Power supply unit for aerosol generator

Abstract

To provide a power supply unit and method for an aerosol generator that can appropriately determine the occurrence of an abnormality that should substantially prohibit the use of the device. [Solution] The power supply unit includes a control means for controlling the temperature of a load that heats an aerosol source, and a first holding means for holding first information indicating whether or not an abnormality related to the load has been detected by means other than the control means. The control means determines that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit if it detects that the first information has changed to a state indicating that an abnormality has been detected during the period from the start to the end of the load temperature control.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generating apparatus and a method by which the power supply unit for an aerosol generating apparatus performs its functions. [Background technology]

[0002] Aerosol generating devices such as e-cigarettes have a configuration for heating the liquid used to form the aerosol. Patent Document 1 discloses an aerosol generating device in which, when the controller detects overheating of the heater, the controller limits or turns off the power supply from the battery to the heater. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-505002 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, even if the controller detects heater overheating, it is not possible to prohibit the subsequent use of the aerosol generator. Therefore, there is a risk of repeated heater overheating.

[0005] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a power supply unit and method for an aerosol generating apparatus that can appropriately determine the occurrence of an abnormality that should substantially prohibit the use of the apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above issues, according to the first embodiment, A control means for controlling the temperature of the load that heats the aerosol source, A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first holding means for holding first information indicating whether or not an abnormality related to the load has been detected by means other than the control means, The power supply unit is provided, which, when the control means detects that the first information has changed from a state indicating no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating an abnormality has been detected during the period from the start to the end of temperature control of the load, determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit. According to the second aspect, The control means is In addition to detecting that the first information changed from a state indicating no abnormality was detected to a state indicating an abnormality was detected during the aforementioned period, The power supply unit according to claim 1 is provided, which determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit when it is determined that the temperature of the load is above a predetermined threshold. According to the third aspect, The system further includes a second holding means for holding second information indicating whether or not an abnormality different from the abnormality related to the load has been detected, The control means is In addition to detecting that the first information changed from a state indicating no abnormality was detected to a state indicating an abnormality was detected during the aforementioned period, A power supply unit according to claim 1 is provided, which determines that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit when it is determined that the temperature of the load is above a predetermined threshold and the second information indicates that an abnormality has been detected. According to the fourth aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 3 is provided, wherein the second information indicates whether or not an abnormality has been detected regarding the power supply of the power supply unit or an abnormality regarding the temperature of the case constituting the surface of the power supply unit. According to the fifth aspect, The power supply unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4 is provided, wherein the control means performs temperature control of the load based on the temperature of the load detected based on the resistance value of the load. According to the sixth aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 5 is provided, wherein the control means detects that the first information has changed from a state indicating that no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating that an abnormality has been detected during the period, and obtains the temperature of the load from the detection means for detecting the temperature of the load. According to the seventh aspect, The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is provided, wherein the control means also performs the determination at startup. According to the eighth aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 7 is provided, wherein the control means writes predetermined information to a non-volatile storage means when the temperature control of the load is started, and erases the predetermined information from the storage means when the temperature control of the load is terminated. According to the ninth aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 8 is provided, wherein the first holding means holds the first information held before the reset of the control means even after the reset of the control means. According to the tenth aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 9 is provided, wherein the control means determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit if, upon startup after a reset, the predetermined information exists in the storage means and the information held in the first holding means indicates that an abnormality has been detected. According to the 11th aspect, The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is provided, characterized in that when the control means determines that an abnormality has occurred which should prohibit the use of the power supply unit, it writes information indicating that an abnormality which should prohibit the use of the power supply unit has occurred to a non-volatile storage means. According to the 12th aspect, The power supply unit according to claim 11 is provided, wherein the control means prevents the power supply unit from starting up if, at startup, information exists in the non-volatile storage means indicating that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit. According to the 13th aspect, The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is provided, wherein the control means prohibits heating of the load when it determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit. According to the 14th aspect, A control means for controlling the temperature of the load that heats the aerosol source, A power supply unit for an aerosol generator having a first holding means that holds first information indicating whether or not an abnormality related to the load has been detected by means other than the control means, wherein the control means implements a method, A method is provided which determines that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit, if it is detected that the first information has changed from a state indicating no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating an abnormality has been detected during the period from the start to the end of temperature control of the load. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] With this configuration, the present invention provides a power supply unit and method for an aerosol generator that can appropriately determine the occurrence of an abnormality that would substantially prohibit the use of the device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of the external appearance of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing an example of the internal configuration of a power supply unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of the overall circuit configuration of the power supply unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing an example of a temperature control pattern. [Figure 5] A diagram showing a portion of Figure 3. [Figure 6] A diagram showing an example of battery abnormality conditions in a power supply unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A flowchart relating to the temperature control operation of the power supply unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] A flowchart relating to the startup process of the power supply unit according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features from the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, identical or similar configurations will be given the same reference numeral, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a power supply unit 1 of an aerosol generator according to one embodiment of the present invention. The power supply unit 1 has a case 2 that is roughly rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The case 2 constitutes the surface of the power supply unit 1. For convenience, the surface shown a in Figure 1 is referred to as the front, the surface shown b as the back, the surface shown c as the bottom, and the surface shown d as the top.

[0011] The power supply unit 1 comprises a housing (case) 2 and a front panel 11 that is detachable from the case 2. Figure 1f shows the state with the front panel 11 removed from state a. Figure 1g shows the front panel 11 viewed from the inside. The front panel 11 functions as the front cover of the case 2 and allows the user to freely replace it to customize the appearance.

[0012] On the inner surface of the front panel 11 and on the front surface of the case 2, two pairs of magnets 14A and 14B and magnets 15A and 15B are provided at opposing positions. The magnets 14A and 15A attract each other, and the magnets 14B and 15B attract each other, so that the front panel 11 is held to the front surface of the case 2 by magnetic force.

[0013] Furthermore, a pressable switch SW and a light-emitting section NU are provided on the front of case 2. A protrusion 16 is provided on the inner surface of the front panel 11 at a position opposite to the switch SW. By pressing the area 12 near the center of the front panel 11 while the front panel 11 is attached, the switch SW can be indirectly pressed through the protrusion 16. The switch SW can also be pressed directly when the front panel 11 is removed. Multiple light-emitting elements (e.g., LEDs) are arranged in a row in the light-emitting section NU. The state of the light-emitting section NU can be observed through a window 19 provided on the front panel 11.

[0014] A slider 13 that can be opened and closed is provided on the top surface of case 2. When the slider 13 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the heater chamber 17 appears as shown in Figure 1e. For convenience, the slider 13 is not shown in e. The heater chamber 17 is a cylindrical space with an elliptical (long oval rectangle) horizontal cross-section, and heats the stick or cartridge inserted into the heater chamber 17. The stick is cylindrical in shape, and the diameter of its horizontal cross-section is larger than the minor axis of the horizontal cross-section of the heater chamber 17. As a result, when the stick is inserted into the heater chamber 17, it is compressed radially, which increases the contact between the outer surface of the stick and the heater chamber 17, and also increases the contact area. Therefore, the stick can be heated efficiently. This makes it possible to improve the amount of aerosol and flavor generated from the stick.

[0015] When the front panel 11 is attached, the slider 13 is moved to a position where the heater chamber 17 is exposed (open position), and the switch SW is detected to have been pressed down continuously for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds), the power supply unit 1 considers this to be a heating start instruction and starts the heating operation.

[0016] The stick heated by the heater chamber 17 may contain only an aerosol source, or it may contain an aerosol source and a flavoring substance. The aerosol source may include a liquid such as glycerin or a polyhydric alcohol such as propylene glycol. Specifically, the aerosol source may include a mixed solution of glycerin and propylene glycol. Alternatively, the aerosol source may contain pharmaceuticals or herbal medicines. Alternatively, the aerosol source may contain flavorings such as menthol. Alternatively, the aerosol source may contain liquid-phase nicotine. The aerosol source may be a liquid, a solid, or a mixture of liquid and solid. A vapor source such as water may be used instead of, or in addition to, the aerosol source. The stick may contain a carrier for supporting the aerosol source. This carrier itself may be a solid aerosol source. This carrier may contain a sheet molded from a raw material derived from tobacco leaves.

[0017] The bottom of Case 2 is provided with a USB-C connector for connecting external devices. Here, we assume that the USB-C connector is a receptacle compliant with the USB Type-C standard. When charging the power unit 1, an external device capable of supplying power according to the USB PD standard (such as a USB charger, mobile battery, or personal computer) is connected to the USB-C connector. Note that the USB-C connector may also comply with standards other than the USB Type-C standard. Alternatively, or in addition to the USB-C connector, a power receiving coil for contactless charging may be provided on the power unit 1.

[0018] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the power supply unit 1 with the case removed. The same reference numerals are used for components identical to those in Figure 1. The heater unit HT (hereinafter simply referred to as heater HT) is installed on the outer circumference of the heater chamber 17 and is a load that consumes power supplied from the power supply to heat the heater chamber 17 and heat the aerosol source. Although not shown in Figure 2, heater HT is covered with thermal insulation material. The heater thermistor TH attached to the thermal insulation material of heater HT is a temperature sensor that indirectly measures the temperature of heater HT. Heater HT may also be an induction heating type. In this case, heater HT includes at least one coil for electromagnetic induction. The susceptor (metal piece) that receives the magnetic field sent from the electromagnetic induction coil may be included in heater HT or built into the stick.

[0019] The puff thermistor TP is a suction sensor located at the upper end of the heater chamber 17. Suction can be detected by utilizing the fact that the temperature detected by the puff thermistor TP changes when an aerosol is drawn in. The case thermistor TC is located near the inner surface of the front of case 2 and detects the case temperature.

[0020] Battery BT is rechargeable, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery. Battery BT is the power source that supplies the basic power to power unit 1. Battery BT is installed during manufacturing, and power unit 1 is shipped in a state where most components, excluding the heater HT and thermistors TH, TC, TP, etc., are powered (sleep state). The detector 170 is an open / close sensor that detects the opening and closing of the slider 13, and may be an integrated circuit (Hall IC) using a Hall element. The circuit of the power supply unit 1 is distributed across four circuit boards PCB1 to PCB4.

[0021] Referring to Figure 3, the operation of each component constituting the power supply unit 1 will be described. The positive terminal of battery BT is electrically connected to the first power connector BC+, and the negative terminal of battery BT is electrically connected to the second power connector BC-. The potential of the positive terminal of battery BT can be supplied to the VBAT terminal of the protection circuit 90, the VBAT terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100, the VIN terminal of the transformer circuit 120, the BAT terminal of the charging circuit 20, and the potential input terminal of the switch circuit 80.

[0022] The protection circuit 90 measures the current flowing through the path through which the current output from the battery BT flows using a resistor R2 placed in the path, and protects the battery BT according to that current. The protection circuit 90 measures the output voltage of the battery BT using an input to the VBAT terminal, and protects the battery BT according to the measured output voltage. The battery monitoring circuit 100 can measure the state of the battery BT using a resistor R1 placed in the path through which the current output from the battery BT flows.

[0023] The overvoltage protection circuit 110 receives the voltage V supplied from the USBC connector, which is the power supply connector. BUS V USB Voltage V on the line USB The overvoltage protection circuit 110 outputs the voltage V supplied from the USBC connector. BUS Even if the voltage exceeds the specified voltage value, it can function as a protection circuit that reduces it to the specified voltage value and supplies it to the output side of the overvoltage protection circuit 110. This specified voltage value may be set based on the voltage value input to the OVLo terminal.

[0024] The transformer circuit 120 receives the power supply voltage V from the battery BT. BAT The heater voltage V is used to drive the heater HT by transforming the voltage. BOOST This is a DC / DC converter that generates [aerosol]. The transformer circuit 120 may be a boost circuit, a buck-boost circuit, or a step-down circuit. The heater HT is positioned to heat the aerosol source. The positive terminal of the heater HT may be electrically connected to the first heater connector HC+, and the negative terminal of the heater HT may be electrically connected to the second heater connector HC-.

[0025] The heater HT may be attached to the power supply unit 1 in a manner that makes it impossible to remove without damaging it (e.g., by soldering), or in a manner that makes it possible to remove it without damaging it. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, electrical connections by "connectors" are described as either being in a manner that makes them impossible to separate from each other without damaging them, or being in a manner that makes them possible to separate from each other without damaging them.

[0026] The MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 130 is a processor-based control circuit equipped with a program-executable processor, memory (ROM and RAM), interfaces, and other components. The MCU 130 controls the operation of the power supply unit 1 by loading a program into its RAM and executing it. The program executed by the MCU 130 may reside in the built-in memory (ROM), the non-volatile memory 70, or both.

[0027] The MCU130 controls the power supply to the heater HT for heating the aerosol source using power supplied from the battery BT. In other words, the MCU130 controls the heat generation of the heater HT for heating the aerosol source using power supplied from the battery BT. In yet another way, the MCU130 controls the power supply to the heater HT and the charging operation of the battery BT.

[0028] When heating the heater HT, the MCU130 turns on switches SH and SS and turns off switch SM. This results in a heater voltage V BOOST The voltage can be supplied from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT through switch SH. Also, when measuring the temperature or resistance of the heater HT, the MCU 130 turns off switch SH and turns on switches SM and SS. This results in the heater voltage V BOOST This can be supplied from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT through switch SM.

[0029] When measuring the temperature or resistance of heater HT, op-amp A1 supplies an output to the PA7 terminal of MCU130 corresponding to the voltage between the positive and negative terminals of heater HT, in other words, the voltage between the first heater connector HC+ and the second heater connector HC-. Op-amp A1 may also be understood as a measurement circuit for measuring the resistance or temperature of heater HT.

[0030] A shunt resistor RS may be placed in the path that electrically connects switch SM and the first heater connector HC+. The resistance value of the shunt resistor RS may be determined so that switch SR is on during the period when heater HT is being heated, and switch SR is off during the period when the temperature or resistance value of heater HT is being measured.

[0031] When the MCU130 detects a heating start instruction, it controls the temperature of the heater HT according to a predetermined temperature control pattern. The temperature control pattern, also called the heating profile, defines how the temperature of the heater HT is controlled during the period from the start to the end of heating. For example, the temperature control pattern may define the length (time) and target temperature for each section. The temperature control pattern is also called the heating profile. The MCU130 achieves the temperature change defined in the temperature control pattern by repeatedly detecting the temperature of the heater HT and controlling the power supply time to the heater HT based on the detected temperature of the heater HT.

[0032] Figure 4 shows an example of heater HT temperature control according to a temperature control pattern. Here, the temperature is controlled so that the target temperature is reached at the end of each interval. The horizontal axis represents time (seconds), and the vertical axis represents the temperature of heater HT. The numbers shown for each interval indicate the length of that interval.

[0033] The initial heating phase, which begins with the start of heating, includes a first heating phase and a subsequent second heating phase. The first heating phase is 17 seconds long and has a target temperature of 290°C. The second heating phase is 18 seconds long and has a target temperature of 295°C. The MCU130 controls the power supply to the heater HT to reach 290°C within the first heating phase, and controls the operation of the heater HT to reach 295°C within the subsequent second heating phase. By dividing the initial heating phase into multiple phases and reaching the target temperature of the initial heating phase (295°C) via one or more intermediate target temperatures (290°C in this case), the probability of reaching the final target temperature (295°C) within the initial heating phase can be increased.

[0034] Furthermore, by making the temperature gradient (temperature increase per unit time) in the last of the multiple heating sections that make up the initial heating section gentler than in the other heating sections, overshooting the final target temperature becomes less likely. Note that the initial heating section may also include a temperature maintenance section.

[0035] The section following the initial heating section is a section for lowering the temperature of the heater HT (cooling or slow cooling section). The length of the cooling section is 10 seconds, and the target temperature is 230°C. During the cooling section, the MCU130 does not supply power to the heater HT and waits for the heater HT to be cooled by the surrounding air, although it may have a configuration for actively cooling, such as a cooling fan.

[0036] After the cooling-down period ends, the reheating period begins, which lasts 310 seconds and has a target temperature of 260°C. When the MCU130 detects that the reheating period has ended or that the slider 13 has been moved to the position that hides the heater chamber 17 (closed position), it stops supplying power to the heater HT and terminates temperature control of the heater HT.

[0037] In addition, when power is not supplied to the heater during the temperature drop period, the resistance value of the heater HT cannot be measured in the temperature drop period. Therefore, for the temperature drop period, instead of supplying power to the heater HT and measuring the resistance value, the MCU 130 obtains the temperature of the heater HT using the heater thermistor TH connected to the PA6 terminal.

[0038] In this way, since the MCU 130 periodically measures the temperature of the heater HT during the period of controlling the temperature of the heater HT according to the temperature control pattern, if an abnormality (overheating) in the temperature of the heater HT occurs, it can be detected.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 3, when the switch SR is composed of an N-channel MOSFET, the drain terminal of the switch SR is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier A1, the gate terminal of the switch SR is connected between the shunt resistor RS and the first heater connector HC+, and the source terminal of the switch SR is connected to the ground (GND). A voltage mainly obtained by dividing the heater voltage V BOOST by the shunt resistor RS and the heater HT is input to the gate terminal of the switch SR. The resistance value of the shunt resistor RS can be determined such that the divided value is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage of the switch SR. Also, due to the shunt resistor RS, when the switch SH is off and the switches SM and SS are on, the current flowing through the heater HT is smaller than the current flowing through the heater HT when the switches SH and SS are on and the switch SM is off. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the change in the temperature of the heater HT due to the current flowing through the heater HT when measuring the temperature or resistance of the heater HT.

[0040] When a low level is input to the ON terminal, the load switch 10 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and when a high level is input to the ON terminal, the load switch 10 electrically connects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and outputs a voltage V CC5 to the V CC5 line. The voltage value of the voltage V CC5 is, for example, 5.0 [V]. The voltage of V CC5The line is connected to the VBUS and VAC terminals of the charging circuit 20 (described later) and to the light-emitting unit NU. The collector terminal of an npn bipolar transistor is connected to the ON terminal of the load switch 10. The emitter terminal of this bipolar transistor is connected to ground, and the base terminal is connected to the PC9 terminal of the MCU 130. In other words, the MCU 130 can control the opening and closing of the load switch via the bipolar transistor by adjusting the potential of the PC9 terminal.

[0041] The charging circuit 20 has a charging mode. In charging mode, the charging circuit 20 internally electrically connects the SYS terminal and the BAT terminal. As a result, V CC5 Voltage V supplied to the VBUS terminal via the line CC5 Using this, a charging voltage can be supplied from the BAT terminal to the battery BT via the first conductive path PT1. The charging circuit 20 uses a voltage V CC5 It is preferable to generate an appropriate charging voltage by stepping down the voltage. The charging mode can be enabled or activated by supplying a low level to the / CE terminal. CC The line is connected to the VIN and EN terminals of the transformer circuit 30, which will be described later.

[0042] The charging circuit 20 may have a power path function. When the power path function is enabled, the charging circuit 20 will have a power path function. CC5 Voltage V supplied to the VBUS terminal via the line CC5 Using this, or the power supply voltage V supplied from battery BT to the BAT terminal via the first conductive path PT1 BAT Using V CC Voltage V on the line CC It supplies voltage V. Specifically, the charging circuit 20 supplies voltage V. USB When the power path function is enabled while it is available, the VBUS terminal and the SW terminal are electrically connected internally, CC5 Voltage V supplied through the line CC5 Using V CC Voltage V on the line CC It supplies the voltage V. The charging circuit 20 also supplies the voltage V. USBWhen the power path function is enabled while the power path is unavailable, the VBUS terminal and the SW terminal are electrically connected internally, and the power supply voltage V is supplied from the battery BT to the BAT terminal via the first conductive path PT1. BAT Using V CC Voltage V on the line CC To supply.

[0043] The charging circuit 20 has an OTG (On-The-GO) function. When the OTG function is enabled, the charging circuit 20 supplies the power supply voltage V from the battery BT to the BAT terminal via the first conductive path PT1. BAT Using VBUS terminal, CC5 Voltage V on the line CC5 It supplies power supply voltage V BAT From voltage V CC5 When generating, the voltage supplied to the light-emitting unit NU is voltage V USB From voltage V CC5 The charging circuit 20 generates the power supply voltage V to the same extent as or equal to the amount of power supply voltage V BAT Boost the voltage to V CC5 It is preferable to supply this. With this configuration, the operation of the light-emitting unit NU becomes stable. When a high level is supplied to the / CE terminal, the charging circuit 20 can operate using either the power path function or the OTG function, whichever is set by default, or the other which is set to be enabled by the MCU 130.

[0044] The transformer circuit 30 is a DC / DC converter which can be a boost circuit, a buck-boost circuit, or a step-down circuit, V CC Voltage V on the line CC It is enabled by supplying V. Specifically, the transformer circuit 30 is enabled by a high-level signal being input to the EN terminal. The VIN terminal and EN terminal are V CC Since it is connected to the line, the transformer circuit 30 is V CC Voltage V on the line CC It is enabled by supplying V. The transformer circuit 30 receives V from the VOUT terminal. CC33_0 Voltage V on the line CC33_0It supplies voltage V. CC33_0 The voltage value is, for example, 3.3[V]. CC33_0 The lines are connected to the VIN terminal of the load switch 40 (described later), the VIN and RSTB terminals of the reboot controller 50 (described later), and the VCC and D terminals of the FF2 (described later).

[0045] When a low level is input to the ON terminal, the load switch 40 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and when a high level is input to the ON terminal, it electrically connects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and VOUT is output from the VOUT terminal. CC33 Voltage V on the line CC33 Outputs voltage V. CC33 The voltage value is, for example, 3.3[V]. CC33 The line is connected to the VIN terminal of the load switch 60 (described later), the VCC terminal of the non-volatile memory 70, the VDD and CE terminals of the battery monitoring circuit 100 (described later), the VDD terminal of the MCU 130, the VDD terminal of the detector 140 (described later), the VCC terminal of the Schmitt trigger circuit 150 (described later), the VCC_NRF terminal of the communication interface circuit 160 (described later), the VDD terminal of the detector 170 (described later), the VCC and D terminals of FF1 (described later), the positive power supply terminal of op-amp A1, and the positive power supply terminal of op-amp A2 (described later). The VIN terminal of the load switch 40 is electrically connected to the VOUT terminal of the transformer circuit 30, and voltage V is supplied from the transformer circuit 30. CC33_0 A voltage V is supplied. To avoid complicating the circuit board of power supply unit 1, CC33_0 The voltage value and voltage V CC33 The voltage values ​​are preferably approximately equal.

[0046] The reboot controller 50 outputs a low level from the RSTB terminal in response to a low level being supplied to the SW1 and SW2 terminals for a predetermined period of time. The RSTB terminal is electrically connected to the ON terminal of the load switch 40. Therefore, in response to a low level being supplied to the SW1 and SW2 terminals of the reboot controller 50 for a predetermined period of time, the load switch 40 outputs a voltage V from the VOUT terminal. CC33Stop the output. Voltage V from the VOUT terminal of load switch 40 CC33 When the output stops, the voltage V on the VDD terminal (power terminal) of the MCU130 CC33 Since the supply of [the necessary component] is cut off, the MCU130 will cease operation.

[0047] When the front panel 11 is removed from the power supply unit 1, a low level is supplied from the detector 140 to the SW2 terminal of the reboot controller 50 via the Schmitt trigger circuit 150. Also, when the switch SW is pressed, a low level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50. Therefore, when the switch SW is pressed while the front panel 11 is removed from the power supply unit 1 (the state shown in Figure 1f), a low level is supplied to the SW1 and SW2 terminals of the reboot controller 50. When the reboot controller 50 receives a low level continuously supplied to the SW1 and SW2 terminals for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds), it recognizes that a reset or restart command has been input to the power supply unit 1. It is preferable that the reboot controller 50 does not output a low level from the RSTB terminal after outputting a low level from the RSTB terminal.

[0048] When the reboot controller 50 outputs a low level from the RSTB terminal, a low level is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40, and the load switch 40 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal. CC33 Voltage V on the line CC33 The output stops. As a result, the MCU130 stops operating. Subsequently, when the reboot controller 50 stops outputting a low level from the RSTB terminal, a high-level voltage V CC33_0 Since this is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40, the load switch 40 electrically connects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and V is input from the VOUT terminal. CC33 Voltage V on the line CC33 It outputs again. This allows the stopped MCU130 to restart.

[0049] When a low level is input to the ON terminal, the load switch 60 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and when a high level is input to the ON terminal, it electrically connects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and VOUT is output from the VOUT terminal. CC33_SLP Voltage V on the line CC33_SLP Outputs voltage V. CC33_SLP The voltage value is, for example, 3.3[V]. CC33_SLP The line is connected to the puff thermistor TP, heater thermistor TH, and case thermistor TC, which will be described later. The ON terminal of the load switch 60 is electrically connected to the PC11 terminal of the MCU130. When the MCU130 transitions to sleep mode, it changes the logic level of the PC11 terminal from high to low, and when it transitions from sleep to active mode, it changes the logic level of the PC11 terminal from low to high. In other words, the voltage V CC33_SLP This feature is unavailable in sleep mode and becomes available when transitioning from sleep mode to active mode.

[0050] The power supply unit 1 may include a puff thermistor TP (e.g., an NTC thermistor or PTC thermistor) which constitutes a puff sensor for detecting puffing (suction) by the user. The puff thermistor TP may be arranged to detect, for example, a temperature change in the airflow path associated with puffing. Note that the puff thermistor TP is only one specific example of a puff sensor. Instead of the puff thermistor TP, a microphone condenser, pressure sensor, flow sensor, flow velocity sensor, etc., may be used as the puff sensor. The power supply unit 1 may also include a vibrator M. The vibrator M may be activated, for example, by turning on a switch SN. The switch SN may be composed of a transistor, and a control signal may be supplied to the base or gate of the transistor from the PH0 terminal of the MCU 130. The power supply unit 1 may also have a driver for controlling the vibrator M.

[0051] Power supply unit 1 may include a heater thermistor TH (e.g., an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor) for detecting the temperature of heater HT. The temperature of heater HT may also be detected indirectly by detecting the temperature in the vicinity of heater HT. Operational amplifier A2 may output a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of thermistor TH, in other words, a voltage corresponding to the temperature of heater HT.

[0052] The power supply unit 1 may be equipped with a case thermistor TC (e.g., an NTC thermistor or PTC thermistor) for detecting the temperature of the power supply unit's enclosure (case) 2. The temperature of case 2 may also be detected indirectly by detecting the temperature in the vicinity of case 2. The operational amplifier A3 outputs a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of thermistor TC, in other words, a voltage corresponding to the temperature of case 2.

[0053] The detector 140 may be configured to detect when the front panel 11 is disconnected from the power supply unit 1. The output of the detector 140 may be supplied to the SW2 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PD2 terminal of the MCU 130 via the Schmitt trigger circuit 150. One end of the switch SW is V CC33 The line can be connected to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PC10 terminal of the MCU 130. The other end of the switch SW can be connected to ground. As a result, when the switch SW is pressed, a low level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PC10 terminal of the MCU 130, and when the switch SW is not pressed, a high level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PC10 terminal of the MCU 130.

[0054] Detector 170 may be configured to detect the opening and closing of slider 13. The output of detector 170 may be supplied to the PC13 terminal of MCU 130. Detectors 140 and 170 may consist of, for example, integrated circuits using Hall elements (Hall ICs).

[0055] The communication interface circuit 160 provides the MCU 130 with the function to wirelessly communicate with external devices such as smartphones, mobile phones, and personal computers. The communication interface circuit 160 may be a communication interface circuit that conforms to one or more arbitrary wireless communication standards, such as Bluetooth®.

[0056] Figure 5 is a circuit diagram showing the configurations related to the operation using FF (Flip-Flop) 1 and FF2, extracted from the components explained using Figure 3. FF1 and FF2 are holding circuits that hold 1-bit information (0 or 1) as a low or high level, indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected regarding the power supply unit 1 by means other than the MCU 130. Specifically, FF1 holds information (second information) indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected by the battery monitoring circuit 100, op-amp A2, and op-amp A3. FF2 also holds information (first information) indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected by op-amp A2.

[0057] FF2 outputs the inverted value of the information it holds as the HEATER_Latched signal from the / Q terminal. FF1 outputs the value of the information it holds as the nALARM_Latched signal from the Q terminal. The HEATER_Latched signal and the nALARM_Latched signal are input to the PB14 and PA10 terminals of the MCU130, respectively. Therefore, the MCU130 can access the information held in FF1 and FF2 by referencing the levels of these terminals.

[0058] FF1 and FF2 have a / CLR terminal. When the input level of the / CLR terminal changes from high to low, the value of the information they hold is initialized to 0 (low level). However, a change in the input level of the / CLR terminal from low to high does not affect the value of the information they hold.

[0059] In this embodiment, FF1 and FF2 are supplied with power by different power lines. Specifically, the VCC terminal (power terminal) of FF1 is supplied with a voltage V CC33_0 However, the VCC terminal (power terminal) of the FF2 has a voltage of V CC33 However, each of these is input. Voltage V CC33_0 The voltage V drives the MCU130. CC33 Power is continuously supplied even when it is temporarily cut off during the reset operation. Therefore, the information held by FF2 (outputs of Q and / Q terminals) is retained without being erased even when the reset operation of power supply unit 1 is performed. On the other hand, since FF1 is powered by the power line that supplies power to MCU130, the information held by FF1 is erased during the reset operation.

[0060] In FF1 and FF2, the input to the VCC terminal is also input to the D terminal. Therefore, a high level is always input to the D terminal while FF1 and FF2 are operating. FF1 and FF2 have a synchronization terminal (not shown), and when the input to the synchronization terminal changes from a low level to a high level, they maintain the input level of the D terminal. When power supply unit 1 is operating normally, FF1 and FF2 maintain a high level, the nALARM_Latched signal is high level, and the HEATER_Latched signal is low level.

[0061] First, we will explain the operation when the battery monitoring circuit 100 detects an abnormality related to the battery BT. The battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors information about the battery BT (current, temperature, and voltage, etc.). The control circuit MCU 130 periodically checks I 2 The battery monitoring circuit 100 requests battery BT information via C communication, and the battery monitoring circuit 100 notifies the MCU 130 of the battery BT information in response to the request. The MCU 130 determines whether there is an abnormality based on the acquired battery BT information and several predetermined abnormality conditions. If the MCU 130 finds any applicable abnormality conditions, it executes the operation corresponding to those abnormality conditions.

[0062] (Abnormal conditions) Figure 6 shows an example of an abnormal condition related to battery BT. The judgment condition for MCU130 is that MCU130 is I 2 These are abnormal conditions applied to the battery BT information obtained from the battery monitoring circuit 100 via C communication. Furthermore, the output conditions for the nGAUGE_INT1 signal and the nGAUGE_INT2 signal are abnormal conditions that the battery monitoring circuit 100 itself applies to the battery BT information. If either of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal output conditions is met, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT1 signal from the ALERT terminal. Also, if either of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal output conditions is met, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal from the IO5 terminal. In this way, the battery BT status is monitored independently by the MCU 130 and the battery monitoring circuit 100. This allows for, for example, communication between the MCU 130 and the battery monitoring circuit 100. 2 Even if C communication fails for any reason, or if the MCU130 does not operate properly for any reason, the battery monitoring circuit 100 can reliably detect an abnormality in the battery BT and take appropriate action.

[0063] In Figure 6, the "Timing" column indicates the timing for determining whether or not each abnormal condition is met. An abnormal condition listed as "Charging" in the "Timing" column is only determined to be met while the battery BT is being charged by the charging circuit 20. An abnormal condition listed as "Discharging" in the "Timing" column is only determined to be met while the battery BT is not being charged by the charging circuit 20 (more preferably at the heater voltage V). BOOST The determination of whether or not the condition applies is made only while the heater HT is being charged. For abnormal conditions where "Always" is listed in the "Timing" column, the determination of whether or not the condition applies is made regardless of whether or not the battery BT is being charged by the charging circuit 20.

[0064] In Figure 6, the presence or absence and type of frame around an abnormal condition indicate the degree of abnormality represented by that condition. Specifically, an abnormal condition without a frame represents the mildest abnormality, an abnormal condition with a solid frame represents a moderate abnormality requiring a reset, and an abnormal condition with a double-line frame represents a critical abnormality (permanent failure). A permanent failure is an abnormality that should effectively prohibit the use of power supply unit 1. The MCU 130 and battery monitoring circuit 100 perform operations according to the degree of the corresponding abnormality.

[0065] Here, when both output conditions for the nGAUGE_INT1 signal and the nGAUGE_INT2 signal are set for the same monitoring parameter, such as the current amount during charging and discharging of battery BT, the output condition for the nGAUGE_INT1 signal is set to be stricter. In other words, for the same monitoring parameter, the abnormal condition is set so that the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output before the nGAUGE_INT1 signal. This is because the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output to the MCU130, and the abnormality is dealt with by the MCU130's control, whereas the nGAUGE_INT1 signal deals with the abnormality hardware-wise without going through the MCU130. Basically, software control by the MCU130, which operates stably, is prioritized, and hardware control by the nGAUGE_INT1 signal is implemented as a means when software control does not work. One example of when software control does not work is when the MCU130 is frozen.

[0066] (Battery abnormality detection by MCU130) Next, we will explain the detection of abnormalities in the battery BT and the actions taken according to the degree of the detected abnormality. First, I 2 This section describes the operation of the MCU130 based on battery BT information obtained via C communication. The MCU130 periodically (for example, at 1-second intervals) communicates with the battery monitoring circuit 100 and I 2 C communication is performed to obtain battery BT information and determine whether or not it falls under any of the abnormal conditions shown in Figure 6.

[0067] (Mild abnormality) If the MCU130 determines that the mildest abnormal condition has occurred (in the example in Figure 5, when the temperature of battery BT is between 51°C and 55°C during discharge), it will cut power supply from battery BT to heater HT (heater voltage V BOOST The application of (the voltage) is prohibited. The MCU130 also notifies of errors via the light-emitting unit NU and the vibrator M. The MCU130 also prohibits charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20. The MCU130 also prohibits charging of the battery BT. In sleep mode, the voltage V BAT , V CC33 , V CC33_0 It is supplied, but the voltage V CC33_SLP It will not be supplied.

[0068] (Power supply to heater HT is disabled) The MCU130 lowers the Heater_Enable signal output from the PC12 terminal to a low level, turning off switch SS. This causes the MCU130 to disconnect the negative terminal HC- of heater HT from ground. Additionally, since the Heater Enable signal is also input to the EN terminal of the transformer circuit 120, the transformer circuit 120 also ceases operation, and power supply to heater HT is prohibited.

[0069] (Battery BT charging disabled) The MCU130 sets the nCharger_Enable signal output from the PB3 terminal to a high level. This causes the / CE terminal of the charging circuit 20 to go high, thus disabling charging in the charging circuit 20.

[0070] Subsequently, once it is confirmed that the battery BT temperature has fallen below 45°C, the MCU130 puts power supply unit 1 into sleep mode.

[0071] (Moderate abnormality) If a moderate abnormal condition is detected (for example, when the battery BT temperature exceeds 55°C during discharge in the example shown in Figure 6), the power supply unit 1 needs to be reset (restarted). Therefore, the MCU 130 prompts the user to perform a reset operation through the light emission pattern and / or color of the light emission unit NU. In addition to the light emission unit NU, a vibrator M may also be used. If a moderate abnormal condition is detected, the MCU 130 prohibits power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20.

[0072] (Reset operation) In the power supply unit 1 of this embodiment, • The front panel 11 has been removed. • The switch SW is pressed for a certain period of time longer than the heating start instruction. If both conditions are detected, it is recognized that a reset operation has been performed.

[0073] Specifically, these conditions are detected by the reboot controller 50. The SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 is connected to a switch SW, and the SW2 terminal is connected to a Schmitt trigger circuit 150 that outputs a signal indicating the attachment or detachment of the front panel 11. When the switch SW is pressed while the front panel 11 is detached, both the inputs to the SW1 and SW2 terminals become low. This causes the reboot controller 50 to initiate a reset operation.

[0074] The reboot controller 50 monitors whether the state in which both SW1 and SW2 terminals are at a low level persists until a user-configurable reboot delay time (e.g., 1 to 20 seconds) has elapsed. During the reboot delay time, the MCU 130 notifies the user of the reset using the light emitter NU and vibrator M.

[0075] When the state where both the SW1 and SW2 terminals are at the low level continues for the reboot delay time, the reboot controller 50 sets the output of the RSTB terminal to the low level. As a result, the ON terminal of the load switch 40 becomes the low level, and the voltage V CC33 from the VOUT terminal of the load switch 40 and the voltage V CC33_SLP from the VOUT terminal of the load switch 60 stop being supplied. Thereby, the power supply to the MCU 130 is cut off, and the MCU 130 stops operating. That is, the time longer than the heating start instruction required for recognizing the reset instruction, as described above, is approximately equal to the reboot delay time.

[0076] When a predetermined time (for example, 0.4 seconds) elapses after the reboot controller 50 sets the RSTB terminal to the low level, the RSTB terminal automatically stops being set to the low level. As a result, the voltage V CC33_0 is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40 via the V CC33_0 line. The supply of the voltage V CC33 from the load switch 40 resumes, and the MCU 130 starts up. That is, the MCU 130 starts up when the state changes from a state where power is not supplied to a state where power is supplied. When the MCU 130 starts up, the power supply unit 1 enters the sleep state or the charging state. At this point, the voltage V CC33_SLP is not supplied. When the MCU 130 restarts in this way, problems such as freezes that occurred in the MCU 130 may be resolved.

[0077] Among medium-level abnormal states, overcurrent during charging is determined to be applicable when a current value 1.1 times or more the preset current value (hereinafter also referred to as the set value) for performing CC (Constant-Current) charging in the CCCV charging executed by the charging circuit 20 is detected.

[0078] (Critical Abnormality) If a critical abnormal condition is detected (in the example in Figure 6, when deep discharge is determined from the battery BT voltage), the MCU130 determines that a critical abnormality (permanent failure) has occurred. Deep discharge refers to a state where the battery BT has discharged further than the over-discharge state. Over-discharge refers to a state where the output voltage of the battery BT falls below the discharge termination voltage. Deep discharge can be determined by a predetermined algorithm. There are no restrictions on the method of determining deep discharge, but for example, deep discharge can be determined when the positive electrode voltage of the battery BT is below a certain level.

[0079] A permanent failure is an abnormality that should effectively prohibit the use of the device. Therefore, if a permanent failure is detected, the MCU130 performs an action to prohibit the user from using power supply unit 1. Details of the MCU130's actions when a permanent failure is detected will be described later.

[0080] (Battery abnormality detection by battery monitoring circuit 100) Next, we will explain the battery abnormality detection operation performed by the battery monitoring circuit 100, which operates independently of the MCU 130. The battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors the state of the battery BT and determines whether any of the abnormal conditions shown in Figure 6 apply. Depending on the applied abnormal condition, it outputs either an nGAUGE_INT1 signal or an nGAUGE_INT2 signal. The nGAUGE_INT2 signal is input as an interrupt signal from the IO5 terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100 to the PB12 terminal of the MCU 130. In other words, it periodically communicates with the MCU 130. 2 Without waiting for the C communication cycle, the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output from the IO5 terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100. On the other hand, the nGAUGE_INT1 signal output from the ALERT terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100 is not input to the MCU130, but is input to the / CLR terminal of the holding circuit FF1.

[0081] (nGAUGE_INT2 signal) First, let's explain the nGAUGE_INT2 signal. The battery monitoring circuit 100 determines whether the battery BT information acquired periodically matches any of the abnormal conditions listed as output conditions for the nGAUGE_INT2 signal. If it is determined that any of the abnormal conditions are met, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the nGAUGE_INT2 signal by setting the output of the IO5 terminal to a low level, and notifies the MCU 130 of the occurrence of an abnormality via the PB12 terminal.

[0082] When the input to the PB12 terminal changes to a low level, the MCU130 recognizes that the battery monitoring circuit 100 has detected an abnormality in the battery BT. Then, the MCU130 receives an I signal through the SCL and SDA terminals. 2 Battery BT information is obtained from the battery monitoring circuit 100 via C communication.

[0083] The MCU130 applies the same abnormal conditions as the output conditions of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal to the acquired battery BT information to determine whether the battery BT is in an abnormal state. If any of the abnormal conditions apply, it performs an action according to the degree of the abnormality indicated by that state. In other words, the MCU130 periodically checks the battery BT information. 2 I obtained via C communication or in response to notification (interrupt) via the nGAUGE_INT2 signal. 2 Depending on whether the information was obtained via C communication, the abnormal conditions applied to the acquired battery BT information will differ. If there are applicable abnormal conditions, the actions taken according to the degree of the abnormality represented by those conditions will periodically check the battery BT information. 2 This is the same as when obtained via C communication.

[0084] Note that the battery monitoring circuit 100 and the MCU 130 use different methods to determine abnormal battery temperature conditions (85°C or higher for 2 minutes). The battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors the battery BT information acquired periodically and outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal when it determines that the temperature has remained above 85°C for 2 minutes.

[0085] When the MCU130 receives a low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal, it acquires information on the battery BT from the battery monitoring circuit 100 at a predetermined cycle (for example, 1 second). If a temperature of 85°C or higher is detected continuously a predetermined number of times (for example, 5 times), it is determined that the condition is abnormal (a permanent failure has occurred).

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the MCU130 applies the same abnormal condition as the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal to the acquired information on the battery BT to determine whether the battery BT is in an abnormal state and the degree of the abnormality.

[0087] (nGAUGE_INT1 signal) Next, the nGAUGE_INT1 signal will be described. The battery monitoring circuit 100 determines whether the information on the battery BT acquired periodically corresponds to any of the abnormal conditions listed as the output conditions of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal. When it is determined that the condition corresponds to any of the abnormal conditions, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the nGAUGE_INT1 signal by setting the output of the ALERT terminal to a low level.

[0088] The nGAUGE_INT1 signal is input to the / CLR terminal of the FF1 which is a holding circuit. Since the / CLR terminal is of negative logic, when a low-level nGAUGE_INT1 is input, the output of the Q terminal which is the output of the FF1 is forced to be at a low level. When the supply of the voltage V from the load switch 40 to the FF1 is started, a high level is input to the D terminal and a clock signal is input from the MCU130 to the clock terminal (not shown), so the output of the Q terminal is normally at a high level. Here, the input of the clock signal may be by changing the input level of the clock terminal from a low level to a high level. The FF1 shall hold the input level of the D terminal when the input level of the clock terminal changes from a low level to a high level and output it from the Q terminal.

[0089] ​​The output of the Q terminal of FF1 (nALARM_Latched signal) is input to switch SS, the transformer circuit 120, switch SL connected to the / CE terminal of the charging circuit 20, and MCU130 (PA10 terminal). When the nALARM_Latched signal output from the Q terminal of FF1 reaches a predetermined level (low level) indicating an abnormality, • When switch SS is turned off, the power supply to heater HT is cut off. • The EN terminal of the DC / DC120 becomes low level, causing power supply to the heater HT to stop. When switch SL is turned on, the voltage V between resistor R9 and resistor R10 is increased. CC33 It no longer contributes to the voltage division, and the input to the / CE terminal of the charging circuit 20 is voltage V CC33 Because it reaches the same high level as the other signal, charging is stopped. Note that the nCharger_Enable signal is not generated at this time, and the potential of the PB3 terminal is undefined. In this way, by setting the output of FF1 to a low level, it is possible to protect the circuit by prohibiting power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20, without going through the MCU 130.

[0090] When the MCU130 receives a low-level nALARM_Latched signal at the PA10 terminal, it determines that an abnormality requiring a reset has been detected and prompts the user to perform a reset operation using the light-emitting unit NU and the vibrator M. The detection of the reset operation and the corresponding reset operation are as described above.

[0091] (Anomaly detection using heater thermistors and case thermistors) Next, we will explain the anomaly detection using the heater thermistor TH and case thermistor TC, and the operation in response to anomaly detection. The heater thermistor TH is positioned in close proximity to the heater HT. Alternatively, the heater thermistor TH is positioned in contact with the heater HT. Therefore, by pre-measuring the relationship between the actual temperature of the heater HT and the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH, the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH can be used as the temperature of the heater HT.

[0092] The inverting input of op-amp A2 has a voltage V CC33_SLP The voltage obtained by dividing the voltage between the heater thermistor TH and resistor R1 is input. Also, the voltage V is input to the non-inverting input of op-amp A2. CC33 The voltage obtained by dividing the voltage between resistors R4 and R5 is input as the reference voltage or threshold voltage. Preferably, the heater thermistor TH is configured with an NTC thermistor, so the non-inverting input voltage is low when the heater HT is not overheating, and the non-inverting input voltage is high when the heater HT is overheating. The values ​​of the voltage divider resistors R3 to R5 are adjusted so that the non-inverting input voltage is higher than the inverting input voltage when the heater HT is not overheating, and the inverting input voltage is higher than the non-inverting input voltage when the heater HT is overheating. Therefore, the operational amplifier A2 functions as a circuit (first detection circuit) that detects a temperature abnormality, specifically overheating, as an example of an abnormality related to the heater HT. The values ​​of the voltage divider resistors R3 to R5 can be adjusted based on the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH when the temperature of the heater HT reaches the overheating threshold.

[0093] Therefore, the output of op-amp A2 is high level when heater HT is not overheating (normal state), and low level when heater HT is overheating (abnormal state). The output of op-amp A2 is directly connected to the / CLR terminal of FF2. The output of op-amp A2 is also connected to the D terminal and / CLR terminal of FF1 via diode D1. The cathode of diode D1 is connected to the output of op-amp A2. If the heater HT temperature is normal, the input to the / CLR terminal of FF2 will be high level. When the input to the / CLR terminal is high level, the output of the Q terminal of FF2 maintains its initial state. A voltage V is applied to the D terminal of FF2. CC33_0 If the input is received and there are no abnormalities during startup, FF2 will maintain the input level of the D terminal in its initial state. Therefore, if the heater HT temperature is normal, the Q terminal output of FF2 will be high level, and the / Q terminal output (HEATER_Latched signal) will be low level.

[0094] When heater HT overheats, the output of op-amp A2 changes to a low level. This causes the input to the / CLR terminal of FF2 to also change to a low level. When the / CLR terminal goes low, FF2 is forcibly initialized, and the output of the Q terminal becomes low and the output of the / Q terminal becomes high. Therefore, the HEATER_Latched signal, which is the output of the / Q terminal of FF2, is held at a high level. The HEATER_Latched signal is input to the PB14 terminal of MCU130. The operation of MCU130 when it detects that the HEATER_Latched signal has become high will be described later.

[0095] The VCC terminal of FF2 has a voltage of V CC33_0 It is supplied. Voltage V CC33_0 The voltage V drives the MCU130. CC33 The power supply continues even when it is temporarily interrupted during the reset operation. Therefore, the information held by FF2 (outputs of Q and / Q terminals) is retained even when the MCU130 is reset.

[0096] The case thermistor TC is positioned close to the inner surface of case 2. Alternatively, the case thermistor TC is positioned in contact with the inner surface of case 2. By pre-measuring the relationship between the actual temperature of case 2 and the resistance value of case thermistor TC, the resistance value of case thermistor TC can be used as the temperature of case 2.

[0097] The inverting input of operational amplifier A3 is supplied with voltage V. CC33_SLP The voltage obtained by dividing the voltage between the case thermistor TC and resistor R6 is input. Also, the voltage V is input to the non-inverting input of op-amp A3. CC33The voltage obtained by dividing the voltage between resistors R7 and R8 is input as the reference voltage or threshold voltage. Preferably, the case thermistor TC is configured with an NTC thermistor, so that the non-inverting input voltage is low when case 2 is not hot and high when case 2 is hot. The values ​​of the voltage divider resistors R6 to R8 are adjusted so that when case 2 of power supply unit 1 is not hot, the non-inverting input voltage is higher than the inverting input voltage, and when case 2 is hot, the inverting input voltage is higher than the non-inverting input voltage. Therefore, the operational amplifier A3 functions as a circuit (second detection circuit) that detects high temperature as an abnormality related to the temperature of case 2. The values ​​of the voltage divider resistors R6 to R8 can be adjusted based on the resistance value of the case thermistor TC when the temperature of case 2 reaches a high temperature.

[0098] Therefore, the output of op-amp A3 is high level when case 2 is not hot (normal state), and low level when case 2 is hot (abnormal state).

[0099] The output of op-amp A3 is directly connected to the / CLR and D terminals of FF1. The output of op-amp A3 is also connected to the anode of diode D1. If the temperature of case 2 is normal, the input to the / CLR terminal of FF1 will be high level. When the input to the / CLR terminal is high level, the output of the Q terminal of FF1 maintains its initial state. A voltage V is connected to the D terminal of FF1. CC33 If the input is received and there are no abnormalities during startup, FF1 will maintain the input level of the D terminal in its initial state. Therefore, if the temperature of case 2 is normal, the Q terminal output of FF1 (nALARM_Latched signal) will be high level.

[0100] The high-level nALARM_Latched signal is input to the PA10 terminal of the MCU130 and the base of switch SL. Switch SL is turned off.

[0101] When Case 2 reaches a high temperature, the output of op-amp A3 changes to a low level. This causes the input to the / CLR terminal of FF1 to change to a low level. When the / CLR terminal goes low, FF1 is forcibly initialized, and the output of the Q terminal (nALARM_Latched signal) goes low. This protects the power supply unit 1 by preventing power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20, without going through the MCU 130, similar to when the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT1 signal.

[0102] Furthermore, if heater HT is overheated and case 2 is at a high temperature, the outputs of both op-amp A2 and op-amp A3 will be at a high level. Since the outputs of op-amp A2 and op-amp A3 are connected, there is a risk of their outputs colliding. The outputs of op-amp A2 and op-amp A3 are not necessarily the same voltage value, and a collision between two high levels with different voltage values ​​may lead to unexpected malfunctions. In particular, even if the outputs of op-amp A2 and op-amp A3 are both at a high level, if the output voltage of op-amp A3 is lower than the output voltage of op-amp A2, it may affect the input level of the / CLR terminal of FF2.

[0103] Therefore, a diode D1 is connected in the connection path between the outputs of op-amp A2 and op-amp A3 as a limiting circuit to restrict the direction of current flow, with the output of op-amp A3 connected to its anode and the output of op-amp A2 connected to its cathode. In other words, from the perspective of the / CLR terminal of FF1, the output of op-amp A3, the anode of diode D1, the cathode of diode D1, and the output of op-amp A2 are connected in series. Alternatively, the / CLR terminal of FF1 is located between the output of op-amp A3 and the anode of diode D1, with op-amp A2 connected to the cathode of diode D1. This prevents the output voltage of op-amp A1 from affecting the input level of the / CLR terminal of FF2 when the output voltage of op-amp A3 is lower than the output voltage of op-amp A2, as the current flowing from op-amp A2 to op-amp A3 is restricted by diode D1. The orientation of diode D1 should be determined according to the output levels of op-amps A2 and A3 at the time of abnormal detection, so as to suppress the influence of the output level of op-amp A3 on the output level of op-amp A2 at the time of abnormal detection.

[0104] On the other hand, if heater HT is overheating and case 2 is in a normal state, charging of battery BT and power supply to heater HT should be prohibited to immediately protect the circuit. In this case, the output of op-amp A2 will be low level, and the output of op-amp A3 will be high level. If the output voltage of op-amp A3 is higher than the output voltage of op-amp A2, a forward voltage will be applied to diode D1. Also, since the current flowing from op-amp A3 to op-amp A2 is connected to ground, the input to the / CLR terminal of FF1 will be drawn to ground and become low level even if the output of op-amp A3 is high level. Thus, when the information held by FF2 changes to a value indicating that an abnormality has been detected, the information held by FF1 also changes to a value indicating that an abnormality has been detected.

[0105] This allows the circuit to be protected by immediately prohibiting power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20, without going through the MCU 130, when an overheating condition of the heater HT is detected. Furthermore, by using a Schottky diode for diode D1, the forward current rise is faster than when using a normal diode with a PN junction (PN diode). Therefore, the / CLR terminal of FF1 can be brought to a low level more quickly than when a PN diode is used for diode D1, and the circuit can be quickly protected when an overheating condition of the heater HT is detected.

[0106] Here, the HEATER_Latched signal is used as the output of the / Q terminal of FF2, but it could also be used as the Q terminal output. However, by using the / Q terminal output so that the HEATER_Latched signal is at a high level when an anomaly occurs, the system is less susceptible to external noise than when the HEATER_Latched signal is at a low level when an anomaly occurs, allowing the MCU130 to more reliably detect an anomaly.

[0107] (Permanent failure detection during heater temperature control) In this embodiment, the power supply unit 1 determines whether or not a permanent failure related to overheating of the heater HT has occurred, which is one of the important abnormalities (permanent failures), at least during the period when the temperature of the heater HT is controlled according to the temperature control pattern and when it restarts after a reset operation.

[0108] First, the permanent failure determination process in the heater HT temperature control process will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 7. Figure 7 is a flowchart of the operation related to the temperature control of the heater HT performed by the MCU130. The operation shown in Figure 7 can be performed by loading a program stored in the ROM (internal ROM) or non-volatile memory 70 of the MCU130 into the RAM of the MCU130 and executing it.

[0109] In S710, the MCU130 determines whether or not a heating start instruction has been detected. If the MCU130 determines that a heating start instruction has been detected, it executes S715; otherwise, it executes S710 again.

[0110] In S715, the MCU130 writes a heating flag to a non-volatile storage means (ROM or non-volatile memory 70 of the MCU130). Writing the flag may involve changing the value of a variable or other entity assigned as the flag from false (e.g., 0) to true (e.g., 1).

[0111] At S720, the MCU130 starts controlling the temperature of the heater HT according to a predetermined temperature control pattern. As described above, the MCU130 repeatedly performs temperature acquisition of the heater HT and power supply control of the heater HT based on the acquired temperature and temperature control pattern.

[0112] In S725, the MCU130 determines whether the HEATER_Latched signal input to the PB14 terminal has changed from a low level to a high level. A change in the HEATER_Latched signal from a low level to a high level corresponds to a change in the information held by FF2 from a state indicating that no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating that an abnormality has been detected.

[0113] The MCU130 executes S730 if it determines that the HEATER_Latched signal has changed from a low level to a high level, and executes S750 if it does not determine that the HEATER_Latched signal has changed from a low level to a high level.

[0114] In S750, the MCU130 determines whether or not it has detected any other abnormalities. These include detecting abnormal heater temperatures based on the resistance value of the heater HT, detecting abnormalities based on abnormal conditions related to the battery BT, and detecting abnormalities based on the input of a low-level nALARM_Latched signal. If the MCU130 determines that it has detected any other abnormalities, it executes S770; otherwise, it executes S755.

[0115] In S755, the MCU130 determines whether or not to terminate the control. The MCU130 can determine to terminate the control if the last section defined in the temperature control pattern has ended, or if it detects that the slider 13 has been moved to the closed position. If the MCU130 determines to terminate the control, it executes S760; otherwise, it executes S725.

[0116] In S760, MCU130 erases the control flag written in S715 and terminates the heater HT temperature control operation. Erasing the flag may be done by changing the value of a variable or other entity assigned as the flag from true (e.g., 1) to false (e.g., 0).

[0117] From the time S720 starts temperature control of the heater HT according to the temperature control pattern until S755 determines that temperature control has ended, the MCU130 performs the processing of S725, S750, and S755, as well as I2C communication with the battery monitoring circuit 100, in parallel with temperature acquisition of the heater HT and power supply control of the heater HT.

[0118] If the HEATER_Latched signal is determined to have changed from a low level to a high level in S725, the MCU130 obtains the temperature of the heater HT using the heater thermistor TH in S730. The reason for obtaining the heater temperature using the heater thermistor TH is that no abnormality has been detected in the heater temperature obtained based on the resistance value of the heater HT in the heater HT temperature control process. Also, because the HEATER_Latched signal has become high, the nALARM_Latched signal has changed to a low level, and power supply to the heater HT has been prohibited.

[0119] In S735, the MCU130 determines whether the heater temperature obtained in S735 is above a predetermined threshold. The threshold used here does not necessarily have to be a temperature that corresponds to overheating (e.g., 300°C), but can be any temperature that can be confirmed to be a reasonably high temperature. For example, a threshold of around 220-250°C can be used. If the MCU130 determines that the heater temperature is above the predetermined threshold, it executes S740; otherwise, it executes S775.

[0120] In S740, the MCU130 determines whether the nALARM_Latched signal is at an abnormal level (in this case, low level). As mentioned above, the nALARM_Latched signal should be low level when the HEATER_Latched signal becomes high level. However, the HEATER_Latched signal may be high level due to noise or other factors. In particular, if the threshold used in S735 is lower than the temperature corresponding to overheating, there is a risk of incorrectly determining that a permanent failure has occurred. Therefore, the system is configured to determine that a permanent failure has occurred only when it is confirmed that the nALARM_Latched signal is low level.

[0121] If the MCU130 determines that the nALARM_Latched signal is at a low level, it executes S745; otherwise, it executes S775. In S775, the MCU130 uses the light-emitting unit NU and vibrator M to prompt the user to perform a reset operation.

[0122] S745 determines that MCU130 has experienced a permanent failure. In S765, the MCU130 writes a permanent failure flag to the ROM or non-volatile memory 70 that the MCU130 possesses.

[0123] In S770, MCU130 executes processing according to the detected anomaly. If the heater HT is not heating, MCU130 lowers the Heater_Enable signal to disable power supply to the heater HT before executing processing according to the detected anomaly.

[0124] Since the actions taken when an anomaly other than a permanent failure is detected have already been explained, this section will explain the actions taken when a permanent failure is determined to have occurred. The MCU130 interacts with the charging circuit 20 2 The power path function of the charging circuit 20 (the function that outputs power input to the BAT terminal from the SYS terminal) is disabled via C communication. As a result, the power supply voltage V is deactivated from the charging circuit 20. BAT Voltage V based on CC The supply was cut off, and furthermore, voltage V CC The voltage V derived from CC33_0 , V CC33 , V CC33_SLP The power supply is cut off. Consequently, most circuits, including the MCU130, are not supplied with power, and the power supply unit 1 effectively ceases to operate. Power is also not supplied to the reboot controller 50, so it will no longer accept reset operations.

[0125] Furthermore, by disabling the power path function of the charging circuit 20, power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 will also become impossible. In order to improve the safety of the power supply unit 1 in the event that a critical abnormal condition is determined to have occurred, if the MCU 130 determines that a permanent failure has occurred, as part of the operation to prohibit the user from using the power supply unit 1, the MCU 130 may, before disabling the power path function of the charging circuit 20, prohibit power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 by using the Heater_Enable signal and nCharger Enable signal described above.

[0126] Alternatively, the MCU130 may, without executing S765, prompt the user to perform a reset operation via the light-emitting unit NU or vibrator M in S770. This is because there is a risk of malfunction of the MCU130 itself, and therefore, the (re)start process after the reset will re-determine whether a permanent failure has occurred. If a permanent failure is determined to have occurred, the power supply unit 1 will become practically unusable, so the determination must be made carefully.

[0127] The above describes the operation related to determining a permanent failure during heater HT temperature control. Note that even if the MCU130 is not performing heater HT temperature control processing, it can still perform the processing from S730 onwards.

[0128] (Permanent failure detection during restart) Next, the operation for determining permanent failure during (re)startup will be explained using the flowchart shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a flowchart of the startup operations performed by the MCU130. The operations shown in Figure 8 can be performed by loading a program stored in the ROM (built-in ROM) or non-volatile memory 70 of the MCU130 into the RAM of the MCU130 and executing it.

[0129] In S805, the MCU130 determines whether a permanent failure flag exists in the non-volatile storage means (built-in ROM or non-volatile memory 70). Here, the existence of the flag corresponds to the flag having a true value (1). If the MCU130 determines that a permanent failure flag exists, it executes S830; otherwise, it executes S810.

[0130] In S810, the MCU130 determines whether a control flag exists in the built-in ROM or non-volatile memory 70. If the MCU130 determines that a control flag exists, it executes S815; otherwise, it executes S840.

[0131] In S815, the MCU130 determines whether the HEATER_Latched signal is at a level indicating an abnormality has been detected (in this case, a high level). If the MCU130 determines that the HEATER_Latched signal is at a high level, it executes S820; otherwise, it executes S835.

[0132] As mentioned above, the information held by FF2 is not erased by the reset operation. Therefore, if overheating of the heater HT was detected by the heater thermistor TH before the reset operation was performed, the HEATER_Latched signal will remain at a high level even after the restart.

[0133] Also, after reset, voltage V CC33 Once the supply is restored, op-amp A2 and MCU130 begin operating. If the heater HT is no longer overheated at this point, the output of op-amp A2 returns to a high level. However, since no clock signal is input from MCU130 to the clock terminal (not shown) of FF2, the information held by FF2 remains unchanged from before the reset. Therefore, by referring to the HEATER_Latched signal after the reset, it can be confirmed that heater HT overheating was detected before the reset.

[0134] In S820, MCU130 is determined to have experienced a permanent failure. In S825, the MCU130 writes a permanent failure flag to the ROM or non-volatile memory 70 that the MCU130 possesses.

[0135] In S830, the MCU130 uses the light-emitting unit NU and vibrator M to notify the user that a permanent failure has occurred. The MCU130 also prevents the power supply unit 1 from starting. Specifically, it keeps the power supply unit 1 in sleep mode and prevents it from transitioning to the active state even when it detects that the slider 13 has been moved to the open position. Therefore, heating will not start even if a heating start command is input. Alternatively, the MCU130 communicates with the charging circuit 20 via 2 The power path function of the charging circuit 20 (the function of outputting power input to the BAT terminal from the SYS terminal) may be disabled via C communication.

[0136] For example, if the S725 determination is not due to a change in the information held by FF2 to a low level, but rather to a low level at the PB14 terminal due to noise, then the HEATER_Latched signal referenced by the MCU130 after reset will be low level, thus preventing the permanent failure detection operation from being executed incorrectly. Also, if the MCU130 was malfunctioning before the reset, performing a reset allows it to operate normally and more accurately to determine if it is a permanent failure.

[0137] In S835, the MCU130 erases the control flag from its ROM or non-volatile memory 70. Then, the MCU130 starts up normally.

[0138] In S840, MCU130 determines whether the HEATER_Latched signal is at a level indicating an abnormality has been detected (in this case, a high level). If MCU130 determines that the HEATER_Latched signal is at a high level, it executes S845; otherwise, it executes S850.

[0139] In S845, the MCU130 prompts the user to perform a reset operation using the light-emitting unit NU and the vibrator M. This is because a circuit malfunction is suspected. The MCU130 boots up normally on the S850. The above describes the operation related to determining permanent failures during (re)startup.

[0140] Furthermore, the processing when a permanent failure is determined may be the same or different depending on whether the determination is made at (re)start or after startup. However, in either case, at least the power supply to the heater TH (heater voltage V) must be maintained. BOOST The application of (the power supply unit 1) is prohibited. This prevents the power supply unit 1 from functioning, effectively prohibiting its use. It is also preferable to write a permanent failure flag so that a permanent failure is reliably determined when the user performs a reset operation.

[0141] According to this embodiment, in the power supply unit of the aerosol generator, a heater malfunction (permanent failure) that would substantially prohibit the use of the device is detected by a circuit different from the MCU130 that controls the heater temperature, in response to the detection of the heater malfunction. Therefore, even if the MCU130 fails to detect a heater malfunction for some reason, it is possible to appropriately determine a heater malfunction that would substantially prohibit the use of the device.

[0142] Furthermore, information indicating that a heater-related abnormality was detected by a circuit different from the MCU130 is retained so as not to be erased by a power supply unit reset. Therefore, by referring to this information after a reset, a permanent failure can be determined again when the MCU130 is operating normally. This allows for a more accurate determination of permanent failures.

[0143] Furthermore, if a permanent failure is detected, information indicating this is stored in a non-volatile memory device and referenced during startup. Therefore, once a permanent failure is detected, it becomes possible to reliably prohibit the use of the device.

[0144] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1...Power supply unit, 10...Case, 11...Front panel, 13...Slider, 130...MCU, SW...Switch, HT...Heater, TH...Heater thermistor, TC...Case thermistor, FF1, FF2...Holding circuit

Claims

1. A control means for controlling the temperature of the load that heats the aerosol source, A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first holding means for holding first information indicating whether or not an abnormality related to the load has been detected by means other than the control means, The control means determines that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit when it detects that the first information has changed from a state indicating no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating an abnormality has been detected during the period from the start to the end of temperature control of the load.

2. The control means is In addition to detecting that the first information changed from a state indicating no abnormality was detected to a state indicating an abnormality was detected during the aforementioned period, The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit when it is determined that the temperature of the load is above a predetermined threshold.

3. The system further includes a second holding means for holding second information indicating whether or not an abnormality different from the abnormality related to the load has been detected. The control means is In addition to detecting that the first information changed from a state indicating no abnormality was detected to a state indicating an abnormality was detected during the aforementioned period, The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit, when it is determined that the temperature of the load is above a predetermined threshold and the second information indicates that an abnormality has been detected.

4. The power supply unit according to claim 3, wherein the second information indicates whether or not an abnormality has been detected regarding the power supply of the power supply unit or an abnormality regarding the temperature of the case constituting the surface of the power supply unit.

5. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the control means performs temperature control of the load based on the temperature of the load detected based on the resistance value of the load.

6. The power supply unit according to claim 5, wherein the control means detects that the first information has changed from a state indicating that no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating that an abnormality has been detected during the period, and obtains the temperature of the load from the detection means for detecting the temperature of the load.

7. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control means also performs the determination at startup.

8. The power supply unit according to claim 7, wherein the control means writes predetermined information to a non-volatile storage means when the temperature control of the load is started, and erases the predetermined information from the storage means when the temperature control of the load is terminated.

9. The power supply unit according to claim 8, wherein the first holding means holds the first information held before the reset of the control means even after the reset of the control means.

10. The power supply unit according to claim 9, wherein the control means determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit if, upon startup after a reset, the predetermined information exists in the storage means and the information held in the first holding means indicates that an abnormality has been detected.

11. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that when the control means determines that an abnormality has occurred which should prohibit the use of the power supply unit, it writes information indicating that an abnormality which should prohibit the use of the power supply unit has occurred to a non-volatile storage means.

12. The power supply unit according to claim 11, wherein the control means prevents the power supply unit from starting up if, at startup, information exists in the non-volatile storage means indicating that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit.

13. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the control means determines that an abnormality has occurred that should prohibit the use of the power supply unit, and prohibits heating of the load.

14. A control means for controlling the temperature of the load that heats the aerosol source, A power supply unit for an aerosol generator having a first holding means that holds first information indicating whether or not an abnormality related to the load has been detected by means other than the control means, wherein the control means implements a method, A method comprising: determining that an abnormality has occurred that warrants prohibiting the use of the power supply unit when it is detected that the first information has changed from a state indicating no abnormality has been detected to a state indicating an abnormality has been detected during the period from the start to the end of the control of the temperature of the load.

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