Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system

Abstract

An aerosol generating apparatus according to one embodiment includes a heating unit including a coil and a susceptor, an AC current detection unit that detects the amount of AC power generated by the inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil and the susceptor, a memory that stores a lookup table that includes temperature matching data for the susceptor corresponding to the amount of AC power, and a control unit that calculates the temperature of the susceptor based on the amount of AC power received from the AC current detection unit and the lookup table.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system, and more particularly to calculating the temperature of a susceptor in an aerosol generating device that uses induction heating. [Background technology]

[0002] In addition to internal and external heating methods, induction heating using a coil and a susceptor is also used to heat cigarettes (or aerosol products). In the induction heating method, when an AC voltage is applied to the coil, a magnetic field is generated, which increases the temperature of the susceptor. The cigarette is heated by the susceptor, and an aerosol is generated.

[0003] When the susceptor is heated using induction heating, the temperature of the susceptor can be measured in a contact manner by attaching a temperature sensor to the susceptor, or in a non-contact manner by using an infrared temperature sensor or the like.

[0004] However, in contact temperature measurement where a temperature sensor is attached to a susceptor, the temperature sensor cannot be separated from the susceptor and is fixed to the aerosol generating device, and even if the temperature sensor is separated, measurement deviations may occur when it is detached.

[0005] In addition, non-contact temperature measurement such as with an infrared temperature sensor makes it difficult to obtain accurate measurements when the temperature sensor surface is contaminated, and considering the focal length of the temperature sensor, it is difficult to miniaturize the aerosol generation device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system that enable miniaturization of the device and improves the accuracy of susceptor temperature measurement.

[0007] The problems to be solved through the embodiments 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 present embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus includes a heating unit including a coil and a susceptor, an AC current detection unit that detects the amount of AC power generated by an inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil and the susceptor, a memory that stores a lookup table that includes temperature matching data for the susceptor corresponding to the amount of AC power, and a control unit that calculates the temperature of the susceptor based on the amount of AC power received from the AC current detection unit and the lookup table.

[0009] An aerosol generation system according to one embodiment includes a cigarette and an aerosol generating device, the cigarette including a susceptor, the aerosol generating device including a heating unit including a coil for inductively heating the susceptor, an AC current detecting unit for detecting an amount of AC power generated by an inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil and the susceptor, a memory storing a lookup table including temperature matching data of the susceptor corresponding to the amount of AC power, and a control unit for calculating a temperature of the susceptor based on the detected amount of AC power and the lookup table. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the size of the aerosol generating device and improve the accuracy of measuring the susceptor temperature by calculating the temperature of the susceptor based on the amount of change in AC power generated in the induction heating section of the aerosol generating device.

[0011] The effects of this embodiment are not limited to the effects described above, and any effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an induction heating type aerosol generating device. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an induction heating type aerosol generating device. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cigarette. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cigarette. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cigarette inserted into an aerosol generating device. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a cigarette inserted into an aerosol generating device. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an aerosol generating device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a susceptor for explaining the skin effect exhibited by the susceptor. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a susceptor for explaining the skin effect exhibited by the susceptor. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of an aerosol generation system. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] The terms used in this embodiment are currently commonly used terms, and have been selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention. However, they may differ depending on the intentions of engineers in the relevant field, legal precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this invention should be defined not simply by their names, but based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention.

[0014] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean excluding other components, but also means including other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0017] 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating an induction heating type aerosol generating device.

[0018] 1, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a susceptor 110, a housing space 120, a coil 130, a battery 140, and a control unit 150. According to one embodiment, the susceptor 110 is included in a cigarette 200 (FIGS. 3 and 4). In this case, the aerosol generating device 100 does not include the susceptor 110, as in FIG. 2.

[0019] 1 and 2 show components related to this embodiment. Therefore, a person skilled in the art will understand that the aerosol generating device 100 may further include other general components in addition to the components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0020] The aerosol generating device 100 may generate aerosol by heating the cigarette 200 accommodated in the aerosol generating device 100 using an induction heating method. The induction heating method may refer to a method of applying an alternating magnetic field, the direction of which changes periodically, to a magnetic body that generates heat due to an external magnetic field, thereby generating heat from the magnetic body.

[0021] When an alternating magnetic field is applied to a magnetic body, energy loss occurs in the magnetic body due to eddy current loss and hysteresis loss, and the lost energy can be released from the magnetic body as thermal energy. The larger the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field applied to the magnetic body, the more thermal energy can be released from the magnetic body. The aerosol generating device 100 can apply an alternating magnetic field to the magnetic body to cause the magnetic body to release thermal energy, and can transfer the thermal energy released from the magnetic body to the cigarette 200.

[0022] The magnetic material that generates heat due to an external magnetic field is also the susceptor 110. The susceptor 110 can be formed in the shape of a slice, a thin piece, or a strip.

[0023] The susceptor 110 may include a metal or carbon. The susceptor 110 may include at least one of ferrite, a ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). The susceptor 110 may also include at least one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, a nickel alloy, a metal film, ceramics such as zirconia, transition metals such as nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), and semi-metals such as boron (B) and phosphorus (P).

[0024] The aerosol generation device 100 also includes a storage space 120 for storing the cigarette 200. The storage space 120 also includes an opening that opens to the outside of the storage space 120 in order to store the cigarette 200 in the aerosol generation device 100. The cigarette 200 can be stored in the aerosol generation device 100 through the opening of the storage space 120 from the outside of the storage space 120 toward the inside of the storage space 120.

[0025] 1, a susceptor 110 may be disposed at the inner end of the receiving space 120. The susceptor 110 may be attached to a bottom surface formed at the inner end of the receiving space 120. The cigarette 200 may be inserted into the susceptor 110 from the upper end thereof and may be accommodated in the receiving space 120 up to the bottom surface thereof.

[0026] 2, the aerosol generating device 100 does not include the susceptor 110. In that case, the susceptor 110 is also included in the cigarette 200 (FIG. 4).

[0027] The coil may be embodied as a solenoid. The coil may be a solenoid wound along the side of the receiving space 120, and the cigarette 200 may be received in the internal space of the solenoid. The material of the conductor constituting the solenoid may be copper (Cu). However, the material is not limited to copper (Cu). The conductor constituting the solenoid may be any one of silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), or an alloy containing at least one of these, which has a low resistivity and allows a high current to flow.

[0028] The coil may be wound along the outer surface of the receiving space 120 and disposed at a position corresponding to the susceptor 110 .

[0029] The battery 140 is a DC power source and can supply a DC voltage to the control unit 150 for operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, a regulator that maintains the voltage of the battery 140 constant is included between the battery 140 and the control unit 150. The battery 140 may be, but is not limited to, a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. For example, the battery may be a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) battery, a lithium titanate battery, or the like.

[0030] The control unit 150 can control the power supplied to the coil 130. The control unit 150 can inductively heat the susceptor 110 by controlling the drive frequency. The control unit 150 can also detect the amount of AC current varied by the inductive heating of the susceptor 110 and calculate the temperature of the susceptor based on the detected amount of AC power. The induction heating method and susceptor temperature calculation method of the control unit 150 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0031] 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating examples of cigarettes.

[0032] 3 and 4, the cigarette 200 also includes a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220. While the filter rod 220 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as being composed of a single region, this is not limiting and the filter rod 220 may be composed of multiple segments. For example, the filter rod 220 may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters specific components contained in the aerosol. The filter rod 220 may also include at least one additional segment that performs another function.

[0033] The cigarettes 200 may be wrapped using at least one wrapper 240. The wrapper 240 may have at least one hole formed therein through which external air can enter or internal air can escape. As an example, the cigarettes 200 may be wrapped using one wrapper 240. As another example, the cigarettes 200 may be wrapped using two or more wrappers 240 in a stacked manner. Specifically, the tobacco rod 210 may be wrapped using a first wrapper, and the filter rod 220 may be wrapped using a second wrapper. The tobacco rod 210 and the filter rod 220 wrapped using each wrapper may be combined, and the entire cigarette 200 may be further wrapped using a third wrapper.

[0034] The tobacco rod 210 may also contain an aerosol-forming material. For example, the aerosol-forming material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. The tobacco rod 210 may also contain other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, may be added to the tobacco rod 210 by spraying it onto the tobacco rod 210.

[0035] The tobacco rod 210 can be made in a variety of ways. For example, the tobacco rod 210 can be made from a sheet or strand. Alternatively, the tobacco rod 210 can be made from shredded tobacco, which is a tobacco sheet.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the cigarette 200 further includes a susceptor 110. In this case, the susceptor 110 may be disposed on the tobacco rod 210, as shown in Figure 4. The susceptor 110 may have a rod-like shape extending from the end of the tobacco rod 210 toward the filter rod 220.

[0037] The tobacco rod 210 may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. The thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may uniformly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210 and improve the thermal conductivity of the tobacco rod 210, thereby improving the flavor of the aerosol generated from the tobacco rod 210.

[0038] The filter rod 220 is also a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod 220 can be formed into various shapes. For example, the filter rod 220 can be a cylindrical rod, a tubular rod having a hollow inside, or a recessed rod having a cavity inside. When the filter rod 220 is composed of multiple segments, the multiple segments can be formed into different shapes.

[0039] The filter rod 220 may be manufactured to generate a flavor from the filter rod 220. For example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod 220, or a separate fiber onto which the flavoring liquid is applied may be inserted into the filter rod 220.

[0040] The filter rod 220 also includes at least one capsule 230. The capsule 230 can generate a flavor and can also generate an aerosol. For example, the capsule 230 can be formed into a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is enclosed in a coating. The capsule 230 can have, but is not limited to, a spherical or cylindrical shape.

[0041] When the filter rod 220 includes a cooling segment for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment can be made of a polymeric or biodegradable polymeric material. For example, the cooling segment can be made of pure polylactic acid. Alternatively, the cooling segment can be made of a cellulose acetate filter containing multiple perforations. The cooling segment can be configured with any structure and material that cools the aerosol, but is not limited thereto.

[0042] 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating examples of cigarettes inserted into aerosol generating devices.

[0043] More specifically, Figure 5 is a drawing illustrating an example of a cigarette 200 inserted into the aerosol generating device 100 when a susceptor 110 is disposed in the aerosol generating device 100, and Figure 6 is a drawing illustrating an example of a cigarette 200 inserted into the aerosol generating device 100 when a susceptor 110 is disposed in the cigarette 200.

[0044] 5, the cigarette 200 may be accommodated in the accommodation space 120 along the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 200. The susceptor 110 may be inserted into the cigarette 200 accommodated in the aerosol generating device 100. When the cigarette 200 is inserted into the susceptor 110, the tobacco rod 210 may come into contact with the susceptor 110. The shape of the susceptor 110 may have a needle-like structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device 100 so that it can be inserted into the cigarette 200.

[0045] The susceptor 110 may be located in the center of the accommodating space 120 so as to be inserted into the center of the cigarette 200. In Fig. 5, the susceptor 110 is illustrated as being a single unit, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the aerosol generating device 100 of the present disclosure may also include a plurality of susceptors 110 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device 100 and are arranged parallel to one another so as to be inserted into the cigarette 200.

[0046] The coil 130 may be wound along the outer surface of the receiving space 120 and extend in the longitudinal direction. The coil 130 extending in the longitudinal direction may be disposed on the outer surface of the receiving space 120. The coil 130 may extend in the longitudinal direction to a length corresponding to the susceptor 110 and be disposed at a position corresponding to the susceptor 110.

[0047] 6, the cigarette 200 may be accommodated in the accommodating space 120 along the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 200. When the cigarette 200 is inserted into the accommodating space 120, the susceptor 110 may be surrounded by the coil .

[0048] The susceptor 110 may be located at the center of the tobacco rod 210 for uniform heat transfer. In Fig. 6, the susceptor 110 is illustrated as being a single unit, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the aerosol generating device 100 of the present disclosure may also include multiple susceptors 110 included in the cigarette 200.

[0049] The coil 130 may be wound along the outer surface of the receiving space 120 and extend in the longitudinal direction. The coil 130 extending in the longitudinal direction may be disposed on the outer surface of the receiving space 120. The coil 130 may extend in the longitudinal direction to a length corresponding to the susceptor 110 and may be disposed at a position corresponding to the susceptor 110.

[0050] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the aerosol generating device.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 7, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes a battery 140, a control unit 150, an AC current detection unit 160, a heating unit HA, and a memory 170.

[0052] The battery 140 may serve as a DC power source and supply a DC voltage to the control unit 150 for operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, a regulator (not shown) may be included between the battery 140 and the control unit 150 to maintain the voltage of the battery 140 constant.

[0053] The control unit 150 also includes an MCU (microcontroller unit) 151 , a pulse width modulation processing unit 152 , an amplifier 153 , and an impedance matching unit 154 .

[0054] The MCU 151 receives a DC voltage from the battery 140, generates a control signal, and transmits the generated control signal to other components of the aerosol generating device 100. The MCU 151 can use the control signal to collectively control the battery 140, the control unit 150, the AC current detection unit 160, the heating unit HA, and the memory 170.

[0055] The pulse width modulation processor 152 may receive a DC voltage from the battery 140 under the control of the MCU 151 and generate a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal. The pulse width modulation processor 152 may change the frequency of the PWM signal within a preset range and transmit the PWM signal to the amplifier 153. According to one embodiment, the pulse width modulation processor 152 is implemented as a part of the MCU 151, and the PWM signal output from the pulse width modulation processor 152 may also be a digital PWM signal. The PWM control signal transmitted from the pulse width modulation processor 152 may also be amplified by the amplifier 153 at a preset gain.

[0056] The amplifier 153 may convert the DC voltage PWM signal received from the pulse width modulation processor 152 into an AC voltage. The amplifier 153 may be implemented by an array of multiple logic gates.

[0057] According to one embodiment, the amplifier 153 may receive two PWM signals of the same waveform from the pulse width modulation processor 152 and perform calculation and amplification to convert the two PWM signals into AC voltages. The amplifier 153 may perform calculation and amplification on the PWM signals and transmit the PWM signals to a field effect transistor (not shown). The calculation and amplification on the PWM signals performed by the amplifier 153 allows the PWM signals to be converted into AC voltages in the field effect transistor. The field effect transistor may be opened and closed by the PWM signals or may have a built-in timer and be opened and closed periodically. According to one embodiment, the field effect transistor may be replaced by a switch. The amplifier 153 may apply the AC voltage to the coil 130.

[0058] The impedance matching unit 154 is arranged between the amplifier 153 and the heating unit HA (or the AC current detection unit 160) and can maximize the supply of AC voltage by matching the output impedance of the amplifier 153 to the load of the heating unit HA.

[0059] When an AC voltage is applied from amplifier 153 (or control unit 150) to coil 130, a magnetic field is generated in coil 130. The frequency of the AC voltage transmitted from amplifier 153 to coil 130 can be determined depending on the frequency of the PWM signal transmitted from pulse width modulation processing unit 152 to amplifier 153. That is, by changing the frequency of the PWM signal generated by pulse width modulation processing unit 152, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to coil 130 can also be changed accordingly.

[0060] An AC voltage may be applied to the coil 130 from the control unit 150. When the AC voltage is applied to the coil 130 from the control unit 150, the coil 130 may generate a magnetic field. The strength of the magnetic field generated by the coil 130 may vary depending on the resistance of the coil 130, etc.

[0061] The susceptor 110 may be located within the coil 130. The susceptor 110 may heat the cigarette 200 (FIG. 3) (or aerosol product) by generating heat within the magnetic field generated by the coil 130. The heat generated by the susceptor 110 may vary depending on the strength of the magnetic field generated by the coil 130.

[0062] The AC current detector 160 detects the amount of AC power generated by the inductive coupling between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the amount of AC power to the MCU 151 .

[0063] According to an embodiment, the AC detector 160 is also a magnetic sensor that detects an AC corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field formed by inductive coupling between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the AC to the MCU 151. For example, the magnetic sensor may include at least one of a Hall effect sensor, a rotating coil, a giant magnetoresistance element, and a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device).

[0064] The memory 170 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 100, and may store data processed by the control unit 150 and data to be processed by the control unit 150. The memory 170 may be implemented using various types of memory, such as RAM (random access memory) such as DRAM (dynamic random access memory) or SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), and EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0065] The memory 170 may store data related to the operation time of the aerosol generating device 100, at least one temperature profile, at least one power profile, and a user's smoking pattern, etc. In this case, the temperature profile refers to the temperature change of the susceptor 110 over time, and when the susceptor 110 is heated according to the target temperature profile, it may provide the user with an optimal smoking experience.

[0066] In addition, the memory 170 stores matching data between the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA due to the inductive coupling phenomenon and the temperature of the susceptor 110 in the form of a lookup table, and the control unit 150 can calculate the temperature of the susceptor 110 based on the amount of AC power detected by the AC current detection unit 160 and the lookup table stored in the memory 170.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the lookup table may be generated in advance during the manufacturing process of the aerosol generation device 100. For example, a plurality of AC voltages may be applied to the heating unit HA via the control unit 150, and the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA for each of the applied AC voltages may be detected via the AC current detection unit 160. In this case, a temperature sensor may be disposed externally adjacent to the susceptor 110 (or the heating unit HA) to measure the temperature of the susceptor 110, thereby obtaining temperature matching data for the susceptor 110 corresponding to the amount of AC power detected by the heating unit HA.

[0068] As described above, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can accurately calculate the temperature of the susceptor 110 based on the amount of AC power measured by monitoring the amount of AC power in the heating unit HA generated by the inductive coupling phenomenon at the input terminal of the heating unit HA, not the input terminal of the control unit 150, and the stored lookup table. As a result, measurement deviation can be minimized compared to conventional contact-type temperature sensors, and miniaturization and measurement accuracy can be improved compared to conventional non-contact-type temperature sensors.

[0069] Furthermore, if the frequency of the AC current transmitted from the AC current detection unit 160 to the MCU 151 is excessively high, it is difficult for the MCU 151, which has a processing speed (e.g., 80 MHz) typically applied in small devices, to keep up with it, making it difficult to accurately measure the temperature when the frequency of the AC current is high. For example, the MCU 151 can sample approximately 15 times when the frequency of the AC current is 400 kHz, but can only sample approximately once when the frequency of the AC current is 6 MHz.

[0070] Therefore, by changing the frequency of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation processor 152, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the coil 130 is also changed, so that a lower frequency PWM signal can be used for more precise temperature measurement. For example, the frequency range of the PWM signal for precise measurement is 1 kHz or more but less than 1 MHz, and more preferably 200 kHz to 500 kHz.

[0071] 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of a susceptor for explaining the skin effect exhibited by the susceptor.

[0072] Referring to Figures 8 and 9, Figure 8 shows the current density when a low-frequency alternating current is applied to the susceptor 110, and Figure 9 shows the current density when a high-frequency alternating current is applied to the susceptor 110.

[0073] The skin effect is a phenomenon in which, when a current flows through a conductor, the closer to the center of the conductor, the greater the inductance due to the linkage with the magnetic flux created by the current, causing a larger current to flow on the surface of the conductor than in the center.For example, when a direct current flows through a conductor, all parts of the conductor have the same current density, but when an alternating current flows through a conductor, the current density on the surface of the conductor is greater.

[0074] In particular, when an AC current flows through a conductor, the higher the frequency of the AC current, the more the skin effect may be exhibited. The penetration depth may be determined by the following equation (1):

[0075]

number

[0076] where d is the penetration depth, f is the frequency of the alternating current, μ is the magnetic permeability of the susceptor, and σ is the electrical conductivity of the susceptor.

[0077] According to Equation 1, the first penetration depth d1 when a low-frequency AC current is applied as shown in Fig. 8 may be greater than the second penetration depth d2 when a high-frequency AC current is applied as shown in Fig. 9. That is, because the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the susceptor 110 shown in Fig. 8 is greater than the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the susceptor 110 shown in Fig. 9, the resistance value is further reduced. Therefore, when a low-frequency AC current is applied to the susceptor 110 as shown in Fig. 8, the power transmission capacity is improved compared to when a high-frequency AC current is applied to the susceptor 110 as shown in Fig. 9, which is more advantageous for heating the cigarette 200 (Fig. 3).

[0078] In other words, since the frequency of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation processing unit 152 (FIG. 7) is changed, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the heating unit HA (FIG. 7) is also changed accordingly, and therefore, if the PWM signal is provided at a low frequency, the skin effect due to the frequency of the PWM signal can be minimized. Also, the susceptor 110 can have a needle-shaped structure (susceptor 110 (FIG. 1)) or a rod-shaped structure (susceptor 110 (FIG. 4)) in order to minimize the skin effect due to the frequency of the PWM signal.

[0079] Other embodiments will be described below. In the following embodiments, the description of the same configuration as in the already described embodiments will be omitted or simplified, and differences will be mainly described.

[0080] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the aerosol generation system.

[0081] The aerosol generating device 100 of the aerosol generating system 1000 shown in Figure 10 differs from the aerosol generating device 100 of Figure 7 that includes a susceptor 110 in the heating section HA, but does not include a susceptor in the heating section HA, but includes a susceptor 110 within the cigarette 200; the remaining configuration is substantially identical.

[0082] Referring to FIG. 10, the aerosol generating system 1000 also includes the aerosol generating device 100 and a cigarette 200 .

[0083] The cigarette 200 may further include a susceptor 110. In this case, the susceptor 110 may be disposed within a tobacco rod 210 (FIG. 4) of the cigarette 200. The susceptor 110 may have a rod-like shape extending from the end of the tobacco rod 210 toward the filter rod 220 (FIG. 4).

[0084] The aerosol generating device 100 also includes a battery 140, a control unit 150, an AC current detection unit 160, a heating unit HA, and a memory 170.

[0085] The battery 140 may serve as a DC power source and supply a DC voltage to the control unit 150 for operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, a regulator (not shown) may be included between the battery 140 and the control unit 150 to maintain the voltage of the battery 140 constant.

[0086] The control unit 150 also includes an MCU (microcontroller unit) 151 , a pulse width modulation processing unit 152 , an amplifier 153 , and an impedance matching unit 154 .

[0087] The MCU 151 receives a DC voltage from the battery 140, generates a control signal, and transmits the generated control signal to other components of the aerosol generating device 100. The MCU 151 can use the control signal to collectively control the battery 140, the control unit 150, the AC current detection unit 160, the heating unit HA, and the memory 170.

[0088] When an AC voltage is applied to coil 130 from amplifier 153 (or control unit 150), a magnetic field is generated in coil 130. The frequency of the AC voltage transmitted from amplifier 153 to coil 130 may be determined depending on the frequency of the PWM signal transmitted from pulse width modulation processing unit 152 to amplifier 153. That is, by changing the frequency of the PWM signal generated by pulse width modulation processing unit 152, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to coil 130 may also be changed accordingly.

[0089] The susceptor 110 may be disposed within the tobacco rod 210 (FIG. 4) of the cigarette 200. The susceptor 110 may heat the cigarette 200 (FIG. 4) (or the aerosol product) by generating heat within the magnetic field generated by the coil 130. The heat generated by the susceptor 110 may vary depending on the strength of the magnetic field generated by the coil 130.

[0090] The AC current detector 160 detects the amount of AC power generated by the inductive coupling between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the amount of AC power to the MCU 151 .

[0091] According to an embodiment, the AC detector 160 is also a magnetic sensor that detects an AC corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field formed by an inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the AC to the MCU 151. For example, the magnetic sensor may include at least one of a Hall effect sensor, a rotating coil, a giant magnetoresistance element, and a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device).

[0092] If the frequency of the AC current transmitted from the AC current detection unit 160 to the MCU 151 is excessively high, it is difficult for the MCU 151, which has a processing speed (e.g., 80 MHz) typically applied in small devices, to keep up with it, and therefore, if the frequency of the AC current is high, accurate temperature measurement is also difficult.

[0093] Therefore, by changing the frequency of the PWM signal generated by the pulse width modulation processor 152, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to the coil 130 is also changed, so that a lower frequency PWM signal can be used for more precise temperature measurement. For example, the frequency range of the PWM signal for precise measurement is 1 kHz or more but less than 1 MHz, and more preferably 200 kHz to 500 kHz.

[0094] The memory 170 stores matching data in the form of a lookup table between the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA due to the inductive coupling phenomenon and the temperature of the susceptor 110, and the control unit 150 can calculate the temperature of the susceptor 110 based on the amount of AC power detected by the AC current detection unit 160 and the lookup table stored in the memory 170.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the lookup table may be generated in advance during the manufacturing process of the aerosol generation device 100. For example, a plurality of AC voltages may be applied to the heating unit HA via the control unit 150, and the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA for each of the applied AC voltages may be detected via the AC current detection unit 160. In this case, a temperature sensor may be disposed outside adjacent to the susceptor 110 (or the heating unit HA) to measure the temperature of the susceptor 110, thereby obtaining temperature matching data for the susceptor 110 corresponding to the amount of AC power detected by the heating unit HA.

[0096] FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0097] Referring to Figures 1 to 11, the operating method of the aerosol generating device also includes a step of applying an AC voltage to the coil 130 (S100), a step of measuring the AC power of the heating unit HA (S200), and a step of calculating the temperature of the susceptor 110 (S300).

[0098] Specifically, in the step of applying an AC voltage to the coil 130 (S100), the aerosol generating device 100 may receive a DC voltage from the battery 140 and generate a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal using the pulse width modulation processing unit 152. The amplifier 153 may convert the PWM signal of the DC voltage received from the pulse width modulation processing unit 152 into an AC voltage.

[0099] The frequency of the AC voltage transmitted from amplifier 153 to coil 130 can be determined by the frequency of the PWM signal transmitted from pulse width modulation processing unit 152 to amplifier 153. In other words, by changing the frequency of the PWM signal generated by pulse width modulation processing unit 152, the frequency of the AC voltage applied to coil 130 can be changed equally.

[0100] The coil 130 may receive an AC voltage from the controller 150. When the AC voltage is applied to the coil 130 from the controller 150, the coil 130 may generate a magnetic field. The susceptor 110 may heat the cigarette 200 (FIG. 3) (or 200 in FIG. 4) by generating heat within the magnetic field generated by the coil 130.

[0101] Next, in the step of measuring the AC power of the heating unit HA (S200), the AC current detector 160 detects the AC power generated by the inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the AC power to the MCU 151.

[0102] According to one embodiment, the AC current detector 160 is also a magnetic sensor that detects an AC current corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field formed by the inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil 130 and the susceptor 110 and transmits the AC current to the MCU 151. For example, the magnetic sensor may include at least one of a Hall effect sensor, a rotating coil, a giant magnetoresistance element, and a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device).

[0103] Next, in the step of calculating the temperature of the susceptor 110 (S300), the control unit 150 may calculate the temperature of the susceptor 110 based on the amount of AC power detected by the AC current detection unit 160 and the lookup table stored in the memory 170.

[0104] The memory 170 may store matching data between the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA by the inductive coupling phenomenon and the temperature of the susceptor 110 in the form of a look-up table.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the lookup table may be generated in advance during the manufacturing process of the aerosol generation device 100. For example, a plurality of AC voltages may be applied to the heating unit HA via the control unit 150, and the amount of AC power generated in the heating unit HA for each of the applied AC voltages may be detected via the AC current detection unit 160. In this case, a temperature sensor may be disposed externally adjacent to the susceptor 110 (or the heating unit HA) to measure the temperature of the susceptor 110, thereby obtaining temperature matching data for the susceptor 110 corresponding to the amount of AC power detected by the heating unit HA.

[0106] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

[0107] 12, the aerosol generating device 1200 also includes a control unit 1210, a sensing unit 1220, an output unit 1230, a battery 1240, a heater 1250, a user input unit 1260, a memory 1270, and a communication unit 1280. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1200 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 12. That is, it would be understood by a person skilled in the art related to this embodiment that some of the components shown in Fig. 12 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1200.

[0108] The sensing unit 1220 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 1200 or the state around the aerosol generating device 1200, and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 1210. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 1210 may control the aerosol generating device 1200 to perform various functions, such as controlling the operation of the heater 1250, restricting smoking, determining whether or not to insert an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.), and displaying notifications.

[0109] The sensing unit 1220 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 1222, an insertion sensor 1224, and a puff sensor 1226, but is not limited thereto.

[0110] The temperature sensor 1222 may sense the temperature to which the heater 1250 (or the aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 1200 may include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 1250, or the heater 1250 itself may function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 1222 may be disposed around the battery 1240 to monitor the temperature of the battery 1240. In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 1222 may measure the temperature of the heater 1250 before it is heated.

[0111] The insertion detection sensor 1224 may detect the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product. For example, the insertion detection sensor 1224 may 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 may detect a change in signal due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product. In one embodiment, the insertion detection sensor 1224 may determine that the aerosol product is being used continuously if it detects the insertion of an aerosol product within a predetermined time after the end of one smoking series after detecting the insertion of an aerosol product.

[0112] The puff sensor 1226 may detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, such as a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, or a pressure change.

[0113] The sensing unit 1220 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., a global positioning system (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (red-green-blue) sensor (illuminance sensor) in addition to the aforementioned sensors (temperature sensor 1222, insertion sensor 1224, and puff sensor 1226). A person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from its name, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0114] The output unit 1230 may output information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 1200 and provide it to a user. The output unit 1230 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 1232, a haptic unit 1234, and an audio output unit 1236. When the display unit 1232 and the touchpad have a layered structure and are configured as a touch screen, the display unit 1232 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0115] The display unit 1232 may visually provide a user with information related to the aerosol generating device 1200. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 1200 may include various information such as the charging / discharging status of the battery 1240 of the aerosol generating device 1200, the preheating status of the heater 1250, the insertion / removal status of an aerosol product, or a status in which use of the aerosol generating device 1200 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 1232 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 1232 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. The display unit 1232 may also be in the form of an LED (light-emitting diode) light emitting element.

[0116] The haptic unit 1234 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide the user with tactile information related to the aerosol generating device 1200. For example, the haptic unit 1234 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0117] The acoustic output unit 1236 can audibly provide the user with information related to the aerosol generation device 1200. For example, the acoustic output unit 1236 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0118] The battery 1240 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1200. The battery 1240 may supply power so that the heater 1250 can be heated. The battery 1240 may also supply power necessary for the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1200 (e.g., the sensing unit 1220, the output unit 1230, the user input unit 1260, the memory 1270, and the communication unit 1280). The battery 1240 may be a rechargeable battery or a single-use battery. For example, the battery 1240 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0119] The heater 1250 can heat the aerosol-generating material by receiving power from the battery 1240. Although not shown in Fig. 12, the aerosol-generating device 1200 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC (direct current) / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 1240 and supplies it to the heater 1250. Furthermore, when the aerosol-generating device 1200 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 1200 may further include a DC / AC (alternating current) converter that converts the direct current power of the battery 1240 into alternating current power.

[0120] The control unit 1210, the sensing unit 1220, the output unit 1230, the user input unit 1260, the memory 1270, and the communication unit 1280 may perform their functions by receiving power from the battery 1240. Although not shown in FIG. 12 , the device may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 1240 and supplies it to each component.

[0121] In one embodiment, heater 1250 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material, such as, but not limited to, a metal or metal alloy, including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Heater 1250 may also be embodied as, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with an electrically conductive track, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0122] In another embodiment, heater 1250 is an induction heater, for example, heater 1250 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0123] In one embodiment, heater 1250 may include multiple heaters, for example, a first heater for heating the cigarette and a second heater for heating the liquid.

[0124] The user input unit 1260 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 1260 may be, but is not limited to, a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (e.g., a contact-type capacitance type, a pressure-type resistive film type, an infrared sensing type, a surface ultrasonic conduction type, an integral tension measurement type, a piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. Although not shown in FIG. 12 , the aerosol generating device 1200 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface. The aerosol generating device 1200 may be connected to another external device via the connection interface such as a USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 1240.

[0125] The memory 1270 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 1200, and may store data processed by the control unit 1210 and data to be processed. The memory 1270 may include at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of flash memory, hard disk, micro multimedia card, card-type memory (e.g., secure digital (SD) memory or extreme digital (XD) memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The memory 1270 may store the operating time of the aerosol generating device 1200, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the user's smoking pattern. In one embodiment, the memory 1270 may store multiple temperature profiles. Furthermore, the memory 1270 may store a plurality of preheating profiles, each of which defines a preheating section, among the temperature profiles.

[0126] The communication unit 1280 also includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices, such as a short-range wireless communication unit 1282 and a wireless communication unit 1284.

[0127] The short-range communication unit 1282 may include, 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 (wireless local area network) (Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an 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.

[0128] The wireless communication unit 1284 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 1284 may also use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 1200 within the communication network.

[0129] The control unit 1210 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1200. In one embodiment, the control unit 1210 also includes at least one processor. The processor can be realized by an array of multiple logic gates, or by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed by the microprocessor. It will be understood by those skilled in the art to which this embodiment pertains that the processor can also be realized by other types of hardware.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be embodied in various modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics described above. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered from an illustrative rather than a restrictive perspective. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope of the claims should be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a heating section including a coil and a susceptor; an AC current detection unit that detects the amount of AC power generated by an inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil and the susceptor; a memory storing a lookup table containing temperature matching data of the susceptor corresponding to the amount of AC power; a control unit that calculates a temperature of the susceptor based on the amount of AC power received from the AC current detection unit and the lookup table.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the AC current detection unit is a magnetic sensor that detects an AC current corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field formed between the coil and the susceptor and provides the AC current to the control unit.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2 , wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall effect sensor or a giant magnetoresistive element.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a battery that supplies DC power to the control unit.

5. The control unit a pulse width modulation (PWM) processing unit that receives the DC voltage from the battery and generates a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal; The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , further comprising: an amplifier that amplifies the PWM signal by a preset gain to generate an AC voltage and provides the AC voltage to the coil.

6. The control unit The aerosol generating device according to claim 5, further comprising an impedance matching unit disposed between the amplifier and the AC current detection unit, which performs impedance matching to maximize the supply of the AC voltage.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 5 , wherein the frequency of the AC voltage is changed in response to the change in frequency of the PWM signal.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit controls the frequency of the PWM signal to a low frequency in a range of 200 kHz to 500 kHz.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7 , wherein the susceptor has a needle-type structure for minimizing a skin effect due to the frequency of the PWM signal.

10. An aerosol generating system including a cigarette and an aerosol generating device, The cigarette includes a susceptor, The aerosol generating device comprises: a heating unit including a coil for induction heating the susceptor; an AC current detection unit that detects the amount of AC power generated by an inductive coupling phenomenon between the coil and the susceptor; a memory storing a lookup table containing temperature matching data of the susceptor corresponding to the amount of AC power; a control unit that calculates a temperature of the susceptor based on the detected amount of AC power and the lookup table.

11. The aerosol generation system of claim 10, wherein the AC current detection unit is a magnetic sensor that detects an AC current corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field formed between the coil and the susceptor and provides the AC current to the control unit.

12. The aerosol generating system of claim 10 , further comprising a battery that supplies DC power to the control unit.

13. The control unit a pulse width modulation (PWM) processing unit that receives the DC voltage from the battery and generates a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal; The aerosol generating system of claim 12, further comprising: an amplifier that amplifies the PWM signal by a preset gain to generate an AC voltage and provides the AC voltage to the coil.

14. The aerosol generating system according to claim 13 , wherein the control unit controls the frequency of the PWM signal to a low frequency in the range of 200 kHz to 500 kHz.

15. 14. The aerosol generating system according to claim 13, wherein the susceptor has a bar-like structure to minimize a skin effect due to the frequency of the PWM signal.

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