Aerosol generating device and its control method

Abstract

The aerosol generating device (100) and its control method include the steps of: in a light source correction step, outputting an initial driving current, driving the light source (13) according to the initial driving current, determining a color value corresponding to a color label under illumination by the light source (13), and determining the initial driving current as a correction current if the color value meets a preset standard color value; and in an aerosol-generating product identification step, driving the light source (13) according to the correction current, determining a color value corresponding to a color label under illumination by the light source (13), and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, and removal status of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value. The device and method solve the problem of inaccurate identification due to instability and inconsistency of the light source and improve the accuracy of product color identification.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application bearing application number 202310143323.5 and entitled "Aerosol generating device and control method therefor," filed with the China Patent Office on February 9, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This application relates to the field of aerosol generation, and in particular to aerosol generating devices and methods for controlling the same. [Background technology]

[0003] The aerosol generating device releases the compound by heating the aerosol generating product, which is typically initiated by inserting the aerosol generating product and then pressing an input element such as a key.

[0004] Naturally, some aerosol generators are equipped with a dedicated sensor to detect the insertion of the aerosol-generating product and automatically start heating the aerosol-generating product, but currently commonly used sensors include infrared sensors, pressure sensors, etc. Some aerosol generators are equipped with a color sensor, which can identify the color label on the aerosol-generating product under certain light source conditions, thereby accurately and timely determining the insertion status of the aerosol-generating product and automatically starting heating of the aerosol-generating product depending on the insertion status.

[0005] Conventional color sensor light source solutions use voltage-driven light sources, which cannot guarantee the stability and consistency of the light source when the voltage fluctuates. When the color sensor identifies the color label on an aerosol-generating product under conditions of unstable and inconsistent light sources, the color value identification will be inaccurate. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide an aerosol generating device and a control method thereof, which solves the problem of inaccurate color identification of aerosol generating products due to instability and inconsistency of light sources.

[0007] According to one aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising: an aerosol heating element for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating product; a color sensor for detecting the color value of a color label; a light source for providing illumination when the color sensor detects the color label; a power source; and a processing device for, in a light source correction step, adjusting the drive current of the light source and determining a color value corresponding to the color label attached to the correction tool and / or the aerosol-generating product under the illumination of the light source after each adjustment, and determining the corresponding drive current as a correction current if the color value meets a predetermined standard color value; wherein the processing device further drives the light source according to the correction current in an aerosol-generating product identification step, determines a color value corresponding to the color label attached to the aerosol-generating product under the illumination of the light source, and is used to determine at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value, and the color label is attached to the aerosol-generating product.

[0008] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device further includes a light source driving circuit including a constant current driving chip, which is respectively connected to the light source, the power supply, and the processing device, and which is used to adjust the driving current based on the control signal output by the processing device and output it to the light source.

[0009] In some embodiments, the light source comprises at least two LEDs.

[0010] In some embodiments, the constant current driver chip includes a clock signal input terminal and a data signal input terminal, and the clock signal input terminal and the data signal input terminal are used to receive the control signal sent by the processing device via an IIC bus and control the driving current output by the constant current driver chip.

[0011] In some embodiments, the constant current driving chip further includes at least two driving current output terminals, which are respectively connected to the at least two LEDs to drive the at least two LEDs.

[0012] According to another aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a method for controlling an aerosol generating device including an aerosol generating heating element, a light source, and a color sensor, wherein the color sensor is used to detect the color value of a color label when the light source provides illumination, and the method includes the following steps in a light source correction step: outputting an initial drive current; driving the light source according to the initial drive current and determining a color value corresponding to the color label attached to a correction tool or an aerosol generating product under illumination by the light source; and determining the initial drive current as a correction current if the color value meets a predetermined standard color value; and in an aerosol generating product identification step: driving the light source according to the correction current and determining a color value corresponding to the color label attached to an aerosol generating product inserted into the aerosol generating device under illumination by the light source; and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol generating product based on the color value.

[0013] In some embodiments, the light source correction step further includes the steps of: adjusting the initial driving current at least once if the color value does not meet a predetermined standard color value; driving the light source according to the adjusted driving current, determining a color value corresponding to the color label under illumination by the light source; and determining the finally adjusted driving current as a correction current if the color value meets the predetermined standard color value.

[0014] In some embodiments, before the light source correction step, a step of starting the light source correction step is included in response to at least one of the following cases: every time a user turns on the power, when a preset number of power-on times has been reached, or when a preset operating time of the light source has been reached.

[0015] In some embodiments, in the above-mentioned light source correction step, the step of outputting an initial drive current includes a step of outputting an initial drive current according to a preset initial drive current or a drive current after the correction current determined in the previous light source correction step has changed according to a preset increment rule.

[0016] According to a further aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a method for controlling an aerosol generating device including an aerosol generating heating element, a light source, and a color sensor, wherein the color sensor is used to detect the color value of a color label when the light source provides illumination, and the method includes a light source correction step of adjusting the driving current of the light source at least once, and after each adjustment, determining a color value corresponding to the color label, determining whether the color value meets a predetermined standard color value, and if the color value meets the predetermined standard color value, determining the corresponding driving current as a correction current, and an aerosol generating product identification step of driving the light source according to the correction current, and under illumination from the correction light source, determining a color value corresponding to a color label provided on the aerosol generating product, and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol generating product based on the color value.

[0017] An embodiment of the present application provides an aerosol generating device and a control method thereof, which achieves light source correction by adding elements and steps for calibrating a light source in the application process of a color sensor. During the light source correction step, the color value of a color label detected by the color sensor under illumination by the light source is compared with a preset standard color value. If the detected color value is exactly the preset standard color value, the initial driving current of the light source is set as a correction current. If the detected color value is not the preset standard color value, a control signal is output to continue adjusting the driving current of the light source until the color value of the detected color label is the preset standard color value, and the corresponding driving current of the light source is determined as the correction current. Then, the light source is driven according to the correction current to achieve light source correction. In the embodiment of the present application, light source correction is achieved by adding elements and steps for calibrating the light source, which improves the consistency and stability of the light source and allows the color sensor to identify aerosol-generating products under the corrected light source conditions, advantageously improving the accuracy of identification. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] One or more embodiments are illustratively described in the accompanying drawing figures corresponding thereto; these illustrative descriptions are not intended to be limiting of the embodiments; in the drawings, elements with the same reference numerals represent similar elements; and unless otherwise specified, the figures in the accompanying drawings are not to scale. [Figure 1] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device provided in an example of the present application. [Figure 2] 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit provided in an embodiment of the present application; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the light source drive circuit of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device provided in an example of the present application. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is another flow diagram of the method for controlling an aerosol generating device provided in the examples of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] In order to make the objectives, technical means and advantages of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings and examples. It should be understood that the specific examples described herein are only for the purpose of interpreting the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0020] It should be noted that, unless inconsistent, the features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other, and the resulting technical solutions are all within the scope of protection of the present application. It should be noted that, although the device schematics are divided into functional modules and the flowcharts show a logical order, in some cases the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order from the module division in the device schematics or the flowcharts.

[0021] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of this application.

[0022] The aerosol-generating device is equipped with a color sensor that identifies the inserted aerosol-generating product under certain light source conditions and transmits the detection result to a processing device, thereby enabling accurate and timely determination of the type and / or location of the aerosol-generating product. The processing device can automatically initiate different heating modes for the aerosol-generating product depending on the type of the aerosol-generating product, and can also automatically initiate heating for the aerosol-generating product depending on the location of the aerosol-generating product. The light source provides illumination for the color sensor to identify the product, and therefore is an important factor affecting the accuracy of the product color identification by the color sensor.

[0023] Current color sensor light source solutions typically use high-brightness white LEDs as their light source, with the brightness of the white LEDs determined by their drive current. Currently, LEDs are driven with a constant voltage, and free brightness adjustment is typically achieved using PWM. Fluctuations in the voltage across the LEDs cause proportional fluctuations in the drive current, resulting in significant brightness fluctuations, reduced light quality, and unstable LED brightness. When multiple LEDs are used as the light source, driving them with voltage makes it impossible to ensure consistent LED brightness due to differences in current. Furthermore, voltage-driven LEDs cannot exceed their rated current, which impacts the reliability of LED operation. Because differences in light sources can easily lead to inaccurate color identification by color sensors, light source correction is required.

[0024] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, a constant current driving chip is added to the aerosol generator to achieve light source correction. The constant current driving LED prevents the driving current from exceeding the rated range, which affects the reliability of the LED, and also ensures the stability and consistency of the light source. Under corrected light source conditions, this is advantageous for improving the accuracy of product identification by the color sensor.

[0025] 1, which is a structural schematic diagram of the aerosol generating device provided in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 includes an aerosol heating element 11, a color sensor 12, a light source 13, a power supply 14, and a processing device 15. The processing device 15 is connected to the aerosol heating element 11, the color sensor 12, the light source 13, and the power supply 14, respectively. The power supply 14 is also connected to the aerosol heating element 11, the color sensor 12, and the light source 13.

[0026] Here, the aerosol heating element 11 is for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating product. Conventional aerosol-generating products typically include a filter segment and a tobacco segment. In use, a user inserts the aerosol-generating product into an aerosol-generating device, which heats an aerosol-forming substrate included in the tobacco segment of the aerosol-generating product, thereby generating an aerosol for the user to inhale. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating product may include a liquid or oily aerosol-forming substrate.

[0027] The color sensor 12 is used to detect the color value of the color label, specifically RGB color value, where R, G, and B represent the three primary colors of light, red, green, and blue, respectively. Each of the three primary colors has 256 different display levels, i.e., the relative brightness of the three primary colors, specifically, 0 to 255, with the minimum value of each color being 0 and the maximum value being 255. All colors in nature can be synthesized by various combinations of different levels of the three primary colors. For example, when the three primary colors red, green, and blue are in equal amounts and the display levels of the three primary colors red, green, and blue are all at their maximum values, the composite color is white and has a color value of (255, 255, 255). When the display levels of the three primary colors red, green, and blue are all at their minimum values, the composite color is black and has a color value of (0, 0, 0). When the display levels of the three primary colors red and green are at their maximum values ​​and the display level of blue is at their minimum values, the composite color is yellow and has a color value of (255, 255, 0). The color label is provided on the aerosol-generating product, and the color of the color label may be a single color, such as red, or a mixed color. Different colors can represent different flavors of different aerosol-generating products, for example, red represents a strawberry-flavored aerosol-generating product, and yellow represents a mango-flavored aerosol-generating product.

[0028] The light source 13 provides illumination for the color sensor to detect the color label. Here, the light source 13 includes at least two LEDs. The operating current of a single LED cannot exceed a preset current threshold, so the brightness requirement for the color sensor to detect the color label may not be met. Generally, two LEDs can meet the brightness requirement. Furthermore, the number of LEDs is set to at least two, and the at least two LEDs jointly provide illumination for the color sensor to detect the color label. The preset current threshold is related to the type of LED, and is not specifically limited in this application.

[0029] The power supply 14 is used to provide power to each element within the aerosol generating device. For example, the power supply 14 powers the aerosol heating element 11, which heats the aerosol-generating product once it has been properly inserted. The power supply 14 also provides power to the processing unit 15, which provides overall control of the aerosol generating device 100; i.e., the processing unit 15 controls the operation of each element within the aerosol generating device 100.

[0030] The processing device 15 is used in the light source correction stage to adjust the driving current of the light source, determine a color value corresponding to the color label attached to the correction tool and / or the aerosol-generating product under the illumination of the light source after each adjustment, and determine the corresponding driving current as a correction current if the color value meets a predetermined standard color value; the processing device is further used in the aerosol-generating product identification stage to drive the light source according to the correction current, determine a color value corresponding to the color label attached to the aerosol-generating product under the illumination of the light source, and determine at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value, the color label being attached to the aerosol-generating product.

[0031] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating product specifically includes a filter segment and a tobacco segment, and a color label is provided on the outer surface of the filter segment at the boundary with the tobacco segment. It should be noted that the color of the color label is different from the color of the outer surface of the tobacco segment to facilitate detection and identification by the color sensor. The standard color value is set according to actual conditions, and the embodiments of the present application are not specifically limited thereto. In some embodiments, the standard color value may be a standard color range, i.e., the color value identified by the color sensor is within a predetermined standard color range. The type of the aerosol-generating product specifically represents the flavor of the aerosol-generating product. A color sensor can identify the color label provided on the aerosol-generating product to obtain a corresponding color value, and after obtaining the color value, the processing device compares it with the stored standard color values ​​for each flavor to determine the type of the aerosol-generating product. For different types of aerosol-generating products, different heating modes, i.e., different heating temperatures, are adopted based on pre-stored temperature configuration information so that the user can obtain an optimal texture. For example, a mango-flavored aerosol-generating product is heated at a heating mode of 300°C, and a strawberry-flavored aerosol-generating product is heated at a heating mode of 310°C. The inserted state indicates that the aerosol-generating product is being inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100 or that the aerosol-generating product is correctly positioned in the aerosol-generating device 100. During the insertion of the aerosol-generating product into the aerosol-generating device 100, the correct insertion position is continuously determined. Only when the aerosol-generating product is correctly positioned in the aerosol-generating device 100 does the processing device 15 automatically control the aerosol heating element 11 to start heating. Here, when the color sensor sequentially detects the color of the outer surface of the tobacco segment and the color of the color label, this indicates that the aerosol-generating product is correctly positioned in the aerosol-generating device 100. The removed state indicates that the aerosol-generating product is misaligned or removed from the aerosol-generating device 100. In this case, the processing device 15 controls the aerosol heating element 11 to stop heating.In some embodiments, the processing device can identify two combinations of product type, insertion state, and removal state, such as identifying product type and insertion state, or identifying insertion state and removal state, or any combination of these three, such as identifying product type, insertion state, and removal state.

[0032] In the embodiment of the present application, a light source driving circuit 16 is added to the aerosol generating device 100 to correct the light source 13. Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a structural schematic diagram of the light source driving circuit provided in the embodiment of the present application. The constant current driving chip is respectively connected to the light source 13, the power supply 14, and the processing device 15, and the power supply 14 is used to supply power to the constant current driving chip and the light source 13. The constant current driving chip can adjust the driving current based on the control signal output from the processing device 15 and output it to the light source 13.

[0033] The constant current driver chip includes a clock signal input terminal and a data signal input terminal for receiving a control signal sent by the processing unit 15 via the IIC bus, the control signal including a clock signal and a data signal, and controls the constant current driver chip to output a driving current. The constant current driver chip further includes at least two driving current output terminals connected to the at least two LEDs respectively to drive the at least two LEDs.

[0034] Specifically, see FIG. 3, which is a circuit diagram of the light source driving circuit of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the light source driving circuit 16 includes a driving chip U7 and a capacitor C11. The model number of the constant current driving chip may be AW9110B, which is a 10-channel constant current driving chip with 10 independent output ports (OUT0-OUT9) and capable of driving up to 10 LEDs. The constant current driving chip U7 adjusts the driving current based on the control signal output from the processing unit 15 and outputs it to the light source 13. The capacitor C11 can improve the stability of the light source driving circuit 16 during operation.

[0035] The first, fifth, and sixth terminals of the driver chip U7 are all connected to the power supply 14, the second, third, and fourth terminals of the driver chip U7 are all connected to the processing device 15, the seventh, ninth, tenth, and twenty-first terminals of the driver chip U7 are all grounded, and the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth terminals of the driver chip U7 are connected to the light source 13, which is also connected to the power supply 14. The first terminal of the capacitor C11 is connected to the power supply 14, and the second terminal of the capacitor C11 is grounded.

[0036] The light source 13 includes LED1, LED2, and LED5. The cathode of LED1 is connected to the 12th terminal of the driver chip U7, the cathode of LED2 is connected to the 13th terminal of the driver chip U7, and the cathode of LED5 is connected to the 11th terminal of the driver chip U7. The anodes of LED1, LED2, and LED5 are all connected to the power supply 14.

[0037] Specifically, the fourth terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 is an enable terminal; when not enabled, the constant current driver chip U7 has no output. The second terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 is a clock signal input terminal, capable of receiving a clock signal transmitted from the processing device 15. The third terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 is a data signal input terminal, capable of receiving a data signal transmitted from the processing device 15. The fifth and sixth terminals of the constant current driver chip U7 are address setting terminals, corresponding to the address of the processing device 15 to realize communication. The constant current output from the eleventh terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 drives LED5, the constant current output from the twelfth terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 drives LED1, and the constant current output from the thirteenth terminal of the constant current driver chip U7 drives LED2. In some embodiments, the constant current driver chip may be connected to the processing device via a communication protocol such as a serial port or USB. The light source 13 may include other numbers of LEDs, as long as the number of LEDs is two or more and does not exceed the number of channels of the constant current driver chip. For example, if the constant current driving chip has five channels, the light source 13 may specifically be four LEDs.

[0038] In the embodiment of the present application, a light source driving circuit including a constant current driving chip is added to the aerosol generating device to realize constant current driving of the LED in the light source. The processing device compares the color value of the color label detected by the color sensor with a preset standard color value to obtain a correction current, and then corrects the light source based on the correction current, improving the consistency and stability of the light source, and allowing the color sensor to identify products under the corrected light source conditions, thereby improving the identification accuracy.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flow diagram of the control method of the aerosol generating device provided in the embodiment of the present application. The aerosol generating device includes an aerosol generating heating element, a light source, and a color sensor, and the color sensor is used to detect the color value of the color label when the light source provides illumination. As shown in Figure 4, the control method of the aerosol generating device includes the following steps:

[0040] S21: Starting the light source correction step according to at least one of the following cases: every time the user turns on the power, when a preset number of power-on times is reached, or when a preset operating time of the light source is reached.

[0041] For example, the light source correction step is initiated every time the user turns on the power, and the light source correction step is initiated the 20th time the user turns on the power, and the light source correction step is also initiated the 21st time the user turns on the power. The light source correction step is initiated when a preset number of power-on attempts is reached; for example, if the preset number of power-on attempts for the aerosol generator is 10, the light source correction step is initiated when the power-on attempt reaches 10. The light source correction step is initiated when a preset operating time of the light source is reached; for example, if the preset operating time of the light source is 60 minutes, the light source correction step is initiated, and light source correction can be performed first the next time the light source is turned on.

[0042] S22, in the light source correction step, an initial driving current is output.

[0043] Specifically, the initial driving current can be output according to a predetermined initial driving current or a driving current obtained after the correction current determined in the previous light source correction step is changed according to a predetermined increment rule. The processing device stores a predetermined magnitude of the initial driving current and a predetermined increment rule for changing the initial driving current. After the light source correction step is started, the processing device transmits a control signal to the constant current driving chip based on the stored predetermined magnitude of the initial driving current or the predetermined increment rule for changing the initial driving current. The control signal includes a clock signal and a data signal, and the constant current driving chip outputs the initial driving current based on the clock signal and the data signal.

[0044] For example, if the initial drive current output by the aerosol generator in the light source correction step is a preset initial drive current, and the preset initial drive current is 20 mA, an initial drive current of 20 mA is output each time the light source correction step is started. In the light source correction step, the aerosol generator outputs an initial drive current according to the drive current after the correction current determined in the previous light source correction step is changed according to a preset increment rule. If the preset increment rule is that the initial drive current output in each light source correction step is increased by 0.1 mA from the correction current determined in the previous light source correction step, if the correction current determined in the previous light source correction step is 20.5 mA, the initial drive current output in the current light source correction step will be 20.6 mA, and the initial drive current output in the next light source correction step will be 20.7 A.

[0045] S23, driving the light source according to the initial driving current, and determining a color value corresponding to the color label provided on the correction tool and / or the aerosol-generating product under illumination by the light source.

[0046] Here, the compensation tool is a dedicated tool for light source compensation in the identification process and is provided with a color label. The light source may be compensated for according to the aerosol-generating product. When the color label is provided on the aerosol-generating product or the compensation tool, the n output terminals of the constant current driving chip simultaneously output n constant currents to respectively drive the n LEDs in the light source. The color sensor performs color identification of the color label provided on the aerosol-generating product or the compensation tool under the condition that the n LEDs are lit, and obtains the corresponding color value.

[0047] For example, if n is 3, that is, the light source is specifically three LED lamps, as shown in Figure 2, terminals 11, 12, and 13 of the constant current driving chip simultaneously output constant currents to control the light sources. Specifically, the constant current output from terminal 11 of the constant current driving chip drives LED5, the constant current output from terminal 12 of the constant current driving chip drives LED1, and the constant current output from terminal 13 of the constant current driving chip drives LED2. The color sensor identifies the color label on the aerosol-generating product under the joint illumination of LED1, LED2, and LED5 to obtain the corresponding color value. It can be understood that the color label itself has a color, and the finally obtained color value is a color value obtained by the joint effect of the color of the color label itself and the light source.

[0048] S24, if the color value satisfies a preset standard color value, determine the initial driving current as a correction current.

[0049] For example, if the preset standard color value is (255,255,0), when the color value corresponding to the color label identified by the color sensor is exactly (255,255,0), the initial drive current becomes the correction current, and the processing unit stores the magnitude of the initial drive current as the correction current, at which point the light source correction step ends.

[0050] S25: In the aerosol-generating product identification step, the light source is driven according to the correction current, and under the illumination of the light source, a color value corresponding to the color label provided on the aerosol-generating product inserted into the aerosol-generating device is determined.

[0051] The processing device outputs a control signal to the constant current driving chip of the light source driving circuit based on the stored correction current, and the constant current driving chip outputs a constant driving current based on the control signal to drive the LED in the light source, and the color sensor identifies the color label on the aerosol-generating product and obtains the corresponding color value under conditions where the light source provides illumination.

[0052] S26, determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or withdrawal status of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value.

[0053] In some embodiments, when a user needs to inhale, the aerosol-generating product is inserted into the aerosol-generating device, and the light emitted from the light source illuminates the color label on the aerosol-generating product. The processing device controls the color sensor to detect the color value of the color label, and if the detected color value meets a preset standard color value or standard color range, it can determine that the aerosol-generating product has been inserted. The processing device initiates operation of the heating element in response to the insertion event.

[0054] In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating product has different flavors for the user to choose from, and different color labels are provided to distinguish the types of aerosol-generating products. For example, green represents a mango-flavored aerosol-generating product, and blue represents a coffee-flavored aerosol-generating product. If the color sensor identifies the color label and obtains a corresponding color value (0, 255, 0), the aerosol-generating product is mango-flavored. When the user needs to inhale, the aerosol-generating product is inserted into the aerosol-generating device. Light emitted from the light source illuminates the color label on the aerosol-generating product, and the processing unit controls the color sensor to detect the color value of the color label. If a corresponding color value is obtained, the processing unit can determine the type of aerosol-generating product. For example, if the detected color value is (0, 0, 255), it can determine that the aerosol-generating product is coffee-flavored. In response to the insertion event, the processing unit can drive the heating element according to a corresponding heating mode or notify the user of the insertion type through an interactive interface.

[0055] In some embodiments, while the processing device is driving the aerosol heating element, the light source is continuously lit and the color sensor is continuously detecting the color value of the color label. If the detected color value changes, or if the standard color value is not detected or is not within the standard color range, it can be determined that the aerosol-generating product has been removed from the aerosol-generating device. In response to the removal event, the processing device can stop driving the heating element.

[0056] In some embodiments, when a user needs to inhale, the aerosol-generating product is inserted into the aerosol-generating device, where light emitted from the light source illuminates a color label on the aerosol-generating product, and the processing device controls the color sensor to detect the color value of the color label. If the detected color value meets one of the preset standard color values ​​or standard color ranges of the aerosol-generating product, it can be determined that a specific type of aerosol-generating product has been inserted. In response to the insertion event, the processing device can drive the heating element according to a corresponding heating mode.

[0057] In some embodiments, when a user needs to inhale, the aerosol-generating product is inserted into the aerosol-generating device. Light emitted from the light source illuminates the color label on the aerosol-generating product, and the processing device controls the color sensor to detect the color value of the color label. If the detected color value meets a preset standard color value or standard color range, it can be determined that the aerosol-generating product has been inserted. During the heating activation process, the light source is continuously lit, and the color sensor continuously detects the color value of the color label. If the detected color value changes, or if the standard color value is not detected or is not within the standard color range, it can be determined that the aerosol-generating product has been removed from the aerosol-generating device. The processing device can start operating the heating element in response to an insertion event, and stop driving the heating element in response to a removal event.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, an initial driving current is output in the light source correction stage, and if the color value detected by the color sensor is a preset standard color value, the initial driving current is determined as a correction current, and light source correction is realized based on the correction current, so that the color sensor identifies the product under the corrected light source conditions, thereby solving the problem of inaccurate identification due to unstable and inconsistent light sources and improving the accuracy of product color identification.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 5, which is another flow diagram of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device provided in an embodiment of the present application. The aerosol generating device includes an aerosol generating heating element, a light source, and a color sensor. The color sensor is used to detect the color value of a color label when the light source provides illumination. The light source correction step is initiated in response to at least one of the following cases: each time a user turns on the power, when a preset number of power-on attempts is reached, or when a preset operating time of the light source is reached. As shown in Figure 5, the method for controlling an aerosol generating device includes the following steps:

[0060] S31, in a light source correction step, the driving current of the light source is adjusted at least once.

[0061] In the light source correction step, if the light source is attenuated, the light source will provide illumination under the initial driving current, and the color value obtained by the color sensor after identifying the color label may not be the preset standard color value, so the processing device needs to output a control signal to the constant current driving chip to adjust the light source driving current. For example, in the light source correction step, the color value obtained by the color sensor after identifying the color label is (153, 51, 250). When the processing device receives this color value and compares it with the preset standard color value (160, 32, 240) stored in the processing device, it is significantly different or exceeds the preset standard color range. The processing device needs to send a control signal to the constant current driving chip to adjust the light source driving current and start the next color identification process. If the color value obtained by the color sensor after identifying the color label meets the preset standard color value, the correction step can be terminated without adjusting the light source driving current.

[0062] S32: After each adjustment, determine a color value corresponding to the color label, and determine whether the color value meets a preset standard color value. If the color value meets the preset standard color value, determine the corresponding driving current as a correction current.

[0063] Specifically, after the processing device adjusts the driving current of the light source each time, the color sensor needs to identify the color label to obtain the current color value, and compare the current color value with the preset standard color value. If the current color value is not the preset standard color value, return to step S31 and continue adjusting the driving current of the light source. If the current color value matches the preset standard color value or is within the preset standard color range, determine the corresponding driving current as the correction current, and the processing device saves the magnitude of the correction current. At this point, the light source correction stage is completed.

[0064] S33, in the aerosol-generating product identification step, driving the light source according to the corrected current.

[0065] The processing device outputs a control signal to the constant current driving chip of the light source driving circuit based on the stored correction current, and the constant current driving chip outputs a constant driving current based on the control signal to drive the LED in the light source.

[0066] S34: Under the illumination of the correction light source, determine a color value corresponding to a color label provided on the aerosol-generating product, and determine at least one of the type, insertion state, or removal state of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value. The control principle of step S34 is the same as step S26, and specific details can be found in step S26.

[0067] In the embodiment of the present application, a light source correction step is added in the application process of the color sensor, in which the color value of the color label detected by the color sensor is compared with a preset standard color value, and a control signal is output to continuously adjust the driving current of the light source until the detected color value reaches the preset standard color value. When the detected color value reaches the preset standard color value, the driving current of the light source at this time is determined as a correction current. The light source is then driven according to the correction current to achieve light source correction, and the color sensor identifies products under the corrected light source conditions, solving the problem of inaccurate identification due to unstable or inconsistent light sources and improving the accuracy of product color identification.

[0068] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present application and are not limiting. Within the scope of the present application, the technical features in the above examples or different examples can be combined, steps can be implemented in any order, and many other variations of the above-described different aspects of the present application exist, which will not be described in detail for the sake of brevity. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above examples, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications to the technical solutions described in each of the above examples or equivalent replacement of some of the technical features thereof are still possible. These modifications or replacements will not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of each of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. an aerosol heating element for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating product; a color sensor for detecting the color value of the color label; a light source for providing illumination when the color sensor detects the color label; Power supply and and a processing device for adjusting a driving current of the light source in a light source correction step, determining a color value corresponding to the color label provided on the correction tool and / or the aerosol-generating product under illumination by the light source after each adjustment, and determining the corresponding driving current as a correction current when the color value meets a predetermined standard color value; The processing device further includes, in an aerosol generating product identification step, driving the light source according to the correction current, determining a color value corresponding to a color label attached to the aerosol generating product under illumination by the light source, and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol generating product based on the color value, wherein the color label is attached to the aerosol generating product.

2. The light source driving circuit further includes a constant current driving chip, the constant current driving chip being respectively connected to the light source, the power supply, and the processing device; 2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the constant current driving chip is used to adjust the driving current based on the control signal output from the processing device and output it to the light source.

3. 3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the light source includes at least two LEDs.

4. The aerosol generating device of claim 3, wherein the constant current driving chip includes a clock signal input terminal and a data signal input terminal, and the clock signal input terminal and the data signal input terminal are used to receive the control signal transmitted by the processing device via an IIC bus and control the driving current output by the constant current driving chip.

5. The aerosol generating device of claim 4, wherein the constant current driving chip further includes at least two driving current output terminals, and the at least two driving current output terminals are respectively connected to the at least two LEDs to drive the at least two LEDs.

6. 1. A method for controlling an aerosol generating device including an aerosol heating element, a light source, and a color sensor, wherein the color sensor is used to detect a color value of a color label when the light source provides illumination; The method comprises: In the light source correction step, outputting an initial driving current; Driving the light source according to the initial drive current and determining a color value corresponding to the color label provided on the correction tool or the aerosol-generating product under illumination by the light source; determining the initial driving current as a correction current if the color value satisfies a preset standard color value; In the aerosol-generating product identification step, driving the light source in accordance with the correction current and determining, under illumination by the light source, a color value corresponding to the color label provided on the aerosol-generating product inserted into the aerosol-generating device; and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol-generating product based on the color value.

7. In the light source correction step, adjusting the initial driving current at least once if the color value does not meet a preset standard color value; 7. The control method of claim 6, further comprising: driving the light source according to the adjusted driving current; determining a color value corresponding to the color label under illumination of the light source; and determining the finally adjusted driving current as a correction current if the color value meets a preset standard color value.

8. before the light source correction step, 7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising initiating a correction step for the light source in response to at least one of the following cases: every time a user turns on the power, when a preset number of power-on times has been reached, or when a preset operating time of the light source has been reached.

9. In the step of correcting the light source, outputting an initial driving current 7. The control method according to claim 6, further comprising: outputting an initial driving current according to a preset initial driving current or a driving current after a correction current determined in a previous light source correction step is changed according to a preset increment rule.

10. 1. A method for controlling an aerosol generating device including an aerosol generating heating element, a light source, and a color sensor, wherein the color sensor is used to detect a color value of a color label when the light source provides illumination; The method comprises: In a light source correction step, adjusting the driving current of the light source at least once; After each adjustment, determine a color value corresponding to the color label, determine whether the color value meets a predetermined standard color value, and if the color value meets the predetermined standard color value, determine the corresponding driving current as a correction current; driving the light source in response to the corrected current during an aerosol-generating product identification phase; A method for controlling an aerosol generating device, characterized in that it includes determining a color value corresponding to a color label on the aerosol generating product under illumination by the correction light source, and determining at least one of the type, insertion status, or removal status of the aerosol generating product based on the color value.

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