Aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and aerosol generating method

Abstract

The aerosol generating device includes a heater that heats an aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heater, and a control unit that controls the operation of the power supply and the heater, wherein the heater includes a sheet including a first heating area and a second heating area, a first track that generates heat when supplied with power and is positioned in the first heating area, and a second track that generates heat when supplied with power and is positioned in the second heating area, and the control unit can control the power supply to supply power to the second track after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of power supply to the first track.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method, and more particularly to an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method that include a plurality of conductive tracks. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the drawbacks of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for a system that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette or an aerosol-generating material using an aerosol generating device, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette. As a result, research into heated aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted.

[0003] A resistive heater may be used as a heater for electrically heating the aerosol-generating material. The resistive heater includes an electrical resistor, and when a current flows through the electrical resistor, the resistive heater is heated, which in turn heats the aerosol-generating material, thereby generating an aerosol. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An aerosol generating device including a resistive heater includes a conductive track, and the resistive heater can be heated by passing a current through the conductive track. However, the resistive heater including the conductive track has problems such as reduced power efficiency due to overheating and a short lifespan of the resistive heater.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method that have improved power efficiency.

[0006] Another problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method that prevent overheating.

[0007] Another problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method that have improved durability and lifespan.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating system, and an aerosol generating method that determine the temperature of a heater without a separate temperature sensor.

[0009] Problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a heater that heats an aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heater, and a control unit that controls the operation of the power supply and the heater, wherein the heater includes a sheet having a first heating area and a second heating area, a first track that receives power to generate heat and is positioned in the first heating area, and a second track that receives power to generate heat and is positioned in the second heating area, and the control unit can control the power supply to supply power to the second track after a predetermined time has elapsed since starting to supply power to the first track.

[0011] An aerosol generation system according to one embodiment includes a heater that heats an aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heater, and a control unit that controls the operation of the power supply and the heater, wherein the heater includes a sheet having a first heating area and a second heating area, a first track that is supplied with power to generate heat and is positioned in the first heating area, and a second track that is supplied with power to generate heat and is positioned in the second heating area, and the control unit controls the power supply to supply power to the second track after a predetermined time has elapsed since starting to supply power to the first track, and the aerosol generation system may include an aerosol product that is heated by the aerosol generation device to generate an aerosol, and a generation unit that includes the aerosol-generating material.

[0012] An aerosol generation method according to one embodiment is an aerosol generation method for an aerosol generating device including a first track and a second track that are supplied with power and heated, heating an aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol, and may include a first track starting step of supplying power to the first track and a second track starting step of supplying power to the second track after a first time has elapsed since the first track starting step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and aerosol generating method according to various embodiments of the present invention may improve power efficiency by independently supplying power to multiple conductive tracks.

[0014] The aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and aerosol generating method according to various embodiments of the present invention can sequentially heat a plurality of conductive tracks to prevent overheating.

[0015] The aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and aerosol generating method according to various embodiments of the present invention may have improved durability and lifespan through the use of multiple conductive tracks.

[0016] The aerosol generating device, aerosol generating system, and aerosol generating method according to various embodiments of the present invention can determine the temperature of the heater without a separate temperature sensor by using some of the conductive tracks.

[0017] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and any unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a front perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a rear perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the internal structure of an aerosol generating device including a thermal insulator and a printed circuit board according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the internal structure of an aerosol generating device including a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear exploded perspective view of an internal structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the heater sheet and track of the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heater sheet and a track of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a heater and an aerosol product in an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a heater and an aerosol product in an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. [Figure 11]10 is a graph illustrating a change in power supplied to a truck according to an embodiment of the aerosol generating method. [Figure 12] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an aerosol generation method according to one embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an aerosol generating method according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an aerosol generating method according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention. However, this may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers in the field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0020] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean that it excludes other components and may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0021] Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed herein, if a detailed description of the related known technology is deemed to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, the detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, and the technical ideas disclosed herein should not be limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention.

[0022] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another.

[0023] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component is directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0024] The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0026] Regardless of the drawing reference numerals, identical or similar components are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an aerosol generation system including an aerosol generating device 1 and an aerosol product S according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] 1, the aerosol generation device 1 may include at least one of a power source 11, a control unit 12, a sensor 13, and a heater 18. At least one of the power source 11, the control unit 12, the sensor 13, and the heater 18 may be disposed inside a main body 10 of the aerosol generation device 1. The main body 10 may provide a space with an opening at the top so that an aerosol product S can be inserted. The aerosol product S may be called, for example, a stick, a cigarette, or the like, but is not limited thereto. The aerosol product S includes an aerosol-generating material and may generate an aerosol using the aerosol generation device 1. The aerosol generation system 1000 may include, but is not limited to, the aerosol generation device 1 and the aerosol product S.

[0029] The open space of the aerosol generating device 1 may be referred to as an insertion space. The insertion space may be recessed to a predetermined depth toward the inside of the main body 10 so that at least a portion of the aerosol product S can be inserted. The depth of the insertion space may correspond to the length of a region of the aerosol product S that contains the aerosol-generating material and / or medium. The lower end of the aerosol product S may be inserted into the main body 10, and the upper end of the aerosol product S may protrude outside the main body 10. A user may inhale air by holding the upper end of the aerosol product S exposed to the outside in their mouth.

[0030] The heater 18 can heat the aerosol product S. When the aerosol product S is heated, an aerosol is generated. That is, the heater 18 can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol product S. The heater 18 can be extended upward around the periphery of the space into which the aerosol product S is inserted. For example, the heater 18 can be tubular with a hollow interior. The heater 18 can be disposed around the periphery of the insertion space. The heater 18 can be disposed so as to surround at least a portion of the insertion space. The heater 18 can heat the insertion space or the aerosol product S inserted into the insertion space. The heater 18 can include an electrical resistance heater and / or an induction heater.

[0031] For example, referring to FIG. 1 , the heater 18 may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater 18 may include a conductive track, and the heater 18 may be heated by passing a current through the conductive track. The heater 18 may be electrically connected to a power source 11. The power source 11 may supply power to the heater 18. The heater 18 may be directly heated by receiving a current from the power source 11. The heater 18 may be a hollow heater that is disposed to surround at least a portion of the aerosol product item S inserted into the insertion space and heat the exterior of the inserted aerosol product item S, or may be a needle-shaped, rod-shaped, tubular, or other heater that is inserted into the aerosol product item S inserted into the insertion space and heats the interior.

[0032] For example, the heater 18 may be a multiple heater. The heater 18 may include a first heater and a second heater. The first and second heaters may be arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction. The first and second heaters may be heated sequentially or simultaneously.

[0033] The power source 11 can supply power to operate the components of the aerosol generating device 1. The power source 11 is also referred to as a battery. The power source 11 can supply power to at least one of the control unit 12, the sensor 13, and the heater 18. If the heater 18 includes a conductive track, the power source 11 can supply power to the conductive track.

[0034] The control unit 12 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generation device. The control unit can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The control unit 12 can control the operation of at least one of the power supply 11 and the sensor 13. The control unit 12 can control the operation of the heater 18. The control unit 12 can control the operation of a display, a motor, etc. provided in the aerosol generation device 1. The control unit 12 can check the status of each component of the aerosol generation device 1 and determine whether the aerosol generation device 1 is in an operable state.

[0035] The control unit 12 can analyze the results sensed by the sensor 13 and control subsequent processing. For example, the control unit 12 can control the power supplied to the heater 18 so that the operation of the heater 18 starts or ends based on the results sensed by the sensor 13. For example, the control unit 12 can control the amount of power and the power supply time supplied to the heater 18 so that the heater 18 is heated to a predetermined temperature or can maintain an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensor 13.

[0036] The sensor 13 includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, and an insertion detection sensor. For example, the sensor 13 can sense at least one of the temperature of the heater 18, the temperature of the power source 11, and the temperature inside and outside the main body 10. For example, the sensor 13 can sense a puff by the user. For example, the sensor 13 can sense whether the aerosol product S has been inserted into the insertion space.

[0037] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the aerosol generation device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the aerosol generation device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] 2, an aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one of a power source, a controller, and a sensor. At least one of the power source, the controller, and the sensor may be disposed inside a main body 10 of the aerosol generating device 1. The features of the power source, the controller, and the sensor may be the same as those of the power source 11, the controller 12, and the sensor 13 described in FIG. 1.

[0039] The main body 10 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 1 and may include an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating device 1 are disposed. Although the drawings only illustrate an embodiment in which the main body 10 has a semicircular cross section overall, the shape of the main body 10 is not limited thereto. For example, the main body 10 may have a cylindrical or polygonal columnar shape overall.

[0040] The main body 10 may include a first main body surface 10A (e.g., a front main body surface), a second main body surface 10B (e.g., a back main body surface) opposite the first main body surface 10A, and at least one third main body surface 10C (e.g., a side main body surface) between the first main body surface 10A and the second main body surface 10B.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3, the main body 10 may have an insertion space 102 formed therein. The insertion space 102 may be formed in the upper portion of the main body 10. The insertion space 102 may be open at the top. The insertion space 102 may have a cylindrical shape that is elongated vertically, but is not limited thereto. At least a portion of the aerosol product S may be inserted into the main body 10 through an opening 101 at the top of the insertion space 102. The depth of the insertion space 102 may correspond to the length of a region of the aerosol product S that contains the aerosol-generating material or medium.

[0042] The heater 240 may surround at least a portion of the outside of the insertion space 102. The heater 240 may extend vertically along the insertion space 102. For example, the heater 240 may be a cylindrical electrical resistance heater that surrounds at least a portion of the insertion space 102. The heater 240 may heat the exterior of the aerosol product S accommodated in the insertion space 102. At least a region of the aerosol product S accommodated in the insertion space 102 is heated by the heater 240, and vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol product S may be mixed with air introduced into the interior space of the main body 10 through the opening 101 to generate an aerosol.

[0043] A display 141 may be disposed on one side of the main body 10. At least a portion of the display 141 may be exposed to the outside of the main body 10.

[0044] The display 141 can provide a variety of visual information to the user. The display 141 can include a display panel and / or a touch panel. The display 141 can also include a cover glass.

[0045] The cover glass, together with the main body 10, may form the exterior of the aerosol generating device 1. The cover glass may come into contact with a part of the user's body. The cover glass may protect the display panel and / or the touch panel from external impact.

[0046] The display panel may be disposed on the cover glass in a direction facing the inside of the main body 10. The display panel may be disposed parallel to the cover glass.

[0047] The touch panel may detect touches corresponding to contact with an object, for example, touches corresponding to contact with a part of a user's body, and may receive user input.

[0048] A cover 104 may be provided on the upper side of the main body 10. The cover 104 may also have a shape corresponding to the shape of the opening 101 of the main body 10. For example, the opening 101 of the main body 10 may be circular, and the cover 104 may also be circular with a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening 101.

[0049] The cover 104 may be movably connected to a guide 103 formed on the main body 10. The cover 104 may move along the guide 103. For example, the guide 103 may be a groove formed on one surface of the main body 10, and the cover 104 may include a protrusion that is inserted into the groove of the main body 10 and slides along the groove. For example, the guide 103 may be a protrusion that protrudes from one surface of the main body 10, and the cover 104 may include a groove that is inserted into the protrusion and slide along the protrusion.

[0050] The cover 104 can open and close the opening 101 of the main body 10 by moving along the guide 103. For example, the cover 104 can close the opening 101 in a first position and open the opening 101 in a second position. The position of the cover 104 can be passively moved by a user. Alternatively, the aerosol generating device 1 can be provided with a driving device, and the position of the cover 104 can be moved by the driving device.

[0051] The main body 10 may include a connection terminal (not shown). The connection terminal may include a connector that physically connects the aerosol generation device 1 to an external electronic device. For example, the connection terminal may include at least one of an HDMI (registered trademark) connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, and an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector), or a combination thereof.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 including a thermal insulator 220 and a printed circuit board 230 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] 4, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a thermal insulator 220. The thermal insulator 220 may be configured to thermally insulate a heater 240. The thermal insulator 220 may include the heater 240 therein. The thermal insulator 220 may include an antenna (not shown) (e.g., an LCD antenna) therein.

[0054] The insulator 220 is arranged to cover and enclose the heater 240, sealing the heater 240 and preventing droplets generated during the aerosol generation process through the heater 240 from leaking out, thereby preventing the components of the aerosol generation device 1 from malfunctioning or being damaged by the droplets.

[0055] The insulator 220 seals the heater 240 and prevents the heat generated by the heater 240 from being transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the main body 10, thereby preventing high-temperature heat from being transferred to the body (e.g., the palm) of the user holding the main body 10 even when the temperature of the heater 240 is maintained at a high temperature.

[0056] The aerosol generating device 1 may include a printed circuit board 230. For example, the printed circuit board 230 may include at least one of the control unit 12, the sensor 13, the memory 17, and the communication unit 16, or a combination thereof.

[0057] The aerosol generating device 1 may include a plurality of electrical lines E1, E2, E3, and E4. For example, the first electrical line E1 may be configured to connect the heater 240 and a temperature sensor. The second electrical line E2 may be configured to connect the heater 240 and a printed circuit board 230. At least one third electrical line E3 may be configured to connect at least one sensor and the printed circuit board 230. The fourth electrical line E4 may be configured to connect a heater housing of the heater 240 and the printed circuit board 230. The fourth electrical line E4 may include a flexible printed circuit board.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 including a battery according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an exploded rear perspective view of the internal structure according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0059] 5 and 6, the body 10 of the aerosol generating device 1 may include a first portion P1. The first portion P1 may include a portion adjacent to the first body surface 10A of the body 10. The body 10 may include a second portion P2. The second portion P2 is at least partially different from the first portion P1. The second portion P2 may include a portion adjacent to the second body surface 10B of the body 10.

[0060] The main body 10 may include a wall. The wall A3 may separate the first portion P1 and the second portion P2. The wall A3 may extend from the internal surface 10D of the main body 10 in a direction perpendicular to the internal surface 10D of the main body 10. The wall A3 may extend across the internal surface 10D in a direction (e.g., widthwise direction of the main body 10) intersecting the perpendicular direction of the internal surface 10D of the main body 10 (e.g., thickness direction of the main body 10). The direction may intersect with the direction from the first main body surface 10A to the second main body surface 10B of the main body 10 (e.g., longitudinal direction of the main body 10).

[0061] The power source 250 may be disposed in the second portion P2 of the main body 10. The power source 250 may include a pouch-shaped battery. The power source 250 may be disposed adjacent to the printed circuit board 230. For example, the power source 250 may be disposed on one side of the inner surface 10D of the main body 10, and the printed circuit board 230 may be disposed on the other side of the power source 250 opposite the one side of the inner surface 10D. However, the arrangement of the printed circuit board 230 and the power source 250 is not limited thereto.

[0062] The heater 240 may be disposed in the first portion P1 of the body 10.

[0063] The insulator 220 can insulate the heater 240. The insulator 220 can be disposed in the first portion P1 of the main body 10. The insulator 220 can cover and encase the heater 240.

[0064] The aerosol generation device 1 may include a buffer structure (not shown). The buffer structure may be configured to buffer the power source 250. The buffer structure may be disposed on at least a portion of the inner surface 10D of the second part P2 of the main body 10. The buffer structure can reduce or prevent a shock applied to the power source 250 when an external shock is applied to the aerosol generation device 1.

[0065] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a sheet 241 and a track 242 included in a heater 240 of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] The features of the heater 240 may be the same as those described with reference to the other figures. The heater 240 can heat the aerosol product. The heater 240 may be disposed inside the body of the aerosol generating device. The heater 240 may also be an electrical resistance heater.

[0067] For stable use, the heater 240 is supplied with power according to, but not limited to, the specifications of 3.2V, 2.4A, and 8W. For example, when power is supplied to the heater 240, the surface temperature of the heater 240 may rise to 400°C or more. Within 15 seconds after the start of power supply to the heater 240, the surface temperature of the heater 240 may rise to approximately 350°C.

[0068] The heater 240 may include a sheet 241. A track 242 may be arranged on the sheet 241. The sheet 241 may include a flexible material.

[0069] The sheet 241 may include a thermally conductive material, such as, but not limited to, ceramics including alumina or zirconia, anodized metals, coated metals, polyimide (PI), and the like.

[0070] The sheet 241 may also be a green sheet made of a ceramic composite material, including, but not limited to, alumina, zirconia, and other compounds.

[0071] The sheet 241 can protect the track 242 disposed inside the sheet 241 from external impact. For example, the sheet 241 can prevent the aerosol product from damaging the track 242 when the aerosol product is moved to be stored in or discharged from the aerosol generating device. The sheet 241 can be coated with glaze to improve durability.

[0072] The sheet 241 may be divided into regions. For example, a portion of the sheet 241 may be a first heating region A1, and a portion of the sheet 241 may be a second heating region A2. The sheet 241 may include the first heating region A1 and the second heating region A2. The first heating region A1 and the second heating region A2 do not need to be independent. For example, at least a portion of the first heating region A1 and the second heating region A2 may overlap. The first heating region A1 and the second heating region A2 of the sheet 241 shown in FIG. 7 have an overlapping region.

[0073] The heater 240 may include a track 242. The track 242 is a conductive track, and the heater 240 may be heated by passing a current through the track 242. The track 242 may be supplied with power to generate heat. The track 242 may be electrically connected to a power source included in the aerosol generating device. The track 242 may be supplied with power from the power source. Passing a current through the track 242 increases the temperature of the heater 240, and the temperature of the aerosol product may increase.

[0074] A cartridge (not shown) may be detachably coupled to the aerosol generating device. The cartridge may contain an aerosol generating material. The heater 240 may be configured to heat the aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge. The aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge may be liquid. The aerosol generating material contained in the cartridge may be absorbed by a liquid transfer means (not shown) and heated by the heater 240. The liquid transfer means may include a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

[0075] The track 242 of the heater 240 may be formed in a coil-like structure that wraps around the liquid transfer means or in a structure that contacts one side of the liquid transfer means. When the liquid transfer means is heated by the heater 240, an aerosol may be generated.

[0076] The heating temperature of the track 242 may be determined by the power consumption of the resistor of the track 242. The resistance value of the track 242 may be set based on the power consumption of the resistor of the track 242. The resistance value of the track 242 may be set by the constituent material, length, width, thickness, and pattern of the track 242. Due to the resistance temperature coefficient characteristics, the internal resistance of the track 242 may increase as the temperature increases. For example, the temperature and resistance of the track 242 may be proportional within a certain temperature range.

[0077] For example, the tracks 242 may include tungsten, gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, or combinations thereof. The tracks 242 may also be doped with suitable doping materials and may include alloys.

[0078] There may be a plurality of tracks 242. The tracks 242 may include a first track 2421 and a second track 2422.

[0079] The tracks 242 may be arranged separately on both sides of the sheet 241 or together on one side.

[0080] The tracks 242 are each disposed in a different heating region of the sheet 241 and can heat the sheet 241. For example, the first track 2421 can be disposed in the first heating region A1 and heat the first heating region A1, and the second track 2422 can be disposed in the second heating region A2 and heat the second heating region A2. The region where the first heating region A1 and the second heating region A2 overlap can be heated by both the first track 2421 and the second track 2422. That is, the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 can heat the same region.

[0081] The heat line density may be defined as the area occupied by the track 242 within the heating region. The first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may have the same heat line density. For example, the width of the first track 2421 in the first heating region A1 and the width of the second track 2422 in the second heating region A2 may be the same.

[0082] The first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may be electrically connected to a power source and may receive power. The first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may each receive power from the power source independently. For example, the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may be electrically connected in parallel to a single power source. Therefore, the power supply to the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may be controlled independently without affecting each other. For example, the power source may start supplying power to the first track 2421 and then supply power to the second track 2422 after a predetermined time has elapsed. The control unit may control the power source to supply power to the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 independently as described above.

[0083] By independently controlling the power to the first track 2421 and the second track 2422, the power consumption of the track 242 can be efficiently controlled.

[0084] Generally, conductive tracks have a lifespan, which can affect the lifespan of the heating device. According to the heater 240 of the present invention, even if the first track 2421 becomes uncontrollable and / or inoperable, the second track 2422 can be controlled and operated. Conversely, even if the second track 2422 becomes uncontrollable and / or inoperable, the first track 2421 can be controlled and operated. This improves the durability and lifespan of the heater 240 of the aerosol generating device, and ensures the operational stability of the heater 240. In other words, the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 are backup components prepared for the uncontrollable and / or inoperable state of each other.

[0085] By passing a current through the track 242, the temperature of the sheet 241 can increase.

[0086] The heating temperature of the track 242 may be determined by the power consumption of the resistor of the track 242. Furthermore, the resistance value of the track 242 may be set based on the power consumption of the resistor of the track 242. In this case, the resistance value of the track 242 may be set by the constituent material, length, width, thickness, and pattern of the track 242.

[0087] The track 242 has a resistance temperature coefficient characteristic, and as the temperature rises, the magnitude of the internal resistance may increase. For example, within a certain temperature range, the temperature and resistance of the track 242 may be proportional. That is, the track 242 acts as a type of variable resistor whose resistance changes depending on the temperature. Therefore, the track 242 can function as a temperature sensor that provides information about the temperature.

[0088] For example, a predetermined voltage may be applied to the track 242, and the current flowing through the track 242 may be measured using a current sensor. The resistance of the track 242 may be calculated based on the ratio of the measured current to the applied voltage. Based on the calculated resistance, the temperature of the track 242 or the sheet 241 may be estimated using the resistance temperature coefficient characteristics of the track 242.

[0089] According to the present invention, either the first track 2421 or the second track 2422 may be used as a temperature sensor. For example, when the sheet 241 is heated by the first track 2421, the second track 2422 may be used as a temperature sensor. As another example, when the sheet 241 is heated by the second track 2422, the first track 2421 may be used as a temperature sensor. The control unit may calculate information related to the temperature based on the amount of current flowing through the first track 2421 and / or the second track 2422. The control unit may control the operation of the entire configuration of the aerosol generating device based on the information related to the temperature.

[0090] Meanwhile, the sheet 241 may include a conductive material. For example, the sheet 241 may include a graphene material. Graphene is a polymeric carbon allotrope in which carbon atoms are connected to each other in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern to form a two-dimensional planar structure. It has a thin film-like shape and can have excellent conductivity.

[0091] A predetermined voltage is applied to sheet 241 including a conductive material, and the current flowing through sheet 241 can be measured by a current sensor. Furthermore, the resistance of sheet 241 can be calculated from the ratio of the measured current to the applied voltage. Based on the calculated resistance, the temperature of sheet 241 or track 242 can be estimated according to the resistance temperature coefficient characteristics of sheet 241. According to the present invention, sheet 241 including a conductive material can be used as a temperature sensor. The control unit can calculate information about the temperature based on the amount of current flowing through sheet 241. The control unit can control the operation of the entire configuration of the aerosol generating device based on the information about the temperature.

[0092] The aerosol generating device may further include a temperature sensor in addition to the track 242 that functions as a temperature sensor. The control unit can calculate the temperature of the heater 240 through the temperature sensor separately provided in the aerosol generating device or the track 242 of the heater 240.

[0093] The tracks 242 include an electrically resistive material. As an example, the tracks 242 may be made of a metallic material. As another example, the tracks 242 may be made of a conductive ceramic material, carbon, a metal alloy, or a composite of a ceramic material and a metal.

[0094] By heating the heater 240 of the aerosol generating device to a sufficiently high temperature and maintaining the heated temperature of the heater 240 for a predetermined time, the material deposited on the surface of the heater 240 and / or the space into which the aerosol product is inserted is volatilized, thereby producing a cleaning effect.

[0095] The aerosol generating device may also include a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, and / or a cigarette insertion detection sensor. For example, the puff detection sensor may be implemented as a general pressure sensor. Alternatively, the aerosol generating device may not include a separate puff detection sensor, but may instead detect puffs based on a change in resistance of the track 242 included in the heater 240. Here, the track 242 refers to both a track for generating heat and / or a track for detecting temperature. Alternatively, the aerosol generating device may further include a puff detection sensor in addition to detecting puffs using the track 242 included in the heater 240.

[0096] The first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may be selectively made of the same material, for example, tungsten, gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel, palladium, or a combination thereof. In this case, even if the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 are made of the same material, the resistance values ​​of the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may differ depending on the length, width, or pattern of the track.

[0097] The track 242 may be formed in various patterns such as a curved shape, a mesh shape, etc. For example, at least a portion of the first track 2421 may include a first pattern region in which the extension direction changes regularly. Similarly, at least a portion of the second track 2422 may include a second pattern region in which the extension direction changes regularly.

[0098] 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a sheet 241 and a track 242 included in a heater 240 of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The features of the sheet 241 and the track 242 of the heater 240 may be the same as those described with reference to FIG. 7, etc.

[0099] The track 242 in FIG. 8 is either the first track 2421 or the second track 2422 in FIG.

[0100] The sheet 241 may include a structure in which two components are stacked together. For example, the sheet 241 may include a structure in which a first sheet 2411 and a second sheet 2412 are stacked together.

[0101] The heater 240 may include a track 242. The track 242 may be disposed inside the sheet 241. For example, the track 242 may be disposed between the first sheet 2411 and the second sheet 2412 of the sheet 241, but the arrangement of the track 242 and the sheet 241 is not limited thereto.

[0102] When power is supplied to the track 242, the track 242 generates heat and heats the sheet 241. The track 242 can be connected to a power source and supplied with power.

[0103] The sheet 241 may include a thermally conductive material, such as, but not limited to, ceramics including alumina or zirconia, anodized metals, coated metals, polyimide (PI), and the like.

[0104] The sheet 241 is a green sheet made of a ceramic composite material, including, but not limited to, alumina, zirconia, and other compounds.

[0105] The first sheet 2411 and / or the second sheet 2412 may be rigid.

[0106] 9 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a heater 240 and an aerosol product S included in an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment. The features of the heater 240 described with reference to the other drawings may be equally applied.

[0107] The sheet 241 may have a curved surface. At least a portion of the aerosol product S may be accommodated inside the curved surface of the sheet 241. The sheet 241 may be configured to transfer heat to the aerosol product S. For example, the sheet 241 may receive heat from the track 242 and transfer it to the aerosol product S. The curved sheet 241 may surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the aerosol product S and heat the outside of the aerosol product S to generate an aerosol.

[0108] As another example, the sheet 241 may have a curved surface, and the aerosol product S may be placed on the outside of the curved surface of the sheet 241. In this case, the sheet 241 may be needle-shaped (e.g., a shape combining a cylinder and a cone). The needle-shaped sheet 241 may be inserted into at least a portion of the inside of the aerosol product S, and the inside of the aerosol product S may be heated to generate an aerosol.

[0109] The sheet 241 may include one or more films. For example, the sheet 241 may include a structure in which two films are laminated. The film disposed on the inside of the curved surface of the sheet 241 is referred to as the inner film, and the film disposed on the outside is referred to as the outer film.

[0110] The heater 240 may include a track 242. The track 242 may be disposed inside the sheet 241. For example, the track 242 may be disposed between an outer film and an inner film of the sheet 241, but the arrangement of the track 242 and the sheet 241 is not limited thereto. The inner film may protect the outer film and the track 242 when the aerosol product S is inserted into the heater 240.

[0111] There may be a plurality of tracks 242. The tracks 242 may include a first track 2421 and a second track 2422. The tracks 242 may be connected to a printed circuit board (not shown) through at least one electrical line.

[0112] 3, the heater 240 may be disposed to surround the insertion space 102 of the aerosol generating device 1. The article insertion section 205 may guide the insertion of the aerosol product S using the heater 240.

[0113] The aerosol product S includes a generation section M and a filter section F. Although FIG. 9 illustrates the filter section F as a single segment, this is not limiting. In other words, the filter section F may be composed of multiple segments. For example, the filter section F may include a segment that cools the aerosol and a segment that filters out predetermined components contained in the aerosol. Furthermore, the filter section F may further include at least one segment that performs another function, as needed.

[0114] The diameter of the aerosol product S is within the range of 5 mm to 9 mm, and the length is about 48 mm, but is not limited thereto. For example, but not limited to, the length of the generation section M is about 12 mm, the length of the first segment of the filter section F is about 10 mm, the length of the second segment of the filter section F is about 14 mm, and the length of the third segment of the filter section F is about 12 mm.

[0115] The aerosol product S may be packaged in at least one wrapper (not shown). The wrapper may have at least one hole formed therein through which external air can flow in or internal gas can flow out. As an example, the aerosol product S may be packaged in one wrapper. As another example, the aerosol product S may be packaged in two or more wrappers in a stacked manner.

[0116] The generator M contains an aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. The generator M may also contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. A flavoring liquid such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the generator M by being sprayed into the generator M.

[0117] The generating unit M may be formed in various ways. For example, the generating unit M may be formed in a sheet or strand. The generating unit M may also be formed from shredded tobacco, which is a tobacco sheet cut into small pieces. The generating unit M may also be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the thermally conductive material surrounding the generating unit M may uniformly distribute the heat transferred to the generating unit M, improving the thermal conductivity of the tobacco rod and thereby improving the tobacco taste. The thermally conductive material surrounding the generating unit M may also function as a susceptor heated by an induction heater. In this case, although not shown in the drawings, the generating unit M may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the thermally conductive material surrounding the exterior.

[0118] The filter part F may also be a cellulose acetate filter. However, there is no limitation on the shape of the filter part F. For example, the filter part F may be a cylindrical rod, a tubular rod having a hollow interior, or a recessed rod. If the filter part F is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be formed in a different shape.

[0119] The filter unit F also includes at least one capsule. The capsule may function to generate a flavor or may function to generate an aerosol. For example, the capsule may have a structure in which a liquid containing a flavoring agent is enclosed in a membrane. The capsule may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0120] The aerosol product S can be heated by the heater 240. Specifically, the heater 240 can heat at least a part of the generation unit M of the aerosol product S. The heated generation unit M can generate an aerosol.

[0121] When at least a portion of the generation unit M is heated, an airflow containing aerosol (hereinafter referred to as aerosol airflow) flows in a direction from one end M1 of the generation unit M to the other end M2 (the direction of the arrow inside the aerosol product S in FIG. 9). With the aerosol product S shown in FIG. 9 as a reference, the aerosol airflow flows from the lower end to the upper end of the generation unit M.

[0122] The aerosol generated by heating the generator M is generated from one end M1 of the generator M to the other end M2 and moves toward the other end M2. That is, the other end M2 of the generator M corresponds to the downstream side of the aerosol airflow. In this case, if the other end M2 of the generator M is not heated sufficiently, the downstream side of the aerosol airflow will not be heated sufficiently, and the aerosol-generating material inside the generator M will not be heated efficiently, which may reduce the efficiency of aerosol generation.

[0123] An end of the track 242 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the other end M2 of the generator M. For example, at least one end of the first track 2421 or the second track 2422 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the other end M2 of the generator M. Although FIG. 9 shows that the end of the first track 2421 is disposed at a position corresponding to the other end M2 of the generator M, this is not limiting, and the end of the second track 2422 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the other end M2 of the generator M.

[0124] Through such an arrangement of the heater 240 and the aerosol product S, the track 242 can sufficiently heat the other end M2 of the generation section M, thereby sufficiently heating the downstream of the aerosol airflow and efficiently heating the aerosol generating material inside the generation section M, thereby improving the aerosol generation efficiency.

[0125] 10 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of a heater 240 and an aerosol product S included in an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. The features of the heater 240 described with reference to the other drawings may be equally applied.

[0126] The sheet 241 may have a curved surface. At least a portion of the aerosol product S may be accommodated inside the curved surface of the sheet 241. The sheet 241 may be configured to transfer heat to the aerosol product S.

[0127] The heater 240 may include a track 242. The track 242 may be disposed inside a sheet 241.

[0128] There may be a plurality of tracks 242. The tracks 242 may include a first track 2421 and a second track 2422. The tracks 242 may be connected to a printed circuit board (not shown) through at least one electrical line.

[0129] The aerosol product S may include a generation section M and a filter section F. In Figure 10, the filter section F is shown as a single segment, but is not limited to this.

[0130] The generator M contains an aerosol-generating substance. The generator M can be manufactured in a variety of ways.

[0131] The aerosol product S can be heated by the heater 240. Specifically, the heater 240 can heat at least a part of the generation unit M of the aerosol product S. The heated generation unit M can generate an aerosol.

[0132] When at least a portion of the generation unit M is heated, an airflow containing aerosol (hereinafter referred to as aerosol airflow) flows in a direction from one end M1 of the generation unit M to the other end M2 (the direction of the arrow inside the aerosol product S in FIG. 10). With the aerosol product S shown in FIG. 10 as a reference, the aerosol airflow flows from the lower end to the upper end of the generation unit M.

[0133] The aerosol generated by heating the generator M is generated from one end M1 of the generator M to the other end M2 and moves toward the other end M2. That is, the other end M2 of the generator M corresponds to the downstream side of the aerosol airflow. In this case, if the other end M2 of the generator M is not heated sufficiently, the downstream side of the aerosol airflow will not be heated sufficiently, and the aerosol-generating material inside the generator M will not be heated efficiently, which may reduce the efficiency of aerosol generation.

[0134] For example, at least one end of the first track 2421 and the second track 2422 may be disposed a predetermined distance away from the other end M2 of the generator M in the direction of the aerosol airflow. While Fig. 10 shows that the end of the first track 2421 is disposed a predetermined distance away from the other end M2 of the generator M in the direction of the aerosol airflow, this is not limiting, and the end of the second track 2422 may be disposed a predetermined distance away from the other end M2 of the generator M in the direction of the aerosol airflow.

[0135] Through this arrangement of the heater 240 and the aerosol product S, the track 242 not only heats the other end M2 of the generation section M, but also the aerosol airflow passing through the other end M2, thereby sufficiently heating the downstream of the aerosol airflow and efficiently heating the aerosol generating material inside the generation section M, thereby improving the aerosol generation efficiency.

[0136] Figure 11 is a graph illustrating the power supply over time for the heater tracks shown in Figures 7 to 10. Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an aerosol generating method for generating aerosol using the heaters shown in Figures 7 to 10.

[0137] The aerosol generating method will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0138] The aerosol generating method according to the present invention is an aerosol generating method for an aerosol generating device including a first track and a second track that are supplied with electric power to heat an aerosol generating material and generate an aerosol.

[0139] The aerosol generating method according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed by the control unit included in the aerosol generating device described above, but is not limited thereto.

[0140] 12, an aerosol generating method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a first track start step S100 of supplying power to a first track, a step S200 of determining whether a first time has elapsed since the first track start step, and a second track start step S300 of supplying power to a second track after the first time has elapsed since the first track start step. For example, the first time corresponds to t1 in the graph of FIG. 11.

[0141] The aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a step S400 of determining whether a second time has elapsed since the second track starting step S300, and a step S500 of interrupting the supply of power to the second track after the second time has elapsed since the second track starting step S300. For example, the second time corresponds to t2 in the graph of FIG. 11.

[0142] The aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a step S600 of determining whether a third time has elapsed since the second track interruption step, and a step S700 of interrupting the first track after the third time has elapsed since the second track interruption step. For example, the third time corresponds to t3 in the graph of FIG. 11.

[0143] However, the above-described aerosol generating method is merely an example, and the power supply to the first track is stopped simultaneously with the power supply to the second track. As another example, the power supply to the second track may be stopped after the power supply to the first track is stopped. In this manner, the power supply to each track is stopped individually and can be controlled differently depending on the specific operating conditions.

[0144] According to the aerosol generating method described above with reference to Figures 11 and 12, the second track may be powered later than the first track and power supply may be interrupted before the first track. The time for supplying power to the first track is equal to the sum of the first time t1, the second time t2, and the third time t3, and the time for supplying power to the second track is equal to the second time t2. Therefore, the first track is powered longer than the second track, and the duration of heating by the first track is longer than the duration of heating by the second track. The control method for the first track and the control method for the second track described above may be applied interchangeably.

[0145] 11, before the fourth time has elapsed since the second track start step, the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track follows the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track, and after the fourth time has elapsed since the second track start step, the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track follows the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track. For example, the fourth time corresponds to t4. In this case, "following the power magnitude" means that the power supply to one track is repeated after a predetermined time and applied to the power supply to another track as is. In other words, "following the power magnitude" means that the power supply pattern for one track is repeated for another track after a predetermined time.

[0146] For example, referring to FIG. 11, after the power supply to the second track starts, the power supply to the second track follows the power supply to the first track for a fourth time t4, and after the fourth time t4, the power supply to the first track follows the power supply to the second track.

[0147] According to this aerosol generation method, one track follows the power supply of the other tracks, which prevents one track from overheating or malfunctioning.

[0148] According to the aerosol generating method of the present invention, the power consumption required to heat the aerosol generating material can be efficiently controlled by independently controlling the power to the first track and the second track.

[0149] Generally, the track 242 has a lifespan, which may affect the lifespan of the heating device. According to the aerosol generating method of the present invention, even if the first track becomes uncontrollable and / or inoperable, the second track can be controlled and operated. Conversely, even if the second track becomes uncontrollable and / or inoperable, the first track can be controlled and operated. This improves the durability and lifespan of the heater of the aerosol generating device and ensures stable heater operation.

[0150] That is, the first and second tracks can be operated in a backup manner to prepare for loss of control and / or inoperability of each other.

[0151] Figure 13 is a flowchart of an aerosol generating method for generating an aerosol using the heater shown in Figures 7 to 10. The features of the aerosol generating method described with reference to Figure 13 may be the same as those of the aerosol generating method described with reference to Figure 12. To avoid redundant description, the details described with reference to Figure 12 will be omitted.

[0152] The aerosol generating method will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 11, the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track may gradually decrease after reaching a maximum value Wmax, and the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track may also gradually decrease after reaching a maximum value Wmax.

[0154] Although only one maximum value Wmax is shown on the graph in FIG. 11, this is for the convenience of illustrating the graph, and the maximum value of the power supplied to the first track and the maximum value of the power supplied to the second track are different.

[0155] 13, the aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a first maximum heating step S110 in which the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track reaches a maximum value after a first track start step S100 in which power is supplied to the first track. Furthermore, the aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a second maximum heating step 310 in which the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track reaches a maximum value after a second track start step S300 in which power is supplied to the second track after the first maximum heating step.

[0156] Other aerosol generation methods are the same as or similar to the aerosol generation methods described above with reference to Figure 12. The control methods for the first track and the control methods for the second track can be applied interchangeably.

[0157] 11, 13, and the above description, the second track may be supplied with maximum power after the first track. By sequentially applying maximum power to the first and second tracks, overheating of the aerosol generating material can be prevented, and by independently controlling the power to the first and second tracks, the power consumption required to heat the aerosol generating material can be efficiently controlled.

[0158] Figure 14 is a flowchart of an aerosol generating method for generating aerosol using the heater shown in Figures 7 to 10. The features of the aerosol generating method described with reference to Figure 14 may be the same as those of the aerosol generating method described with reference to Figure 12. To avoid redundant description, the details described with reference to Figure 12 will be omitted.

[0159] The aerosol generating method will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0160] 14, an embodiment of the aerosol generating method may include a first track start step S100 of supplying power to a first track, a step S200 of determining whether a first time has elapsed since the first track start step, and a second track start step S300 of supplying power to a second track after the first time has elapsed since the first track start step. For example, the first time corresponds to t1 in the graph of FIG. 11.

[0161] The aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a first temperature sensing step S210 of calculating information about temperature based on the amount of current flowing through the second track if a first time t1 has not elapsed since power supply to the first track started S100. That is, before power is supplied to the second track for heating, the unused second track can be used as a temperature sensor for the heater.

[0162] The aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a step S600 of determining whether a third time has elapsed since the second track interruption step, and a step S700 of interrupting the first track after the third time has elapsed since the second track interruption step. For example, the third time corresponds to t3 in the graph of FIG. 11.

[0163] The aerosol generating method of the present invention may further include a second temperature sensing step S610 of calculating information about temperature based on the amount of current flowing through the second track if a third time t3 has not elapsed since the power supply to the second track was interrupted S500. That is, the second track that is not used after the power supply to the second track for heating is interrupted can be used as a temperature sensor.

[0164] The description regarding the calculation of information related to temperature using the second track is substituted for the description given above with reference to FIG.

[0165] FIG. 15 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0166] The aerosol generation device 1 includes a power supply 11, a control unit 12, a sensor 13, an output unit 14, an input unit 15, a communication unit 16, a memory 17, and at least one heater (for example, the heater 18 or a cartridge heater 24). However, the internal structure of the aerosol generation device 1 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 15. That is, it is understandable to a person skilled in the art of the present embodiment that, depending on the design of the aerosol generation device 1, some of the components shown in Fig. 15 may be omitted or new components may be added.

[0167] The sensor 13 can sense the state of the aerosol generation device 1 or the state around the aerosol generation device 1 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 12. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 12 can control the aerosol generation device 1 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18, restricting smoking, determining whether the aerosol product S and / or the cartridge 19 is inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0168] The sensor 13 includes at least one of a temperature sensor 131 , a puff sensor 132 , an insertion detection sensor 133 , a reuse detection sensor 134 , a cartridge detection sensor 135 , a cap detection sensor 136 , and a movement detection sensor 137 .

[0169] The temperature sensor 131 can sense the temperature to which the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 is heated. The aerosol generating device 1 may include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18, or the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 itself may function as a temperature sensor.

[0170] The temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. For example, the temperature sensor 131 includes a resistive element whose resistance value changes in response to a change in temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. The resistive element is embodied by a thermistor or the like, which is an element that utilizes the property of changing resistance depending on temperature. In this case, the temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the resistive element as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. For example, the temperature sensor 131 is configured with a sensor that detects the resistance value of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. In this case, the temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18.

[0171] Temperature sensor 131 may be disposed around power supply 11 to monitor the temperature of power supply 11. Temperature sensor 131 may be disposed adjacent to power supply 11. For example, temperature sensor 131 may be attached to one side of a battery that is power supply 11. For example, temperature sensor 131 may be mounted on one side of a printed circuit board.

[0172] The temperature sensor 131 is disposed inside the main body 10 (see FIGS. 1 to 3) and is capable of sensing the internal temperature of the main body 10.

[0173] The puff sensor 132 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow path. The puff sensor 132 can output a signal corresponding to the puff. For example, the puff sensor 132 can also be a pressure sensor. The puff sensor 132 can output a signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device 1. Here, the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device 1 corresponds to the pressure of the airflow path through which the gas flows. The puff sensor 132 can be arranged in the aerosol generation device 1 corresponding to the airflow path through which the gas flows.

[0174] The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product S. The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect a signal change caused by the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product S. The insertion detection sensor 133 can be installed around the insertion space. The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol product S based on a change in the dielectric constant inside the insertion space. For example, the insertion detection sensor 133 can be an inductive sensor and / or a capacitance sensor.

[0175] The inductive sensor includes at least one coil. The coil of the inductive sensor is disposed adjacent to the insertion space. For example, when a magnetic field changes around a coil through which a current flows, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil may change according to Faraday's law. Here, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil include the frequency, current value, voltage value, inductance value, impedance value, etc. of the alternating current.

[0176] An inductive sensor can output a signal corresponding to a characteristic of the current flowing through a coil, for example, the inductance value of the coil.

[0177] The capacitance sensor includes a conductor. The conductor of the capacitance sensor is disposed adjacent to the insertion space. The capacitance sensor can output a signal corresponding to the surrounding electromagnetic characteristics, for example, the capacitance of the conductor. For example, when an aerosol product S including a metallic wrapper is inserted into the insertion space, the wrapper of the aerosol product S may change the electromagnetic characteristics of the conductor.

[0178] The reuse detection sensor 134 can detect whether the aerosol product S is reused. The reuse detection sensor 134 is also a color sensor. The color sensor can detect the color of the aerosol product S. The color sensor can detect the color of a part of the wrapper surrounding the exterior of the aerosol product S. The color sensor can detect a value related to an optical characteristic corresponding to the color of an object based on light reflected from the object. For example, the optical characteristic can be the wavelength of light. The color sensor may be implemented as a single component together with the proximity sensor, or as a separate component separate from the proximity sensor.

[0179] At least a portion of the wrapper constituting the aerosol product S may change color depending on the aerosol. The reuse detection sensor 134 may be disposed corresponding to a position where at least a portion of the wrapper, whose color changes depending on the aerosol, is disposed when the aerosol product S is inserted into the insertion space. For example, before the aerosol product S is used by a user, the color of at least a portion of the wrapper is a first color. In this case, while the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation device 1 passes through the aerosol product S, at least a portion of the wrapper may become wet with the aerosol, thereby changing the color of at least a portion of the wrapper to a second color. Meanwhile, after the color of at least a portion of the wrapper is changed from the first color to the second color, it may be maintained at the second color.

[0180] The cartridge detection sensor 135 can detect the insertion and / or removal of a cartridge and can be implemented using an inductance-based sensor, a capacitance-based sensor, a resistance sensor, a Hall sensor (hall IC) using the Hall effect, etc.

[0181] The cap detection sensor 136 can detect the attachment and / or removal of the cap. When the cap is separated from the body 10, parts of the cartridge and the body 10 that were covered by the cap may be exposed to the outside. The cap detection sensor 136 may be implemented by a contact sensor, a hall sensor, an optical sensor, etc.

[0182] The motion detection sensor 137 can detect the motion of the aerosol generating device 1. The motion detection sensor 137 is implemented by at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

[0183] The sensor 13 may further include at least one of a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a position sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor in addition to the above-mentioned sensors 131 to 137. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by an ordinary engineer from its name, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0184] The output unit 14 can output and provide to the user information about the status of the aerosol generation device 1. The output unit 14 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display 141, a haptic unit 142, and an audio output unit 143. When the display 141 and the touchpad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display 141 is used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0185] The display 141 can visually provide a user with information about the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the information about the aerosol generation device 1 can mean various information such as the charge / discharge status of the power supply 11 of the aerosol generation device 1, the preheating status of the heater 18, the insertion / removal status of the aerosol product S and / or cartridge 19, the attachment / removal status of a cap, or a status that restricts the use of the aerosol generation device 1 (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display 141 can output the information to the outside. For example, the display 141 can be in the form of an LED light-emitting element. For example, the display 141 can be a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light-emitting display panel (OLED), etc.

[0186] The haptic unit 142 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide a user with tactile information about the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the haptic unit 142 generates a vibration corresponding to the completion of initial preheating when initial power is supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 for a set time. The haptic unit 142 may include a vibration motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0187] The acoustic output unit 143 can audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the acoustic output unit 143 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0188] The power source 11 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generation device 1. The power source 11 can supply power to heat the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The power source 11 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generation device 1, such as the sensor 13, the output unit 14, the input unit 15, the communication unit 16, and the memory 17. The power source 11 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the power source 11 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited to this.

[0189] 15, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a power protection circuit. The power protection circuit is electrically connected to the power supply 11 and may include a switching element.

[0190] The power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 under predetermined conditions. For example, the power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 when the voltage level of the power supply 11 is equal to or higher than a first voltage corresponding to overcharging. For example, the power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 when the voltage level of the power supply 11 is lower than a second voltage corresponding to overdischarging.

[0191] The heater 18 can receive power from the power source 11 to heat the medium or aerosol-generating substance in the aerosol product S. Although not shown in Fig. 15, the aerosol generation device 1 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power from the power source 11 and supplies it to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. Furthermore, when the aerosol generation device 1 generates aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generation device 1 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of the power source 11 into AC power.

[0192] The control unit 12, the sensor 13, the output unit 14, the input unit 15, the communication unit 16, and the memory 17 can function by receiving power from the power supply 11. Although not shown in FIG. 15, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power from the power supply 11 and supplies it to each component. Also, although not shown in FIG. 15, a noise filter may be provided between the power supply 11 and the heater 18. The noise filter may also be a low-pass filter. The low-pass filter may include at least one inductor and capacitor. The cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter corresponds to the frequency of the high-frequency switching current applied from the power supply 11 to the heater 18. The low-pass filter can prevent high-frequency noise components from being applied to the sensors 13, such as the insertion detection sensor 133.

[0193] In one embodiment, the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 may be made of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include, but are not limited to, metals or metal alloys including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, the heater 18 may be embodied by, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having a track 242 disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0194] The input unit 15 can receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the input unit 15 can be a touch panel. The touch panel can include at least one touch sensor that detects a touch. For example, the touch sensor can include, but is not limited to, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, a surface acoustic wave touch sensor, an infrared touch sensor, etc.

[0195] The display 141 and the touch panel may be implemented as a single panel. For example, the touch panel may be inserted (on-cell type or in-cell type) into the display 141. For example, the touch panel may be an add-on type on the display 141.

[0196] Meanwhile, the input unit 15 includes, but is not limited to, a button, a keypad, a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

[0197] The memory 17 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generation device 1 and can store data that has been processed by the control unit 12 and data to be processed by the control unit 12. The memory 17 includes at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of flash memory, hard disk, micro multimedia card, card-type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The memory 17 can store data related to the operating time of the aerosol generation device 1, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0198] The communication unit 16 includes at least one component for communicating with other electronic devices, such as at least one of a short-range communication unit and a wireless communication unit.

[0199] The short-range wireless communication unit includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an IrDA (infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

[0200] The wireless communication unit includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (eg, LAN or WAN) communication unit, and the like.

[0201] Although not shown in Figure 15, the aerosol generating device 1 further includes a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and can connect to other external devices through the connection interface such as the USB interface to send and receive information or charge the power source 11.

[0202] The control unit 12 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1. In one embodiment, the control unit 12 includes at least one processor. The processor may be embodied as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may also be embodied by other forms of hardware.

[0203] The control unit 12 can control the temperature of the heater 18 by controlling the supply of power from the power source 11 to the heater 18. The control unit 12 can control the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 based on the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 sensed by the temperature sensor 131. The control unit 12 can adjust the power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 based on the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. For example, the control unit 12 can determine a target temperature for the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 based on a temperature profile stored in the memory 17.

[0204] The aerosol generating device 1 may include a power supply circuit (not shown) electrically connected to the power supply 11 between the power supply 11 and the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The power supply circuit may be electrically connected to the cartridge heater 24 or the heater 18. The power supply circuit includes at least one switching element. The switching element may be implemented by a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field effect transistor (FET), or the like. The control unit 12 may control the power supply circuit.

[0205] The control unit 12 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of the switching elements of the power supply circuit. The power supply circuit also functions as an inverter that converts DC power output from the power supply 11 into AC power. For example, the inverter is configured with a full-bridge circuit or a half-bridge circuit including multiple switching elements.

[0206] The control unit 12 can turn on the switching element so that power is supplied from the power source 11 to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The control unit 12 can turn off the switching element so that power supply to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 is cut off. The control unit 12 can adjust the frequency and / or duty ratio of the current pulse input to the switching element to adjust the current supplied from the power source 11.

[0207] The control unit 12 controls the switching of the switching element of the power supply circuit to control the voltage output from the power supply 11. The power conversion circuit can convert the voltage output from the power supply 11. For example, the power conversion circuit includes a buck converter that reduces the voltage output from the power supply 11. For example, the power conversion circuit can be implemented using a buck-boost converter, a Zener diode, etc.

[0208] The control unit 12 controls the on / off operation of a switching element included in the power conversion circuit to adjust the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit. When the on state of the switching element is maintained, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit corresponds to the level of the voltage output from the power source 11. The duty ratio of the on / off operation of the switching element corresponds to the ratio of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit to the voltage output from the power source 11. As the duty ratio of the on / off operation of the switching element decreases, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit may decrease. The heater 18 may be heated based on the voltage output from the power conversion circuit.

[0209] The control unit 12 can control the supply of power to the heater 18 using at least one of a pulse width modulation (PWM) method and a proportional-integral-differential (PID) method.

[0210] For example, the control unit 12 can use a PWM method to control current pulses having a predetermined frequency and duty ratio to be supplied to the heater 18. The control unit 12 can adjust the frequency and duty ratio of the current pulses to control the power supplied to the heater 18.

[0211] For example, the control unit 12 can determine a target temperature based on the temperature profile, and can control the power supplied to the heater 18 using a PID method, which is a feedback control method that uses the difference between the temperature of the heater 18 and the target temperature, the value obtained by integrating the difference over time, and the value obtained by differentiating the difference over time.

[0212] The control unit 12 can prevent the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 from overheating. For example, the control unit 12 can control the operation of the power conversion circuit to interrupt the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 exceeds a predetermined limit temperature. For example, the control unit 12 can reduce the amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 by a certain percentage when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 exceeds a predetermined limit temperature. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the aerosol-generating material contained in the cartridge has been consumed when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds the limit temperature and interrupt the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24.

[0213] The control unit 12 can control the charging and discharging of the power supply 11. The control unit 12 can check the temperature of the power supply 11 based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 131.

[0214] When a power line is connected to the battery terminal of the aerosol generating device 1, the control unit 12 can check whether the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than a first limit temperature, which is a criterion for cutting off charging of the power source 11. When the temperature of the power source 11 is lower than the first limit temperature, the control unit 12 can control the power source 11 to be charged based on a predetermined charging current. When the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than the first limit temperature, the control unit 12 can cut off charging of the power source 11.

[0215] When the aerosol generating device 1 is powered on, the control unit 12 can check whether the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than a second limit temperature, which is a criterion for cutting off the discharge of the power source 11. If the temperature of the power source 11 is lower than the second limit temperature, the control unit 12 can control the power source 11 to use the power stored in the power source 11. If the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than the second limit temperature, the control unit 12 can stop the use of the power stored in the power source 11.

[0216] The control unit 12 may calculate the remaining capacity of the power stored in the power source 11. For example, the control unit 12 may calculate the remaining capacity of the power source 11 based on the voltage and / or current sensing value of the power source 11.

[0217] The control unit 12 can determine whether the aerosol product S is inserted into the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor 133. The control unit 12 can determine that the aerosol product S has been inserted based on the output signal of the insertion detection sensor 133. When it is determined that the aerosol product S has been inserted into the insertion space, the control unit 12 can control the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 to supply power. For example, the control unit 12 can supply power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on a temperature profile stored in the memory 17.

[0218] The control unit 12 can determine whether the aerosol product S has been removed from the insertion space. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether the aerosol product S has been removed from the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor 133. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the aerosol product S has been removed from the insertion space when the temperature of the heater 18 is equal to or higher than a limit temperature or when the temperature change gradient of the heater 18 is equal to or higher than a set gradient. When it is determined that the aerosol product S has been removed from the insertion space, the control unit 12 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0219] The control unit 12 can control the time and / or amount of power supply to the heater 18 depending on the state of the aerosol product S sensed by the sensor 13. The control unit 12 can check the level range that includes the level of the capacitance sensor signal based on a lookup table. The control unit 12 can determine the moisture content of the aerosol product S based on the checked level range.

[0220] When the aerosol product S is in an over-humid state, the control unit 12 controls the time for which power is supplied to the heater 18, and can increase the pre-heating time for the aerosol product S compared to when the aerosol product S is in a normal state.

[0221] The control unit 12 can determine whether the aerosol product S inserted into the insertion space is reused through the reuse detection sensor 134. For example, the control unit 12 can compare the sensing value of the signal from the reuse detection sensor 134 with a first reference range including a first color, and determine that the aerosol product S has not been used if the sensing value is within the first reference range. For example, the control unit 12 can compare the sensing value of the signal from the reuse detection sensor 134 with a second reference range including a second color, and determine that the aerosol product S has been used if the sensing value is within the second reference range. If it is determined that the aerosol product S has been used, the control unit 12 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0222] The control unit 12 can determine whether to connect and / or remove a cartridge through the cartridge detection sensor 135. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether to connect and / or remove a cartridge based on the sensing value of the signal of the cartridge detection sensor 135.

[0223] The control unit 12 can determine whether the aerosol generating material in the cartridge 19 has been exhausted. For example, the control unit 12 can apply power to preheat the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, determine whether the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds a limit temperature during the preheating period, and determine that the aerosol generating material in the cartridge has been exhausted if the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds the limit temperature. If the control unit 12 determines that the aerosol generating material in the cartridge has been exhausted, it can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18.

[0224] The control unit 12 can determine whether the cartridge can be used. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the cartridge cannot be used if the current number of puffs is equal to or greater than the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge based on data stored in the memory 17. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the cartridge cannot be used if the total time that the cartridge heater 24 has been heated is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum time or if the total amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum amount of power.

[0225] The control unit 12 can determine whether the user is inhaling through the puff sensor 132. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether a puff has occurred based on the sensed value of the signal from the puff sensor 132. For example, the control unit 12 can determine the strength of the puff based on the sensed value of the signal from the puff sensor 132. If the number of puffs reaches a predetermined maximum number of puffs or if no puffs are sensed for a predetermined period of time or longer, the control unit 12 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0226] The control unit 12 can determine whether the cap is attached and / or removed through the cap detection sensor 136. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether the cap is attached and / or removed based on the sensing value of the signal of the cap detection sensor 136.

[0227] The control unit 12 can control the output unit 14 based on the results sensed by the sensor 13. For example, if the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 132 reaches a predetermined number, the control unit 12 can notify the user through at least one of the display 141, the haptic unit 142, and the audio output unit 143 that the aerosol generating device 1 will soon be shut down. For example, the control unit 12 can notify the user through the output unit 14 based on the determination that the aerosol product S is not present in the insertion space. For example, the control unit 12 can notify the user through the output unit 14 based on the determination that the cartridge 19 and / or the cap are not installed. For example, the control unit 12 can communicate information about the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 to the user through the output unit 14.

[0228] The control unit 12 can store and update a history of events that have occurred in the memory 17 based on the occurrence of a predetermined event. The events include events that occur in the aerosol generation device 1, such as detection of insertion of the aerosol product S, start of heating of the aerosol product S, detection of puffing, end of puffing, detection of overheating of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, detection of overvoltage application to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, end of heating of the aerosol product S, operations such as turning the power of the aerosol generation device 1 on / off, start of charging the power supply 11, detection of overcharging of the power supply 11, and end of charging the power supply 11. The history of events includes the date and time when the event occurred, log data corresponding to the event, etc. For example, if the predetermined event is detection of insertion of the aerosol product S, the log data corresponding to the event includes data on the sensing value of the insertion detection sensor 133, etc. For example, if a given event is the detection of overheating of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the log data corresponding to the event may include data regarding the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the voltage applied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the current flowing through the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, etc.

[0229] The control unit 12 can control the establishment of a communication link with an external device, such as a user's mobile terminal. When authentication-related data is received from the external device through the communication link, the control unit 12 can remove restrictions on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generation device 1. Here, the authentication-related data includes data indicating completion of user authentication for the user corresponding to the external device. The user can perform user authentication through the external device. The external device can determine whether user data is valid based on the user's birthday, a unique number identifying the user, etc., and receive data regarding usage authority for the aerosol generation device 1 from an external server. The external device can transmit data indicating completion of user authentication to the aerosol generation device 1 based on the data regarding usage authority. When user authentication is completed, the control unit 12 can remove restrictions on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generation device 1. For example, when user authentication is completed, the control unit 12 can remove restrictions on the use of a heating function that supplies power to the heater 18.

[0230] The control unit 12 can transmit data related to the status of the aerosol generation device 1 to the external device through a communication link formed with the external device. Based on the received status data, the external device can output the remaining capacity of the power supply 11 of the aerosol generation device 1, the operation mode, etc. through a display of the external device.

[0231] The external device may transmit a location search request to the aerosol generation device 1 based on an input to start a location search of the aerosol generation device 1. When receiving a location search request from the external device, the control unit 12 may control at least one of the output devices to perform an operation corresponding to the location search based on the received location search request. For example, the haptic unit 142 may generate a vibration in response to the location search request. For example, the display 141 may output an object corresponding to the location search and the end of the search in response to the location search request.

[0232] The control unit 12 can control to perform a firmware update when it receives firmware data from an external device. The external device can check the current version of the firmware of the aerosol generation device 1 and determine whether a new version of the firmware exists. When the external device receives an input requesting a firmware download, it can receive firmware data of the new version and transmit the firmware data of the new version to the aerosol generation device 1. The control unit 12 can control to perform a firmware update of the aerosol generation device 1 by receiving the firmware data of the new version.

[0233] The control unit 12 can transmit data related to sensing values ​​of at least one sensor 13 to an external server (not shown) via the communication unit 16 and receive and store a learning model generated by learning the sensing values ​​through machine learning, such as deep learning, from the external server. The control unit 12 can perform operations such as determining a user's inhalation pattern and generating a temperature profile using the learning model received from the external server. The control unit 12 can store sensing value data of at least one sensor 13 and data for training an artificial neural network (ANN) in the memory 17. For example, the memory 17 can store a database related to each component included in the aerosol generation device 1, as well as weights and biases constituting the artificial neural network (ANN) structure, for training the artificial neural network (ANN). The control unit 12 can learn data related to the sensing values ​​of at least one sensor 13, the user's inhalation pattern, temperature profile, etc. stored in the memory 17, and generate at least one learning model to be used for determining the user's inhalation pattern, generating a temperature profile, etc.

[0234] The above-described embodiments of the present invention or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or distinct, and the respective configurations or functions of the above-described embodiments of the present invention or other embodiments may be used together or combined.

[0235] For example, it means that a configuration A described in a particular embodiment and / or drawing can be combined with a configuration B described in another embodiment and / or drawing. In other words, even if a combination between components is not directly described, it means that the combination is possible unless it is described that the combination is impossible.

[0236] The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent range of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a heater that heats the aerosol-generating substance to generate an aerosol; a power supply for supplying power to the heater; a control unit that controls the operation of the power supply and the heater, the heater includes a sheet including a first heating region and a second heating region; a first track that generates heat when supplied with power and is disposed in the first heating region; a second track that is supplied with power to generate heat and is disposed in the second heating region; The control unit controls the power source to supply power to the second track after a predetermined time has elapsed since starting to supply power to the first track.

2. The heating device according to claim 1 , wherein the first track and the second track are each independently supplied with power from the power source.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the first heating region and the second heating region overlap each other.

4. At least a portion of the first track includes a first pattern area in which the extension direction is regularly changed, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second track includes a second pattern region in which the extension direction is regularly changed.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates information about the temperature based on an amount of current flowing through the first track or the second track.

6. the sheet includes a conductive material; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates information about the temperature based on the amount of current flowing through the sheet.

7. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, an aerosol generating product that includes a generating section containing the aerosol generating substance and is heated by the aerosol generating device to generate an aerosol; and an aerosol generating system.

8. When the generating unit is heated, an aerosol flow containing the aerosol flows from one end of the generating unit to the other end thereof, The aerosol generation system according to claim 7 , wherein at least one end of the first track or the second track is positioned at a position corresponding to the other end of the generation unit.

9. When the generating unit is heated, an aerosol flow containing the aerosol flows from one end of the generating unit to the other end thereof, The aerosol generating system according to claim 7 , wherein at least one end of the first track or the second track is disposed at a predetermined distance from the other end of the generating unit in the direction in which the aerosol airflow flows.

10. 1. A method for generating an aerosol using an aerosol generating device including a first track and a second track that are supplied with power and heated to heat an aerosol generating material to generate an aerosol, comprising: supplying power to the first track; The method for generating an aerosol includes supplying power to the first track and then supplying power to the second track after a first time has elapsed.

11. The aerosol generating method of claim 10, wherein information about temperature is calculated based on the amount of current flowing through the second track before a first time period has elapsed after power is supplied to the first track.

12. After supplying power to the second track, interrupting the supply of power to the second track; The aerosol generating method according to claim 10, wherein the supply of power to the first track is interrupted after a third time has elapsed since the supply of power to the second track.

13. The aerosol generating method of claim 12, wherein information about temperature is calculated based on the amount of current flowing through the second track before a third time period has elapsed after power is supplied to the second track.

14. After supplying power to the first track, the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track reaches a maximum value, The method of claim 10, wherein the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track reaches a maximum value after the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track reaches a maximum value.

15. after supplying power to the second track, and before a fourth time has elapsed, the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track tracks the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track; The aerosol generating method of claim 10, wherein after a fourth time has elapsed since power was supplied to the second track, the magnitude of the power supplied to the first track follows the magnitude of the power supplied to the second track.

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