a special reset request from the user, the reset request is a first operation, and the special reset request is a second operation requiring a more extensive operation than the first operation.

[0155] According to (13), the user can be prompted to take suitable measures to definitely remove the accumulated material inside the accommodating portion when the aerosol-generating device has changed over to the locked state.

[0156] (14) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (1) to (13), wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of implementing heating control for controlling the temperature of the heating unit based on a heating profile defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit, in accordance with an aerosol generation request from a user, the aerosol generation request is an operation to insert the substrate into the accommodating portion, and the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, and whether or not the substrate has been inserted into the accommodating portion, based on the time-series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit.

[0157] According to (14), in addition to determining whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, it is also possible to determine whether or not the substrate has been inserted into the accommodating portion, and heating control can be implemented in response to a determination that the substrate has been inserted into the accommodating portion, so better user convenience can be envisaged.

[0158] (15) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (14), wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of applying, to the heating unit as the sensing pulse, a first sensing pulse having a predetermined voltage, and a second sensing pulse having a smaller voltage than the first sensing pulse, and the control unit applies the first sensing pulse to the heating unit until a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of application of the sensing pulse, and applies the second sensing pulse to the heating unit after the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0159] According to (15), a reduction in the power consumed by applying sensing pulses to the heating unit can be envisaged, while it is also possible to determine whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion and whether or not the substrate has been inserted into the accommodating portion.

[0160] (16) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in any of (1) to (15), wherein the control unit: is configured to be capable of controlling the temperature of the heating unit on the basis of heating profiles defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit, controls the temperature of the heating unit on the basis of a first heating profile among the heating profiles when there has been an aerosol generation request from the user, and controls the temperature of the heating unit on the basis of a second heating profile among the heating profiles when there has been a cleaning request from the user, and the second heating profile is a heating profile with a higher maximum temperature of the heating unit than the first heating profile.

[0161] According to (16), the accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion can be heated at a high temperature, and moisture contained therein can be vaporized. The accumulated material therefore readily crumbles away from the accommodating portion and can be removed more easily than when the accumulated material is stuck on.

[0162] (17) The aerosol-generating device as disclosed in (16), wherein the second heating profile is a heating profile with a shorter duration of maintaining heating of the heating unit than the first heating profile.

[0163] According to (17), even if the temperature of the heating unit has been controlled on the basis of the second heating profile, it is possible to prevent a high-temperature state of the heating unit from being maintained for a long time, and occurrences of faults in the aerosol-generating device can be inhibited.REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0164] 100 Inhalation device (aerosol-generating device) 111 Power source unit 116 Control unit 121 Heating unit 140 Accommodating portion 150 Stick-type substrate (substrate)

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol source-containing substrate, the aerosol-generating device comprising: a power source unit for storing and supplying power; an accommodating portion for accommodating the substrate; a heating unit which uses power supplied from the power source unit to heat the substrate accommodated in the accommodating portion; and a control unit configured to be capable of controlling the supply of power to the heating unit and to be capable of acquiring a parameter relating to a temperature of the heating unit, wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material, different from the substrate, present inside the accommodating portion, based on the parameter obtained by applying a sensing pulse, which is a predetermined power pulse, to the heating unit.

2. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parameter increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit, and the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter obtained by applying the sensing pulse to the heating unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

3. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, based on the time-series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit.

4. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the parameter increases in proportion to a rise in temperature of the heating unit, and the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter after a predetermined time from the start of application of the sensing pulse is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

5. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit determines that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion when the parameter transitions within a predetermined range for a predetermined continuous time from the start of application of the sensing pulse.

6. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit stops the supply of power to the heating unit when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion.

7. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user, via a notification unit capable of notifying the user of information, that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present.

8. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the notification unit comprises a light-emitting device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the light-emitting device to emit light in a predetermined light emission mode.

9. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 7 or 8, wherein the notification unit comprises a vibration device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the vibration device to vibrate in a predetermined vibration mode.

10. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the notification unit comprises a display device, and when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, the control unit notifies the user that it has been determined that there is accumulated material present, by causing the display device to display a predetermined image or message.

11. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of implementing heating control for controlling the temperature of the heating unit based on a heating profile defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit, in accordance with an aerosol generation request from a user, and causes the aerosol-generating device to change over to a locked state prohibiting implementation of heating control when it has been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion.

12. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the aerosol-generating device is in the locked state, the control unit releases the locked state on receiving a reset request from the user.

13. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit causes the aerosol-generating device to change over to a special locked state prohibiting implementation of the heating control when it has once again been determined that there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion immediately after the locked state of the aerosol-generating device was released, when the aerosol-generating device is in the special locked state, the control unit releases the special locked state on receiving a special reset request from the user, the reset request is a first operation, and the special reset request is a second operation requiring a more extensive operation than the first operation.

14. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of implementing heating control for controlling the temperature of the heating unit based on a heating profile defining a time-series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value of the temperature of the heating unit, in accordance with an aerosol generation request from a user, the aerosol generation request is an operation to insert the substrate into the accommodating portion, and the control unit determines whether or not there is accumulated material present inside the accommodating portion, and whether or not the substrate has been inserted into the accommodating portion, based on the time-series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying sensing pulses multiple times to the heating unit.

15. The aerosol-generating device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control unit is configured to be capable of applying, to the heating unit as the sensing pulse, a first sensing pulse having a predetermined voltage, and a second sensing pulse having a smaller voltage than the first sensing pulse, and the control unit applies the first sensing pulse to the heating unit until a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of application of the sensing pulse, and applies the second sensing pulse to the heating unit after the predetermined time has elapsed.

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