Aerosol generating device, control method thereof, control unit, and storage medium

The aerosol generation device uses a detection unit with a reference resistor and switch to detect suction operations through voltage changes, enhancing precision and reducing complexity and cost.

JP2024545930AActive Publication Date: 2024-12-13SHENZHEN MERIT TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024541083
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2022-01-14
Filing Date
2022-12-12
Publication Date
2024-12-13
Estimated Expiration
2042-12-12

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing aerosol generating devices require dedicated sensors to detect user suction operations, increasing complexity and cost.

Method used

An aerosol generation device with a detection unit comprising a reference resistor and detection switch, which determines suction operations based on voltage changes across these components, allowing precise detection without additional sensors.

Benefits of technology

Accurately detects suction operations with high precision and reduces device complexity and cost by eliminating the need for extra sensors.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

The aerosol generating device provides an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, and includes a heating element (110) for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, a power source (120) electrically connected to the heating element (110), a detection unit (130) electrically connected to the heating element (110) and the power source (120), and a control unit (140) for acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit (130) and identifying the inhalation action of the user based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit (130). The aerosol generating device can detect the inhalation action accurately and precisely.
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of atomization technology, and in particular to an aerosol generating device and a control method thereof, a control unit and a storage medium.

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202210044755.6 and entitled "Aerosol generating apparatus and its control method, control unit and storage medium" filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China on January 14, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0003] With the development of atomization technology, aerosol atomization technology has emerged, which uses a heating element to heat an aerosol-forming substrate to realize atomization and generate aerosol. Compared to the aerosol generating device used by sucking, the user inhales the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device by sucking.

[0004] Some aerosol generating devices used for suctioning are all set with a function for recording the number of suctions, which makes it possible to analyze usage habits, determine the remaining amount of aerosol-forming substrate, etc. Currently, sensors are generally used to detect airflow to detect whether a user has performed a suction action, and counting is performed based on the detection result, but it is necessary to add a dedicated sensor to detect the suction action. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to provide an aerosol generating device, a control method thereof, a control unit, and a storage medium that can detect the suction action with high accuracy and precision to address the above technical problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] 1. An aerosol generating device for providing an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate said aerosol; a power source electrically connected to the heating element for outputting electrical energy to the heating element to heat the heating element; a detection unit connected to the heating element and to the power supply; An aerosol generating device comprising: a control unit electrically connected to the detection unit, acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit, and determining a user's inhalation action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0007] In some embodiments, the detection unit is connected between the heating element and the power source, the detection unit including a reference resistor and a detection switch. A first end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the power source, a second end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the first end of the reference resistor, and a control end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the control unit; a second end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the heating element, and the electrical parameter is a voltage across the reference resistor; The control unit obtains a first voltage at a first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage at a second end of the reference resistor, identifies the sucking action according to changes in the first voltage and the second voltage, and further controls the detection switch to turn on / off to realize the detection mode on / off.

[0008] In some embodiments, the control unit calculates a sucking state quantity based on the first voltage and the second voltage, and determines that the sucking action has occurred at the current time when an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold.

[0009] In some embodiments, the amount of state siphoned off is equal to the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage multiplied by the second voltage.

[0010] In some embodiments, the control unit updates the record of the number of swipes when it determines that a further swiping action has occurred.

[0011] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further comprises a power switch; A first end of the power switch is electrically connected to the heating element, a second end of the power switch is electrically connected to the power source, and a control end of the power switch is electrically connected to the control unit; The control unit sends a PWM signal in the heating atomization mode to control the power switch to be turned on / off, and performs switching control to turn on the power switch or the detection switch to realize switching between the heating atomization mode and the detection mode.

[0012] A control method for use in an aerosol generating device, comprising: The aerosol generating device provides an aerosol for a user to inhale, the aerosol generating device including a heating element, a power source, and a detection unit, the heating element heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate the aerosol, and the detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; The control method includes: acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit; and determining a user's sucking activity based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0013] In some embodiments, the detection unit is connected between the heating element and the power source, and includes a reference resistor and a detection switch, a first end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the power source through the detection switch, and a second end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the heating element, and the electrical parameters of the detection unit include a first voltage at the first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage at the second end of the reference resistor; Determining a sucking action of a user based on a change in both ends of the detection unit Calculating a state quantity to be sucked based on the first voltage and the second voltage; determining whether an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at a current time and the sucking state quantity at a sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; If an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value, it is determined that the sucking action has occurred at the current time.

[0014] In some embodiments, the amount of state siphoned off is equal to the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage multiplied by the second voltage.

[0015] In some embodiments, the control method further includes updating a record of the number of sippings upon determining that the sipping action has occurred.

[0016] A control unit for use in an aerosol generating device, comprising: The aerosol generating device provides an aerosol for a user to inhale, the aerosol generating device including a heating element, a power source, and a detection unit, the heating element heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate the aerosol, and the detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; The control unit a parameter acquisition module for acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit; and a sucking action determination module for determining a user's sucking action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0017] 1. An aerosol generating device for providing an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate said aerosol; a power source electrically connected to the heating element for outputting electrical energy to the heating element to heat the heating element; a detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; a controller including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program; When the processor executes the computer program, obtaining a voltage across the detection unit; The aerosol generating device further comprises a step of determining a user's inhalation action based on a change in both ends of the detection unit.

[0018] 1. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: A computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium; When the processor executes the computer program, obtaining a voltage across the detection unit; A step of determining a user's sucking action based on the change across the detection unit is performed. Effect of the Invention

[0019] The above aerosol generating device and its control method, control unit and storage medium are provided, the detection unit is electrically connected to a power source and a heating element, the heating element has an increased resistance value when its temperature rises, and the electrical parameters of the detection unit electrically connected thereto change, the heating element has a stable heating temperature and a stable resistance value as the heating element heats up over time, and when the aerosol generating device is sucked by a user, the heat accumulated in the heating element decreases and the resistance value of the heating element also decreases, so that it is possible to determine whether the user has performed a sucking action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit, thereby enabling the sucking action to be detected accurately and precisely, realizing an accurate counting of the number of sucks, and low cost. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly describes the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can further obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts. [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an aerosol generating device in one embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit configuration of an aerosol generating device in another embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a circuit configuration of an aerosol generating device in another embodiment of the present application. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a control method used in an aerosol generating device in one embodiment of the present application. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit used in the aerosol generating device in one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an aerosol generating device in one embodiment of the present application. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol generating device in another embodiment according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] To facilitate the understanding of this application, a more complete description of this application will be made with reference to the associated drawings. Examples of the application are illustrated in the drawings. However, this application may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the examples set forth herein. Rather, these examples are provided so that this application will be thorough and complete.

[0022] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0023] As will be appreciated, terms such as "first", "second", etc., used in this application may be used herein to describe various features, but these features are not limited by these terms. These terms only distinguish between different features.

[0024] When an element is said to be "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected to the other element, or may be connected to the other element via an intervening element. In the following examples, "connection" means "electrically connected" or "communicatively connected" when electrical signals or data are exchanged between the connected objects.

[0025] As used herein, the singular forms "one," "one," and "said" may include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that terms such as "comprising" or "having" specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or groups thereof, but do not exclude the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or groups thereof. Also, as used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0026] 1, in an embodiment of the present application, an aerosol generating device is provided, which provides an aerosol to be inhaled by a user, and the aerosol generating device includes a heating element 110, a power source 120, a detection unit 130 and a control unit 140.

[0027] In addition, the heating element 110 heats the aerosol-forming substrate to generate an aerosol, the power source 120 is electrically connected to the heating element 110 and is used to output electrical energy to the heating element 110 to heat the heating element 110, the detection unit 130 is electrically connected to the heating element 110 and the power source 120, and the control unit 140 is electrically connected to the detection unit 130 and is used to obtain electrical parameters of the detection unit 130 and identify the user's inhalation action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit 130.

[0028] The detection unit 130 is electrically connected to the power source 120 and the heating element 110. When the temperature of the heating element 110 increases, the resistance value of the heating element 110 also increases, and the electrical parameters of the detection unit 130 electrically connected thereto change. As the heating element 110 heats up, the heating temperature becomes stable, and the resistance value of the heating element 110 also becomes stable. When the aerosol generating device is sucked by the user, the heat accumulated in the heating element 110 decreases, and the resistance value of the heating element 110 also decreases. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether the user has sucked based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit 130, and thus the sucking action can be detected with high accuracy.

[0029] In one embodiment, the electrical parameters of the detection unit 130 may be resistance, voltage across it, power, current, etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the voltage across the detection unit 130 is taken as an example.

[0030] In one embodiment, the control unit 140 can control the heating temperature of the heating element 110 by controlling the power output by the power source 120 to the heating element 110 or the duration of the power output, thereby maintaining the heating element 110 at a temperature that allows stable atomization to produce an aerosol. As can be appreciated, the power source 120 can also provide power to the heating unit through another connection path to the heating element 110, if there is one and detection is not required.

[0031] The resistance of the heating element 110 may change with temperature, and when the temperature increases, the resistance of the heating element 110 also increases. The control unit 140 can limit the time when the detection unit 130 is energized to prevent the resistance of the detection unit 130 from changing. Based on the principle of voltage division, the change in the voltage across the detection unit 130 can reflect the temperature change of the heating element 110, and when the temperature changes suddenly, it can be determined that the user has performed a sucking action on the aerosol generating device.

[0032] In addition, in FIG. 1, the specific form of the detection unit 130 electrically connected to the heating element 110 and the power source 120 is that the detection unit 130 is connected between the heating element 110 and the power source 120. In this case, the voltage at one end of the detection unit 130 connected to the power source 120 indicates the magnitude of the voltage of the power source 120, and the voltage at one end of the detection unit 130 connected to the heating element 110 depends on the resistance value of the heating element 110 and the resistance value of the detection unit 130. In some other embodiments, the form of the detection unit 130 electrically connected to the heating element 110 and the power source 120 may be that the heating element 110 is connected between the detection unit 130 and the power source 120. In this case, although the form of electrical connection is different, the voltage at both ends of the detection unit 130 still depends on the magnitude of the voltage of the power source 120, the resistance value of the heating element 110, and the resistance value of the detection unit 130. As can be understood, the heating element 110 and the detection unit 130 can adopt other connection forms that can further configure a voltage division structure.

[0033] In the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, the detection unit 130 is electrically connected to the power source 120 and the heating element 110. As the heating time passes, the heating temperature of the heating element 110 becomes stable, so the temperature of the heating element 110 also becomes stable. When the aerosol generating device is sucked by the user, the heat accumulated in the heating element 110 decreases, and the resistance value of the heating element 110 also decreases. Therefore, based on the change in the voltage across the detection unit 130, it can be determined whether the user has performed a sucking action, so that the sucking action can be detected accurately and precisely, and the number of sucks can be accurately counted. In addition, adding a sensor increases the cost of the aerosol generating device and makes the circuit design more complicated, but in the embodiment of the present application, the detection unit 130 is simply installed between the heating element 110 and the power source 120 to realize the identification of the sucking action, and the circuit design is simple, and at the same time, the cost of the aerosol generating device can be reduced.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the detection unit 130 is connected between the heating element 110 and the power source 120. The detection unit 130 includes a reference resistor RS and a detection switch Q1. In addition, a first end of the detection switch Q1 is electrically connected to the power source, a second end of the detection switch Q1 is electrically connected to the first end of the reference resistor RS, a control end of the detection switch Q1 is electrically connected to the control unit 140, and a second end of the reference resistor RS is electrically connected to the heating element 110. The control unit 140 is used to obtain a first voltage V1 at the first end of the reference resistor RS and a second voltage V2 at the second end of the reference resistor RS, and identify a sucking operation according to the changes of the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, and the control unit 140 is further used to control the on / off of the detection switch Q1 to realize the on / off of the detection mode.

[0035] In addition, the voltage output by the power supply 120 is VS. In this embodiment, the electrical parameters of the detection unit 130 include the voltage across the reference resistor RS. When it is necessary to perform detection, the control unit 140 controls the detection switch Q1 to be turned on, and at this time, the power supply 120 provides electrical energy to the reference resistor RS and the heating element 110 connected in series. In this process, the control unit 140 obtains the voltage across the reference resistor RS, that is, the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, and the first voltage V1 is the output voltage of the power supply 120, so that the first voltage V1 is maintained within a relatively stable voltage range, but the second voltage V2 is affected by the change in the resistance value of the heating element 110. When no abnormality occurs in the first voltage V1, the second voltage V2 can indicate the resistance value of the heating element 110. Therefore, it is possible to identify whether the sucking action occurs according to the change in the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2. In one embodiment, the control unit 140 obtains multiple groups of the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 in a detection mode, removes the maximum and minimum values ​​of the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, and then takes the average values, and finally uses the average values ​​of the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 to determine whether a sucking action has occurred, thereby further reducing the detection error and improving the accuracy of identification.

[0036] In one embodiment, the difference between the internal resistance of the detection switch Q1 and the resistance level of the heating element 110 is not large. The detection switch Q1, the reference resistor RS and the heating element form a series voltage divider, and when the resistance value of the heating element 110 changes, the first voltage V1 also changes suddenly, and at this time, when the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 are used together to identify the sucking operation, the accuracy of the identification can still be guaranteed.

[0037] When the detection mode needs to be turned off, the control unit 140 controls the detection switch Q1 to be turned off, disconnecting the branch circuit in which the reference resistor RS is located, and at this time the power supply 120 supplies power to the heating element 110 via the other branch circuit.

[0038] In one embodiment, the detection switch Q1 can be an electronic switch such as a transistor, a MOS field effect transistor, or an IGBT.

[0039] In one embodiment, the electrical parameter of the detection unit 130 may further be the resistance value of the reference resistor RS, the power of the reference resistor RS, or the current through the reference resistor RS.

[0040] In one embodiment, the control unit 140 controls the detection switch Q1 to be turned on for a preset time based on a preset period, and controls the detection switch Q1 to be turned off when the on-time of the detection switch Q1 reaches the preset time. The control unit 140 obtains the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 when the detection switch Q1 is turned on. Exemplarily, the preset period may be 10 ms, and the preset time may be 250 μs.

[0041] In one embodiment, the control unit 140 is used to calculate a sucking state quantity based on the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, and determine that a sucking operation has occurred when the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold.

[0042] The sucking state quantity is a physical quantity indicating the change in the voltage across the reference resistor RS. The preset threshold is a reference value reflecting the change in the voltage across the reference resistor RS when the sucking operation does not occur and the heating element 110 is in a heating state. If the sucking operation is directly determined based on the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, there may be a large error, and there may be an abnormal change in the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 due to the influence of the electric quantity of the power source 120 or other causes. Therefore, the sucking state quantity is calculated based on the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, and the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking time immediately before the current time is calculated. If the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity is greater than the preset threshold, it can be determined that the sucking operation has occurred at the current time. For example, the sucking state quantity may be the difference between the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2, or the rate of change of the difference between the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2. As can be understood, the current time and the sucking time immediately before the current time are two consecutive detection times, and do not necessarily have to be temporally consecutive. For example, the preset threshold value may be 0.08.

[0043] In one embodiment, the state quantity to be sucked is equal to the product of the difference between the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 and the second voltage V2. For example, if the state quantity to be sucked is K, then K=V2(V1-V2).

[0044] Table 1 shows, in one embodiment, a case in which the suction state quantity K calculated based on the sampled first voltage V1 and second voltage V2 within one suction period, and the absolute value ΔK of the difference between the suction state quantities at two adjacent times, change over time. JPEG2024545930000002.jpg108168

[0045] Specifically, when no sucking action occurs, ΔK is stable at a value equal to or less than one preset reference value, for example, 0.01. Also, after one sucking action occurs, the resistance value of the heating element gradually rises with heating and returns to a steady state value, and in this process, ΔK may remain higher than the preset reference value. Therefore, after determining that a sucking action occurs, it is necessary to determine that a sucking action occurs again after identifying that ΔK is lower than the preset reference value and rises again until it exceeds the preset threshold. For example, in Table 1, when t=3, ΔK exceeds the preset threshold value of 0.08, and it is determined that a sucking action occurs at this time. However, when t=4, ΔK is still greater than the preset threshold value of 0.08, and at this time, the resistance value of the heating element changes continuously, and it is not determined that a sucking action occurs a second time, but after the time of t=7, when it is determined that ΔK exceeds the preset threshold value of 0.08 again, it is determined that a sucking action occurs again.

[0046] In one embodiment, the control unit 140 is used to update the record of the number of sucks if it determines that an additional sucking action has occurred.

[0047] When the control unit 140 determines that a suction action has occurred, it adds 1 to the number of suctions and updates the record of the number of suctions.

[0048] 3, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating device further includes a power switch Q2. A first end of the power switch Q2 is connected to the heating element 110, a second end of the power switch Q2 is electrically connected to the power source 120, and a control end of the power switch Q2 is electrically connected to the control unit 140. The control unit 140 is used to send a PWM signal to control the on / off of the power switch Q2 in the heating atomization mode, and further controls the power switch Q2 or the detection switch Q1 to be switched on, thereby realizing the switching between the heating atomization mode and the detection mode.

[0049] The control unit 140 can control the power switch Q2 to be turned on / off by sending a PWM signal, thereby realizing the power control of the heating element 110, that is, realizing the temperature control of the heating element 110. When the aerosol generating device is turned on or triggered to be heated, the control unit 140 outputs a PWM signal to the power switch Q2 to control its on / off, thereby adjusting the power output to the heating element 110 to realize the temperature control. Specifically, the temperature control can be controlled according to a preset temperature curve. When it is necessary to switch to the detection mode and detect the sucking action, the control unit 140 controls the power switch Q2 to be turned off and the detection switch Q1 to be turned on. After the detection is completed, the control unit 140 controls the detection switch Q1 to be turned off, and continues to generate a PWM signal to control the operation of the power switch Q2.

[0050] This embodiment can flexibly switch between the detection mode and the heating atomization mode, and avoids the detection from affecting the normal operation of the aerosol generating device.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4, the embodiment of the present application further provides a control method for an aerosol generating device. The control method is applied to a control unit of an aerosol generating device as an example, and includes: In step 410, obtaining electrical parameters of the detection unit; In step 420, determining a user's sucking action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0052] In one embodiment, the detection unit is connected between the heating element and the power source, the detection unit includes a reference resistor and a detection switch, a first end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the power source via the detection switch, and a second end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the heating element, and the voltage across the detection unit includes a first voltage at the first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage at the second end of the reference resistor.

[0053] In one embodiment, the step of determining a sucking action of a user in response to a change (such as a change in voltage) across the detection unit includes: Calculating a state quantity to be sucked based on the first voltage and the second voltage; Determining whether or not an absolute value of a difference between a sucking state quantity at a current time and a sucking state quantity at a sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; If the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value, it is determined that a sucking action has occurred at the current time.

[0054] In one embodiment, the amount of state to be siphoned off is equal to the product of the difference between the first and second voltages and the second voltage.

[0055] In one embodiment, the control method further comprises: When it is determined that a sucking action has occurred, the process includes updating the record of the number of sucks.

[0056] For specific limitations on the control method used in the aerosol generating device, please refer to the limitations on the aerosol generating device described above, and they will not be repeated here.

[0057] Although the steps in the flow chart of FIG. 4 are shown sequentially as indicated by the arrows, it should be understood that the steps do not necessarily have to be performed sequentially in the order indicated by the arrows. The performance of the steps is not limited to a strict order unless expressly stated herein, and the steps may be performed in other orders. Furthermore, at least some of the steps of FIG. 4 may include multiple steps or multiple stages, and the steps or stages may not necessarily be performed at the same time but may be performed at different times, and the steps or stages may not necessarily be performed sequentially but may be performed in sequence or alternating with other steps or at least some of the steps or stages of the other steps.

[0058] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, there is provided a control unit 500 for use in an aerosol generating device, the control unit comprising: an acquisition module 510 for acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit; and a sucking action determination module 520 for determining a user's sucking action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0059] In one embodiment, the sucking action determination module 520 is a calculation unit for calculating a state quantity to be sucked based on the first voltage and the second voltage; a judgment unit for judging whether an absolute value of a difference between a sucking state quantity at a current time and a sucking state quantity at a sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; The device includes a sucking action determination unit for determining that a sucking action has occurred at the current time when the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value.

[0060] In one embodiment, the control unit further comprises: A counting module is included for updating a record of the number of sucks upon determining that a sucking action has occurred.

[0061] For specific limitations on the control unit used in the aerosol generating device, please refer to the limitations on the aerosol generating device described above, and they will not be repeated here. Each module in the control unit can be realized in whole or in part by software, hardware, and a combination thereof. Each module may be integrated into a processor in a computer device in the form of hardware, or may be independent, or may be stored in a memory in a computer device in the form of software, so that the processor can call and execute the operations corresponding to each module. Please note that the division into modules in the embodiments of the present application is schematic and merely a division of logical functions, and there may be other division methods when actually implemented.

[0062] In one embodiment, there is provided an aerosol generating device configured to provide an aerosol for inhalation by a user, the aerosol generating device comprising: a heating element adapted to heat an aerosol-forming substrate to generate said aerosol; a power source electrically connected to the heating element; a detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; a controller including a memory and a processor; A computer program is stored in the memory, and the following steps are performed when the processor executes the computer program: Obtaining electrical parameters of the detection unit; The sucking action of the user is determined based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0063] In one embodiment, the following steps are further performed when the processor executes the computer program: Calculating a state quantity to be absorbed based on the first voltage and the second voltage; determining whether or not an absolute value of a difference between the state quantity to be sucked at the current time and the state quantity to be sucked at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; If the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold, it is determined that a sucking action has occurred at the current time.

[0064] In one embodiment, the following steps are further performed when the processor executes the computer program: When it is determined that a sucking action has occurred, the record of the number of sucking actions is updated.

[0065] In one embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, the computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program performing the following steps when executed by a processor: Obtaining electrical parameters of the detection unit; The sucking action of the user is determined based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

[0066] In one embodiment, the computer program further comprises the steps of: Calculating a state quantity to be sucked based on the first voltage and the second voltage; determining whether or not an absolute value of a difference between the state quantity to be sucked at the current time and the state quantity to be sucked at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; If the absolute value of the difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold, it is determined that a sucking action has occurred at the current time.

[0067] In one embodiment, the computer program further comprises the steps of: When it is determined that a sucking action has occurred, the record of the number of sucking actions is updated.

[0068] As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the implementation of all or part of the flow of the method of the above embodiments can be completed by instructing relevant hardware by a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when the computer program is executed, the flow of each of the above method embodiments can be included. Here, any reference to memory, storage, database, or other medium used in each embodiment provided in the present application can include at least one of non-volatile and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include Read-Only Memory (ROM), tape, flexible disk, flash memory, optical memory, etc. Volatile memory can include Random Access Memory (RAM) or external cache memory. These are for illustrative purposes only and are not limited, and RAM can be in various forms, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) or Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), etc.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a heated, non-combustible electronic cigarette, and the aerosol-forming substrate may be a solid aerosol-forming substrate 200, which is inserted into the aerosol generating device and heated to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 7, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating device can perform nebulization using a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a liquid storage cavity 150 for containing the aerosol-forming substrate is provided within the aerosol generating device, and a heating element is used to heat the aerosol-forming substrate in the liquid storage cavity to generate an aerosol for inhalation by a user.

[0071] In the description of this specification, the words "some embodiments," "other embodiments," "ideal embodiments," and the like mean that the particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described with reference to an embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, general descriptions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0072] The technical features of the embodiments described above can be combined in any manner, and for the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the embodiments described above have been described; however, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope described in this specification.

[0073] The above examples merely illustrate some embodiments of the present application so that the technical solution of the present invention can be specifically and in detail understood, and should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art can make some modifications and improvements within the scope of the present application without departing from the idea of ​​the present application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present invention shall be subject to the scope of the attached claims.

Claims

1. 1. An aerosol generating device for providing an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate said aerosol; a power source electrically connected to the heating element for outputting electrical energy to the heating element to heat the heating element; a detection unit connected to the heating element and to the power supply; An aerosol generating device comprising: a control unit electrically connected to the detection unit, acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit, and determining a user's inhalation action based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit.

2. The detection unit is connected between the heating element and the power source to divide the voltage of the heating element, and includes a reference resistor and a detection switch; A first end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the power source, a second end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the first end of the reference resistor, and a control end of the detection switch is electrically connected to the control unit; a second end of the reference resistor electrically connected to the heating element; the electrical parameter is a voltage across the reference resistor; The control unit obtains a first voltage at a first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage at a second end of the reference resistor, and identifies the wicking operation based on changes in the first voltage and the second voltage; Furthermore, the detection switch is controlled to be turned on / off to realize the detection mode being turned on / off. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit calculates a sucking state quantity based on the first voltage and the second voltage, and determines that the sucking action has occurred at the current time when an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at a sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2 .

4. The amount of state to be absorbed is equal to a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage multiplied by the second voltage. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 .

5. The control unit further updates a record of the number of times the suction has been performed when it is determined that the suction action has occurred. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 .

6. The aerosol generating device further includes a power switch. a first end of the power switch is electrically connected to the heating element, a second end of the power switch is electrically connected to the power source, and a control end of the power switch is electrically connected to the control unit; The control unit sends a PWM signal to control the power switch to be turned on or off in a heating atomization mode; In order to switch between the heating atomization mode and the detection mode, switching control is performed so that the power switch or the detection switch is turned on. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. A control method for use in an aerosol generating device, comprising: The aerosol generating device provides an aerosol for a user to inhale, the aerosol generating device including a heating element, a power source, and a detection unit, the heating element heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate the aerosol, and the detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; The control method includes: acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit; determining a user's sucking activity based on the electrical parameter of the detection unit. Control methods.

8. The detection unit is connected between the heating element and the power source, and includes a reference resistor and a detection switch, a first end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the power source through the detection switch, and a second end of the reference resistor is electrically connected to the heating element, and the electrical parameters of the detection unit include a first voltage at the first end of the reference resistor and a second voltage at the second end of the reference resistor; Determining a sucking action of a user based on a change in both ends of the detection unit Calculating a state quantity to be sucked based on the first voltage and the second voltage; determining whether an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at a current time and the sucking state quantity at a sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; determining that the sucking action has occurred at the current time if an absolute value of a difference between the sucking state quantity at the current time and the sucking state quantity at the sucking time immediately before the current time is greater than a preset threshold value; The control method according to claim 7.

9. The amount of state to be absorbed is equal to a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage multiplied by the second voltage. The control method according to claim 8.

10. The control method further includes updating a record of the number of times of suction when it is determined that the suction action has occurred. The control method according to claim 8.

11. A control unit for use in an aerosol generating device, comprising: The aerosol generating device provides an aerosol for a user to inhale, the aerosol generating device including a heating element, a power source, and a detection unit, the heating element heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate the aerosol, and the detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; The control unit a parameter acquisition module for acquiring electrical parameters of the detection unit; and a sucking action determination module for determining a sucking action of a user based on the electrical parameters of the detection unit. Control unit.

12. 1. An aerosol generating device for providing an aerosol for inhalation by a user, comprising: a heating element for heating an aerosol-forming substrate to generate said aerosol; a power source electrically connected to the heating element for outputting electrical energy to the heating element to heat the heating element; a detection unit electrically connected to the heating element and the power source; a controller including a memory and a processor, the memory storing a computer program; When the processor executes the computer program, The steps of the method according to any one of claims 7 to 10 are carried out, Aerosol generating device.

13. 1. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising: A computer program is stored in the computer-readable storage medium; When the processor executes the computer program, The steps of the method according to any one of claims 7 to 10 are carried out, A computer-readable storage medium.

Citation Information

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