Aerosol generating device

Abstract

A method for an aerosol generating device, the device comprising a heating device for heating an aerosol substrate, a power source, a first switching element for controlling the supply of power from the power source to the heating device, and a second switching element for isolating the heating device from the power source, the heating device, the first switching element and the second switching element being arranged in series between terminals of the power source. The method includes detecting a failure of the device by controlling one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be on and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element to be off during a first period of time, and determining whether at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, the at least one observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating device. If it is determined that the at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, a failure of the other of the first switching element and the second switching element is detected. A computer program, a controller for an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Exemplary aspects of the present disclosure relate to aerosol generation from consumables, and in particular to a method for an aerosol generating device, a computer program, a controller for an aerosol generating device, and an aerosol generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] Devices are known that are used to heat or warm an aerosolizable substance to generate an aerosol. Known types of aerosol generating devices, such as atomizers, vaporizers, electronic cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigalikes, etc., are used to heat an aerosolizable substance as reduced-risk or modified-risk devices from traditional tobacco products.

[0003] Commonly available risk reduction or risk modification devices are substrate heated aerosol generating devices or heated non-combustion devices. This type of device generates an aerosol or vapor by heating an aerosol substrate, which typically contains moist tobacco or other suitable aerosolizable material. By heating, rather than burning or combusting, the aerosol substrate, an aerosol is released that contains the ingredients desired by the user but without the toxic and carcinogenic by-products of combustion and burning.

[0004] Typically, the aerosolizable substance is provided in an aerosol substrate contained in a consumable, and when the consumable is coupled to a device, the device can heat or warm the substrate to generate the aerosol.

[0005] In the aerosol generating device, power is supplied from a power source to a heating device in the aerosol generating device to heat the aerosolizable substance, and the aerosol generating device controls the supply of power using a first switching element disposed in series with the heating device across the terminals of the power source.

[0006] However, the switching element may fail, which may cause the heating device to heat up uncontrollably. To improve safety, a second switching element is arranged in series with the first switching element and the heating device across the terminals of the power supply. Thus, if a failure prevents the first switching element from interrupting the flow of current (e.g., if the first switching element fails in a short-circuit condition), the second switching element may be used to disconnect the heating device from the power supply and interrupt the supply of power.

[0007] In normal use of the aerosol generating device, the second switching element is controlled to enable the supply of power. Therefore, if a fault occurs that causes the second switching element to be unable to be controlled to cut off the supply of power (e.g., if the second switching element fails in a short circuit state), the safety of the aerosol generating device may be compromised, thereby increasing the risk of damage to the aerosol generating device and / or injury to a user of the aerosol generating device. In addition, such a fault may go undetected because it does not prevent the aerosol generating device from heating the aerosolizable substance. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Therefore, in order to improve safety, it is necessary to detect whether a failure occurs in the aerosol generating device, in particular in one of the switching elements. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to a first exemplary aspect disclosed herein, there is provided a method for an aerosol generating device, the device including a heating device for heating an aerosol substrate, a power source, a first switching element for controlling a supply of power from the power source to the heating device, and a second switching element for disconnecting the heating device from the power source, the heating device, the first switching element, and the second switching element being arranged in series between terminals of the power source, the method including detecting a failure of the device by controlling one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be on and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element to be off during a first period of time, and determining whether at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, the at least one observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating device, and if it is determined that the at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, a failure of the other of the first switching element and the second switching element is detected.

[0010] Therefore, it is possible to detect whether a failure occurs in one of the switching elements and to prevent deterioration of the control from the power supply to the heating device.

[0011] Preferably, the detecting includes controlling one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be turned off and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element to be turned on during a second period different from the first period, and determining whether at least one observable event occurs during the second period, in which case a fault in one of the first switching element and the second switching element is detected if it is determined that the at least one observable event occurs during the second period.

[0012] It is therefore possible to detect whether a failure occurs in either one of the switching elements.

[0013] Preferably, the method includes shutting down the heating device upon detection of a fault.

[0014] Preferably, the at least one observable event includes an increase in temperature of the heating device.

[0015] Preferably, the method includes measuring a temperature of the heating device prior to the first period of time and performing a detection if the measured temperature is below a predetermined threshold.

[0016] Thus, at least one observable event indicative of an amount of power being transferred to the heating device may be more easily detected.

[0017] Preferably, the at least one observable event includes detecting current flow from a power source to the heating device.

[0018] Preferably, the method is performed upon detection of the device being coupled to a power source.

[0019] Preferably, the method is performed upon detection of the start of use of the device.

[0020] According to a second exemplary aspect disclosed herein, there is provided a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method according to the first exemplary aspect above.

[0021] According to a third exemplary aspect disclosed herein, there is provided a controller for an aerosol generating device configured, in use, to carry out the method according to the first exemplary aspect above.

[0022] According to a fourth exemplary aspect disclosed herein, there is provided an aerosol generating device comprising a controller as described in the third exemplary aspect, a heating device for heating an aerosol substrate, a power source, a first switching element for controlling the supply of power from the power source to the heating device, and a second switching element for disconnecting the heating device from the power source, wherein the heating device, the first switching element and the second switching element are arranged in series between terminals of the power source.

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are presented for a better understanding of the inventive concept, but should not be considered as limiting the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of electrical components of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates an example of a method for an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of electrical components of an aerosol generating device according to a second exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 shows an example of a method for an aerosol generating device according to a second exemplary embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates an example of a method for an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Although illustrative embodiments are described below, it will be apparent that various modifications to these illustrative embodiments may be made without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following description and accompanying drawings are to be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting.

[0026] In the following description and in the annexed figures, numerous details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these details.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of electrical components of an aerosol generating device 10 according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a controller 100, a heating device 110, a first switching element 120, a second switching element 130, a power source 140, and a charging device 150.

[0029] As will be described in more detail below, the controller 100 is configured to control the state of the first switching element 120 and the state of the second switching element 130 to control the supply of power to the heating device 110 .

[0030] The power supply 140 is configured to provide power to the other components of the aerosol generating device 10, including the controller 100 and the heating device 110.

[0031] 1, the power source 140 includes a battery 142 (e.g., a secondary battery or a non-rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-metal hybrid battery, etc.) and a battery protection circuit 144. However, it should be understood that the battery protection circuit 144 may be omitted in some cases (e.g., in the case of a battery that does not require a protection circuit), or the power source 140 may instead be a connector that can be coupled to a power source (e.g., mains power, a DC 5V power source, etc.) external to the aerosol generating device 10 and transfers power from the external power source to the components of the aerosol generating device 10.

[0032] The charging device 150 is for providing power from a power source electrically coupled to the aerosol generating device to recharge the battery 142. However, it should be understood that if the power source 140 does not include a rechargeable element (e.g., if the battery 142 is not rechargeable or is omitted), then the charging device 150 may also be omitted.

[0033] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the charging device 150 includes a connector 152 that can be coupled to an external power source, a charging IC 154 for controlling the supply of power from the external power source to the battery 142, and optionally a transformer for converting the voltage / current characteristics of the power supplied by the external power source.

[0034] The heating device 110 is configured to receive the consumable and to heat the consumable using power provided by the power source 140 to generate an aerosol. The consumable can be any consumable that includes an aerosolizable substance (e.g., in an aerosol base) that generates an aerosol when heated, as the invention is not limited in this aspect. By way of non-limiting example, the consumable can be designed for single use (i.e., to be heated only once to generate an aerosol base) or multiple uses, and the consumable can have a variety of forms, designs, shapes, packaging, types, flavors, etc.

[0035] In some examples, the consumable may include an aerosol substrate that includes an aerosolizable substance. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the aerosol substrate may be any aerosol substrate for generating an aerosol, as the invention is not limited in this aspect. As non-limiting examples, the aerosol substrate may be provided in various types as a solid or paste-type material in shredded, pelleted, powdered, granular, strip or sheet form, and optionally combinations thereof. Similarly, the aerosol substrate may include a fluid (e.g., liquid or gel). The aerosol substrate may include tobacco, for example, in a dry or dried form, and optionally with additional ingredients for flavor or to provide a smoother or more satisfying experience. Depending on the materials included in the aerosol substrate, the consumable may be defined as a tobacco stick, or the aerosol substrate may be defined as a flavor-releasing medium. In some examples, the aerosol substrate, such as tobacco, may be treated with a vaporizer. The vaporizer may improve the generation of vapor from the aerosol substrate. The vaporizer may include, for example, a polyol, such as glycerol, or a glycol, such as propylene glycol. In some cases, the aerosol base may not contain tobacco or even nicotine, but may instead contain natural or synthetic ingredients to provide improved flavor, volatility, smoothness, and / or other pleasurable effects. Aerosol bases, such as tobacco, may contain one or more humectants, such as glycols, to retain moisture.

[0036] The heating device 110 includes a heater for converting power received from a power source into thermal energy to heat the consumable, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating device 110. The heater may be any type of heater, such as a conduction-based or convection-based heater (e.g., a coil, a combination of a coil and a wick), as the present invention is not limited to a particular type of heater. The temperature detected by the temperature sensor is obtained by the controller 100, as indicated by the arrow in FIG.

[0037] In some examples, the heating device 110 may include additional elements such as a transformer (e.g., a booster circuit) to convert the power received from the power source 140 into power suitable for heating the aerosol substrate.

[0038] The first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 are disposed in series with the heating device 110 across the terminals of the power supply 140. The heating device 110, the first switching element 120, and the second switching element 130 are considered to be in series across the terminals of the power supply 140 because they are part of the same current loop. The current loop may optionally include other elements, such as the battery protection circuit 144 shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 are MOSFETs.

[0040] The first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 may each be a transistor, such as a field effect transistor (FET) (e.g., Si MOSFET, GaN MOSFET, SiC MOSFET, etc.), a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), a thyristor, or other known types of switching elements. The first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 may be the same type or different types of switching elements.

[0041] 1 shows the heating device 110, the first switching element 120, and the second switching element 130 as being arranged in that order between the terminals of the power supply, the order shown in Fig. 1 is merely exemplary and may be changed. For example, the heating device 110 may be arranged between the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130, both the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 may be arranged in front of the heating device 110 (i.e., near the terminal of the power supply labeled +), and the second switching element 130 may be arranged in front of the first switching element 120.

[0042] The controller 100 may include one or more processors (e.g., single / multi-core CPU, microprocessor, etc.), one or more working memories (e.g., random access memory RAM, flash memory, etc.), and one or more non-volatile instruction stores (e.g., read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.) that store computer readable instructions such that the processor executes the computer readable instructions in the instruction store to control the states of the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130. In other examples, the controller may be implemented in part or in whole as a hardware component such as an integrated circuit (IC).

[0043] It will therefore be appreciated that the controller 100 may include one or more units or modules for performing various operations.

[0044] In one example, the controller 100 may include a microcontroller MCU and a separate hardware monitoring circuit, in this example, the MCU is configured to control the state of the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 to control the temperature of the heating arrangement 110, and the hardware monitoring circuit is configured to shut down the first switching element 120 and / or the second switching element 130 if a failure of the aerosol generating device 10 is detected.

[0045] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the controller 100 is a microcontroller MCU.

[0046] As described above, the controller 100 is configured to control the state of the first switching element 120 and the state of the second switching element 130 to control the supply of power to the heating device 110. Specifically, the controller 100 (or a signal generator included in or controlled by the controller 100) generates a control signal to turn the first switching element 120 on or off, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. In the present disclosure, a switching element is considered to be on if current is allowed to flow through it, and is considered to be off if current is prevented from flowing through it. Similarly, the controller 100 generates a control signal to turn the second switching element on or off, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1.

[0047] In the example of FIG. 1, the control signal generated by the controller 100 is applied to the gate of a first switching element 120 and to the gate of a second switching element 130 .

[0048] When either the first switching element 120 or the second switching element 130 (or both) are off, the current loop is interrupted and no current can flow through the heating device 110. Thus, the controller 100 can control whether to supply power to the heating device 110 by controlling the states of the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130.

[0049] A user wishing to generate an aerosol from the consumable may initiate heating of the consumable to obtain an aerosol, for example by activating / operating the aerosol generating device or a button / switch or the like provided on the aerosol generating device. This indicates the start of an aerosol generating session. Thus, the controller 100 controls the temperature of the heating device 110 to a desired temperature at which the aerosolizable substance will generate an aerosol (e.g., by evaporation, sublimation, etc.). As a non-limiting example, the desired temperature may be a temperature in the range of 200-250°C.

[0050] 1, the controller 100 generates a control signal to keep the second switching element 130 in an on state, thereby causing power to be supplied to the heating device 110. The controller 100 obtains a sensed temperature of the heating device 110 from a temperature sensor. The controller 100 uses the sensed temperature and a desired temperature of the heating device 110 to implement a control loop (e.g., a PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative), PI or P control loop) to generate a pulse-width modulated PWM signal to control the state of the first switching element 120 to cause the heating device 110 to reach (and maintain) the desired temperature.

[0051] For the sake of brevity, further details of the control loop and control of the first switching element 120, known to those skilled in the art, are omitted, but it should be understood that the controller is not limited to using a PID control loop and / or controlling the switching element with a PWM signal, and that any other type of control loop or any other type of signal controlling the switching element may be used instead.

[0052] When the controller 100 determines that the heating device 110 should no longer be heated (e.g., at the end of an aerosol generation session, such as when the user stops using the aerosol generating device 10 or when the aerosolizable substance is depleted), the controller controls the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 to an off state, thereby causing the heating device 110 to cool.

[0053] A method for detecting a failure of an aerosol generating device according to an illustrative embodiment will now be described.

[0054] 2, in step S102, the controller 100 generates a control signal to turn off the first switching element 120 and turn off the second switching element 130.

[0055] In step S104, the controller 100 obtains a first temperature value T1 of the heating device 110 from the temperature sensor.

[0056] In step S106, the controller 100 determines whether the first temperature value T1 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. The threshold may be set to a value that ensures that an increase in temperature can be detected over a certain period of time (e.g., a first period or a second period described below). For example, the threshold may be set to 50°C or 100°C.

[0057] If the first temperature value T1 is not equal to or less than the threshold value (step S106: No), the controller 100 returns to step S104 to newly acquire the temperature value T1. Optionally, the controller 100 may wait a predetermined time before acquiring the temperature value T1 again to allow the temperature of the heating device 110 to decrease.

[0058] On the other hand, if the first temperature value T1 is equal to or less than the threshold value (step S106: YES), the method proceeds to step S108.

[0059] Although the process of step S106 has been described with respect to an example in which the controller 100 determines whether the first temperature value T1 is less than or equal to the threshold value, the controller 100 may alternatively be configured to determine whether the first temperature value T1 is strictly less than the threshold value (i.e., does not include the threshold value).

[0060] In step S108, the controller 100 controls the first switching element 120 to be on and the second switching element 130 to be off during the first period.

[0061] In the event of a fault that causes the second switching element 130 to remain in the on state or in a short circuit condition in which the flow of current through the switching element cannot be interrupted, power is supplied to the heating device 110 and the temperature of the heating device 110 increases during a first period of time.

[0062] In some cases, the length of the first period may be set to be able to detect an increase in temperature, which may depend on the measured first temperature value T1, the characteristics of the heating device 110, the characteristics of the power supplied by the power supply, the temperature thresholds, the characteristics of the temperature sensor, etc.

[0063] In step S110, the controller 100 waits for a first period to elapse. For example, when the controller 100 controls the first switching element 120 to be turned on and the second switching element 130 to be turned off, the controller 100 may trigger a timer equal to the first period, and the controller 100 may wait for the timer to elapse.

[0064] Once the first period has elapsed, the controller proceeds to step S112.

[0065] In step S112, the controller 100 obtains from the temperature sensor a second temperature value T2 of the heating device 110. Then, the controller 100 proceeds to step S114.

[0066] In step S114, the controller 100 determines whether the second temperature value T2 is higher than the first temperature value T1.

[0067] The second temperature value T2 being higher than the first temperature value T1 is an example of an observable event (an increase in temperature) occurring during a first period of time, which indicates that a certain amount of power is transferred to the heating device 110.

[0068] In some cases, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the second temperature value T2 is higher than the first temperature value T1 by at least a predetermined amount, such as at least 3° C. or an amount corresponding to at least 5% of the value T1. Thus, the controller 100 may be less likely to erroneously determine that the second switching element 130 is on or shorted if the increase in temperature is due to other factors (e.g., environmental factors, inaccuracies in the temperature sensor, etc.).

[0069] If the controller 100 determines that the second temperature value T2 is higher than the first temperature value T1 (step S114: YES), the controller 100 proceeds to step S116.

[0070] In step S116, the controller 100 detects a failure of the second switching element 130 that causes the second switching element to be in an on or short-circuited state, and proceeds to step S118.

[0071] In step S118, the controller 100 turns off the heating device 110 and the process ends.

[0072] For example, the controller 100 may generate a signal to disconnect the heating device 110 from the power supply 140, or the controller 100 may bypass the heating device 110 (e.g., with a shunt resistor in parallel with the heating device 110) so that no power is supplied to the heating device 110.

[0073] In some cases, the controller 100 may also generate a notification to a user to indicate that a fault has occurred in the aerosol generating device 10 and / or that operation of the heating apparatus 110 has been stopped. For example, if the aerosol generating device 10 includes a display screen, the controller 100 may cause the display screen to display a message informing a user of the aerosol generating device that the consumable does not have the required moisture content. However, it should be understood that other means of notifying the user may be used, such as haptic feedback, other visual feedback (e.g., via an LED disposed on the aerosol generating device 10), audio feedback, etc., instead of or in addition to displaying a message.

[0074] In S114, if the controller 100 determines that the second temperature value T2 is not higher than the first temperature value T1 (step S114: No), the controller 100 proceeds to step S120.

[0075] In step S120, the controller 100 controls the first switching element 120 to be turned off and the second switching element 130 to be turned on during the second period.

[0076] As described in relation to step S108 above, if there is a fault that causes the first switching element 120 to remain in an on or shorted state, the temperature of the heating device 110 will increase during a second period of time.

[0077] The second period of time, like the first period of time, may be set, possibly based on the second temperature value T2, characteristics of the heating device 110, characteristics of the power provided by the power source, temperature thresholds, etc. The second period of time may have the same length as the first period of time, but this is not required.

[0078] After step S120, the controller 100 proceeds to step S122.

[0079] In step S122, the controller 100 waits for the second period to elapse. The process in this step is the same as that described for the first period in step S110. The controller 100 then proceeds to step S124.

[0080] In step S124, the controller 100 obtains a third temperature value T3 of the heating device 110 from the temperature sensor, and then proceeds to step S126.

[0081] In step S126, the controller 100 determines whether the third temperature value T3 is higher than the second temperature value T2.

[0082] As described in connection with step S114, in some cases, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the third temperature value T3 is higher than the second temperature value T2 by at least a predetermined amount (which may be the same as the predetermined amount in step S114 or may be a different predetermined amount).

[0083] In some cases, instead of comparing the second temperature value T2 and the third temperature value T3, the controller 100 may determine whether the third temperature value T3 is greater than the first temperature value T1 because it has been determined (in step S114) that the second temperature value T2 is equal to (or at least less than) the first temperature value T1.

[0084] If the controller 100 determines that the third temperature value T3 is higher than the second temperature value T2 (step S126: YES), the controller 100 proceeds to step S128.

[0085] In step S128, the controller 100 determines that an increase in temperature occurs during the second time period, which is an example of an observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating device 110. Thus, the controller 100 detects a failure of the first switching element 120 that causes the first switching element 120 to be in an on or shorted state. The controller 100 then proceeds to step S118.

[0086] On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the third temperature value T3 is not higher than the second temperature value T2 (step S126: No), the process ends, indicating that no fault has been detected that would cause the first switching element 120 to be turned on or short-circuited.

[0087] Thus, by implementing the method of the example embodiment, the controller 100 may detect whether a fault occurs in the first switching element 120 and / or the second switching element 130 .

[0088] An example of an aerosol generating device according to a second exemplary embodiment will now be described.

[0089] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the electrical components of an aerosol generating device 10 according to a second exemplary embodiment.

[0090] For the sake of brevity, a description of the electrical components 110-150 will be omitted here as they have already been described in relation to FIG.

[0091] 3, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a current measuring device 160 for measuring the current supplied to the heating device 110. The current measuring device 160 includes a shunt resistor 162 arranged in series with the heating device 110. The current measuring device 160 also includes a current measuring element 164 in parallel with the shunt resistor 162, the current measuring element 164 being configured to detect whether a current flows through the shunt resistor 162.

[0092] 3, the controller 10 is configured to obtain a value of the voltage measured across the shunt resistor 162 by the current measurement element 164. Thus, the controller 100 may detect that a current is flowing through the shunt resistor 162 if a non-zero voltage is measured across the shunt resistor 162.

[0093] Because the shunt resistor 162 is in series with the heating device 110, the controller 100 can determine that an amount of power is being transferred to the heating device when current is detected flowing through the shunt resistor 162. Thus, current flowing through the shunt resistor 162 is an example of an observable event that indicates that an amount of power is being transferred from the power source 140 to the heating device 110.

[0094] Now, with reference to FIG. 4, a method for detecting a failure of an aerosol generating device according to a second exemplary embodiment will be described.

[0095] For the sake of brevity, a description of steps S108, S116, S118, S120 and S128 has already been described in relation to FIG. 2 and will therefore be omitted here.

[0096] 4, steps S102 to S106 are omitted, and the process starts at step S108. The controller controls the first switching element 120 to be on and the second switching element 130 to be off during a first period.

[0097] In the second exemplary embodiment, since it is necessary to detect the absence of an increase in temperature, the first period may be set shorter than that in the first exemplary embodiment, so that the method may be performed faster and / or with less energy.

[0098] After step S108, the controller proceeds to step S210, where the controller 100 obtains a first voltage value V1 across the shunt resistor 162. The controller 100 then proceeds to step S212.

[0099] In step S212, the controller 100 determines whether the first voltage value V1 is equal to zero.

[0100] If the controller 100 determines that the first voltage value V1 is not equal to zero (step S212: NO), the controller 100 determines that current is flowing through the shunt resistor 162, and therefore power is supplied to the heating device 110. Thus, the controller proceeds to step S116, where the controller detects a failure of the second switching element 130 that causes the second switching element 130 to remain on or shorted.

[0101] On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the first voltage value V1 is equal to zero (step S212: YES), the controller proceeds to step S120.

[0102] In some cases, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the first voltage value V1 has a magnitude (or absolute value) greater than a predetermined voltage value. Thus, the controller 100 may be less likely to inaccurately detect a failure of the second switching element 130, for example, if a non-zero voltage is inaccurately detected across the shunt resistor 162.

[0103] For example, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the first voltage value V1 is greater than 0.3V (or less than −0.3V), although this voltage value is provided purely as a non-limiting example.

[0104] In step S120, the controller 100 controls the first switching element 120 to be turned off and the second switching element 130 to be turned on during a second period of time. Similar to the first period of time, in the second exemplary embodiment, the second period of time may be set to be shorter than that of the first exemplary embodiment.

[0105] After step S120, the controller 100 proceeds to step S222, where the controller 100 obtains a second voltage value V2 across the shunt resistor 162.

[0106] In step S224, the controller 100 determines whether the second voltage value V2 is equal to zero.

[0107] As described in connection with step S212, optionally, the controller 100 may be configured to determine whether the second voltage value V2 has a magnitude greater than a predetermined voltage value (which may be the same as the predetermined voltage value in step S212 or may be a different predetermined voltage value), thereby reducing the risk of false fault detection by the controller 100.

[0108] If the controller 100 determines that the second voltage value V2 is not equal to zero (S224: NO), the controller 100 proceeds to step S128, where the controller detects a failure of the first switching element 120.

[0109] If the controller 100 determines that the second voltage value V2 is equal to zero (S224: YES), this indicates that a failure of the first switching element 120 is not detected, and the process ends.

[0110] From the above, it can be seen that certain exemplary embodiments implement a method for an aerosol generating device comprising a heating device for heating an aerosol substrate, a power source, a first switching element for controlling the supply of power from the power source to the heating device, and a second switching element for disconnecting the heating device from the power source, wherein the heating device, the first switching element and the second switching element are arranged in series between the terminals of the power source.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 5, in step S502, the aerosol generating device controls one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be on and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element to be off during a first period.

[0112] In step S504, the aerosol generating device determines whether at least one observable event occurs during a first period of time, the at least one observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating device.

[0113] If it is determined that at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, then in step S508, the aerosol generating device detects a failure of the other of the first switching element and the second switching element.

[0114] Each of the methods described above with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 may be performed at various times, such as when a predetermined event occurs.

[0115] As a first example, each of the methods may be performed upon detection that the aerosol generating device 10 is coupled to an external power source (e.g., when the external power source is coupled to the charging device 150). Thus, based on the assumption that the aerosol generating device 10 is coupled to an external power source when not in use, the methods may be performed with reduced impact to the user.

[0116] As a second example, each of the methods may be performed upon detection of insertion of a consumable into the heating device 110 or upon initiation of use of the aerosol generating device (i.e., at the start of an aerosol generating session) before the consumable is heated. In these cases, the methods may reduce the risk of the heating device heating up when the aerosol generating device is unsafe (or less safe), and thus reduce the risk of failure occurring when elements of the device are hot, which may reduce the risk of injury and / or damage.

[0117] As a third example, each of the methods may be performed at the end of a use / aerosol generation session, after the heating device 110 has been turned off to cool down. Thus, the method may allow detection of failure of one or both of the switching elements due to previous heating of the heating device 110. In addition, the predetermined events in the third example are unlikely to delay heating of the heating device 110 and consumables, thus reducing the impact on the usability of the aerosol generation device 10.

[0118] Modifications and Variations Many modifications and variations can be made to the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0119] For example, some of the steps shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 may be omitted.

[0120] Specifically, when the method shown in FIG. 2 is performed when the temperature of the heating device 110 is known to be below a threshold value (e.g., when a consumable item is inserted, when the aerosol generating device is turned on, or when the aerosol generating device has not been used for at least a predetermined time), steps S102 and S104 may be omitted.

[0121] In some cases, the first switching element 120 and / or the second switching element 130 may already be in a desired state, such that the terms “controlling a switching element to be on” or “controlling a switching element to be off” mean that the controller 100 causes the switching element to remain in that state.

[0122] In the above description, the first switching element 120 is controlled with a PWM signal to regulate the temperature of the heating device 110, and the second switching element 130 is maintained in an ON state to enable the supply of power to the heating device 110. However, it should be understood that the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130 may be interchangeable, and the first switching element 120 may be maintained in an ON state while the second switching element 130 is controlled with a PWM signal to regulate the temperature of the heating device 110.

[0123] 2 and 4 both show an example in which the first switching element 120 is turned on during a first period and turned off during a second period (and vice versa for the second switching element 130). However, the reverse case is also possible, in which the controller 100 controls the first switching element 120 to be turned off and the second switching element 130 to be turned on during a first period (i.e., a failure of the first switching element 120 is detected in step S116), and controls the first switching element 120 to be turned on and the second switching element 130 to be turned off during a second period (i.e., a failure of the second switching element 130 is detected in step S128).

[0124] 2 and 4 both show examples in which operation of the heating apparatus 110 is stopped in step S118 if a failure is detected in either the first switching element 120 or the second switching element 130. However, the controller 100 may instead be configured to notify a user of the failure to allow the use of consumables and to prompt the user to repair or replace the aerosol generating device 10 if a failure is detected in one or both of the switching elements.

[0125] 2 and 4, detecting a failure in one of the switching elements (at step S116) causes the process to end without checking whether a failure occurs in the other of the switching elements. Instead, the controller 100 may be configured to proceed after step S116 or step S118 to a step of checking the other of the switching elements, i.e., steps S120 to S128 in FIG. 2 or steps S120, S222, S224, and S128 in FIG. 4.

[0126] Although a particular configuration of the aerosol generation device 10 having the current measuring device 160 has been described above, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular configuration and different configurations of the current measuring device 160 and / or different placements of the current measuring device 160 in the circuit shown in Figure 3 are possible. For example, the current measuring device (of the same or different configuration) could be placed between the first switching element 120 and the second switching element 130.

[0127] Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications other than those described above may be made.

[0128] In particular, it will be understood that the exemplary embodiments described above may be combined.

[0129] For example, the controller 100 may be configured to perform steps S112 and S114 of Fig. 2 and steps S210 and S212 of Fig. 4 in parallel or sequentially. Thus, the controller 100 may be configured to detect a failure of the second switching element 130 in step S116 based on the determination in step S114, the determination in step S212, or both. Similarly, the controller 100 may be configured to perform steps S124 and S126 of Fig. 2 and steps S222 and S224 of Fig. 4 in parallel or sequentially, and detect a failure in step S128 based on the determination in step S126, the determination in step S224, or both.

[0130] Although in the above-described methods, the detection of a fault is based on a single comparison (e.g., based on a single comparison of temperature in step S114 or step S126 or a single comparison of the measured voltage in step S212 or step S224), the controller may be configured to perform multiple comparisons and detect a fault only if the multiple comparisons indicate that a switching element fault is occurring. For example, the controller 100 may obtain temperature values ​​at multiple time points during the first time period and / or the second time period, and the controller 100 may detect a fault if the multiple values ​​indicate a continuous increase in temperature. As another example, the controller 100 may obtain voltage values ​​across the shunt resistor 162 at multiple time points during the first time period and / or the second time period, and the controller 100 may detect a fault if the multiple voltage values ​​are not equal to zero.

[0131] The example software embodiments presented herein may, in one exemplary embodiment, be provided as computer programs or software, such as one or more programs having instructions or sequences of instructions contained or stored in an article of manufacture, such as a machine-accessible or machine-readable medium, instruction store or computer-readable storage device, each of which may be non-transitory. The programs or instructions on the non-transitory machine-accessible medium, machine-readable medium, instruction store or computer-readable storage device may be used to program a computer system or other electronic device. The techniques described herein are not limited to any software configuration. They may find applicability in any computing or processing environment. As used herein, the terms "computer-readable," "machine-accessible medium," "machine-readable medium," "instruction store," and "computer-readable storage device" are intended to include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or transmitting instructions or sequences of instructions for execution by a machine, computer, or computer processor, causing the machine / computer / computer processor to perform any one of the methods described herein. Furthermore, it is common in the art to refer to software, regardless of its form (e.g., program, procedure, process, application, module, unit, logic, etc.), as taking an action or producing a result. Such terms are merely shorthand for indicating that execution of the software by a processing system causes a processor to perform certain actions and produce certain results.

[0132] Some embodiments may also be implemented by the preparation of application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits.

[0133] Some embodiments include a computer program product. The computer program product may be one or more storage media, instruction stores, or storage devices having stored thereon instructions that may be used to control or cause a computer or computer processor to perform any of the procedures of the exemplary embodiments described herein. Storage media / instruction stores / storage devices may include, for example, but are not limited to, optical disks, ROM, RAM, EPROM, EEPROM, DRAM, VRAM, flash memory, flash cards, magnetic cards, optical cards, nanosystems, molecular memory integrated circuits, RAID, remote data storage / archives / vaults, and / or any other type of device suitable for storing instructions and / or data.

[0134] Stored on one or more computer-readable media, instruction stores or storage devices, some implementations include software for both controlling the hardware of the aerosol generating device and enabling the aerosol generating device or microprocessor to operate according to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Such software includes, but is not limited to, device drivers, operating systems and user applications. Finally, such computer-readable media or storage devices further include software for implementing the exemplary aspects of the present invention, as described above.

[0135] The programming and / or software of the aerosol generating device includes software modules for carrying out the procedures described herein, in some exemplary embodiments herein the modules include software, while in other exemplary embodiments herein the modules include hardware or a combination of hardware and software.

[0136] Although various exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example and not limitation. It should be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail may be made. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited by any of the above exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

[0137] Moreover, the purpose of the Abstract is to enable the Patent Office and the general public, particularly scientists, engineers and those skilled in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terminology, to quickly assess the nature and substance of the technical disclosure of the present application at a glance. The Abstract is not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments presented herein in any way. It will also be understood that the procedures recited in the claims need not be performed in the order presented.

[0138] Although the present specification contains many specific embodiment details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or what may be claimed, but rather as describing features specific to the particular embodiments described herein. Certain features described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments or provided in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as acting in a particular combination, and may even be initially claimed as such, one or more features from the claimed combination may, in some cases, be excluded from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0139] In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Furthermore, the separation of various components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

[0140] Although several exemplary embodiments and implementations have been described above, it is clear that the above are illustrative and presented by way of example, and not by way of limitation. In particular, while many of the examples presented herein include specific combinations of device or software elements, these elements may be combined in other ways to achieve the same purpose. Acts, elements, and features discussed only in relation to one embodiment are not intended to exclude a similar role in other embodiments or implementations.

[0141] The devices described herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from their characteristics. Accordingly, the scope of the devices described herein is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the above description, and modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0142] 10. Aerosol generating devices 100 Controllers (e.g. MCUs) 110 Heating device 120 First switching element (e.g., MOSFET) 130 Second switching element (e.g., MOSFET) 140 Power supply 142 Battery 144 Battery Protection Circuit 150 Charging device 152 Connectors (e.g. USB connectors) 154 Charging IC 160 Current measuring device 162 Shunt resistor 164 Current measuring element

Claims

1. 1. A method for an aerosol generating device, the device comprising: a heating device for heating an aerosol substrate; a power source; a first switching element for controlling the supply of power from the power source to the heating device; and a second switching element for disconnecting the heating device from the power source, the heating device, the first switching element, and the second switching element being arranged in series between terminals of the power source, the method comprising: controlling one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be turned on and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element to be turned off during a first period; determining whether at least one observable event occurs during the first period of time, the at least one observable event indicating an amount of power being transferred to the heating device; and detecting a failure of the device by: detecting a failure of the other of the first switching element and the second switching element when the at least one observable event is determined to occur during the first period of time.

2. The detecting step includes: performing control so that, during a second period different from the first period, one of the first switching element and the second switching element is turned off and the other of the first switching element and the second switching element is turned on; determining whether the at least one observable event occurs during the second period of time; and and wherein a failure of the one of the first switching element and the second switching element is detected if the at least one observable event is determined to occur during the second period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising shutting down the heating device upon detection of a fault.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one observable event comprises an increase in temperature of the heating device.

5. measuring the temperature of the heating device before the first period of time; performing said detecting if said measured temperature is below a predetermined threshold; The method of claim 4 further comprising:

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one observable event comprises detecting current flowing from the power source to the heating device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed upon detecting that the device is coupled to a power source.

8. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed upon detection of a decrease in the temperature of the heating apparatus, indicating an end of use of the device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed upon detecting the initiation of use of the device.

10. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause said at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A controller for an aerosol generating device configured, in use, to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A controller according to claim 11; a heating device for heating the aerosol substrate; Power supply and a first switching element for controlling the supply of power from the power source to the heating device; a second switching element for disconnecting the heating device from the power supply; 1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a heating device, a first switching element, and a second switching element, the heating device, the first switching element, and the second switching element being arranged in series between terminals of the power supply.

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