Aerosol generating device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

The aerosol generating device of the present invention includes a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, and the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a method of operation thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for methods of generating aerosol by heating an aerosol generating material, rather than a method of generating aerosol by burning a cigarette. As a result, research into heated aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The most important core function of an aerosol generating device is to heat the aerosol product or to control the temperature of the aerosol product.

[0004] Conventional aerosol generators heat the aerosol product regardless of the actual heating level or temperature of the aerosol product. For example, in an induction heating type aerosol generator, the temperature of a susceptor constituting a heater is measured directly or indirectly, and the temperature of the aerosol product is inferred based on the measured susceptor temperature, thereby controlling the heating of the aerosol product.

[0005] The aerosol generating device of the present invention is intended to provide a user with an even smoking experience by measuring the concentration of a specific gas that is generated when the aerosol product is heated, and controlling the heating of the aerosol product based on the measured concentration of the specific gas.

[0006] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a technical means for solving the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention can provide an aerosol generating device including a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, wherein the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The aerosol generating device of the present invention can sense the concentration of a specific gas generated when an aerosol product is heated. Also, the aerosol product can be identified based on the concentration of the sensed specific gas. Also, based on the concentration of the sensed specific gas, any one of a plurality of temperature profiles can be determined. Also, by fine-tuning the determined temperature profile based on the sensed gas concentration value, a uniform smoking sensation can be provided to the user. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing some components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of air movement due to a user's puffing action in the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining a temperature profile according to one embodiment. [Figure 6]1 is a graph showing a temperature profile of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing a temperature profile of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a flow chart illustrating a method for adjusting a temperature profile according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The aerosol generating device of the present invention has the following embodiments.

[0011] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, and the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

[0012] A method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a step of initiating a heating operation of a heater that heats an aerosol product, a step of sensing a concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generating device, and a step of determining one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value.

[0013] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention, but this may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of the engineers in the field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings of the terms are described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0014] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean excluding other components, but may further include other components, unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Furthermore, the terms "... unit" and "... module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and it is realized by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

[0015] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an element in a sequence, it modifies the entire element and not each individual member of the sequence. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0016] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the interior space.

[0017] The aerosol generating device includes a heater, which in one embodiment is an electrically resistive heater, for example the heater may include a conductive track, and when a current flows through the conductive track the heater can be heated.

[0018] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0019] Cigarettes include tobacco rods and filter rods. Tobacco rods can be made in sheets or strands, and the tobacco sheets can be made from shredded tobacco. The tobacco rods are also surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material can be a metal foil, such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto.

[0020] The filter rod is also a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment for cooling the aerosol and a second segment for filtering a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

[0021] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

[0022] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the body or assembled thereto and fixed so as not to be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

[0023] The cartridge holds an aerosol generating material having any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, a gel state, etc. The aerosol generating material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material.

[0024] The cartridge is operated by an electric signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, and can convert the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material and air are mixed together.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may be transmitted through the cigarette to the user, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage may be configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0026] In still another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method, which means a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

[0027] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator and can atomize the aerosol generating material by generating short-period vibrations through the vibrator. The vibrations generated by the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is about 100 kHz to 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick for absorbing the aerosol generating substance. For example, the wick may be positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0029] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer can be transferred to the aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick can be converted to a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0030] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed into the core is reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced-viscosity aerosol-generating substance is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0031] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0032] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil applies a magnetic field to the susceptor. A magnetic field can be formed inside the coil by supplying power from the aerosol generating device to the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field. The susceptor is located inside the coil and generates heat in response to the application of a magnetic field, thereby heating the aerosol product. Alternatively, the susceptor can be located within the aerosol product.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

[0034] The aerosol generating device may be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0035] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in the aerosol generating device according to the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment includes a housing 10 into which an aerosol production article 20 is inserted.

[0039] The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10, and includes an internal space (or "arrangement space") in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 are arranged. In Fig. 1, an embodiment in which the cross section of the housing 100 is formed into a generally semicircular shape is shown, but the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment (not shown), the housing 100 may be formed into a generally cylindrical shape or a polygonal prism shape (e.g., a triangular prism shape or a quadrangular prism shape).

[0040] Arranged within the internal space of the housing 100 are components for heating the aerosol production product 20 inserted into the housing 100 to generate an aerosol, and components for detecting the user's puffing action, and detailed descriptions of these will be provided below.

[0041] The housing 100 includes an opening 100h through which the aerosol product article 20 is inserted into the interior of the housing 100. At least a portion of the aerosol product article 20 may be inserted or housed within the housing 100 through the opening 100h.

[0042] The aerosol production product 20 inserted or housed inside the housing 100 may be heated inside the housing 100, resulting in the generation of aerosol. The aerosol generated inside the housing 100 is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 through the space between the inserted aerosol production product 20 and / or the aerosol production product 20 and the opening 100h, and the user may inhale the discharged aerosol.

[0043] The aerosol generating device 10 may further include a display D on which visual information is displayed.

[0044] The display D is arranged so that at least a portion of the display D is exposed to the outside of the housing 100, and the aerosol generating device 10 can provide a variety of visual information to the user through the display D.

[0045] For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may provide information regarding whether or not a puffing action has been performed by a user and / or information regarding the number of remaining puffs of the inserted aerosol product 20 through the display D. In addition, the aerosol generating device 10 may provide information regarding an identified aerosol product through the display D. However, this is merely an example, and the information provided through the display D is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0046] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line AA' of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG.

[0047] 2, an aerosol generating device 10 (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment includes a housing 100 (eg, the housing 100 of FIG. 1), a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, and sensors 401, 402.

[0048] The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and includes an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 are disposed. For example, but not limited to, the heater assembly 200, the airflow passage 300, and the sensors 401 and 402 are disposed in the internal space of the housing 100.

[0049] The housing 100 includes an opening 100h, and at least a portion of the aerosol product 20 can be inserted (or received) inside the housing 100 through the opening 100h. Although the drawings show an embodiment in which the opening 100h is formed in one region of the housing 100 toward the +z direction, the arrangement of the opening 100h is not limited to the embodiment shown.

[0050] The heater assembly 200 is located in the interior space of the housing 100 and heats the aerosol producing article 20 inserted into the interior of the housing 100 through the opening 100h to generate an aerosol.

[0051] The heater assembly 200 includes an accommodation space 200i for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol production product 20 inserted into the housing 100 through the opening 100h, and a heater (not shown) for generating heat when power is supplied. At least a region of the aerosol production product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i is heated by the heater, and vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol production product 20 are mixed with air flowing into the internal space of the housing 100 through the opening 100h to generate an aerosol.

[0052] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include an induction heater. For example, the heater may include a coil (or a "conductive coil") that generates an alternating magnetic field when power is supplied thereto, and a susceptor that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The susceptor is disposed to surround at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 20 inserted inside the housing 100, and can heat the inserted aerosol product 20.

[0053] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a film heater disposed to surround at least a portion of an outer periphery of the aerosol product article 20 inserted inside the housing 100. The film heater includes conductive tracks such that passing an electric current through the conductive tracks causes the film heater to generate heat and heat the aerosol product article 20 inserted inside the housing 100.

[0054] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include at least one of a needle heater, a rod heater, and a tubular heater that heats the inside of the aerosol product product 20 inserted into the housing 100. The heater described above can be inserted into at least one region of the aerosol product product 20, for example, to heat the inside of the aerosol product product 20.

[0055] The heater is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the embodiment of the heater can be changed as long as it can heat the aerosol product 20 to a designated temperature. In the present invention, the "designated temperature" means a temperature at which the aerosol generating material contained in the aerosol product 20 is heated to generate an aerosol. The designated temperature is a temperature that is already set in the aerosol generation device 10, but the temperature can be changed depending on the type of the aerosol generation device 10 and / or a user operation.

[0056] The airflow passage 300 is located between the housing 100 and the heater assembly 200 in the internal space of the housing 100, and can fluidly communicate (or connect) the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 with the accommodating space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

[0057] The airflow passage 300 may be disposed to connect an air inlet 300i formed in one region (e.g., one region in the +z direction) of the housing 100 to an air outlet 300e formed in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 while being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200. For example, the airflow passage 300 may be formed in a substantially U-shape while being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200 and disposed to surround the heater assembly 200, but the shape of the airflow passage 300 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0058] The above-mentioned arrangement structure of the air flow passage 300 provides fluid communication between the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 and the inside of the storage space 200i, so that air outside the aerosol generation device 10 (hereinafter referred to as "outside air") flows into the inside of the air flow passage 300 through the air inlet 300i, then moves along the air flow passage 300 and moves into the inside of the storage space 200i through the air outlet 300e.

[0059] The airflow passage 300 is positioned to be separated from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 by a specified distance d, so that the temperature and / or pressure of the airflow passage 300 is not affected by the heat generated by the heater of the heater assembly 200.

[0060] The first sensor 401 may be disposed adjacent to the airflow passage 300 at a designated distance d from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200. The first sensor 401 may detect a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action in order to detect a user's puffing action.

[0061] The first sensor 401 may include a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure change, and may detect a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action through the pressure sensor. As another example, the first sensor 401 may include a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature change, and may detect a temperature change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action through the temperature sensor.

[0062] The first sensor 401 includes both a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, and is also capable of detecting both pressure and temperature changes in the airflow passage 300 due to the user's puffing action.

[0063] The second sensor 402 may be disposed in the accommodation space of the heater assembly 200. The second sensor 402 may be disposed in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly at a certain distance from the aerosol production product 20. The aerosol production product 20 is heated by the heater assembly 200 to generate an aerosol, and the second sensor 402 may be disposed in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly to sense the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol. The arrangement of the second sensor 402 is not limited to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4, and the second sensor 402 may be disposed anywhere inside the aerosol generating device as long as it is a position where the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generated in the aerosol production product 20 can be sensed.

[0064] The aerosol generating device 10 may further include a control unit 410 and a battery 420.

[0065] The control unit 410 can generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. In one example, the control unit 410 can be electrically or operatively coupled to the heater of the heater assembly 200 and control the operation of the heater.

[0066] The control unit 410 is electrically or operatively connected to the first sensor 401 and can detect a user's puffing action based on a pressure change or a temperature change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401 .

[0067] In the present invention, the expression "operatively connected" means a state in which components are connected to exchange signals via wireless communication, optical signals and / or magnetic signals, etc., and this expression will be used in the same sense hereinafter.

[0068] The control unit 410 is electrically or operatively connected to the second sensor 402 and can control the operation of the heater assembly 200 based on the concentration of a specific gas sensed by the second sensor 402 .

[0069] The controller 410 may be disposed or mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) located in the internal space of the housing 100, and may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater and / or the first sensor 401 through an electrical connection member (e.g., a cable, a C-clip, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), etc.) that connects the printed circuit board to the heater and / or the first sensor 401 of the heater assembly 200. However, the arrangement and structure of the controller 410 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the arrangement and structure of the controller 410 may be changed depending on the embodiment.

[0070] The battery 420 can supply power required for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the battery 420 can supply power to a heater of the heater assembly 200 to heat the heater. As another example, the battery 420 can supply power required for the operation of the control unit 410 or supply power required for the operation of the first sensor 401 and the second sensor 402.

[0071] Hereinafter, with reference to Figs. 3 and 4, a specific configuration of the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generation device 10 and air movement caused by a user's puffing action will be specifically described.

[0072] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment, specifically showing the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG.

[0073] 3, the aerosol generating device 10 according to the embodiment includes a housing 100, a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, a first sensor 401, and a second sensor 402. At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 according to the embodiment is the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0074] The heater assembly 200 is located in the internal space of the housing 100 and includes a storage space 200i for accommodating an aerosol product 20 inserted into the internal space of the housing 100 through the opening 100h, and a heater 210 for heating the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the storage space 200i.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the heater 210 includes a coil 211 and a susceptor 212, and can heat at least a region of the aerosol product 20 contained in the containing space 200i by induction heating.

[0076] The coil 211 is disposed so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor 212, and is supplied with power from a battery (for example, the battery 420 in FIG. 2) to generate an alternating magnetic field.

[0077] The susceptor 212 is disposed so as to surround at least a part of the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i, and can heat the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i. For example, the susceptor 212 can heat the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i by generating heat due to an alternating magnetic field generated by the coil 211.

[0078] However, the embodiments of the heater 210 are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and depending on the embodiment, the heater 210 may also include an electrical resistance heater that heats the inside and / or outside of the aerosol product 20 contained in the storage space 200i.

[0079] The heater assembly 200 may further include a thermal insulation structure 220 for enclosing the heater 210 .

[0080] The insulating structure 220 is arranged to surround the heater 210 to seal the heater 210 and prevent droplets generated during the aerosol generation process through the heater 210 from escaping to the outside of the heater assembly 200, thereby preventing the components of the aerosol generating device 10 from malfunctioning or being damaged by the droplets.

[0081] In addition, the insulating structure 220 seals the heater 210 and prevents the heat generated by the heater 210 from being transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the housing 100, thereby preventing high temperature heat from being transferred to the body (e.g., the palm) of the user holding the housing 100 even when the temperature of the heater 210 is maintained at a high temperature.

[0082] The heat insulating structure 220 includes a first structure 221 disposed so as to surround one region (e.g., a lower end region and a side region) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210, and a second structure 222 located at the upper end of the first structure 221 and covering another region (e.g., an upper end region) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210. The heater 210 is located in an internal space formed by the first structure 221 and the second structure 222, and the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 can enclose the heater 210 located in the internal space.

[0083] The second structure 222 may be coupled to at least a region of an upper end of the first structure 221, but is not limited to such. In other embodiments (not shown), the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 may be integrally formed.

[0084] The air flow passage 300 is arranged, separated from the heater assembly 200, to fluidly connect the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 to the storage space 200i of the heater assembly 200, and can operate as a flow path for outside air to flow into the storage space 200i.

[0085] The airflow passage 300 may be disposed to connect an air inlet 300i formed in one region of the housing 100 to an air outlet 300e formed in the accommodating space 200i of the heater assembly 200. In this case, the air outlet 300e is formed to penetrate at least one region of the heater assembly 200, and the inside of the accommodating space 200i is connected to the airflow passage 300.

[0086] The outside air is introduced into the accommodation space 200i through the air flow passage 300. The outside air introduced into the accommodation space 200i is mixed with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol product 20 by the heater 210, and as a result, an aerosol is generated.

[0087] The first sensor 401 is disposed adjacent to the airflow passage 300 and can detect a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300. For example, the first sensor 401 is disposed in a passage that branches away from the heater assembly 200 at one point of the airflow passage 300 and detects a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action, but the arrangement of the first sensor 401 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0088] The first sensor 401 includes a pressure sensor and detects a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 caused by a user's puffing action, but is not limited thereto. As another example, the first sensor 401 may include a temperature sensor and detect a temperature change in the airflow passage 300 caused by a user's puffing action.

[0089] Information regarding the amount of temperature change or pressure change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401 is transmitted to a processor (e.g., the control unit 410 of FIG. 2), and the processor can detect whether or not a puffing action has occurred by the user based on the amount of temperature change or pressure change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401.

[0090] The airflow passage 300 may be positioned at a specified distance (e.g., a specified distance d in FIG. 2) from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 so that the temperature and / or pressure inside the airflow passage 300 does not change due to heat generated by the heater 210.

[0091] The second sensor 402 includes a gas sensor sensitive to a specific gas, and is capable of sensing the specific gas component of the aerosol present within the accommodation space 200 i of the heater assembly 200 .

[0092] The gas sensor according to an embodiment is also a semiconductor gas sensor. The gas sensor is an N-type semiconductor gas sensor, and in particular a tin oxide gas sensor. The N-type semiconductor sensor has a reduced electrical resistance in the presence of a reducing gas such as carbon monoxide (CO) or ammonia. The N-type semiconductor sensor has an increased electrical resistance in the presence of an oxidizing gas such as oxygen, nitric oxide (NO) or nitrogen dioxide (NO2). A P-type semiconductor gas sensor may also be used. The P-type semiconductor gas sensor operates in a manner opposite to that of the N-type semiconductor sensor, and therefore has an increased electrical resistance in the presence of a reducing gas and a decreased electrical resistance in the presence of an oxidizing gas. The second sensor 402 can sense the concentration of a specific gas by analyzing the degree of decrease in electrical resistance.

[0093] The gas sensor according to an embodiment is also an optical gas sensor. The optical gas sensor includes a light emitting element that emits light, a light receiving element that receives the light, and an optical waveguide that is located between the light emitting element and the light receiving element and provides a path along which the light travels. The light emitting element emits infrared light. The light receiving element receives infrared light. The light emitted from the light emitting element travels through the optical waveguide and reaches the light receiving element. Each substance in a gaseous state has a property of strongly absorbing light of a specific wavelength. Since the gas present in the optical waveguide strongly absorbs light of a specific wavelength, the optical absorption spectrum sensed by the optical receiving element differs depending on the type of gas present in the optical waveguide. The gas sensor can sense the concentration of a specific gas by analyzing the optical absorption spectrum sensed by the optical receiving element. In one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 forms one surface of the optical waveguide. Specifically, the susceptor 212 that constitutes the heater assembly may also be constructed of a metal and may form one surface of an optical waveguide, providing a path for the light emitted from the light emitting element to travel.

[0094] Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of air movement by a user's puffing action in the aerosol generating device shown in Fig. 3. The aerosol generating device 10 shown in Fig. 4 is substantially the same as or similar to the aerosol generating device 10 in Fig. 3, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4, an aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment can detect pressure changes or temperature changes in the airflow passage 300 through a first sensor 401, and detect a user's puffing action based on the detected pressure changes or temperature changes in the airflow passage 300.

[0096] When a user touches the mouth of the aerosol product 20 to perform a puffing action, a pressure difference occurs between the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the internal space of the housing 100, and external air flows into the inside of the housing 100 through the air inlet 300i. The external air that flows into the inside of the housing 100 moves along the air flow passage 300 and reaches the air outlet 300e, and the external air that reaches the air outlet 300e flows into the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 through the air outlet 300e.

[0097] At this time, the outside air flowing into the accommodation space 200i is mixed with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol product 20 to generate an aerosol, and the user can inhale the aerosol generated in the accommodation space 200i through a puffing action. The second sensor 402 can sense a specific gas of the aerosol present in the accommodation space 200i.

[0098] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for determining a temperature profile according to one embodiment.

[0099] 1 to 5, the control unit 410 can determine a temperature profile for the heater 210. The temperature profile for the heater 210 means a series of information recorded on how to control the temperature of the heater 210 over time. The control unit 410 reads one or more temperature profiles among a plurality of temperature profiles stored in a memory (not shown), and then controls the power supplied to the heater 210 according to the temperature profile. If the power supplied to the heater 210 is appropriately controlled, the flavor of the aerosol generated according to the temperature profile applied to heating the heater 210 may change. For example, a user can feel a soft smoking sensation or a deep smoking sensation according to the temperature profile while smoking with the aerosol generating device.

[0100] A user can insert various kinds of aerosol product 20 into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to an embodiment can identify the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device, determine an optimal temperature profile according to the identification result, and control the operation of the heater 210.

[0101] The different aerosol product products 20 contain different aerosol generating materials. The different aerosol product products 20 also have different composition ratios of the aerosol generating materials. Each type of aerosol product 20 contains a different flavor component.

[0102] The control unit 410 can identify the aerosol product item 20 inserted into the aerosol generation device using a lookup table stored in the memory. The lookup table includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value being associated with data identifying the aerosol product item 20. The lookup table also includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value being associated with a temperature profile. Specifically, the lookup table stored in the memory may include information related to an expected cumulative gas concentration value, which will be described later. The temperature profile includes a plurality of sections. For example, the temperature profile is composed of a preheating section and a smoking section.

[0103] In step S510, the second sensor 402 of the aerosol generating device senses the gas concentration inside the device. Specifically, the second sensor 402 can sense a specific gas component of the aerosol present in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

[0104] In step S520, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device may accumulate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensing value received from the second sensor 402. The first period is a period before the pre-heating period ends. That is, in step S520, an accumulated value of a specific gas component of the aerosol generated by the aerosol product 20 inserted in the aerosol generating device may be calculated for a certain period before the pre-heating period ends.

[0105] In step S530, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device can compare the accumulated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in the memory to identify the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device. The control unit 410 can also compare the accumulated gas concentration with the lookup table stored in the memory to determine one of a plurality of temperature profiles stored in the memory. Thus, the control unit 410 can determine an optimal temperature profile suitable for the identified aerosol product 20 and control the operation of the heater.

[0106] 6 and 7 are graphs of temperature profiles of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0107] 6 and 7, the horizontal axis is the time axis, the left vertical axis is the temperature, and the right vertical axis is the cumulative gas concentration.

[0108] Graphs 610 and 710 are heater heating temperature graphs, graphs 620 and 720 are cumulative gas concentration expected values, and graphs 630 and 730 are cumulative gas concentration sensing values.

[0109] The temperature profile includes a plurality of sections. For example, the temperature profile is divided into a pre-heating section and a smoking section, and the section before t1 is the pre-heating section, and the section after t1 is the smoking section.

[0110] In the preheating section, the heater temperature is increased from room temperature to a target temperature Tg1, which is a temperature at which the aerosol generating material is likely to vaporize. After reaching the target temperature Tg1, the heater temperature is decreased by a certain range in the preheating section.

[0111] In the smoking section, a sufficient amount of the aerosol generating material is vaporized from the aerosol product 20 to provide a user with a rich smoking sensation. In the smoking section, the temperature of the heater is decreased in a stepwise manner. For example, the smoking section includes a holding section in which the temperature is held for a certain period of time, and a decreasing section in which the temperature of the heater is decreased by a certain range. In the smoking section, the temperature of the heater is decreased gradually or stepwise by a combination of the holding section and the decreasing section.

[0112] As described above, in one embodiment of the aerosol generating device, the control unit 410 identifies the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device, determines the optimal temperature profile, and controls the operation of the heater.

[0113] The temperature profile is designed based on the concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol. The flavor of the aerosol or the smoking sensation of the aerosol is determined by the concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol. The concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol is determined by the heating state of the aerosol product 20. The concentration of the specific gas capable of conveying the optimal flavor or smoking sensation to the user can be derived through experiments, and an optimal temperature profile can be designed that reflects the heating state of the aerosol product that generates the concentration of the specific gas.

[0114] However, even if the heater temperature is precisely controlled using the temperature profile, the heating state of the aerosol product 20 changes depending on the humidity of the aerosol product 20 and the humidity and temperature conditions outside the aerosol generating device, and the concentration of the specific gas in the actually generated aerosol differs from the concentration of the specific gas under the experimental conditions.

[0115] 6 and 7, graphs 620 and 720 are cumulative gas concentration values ​​(hereinafter, cumulative gas concentration expected values) generated under experimental conditions at the time of designing the temperature profile. That is, the temperature profiles shown in graphs 610 and 710 are temperature profiles designed based on the cumulative gas concentration expected values ​​of graphs 620 and 720, and when the heating state of the aerosol product 20 coincides with graph 620, the user can be provided with an optimal smoking experience. Each of the multiple temperature profiles stored in the memory includes information related to the cumulative gas concentration expected value. Graphs 630 and 730 are cumulative gas concentration values ​​(hereinafter, cumulative gas concentration sensed values) calculated by accumulating values ​​sensed by the second sensor 402 in an actual smoking environment.

[0116] 6 shows that the cumulative gas concentration sensing value is higher than the cumulative gas concentration expected value at time t1. Such a difference may occur when the humidity of the aerosol product 20 is low or the external temperature of the aerosol generating device is high compared to the experimental conditions at the time the temperature profile was designed.

[0117] In order to provide the user with an optimal smoking experience, the temperature profile needs to be fine-tuned as the heating condition of the aerosol production article 20 must match the graph 620 .

[0118] The control unit 410 may fine-tune the determined temperature profile based on the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensing value of the graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 620. Specifically, the control unit 410 needs to further reduce the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20 when the cumulative gas concentration sensing value is higher than the cumulative gas concentration expected value as shown in Fig. 6, i.e., when the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensing value of the graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 620 is a positive number.

[0119] As an embodiment of a method for further reducing the heating degree of the aerosol product 20, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature of the second period (t1 to t2) after the first period to be further lower than the preset target temperature Tg2. As another method, the control unit 410 can adjust the second period after the first period to be further shorter than the preset period by adjusting the time t2 to be brought forward. As another method, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature of the second period after the first period to be further lower than the preset target temperature Tg2 and adjust the second period to be further shorter than the preset period.

[0120] Such fine-tuning of the temperature profile will gradually reduce the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed values ​​of graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected values ​​of graph 620, providing the user with an optimal smoking experience.

[0121] As an alternative embodiment to Figure 6, Figure 7 shows that the cumulative gas concentration sensed value is lower than the cumulative gas concentration expected value at time t1. Such a difference may occur when the humidity of the aerosol product 20 is high or the external temperature of the aerosol generating device is low compared to the experimental conditions at the time the temperature profile was designed.

[0122] Similar to FIG. 6, the temperature profile needs to be fine-tuned since graph 710 showing the heating state of the aerosol product 20 must match graph 720 to provide the user with the optimal smoking experience.

[0123] The control unit 410 may fine-tune the determined temperature profile based on the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensing value of the graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 720. Specifically, the control unit 410 needs to further increase the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20 when the cumulative gas concentration sensing value is lower than the cumulative gas concentration expected value as shown in FIG. 7, i.e., when the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensing value of the graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 720 is a negative number.

[0124] As an embodiment of a method for further increasing the heating degree of the aerosol product 20, the control unit 410 may adjust the target temperature of the second period (t1-t2) after the first period to be higher than the preset target temperature Tg2. As another method, the control unit 410 may adjust the time t2 to be delayed, thereby adjusting the second period after the first period to be longer than the preset period. As another method, the control unit 410 may adjust the target temperature of the second period after the first period to be higher than the preset target temperature Tg2 and adjust the second period to be longer than the preset period.

[0125] By such fine-tuning of the temperature profile, the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed values ​​of graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected values ​​of graph 720 will gradually decrease, providing the user with an optimal smoking experience.

[0126] FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method for adjusting a temperature profile according to one embodiment.

[0127] In step S810, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device may accumulate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensing value received from the second sensor 402. The first period is a period immediately before the end of the pre-heating period. That is, in step S520, an accumulated value of a specific gas component of the aerosol generated by the aerosol product 20 inserted in the aerosol generating device may be calculated for a certain period before the end of the pre-heating period.

[0128] In steps S820 and S830, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device compares the accumulated gas concentration (the accumulated gas concentration sensing value in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) with the accumulated gas expected value stored in the memory. If the comparison result shows that the accumulated gas concentration sensing value and the accumulated gas expected value are not the same, that is, if there is a difference, the control unit 410 fine-tunes the temperature profile based on the difference between the accumulated gas concentration sensing value and the accumulated gas concentration expected value (step S840).

[0129] The method for fine-tuning the temperature profile is the same as that explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0130] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0131] The aerosol generating device 900 includes a control unit 910, a sensing unit 920, an output unit 930, a battery 940, a heater 950, a user input unit 960, a memory 970, and a communication unit 980. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 900 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 9. That is, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to this embodiment can understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 9 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 900.

[0132] The sensing unit 920 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 900 or the state around the aerosol generating device 900, and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 910. The control unit 910 may control the aerosol generating device 900 to perform various functions, such as controlling the operation of the heater 950, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, and displaying notifications, based on the sensed information.

[0133] The sensing portion 920 includes at least one of a temperature sensor 922, an insertion detection sensor 924, a puff sensor 926, and a gas sensor 928, but is not limited to them.

[0134] The temperature sensor 922 can sense the temperature to which the heater 950 (or the aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 900 can include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 950, or the heater 950 itself can function as the temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 922 can be disposed around the battery 940 to monitor the temperature of the battery 940.

[0135] The insertion detection sensor 924 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 924 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product article.

[0136] The puff sensor 926 can sense a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, for example, the puff sensor 926 can sense a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

[0137] The gas sensor 928 can sense the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol present in the aerosol generating device. The gas sensor 928 is a semiconductor gas sensor or an optical gas sensor.

[0138] The sensing unit 920 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (illuminance) sensor, in addition to the above-mentioned sensors 922 to 926. A person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from its name, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0139] The output unit 930 can output information about the state of the aerosol generating device 900 to provide it to a user. The output unit 930 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 932, a haptic unit 934, and an audio output unit 936. When the display unit 932 and the touch pad are layered to form a touch screen, the display unit 932 is used as an input device in addition to the output device.

[0140] The display unit 932 may visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 900 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 900 may refer to various information such as a charge / discharge state of the battery 940 of the aerosol generating device 900, a preheat state of the heater 950, an insertion / removal state of an aerosol product, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 900 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 932 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 932 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. Also, the display unit 932 may be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0141] The haptic unit 934 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and tactilely provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the haptic unit 934 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0142] The acoustic output unit 936 can audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the acoustic output unit 936 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0143] The battery 940 can supply power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 900. The battery 940 can supply power so that the heater 950 is heated. The battery 940 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components (e.g., the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980) included in the aerosol generating device 900. The battery 940 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 940 is a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0144] The heater 950 can heat the aerosol-generating material by receiving power from the battery 940. Although not shown in Fig. 9, the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 940 and supplies the converted power to the heater 950. When the aerosol generating device 900 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 940 into an AC power supply.

[0145] The control unit 910, the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980 can function by receiving power from a battery 940. Although not shown in FIG 9, a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, may be further included to convert the power of the battery 940 and supply it to each component.

[0146] In one embodiment, the heater 950 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, the heater 950 may be embodied by, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having a conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0147] In another embodiment, heater 950 is an inductive heater. For example, heater 950 may include a susceptor that generates heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol generating material.

[0148] The user input unit 960 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 960 may be, but is not limited to, a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 9, the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to another external device through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 940.

[0149] The memory 970 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 900, and can store data processed by the control unit 910 and data to be processed. The memory 970 includes at least one type of recording medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 970 can store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 900, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the smoking pattern of the user.

[0150] In one embodiment, the memory 970 can store a lookup table. The lookup table includes data indicative of one or more concentrations, each concentration value associated with data identifying an aerosol product. The lookup table also includes data indicative of one or more concentrations, each concentration value associated with a temperature profile. The lookup table may include information related to an expected cumulative gas concentration.

[0151] The communication unit 980 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 980 may include a short-range communication unit 982 and a wireless communication unit 984.

[0152] The short-range wireless communication unit 982 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an infrared (IrDA: infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like.

[0153] The wireless communication unit 984 includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 984 can also identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 900 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0154] The control unit 910 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 900. In one embodiment, the control unit 910 includes at least one processor. The processor may be embodied as an array of a number of logic gates, or may be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present embodiment belongs can understand that the processor may be embodied by other forms of hardware.

[0155] The control unit 910 can control the temperature of the heater 950 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 940 to the heater 950. For example, the control unit 910 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 940 and the heater 950. As another example, a heating direct circuit can control the power supply to the heater 950 according to a control command from the control unit 910.

[0156] The control unit 910 may analyze the result sensed by the sensing unit 920 and control subsequent processing. For example, the control unit 910 may control the power supplied to the heater 950 so that the operation of the heater 950 is started or ended based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920. As another example, the control unit 910 may control the amount of power and the power supply time supplied to the heater 950 so that the heater 950 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920.

[0157] The control unit 910 may control the output unit 930 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, if the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 926 reaches a preset number, the control unit 910 may notify the user through at least one of the display unit 932, the haptic unit 934, and the audio output unit 936 that the aerosol generating device 900 will soon be shut down.

[0158] In one embodiment, the control unit 910 may control the time and / or amount of power supplied to the heater 950 depending on the state of the aerosol product (e.g., the aerosol product 20 in FIG. 1) sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, when the aerosol product 20 is in an over-humid state, the control unit 910 controls the time of power supply to the induction coil (e.g., the induction coil 124 in FIG. 2) to increase the pre-heating time compared to when the aerosol product 20 is in a normal state.

[0159] In one embodiment, the controller 910 may accumulate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensed value received from the gas sensor 928. The controller 910 may compare the accumulated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in memory to identify an aerosol product inserted into the aerosol generating device. The controller may also compare the accumulated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in memory to determine one of a plurality of temperature profiles stored in memory.

[0160] In one embodiment, the control unit 910 may adjust the determined temperature profile based on the sensing value of the gas sensor. Specifically, the control unit 910 may adjust the determined temperature profile in proportion to a difference between the accumulated gas concentration value and a preset expected accumulated gas concentration value.

[0161] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing computer executable instructions such as a program module executed by the computer. A computer readable medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, and separate and non-separate media. Also, a computer readable medium includes both a computer recording medium and a communication medium. A computer recording medium includes both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied by any method or technology for storing information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. A communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery medium.

[0162] The above description of the embodiment is merely an example, and a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention must be determined by the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents of the claims must be interpreted as being included in the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. a heater for heating the aerosol product; a gas sensor configured to sense a concentration of a specific gas; A control unit that controls the supply of power to the heater, The control unit is An aerosol generating device that determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

2. The control unit is Accumulating the concentration of the specific gas sensed by the gas sensor for a first period of time; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a temperature profile determining unit configured to determine one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the accumulated gas concentration values.

3. The control unit is The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a temperature profile determined based on a sensing value of the gas sensor.

4. The control unit is Accumulating the concentration of the specific gas sensed by the gas sensor for a first period of time; The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a temperature profile determining unit that determines a temperature profile based on a difference between the accumulated gas concentration value and a preset expected accumulated gas concentration value.

5. The control unit is The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein when the difference value is a positive number, the target temperature in the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be lower than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

6. The control unit is The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein, when the difference value is a positive number, the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted so as to be shorter than a preset period.

7. The control unit is The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein when the difference value is a negative number, the target temperature in the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be higher than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

8. The control unit is The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein, when the difference value is a negative number, the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted so as to be longer than a preset period.

9. The gas sensor includes: A light emitting element that emits light; A light receiving element that receives the light; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an optical waveguide positioned between the light emitting element and the light receiving element through which the light travels and into which the specific gas is introduced.

10. The heater is A coil that generates an alternating magnetic field, and a susceptor that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil to heat an aerosol product inserted into the storage space, The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the susceptor forms one surface of the optical waveguide.

11. 1. A method for controlling operation of an aerosol generating device, comprising the steps of: commencing a heating operation of a heater to heat the aerosol product; Sensing the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generating device; determining one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensed value.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising accumulating the concentration of the specific gas for a first period of time, and adjusting the determined temperature profile based on a difference value between the accumulated gas concentration value and a preset expected accumulated gas concentration value.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein if the difference value is a positive number, the target temperature for a second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be lower than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein, if the difference value is a positive number, the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be shorter than the preset period.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein if the difference value is a negative number, the target temperature for a second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be higher than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

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