Aerosol Generator

Abstract

An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes at least one heater for heating an aerosol generating material, a memory storing at least one temperature profile and the operating time of the aerosol generating device, a timer that is turned on upon receiving a second control signal and turned off upon receiving a first control signal, and a control unit that controls power supplied to the heater based on the operating time, wherein the operating time is stored as a first time, and the control unit operates the aerosol generating device by adding a second time during which the timer operated in the turned-on state to the first time.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device. [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] Methods for controlling the operation of an aerosol generating device are broadly classified into control methods based on the number of puffs made by the user and control methods based on the operation time.

[0004] In the case of a control method based on the number of puffs, heating ends when the accumulated number of puffs reaches a predetermined number of puffs, which has the disadvantage of providing a smoking time that is shorter than the smoking time desired by the user.

[0005] On the other hand, in the case of a control method based on operating time, once heating has begun, the heating will end as a predetermined time passes, even if the user does not puff, which has the disadvantage that the cigarette may have to be discarded due to the end of heating even though the aerosol-generating material in the cigarette has not been fully consumed. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide an aerosol generating device that allows the user to smoke to the greatest extent possible.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved by the present embodiment are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes at least one heater for heating an aerosol generating material, a memory storing at least one temperature profile and the operating time of the aerosol generating device, a timer that is turned on upon receiving a second control signal and turned off upon receiving a first control signal, and a control unit that controls the power supplied to the heater based on the operating time, wherein the operating time is stored as a first time, and the control unit operates the aerosol generating device by adding a second time during which the timer operated in the turned-on state to the first time.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes at least one heater for heating an aerosol generating material, a memory storing at least one temperature profile and the operating time of the aerosol generating device, a timer for counting the operating time of the aerosol generating device, and a control unit for controlling the power supplied to the heater, wherein the control unit generates a second control signal for pausing the timer and a first control signal for restarting the timer, and cuts off the power supplied to the heater when the operating time expires. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] By controlling the heating of the heater taking into account the paused time in addition to the preset operating time for the aerosol generating device, sufficient smoking time can be ensured and the user's smoking satisfaction can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]1 is a view showing an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is an example diagram of a temperature profile of a heater according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an example diagram of a temperature profile of a heater according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of power profiles and temperature profiles for a first heater in a plurality of modes according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of power profiles and temperature profiles for a second heater in a plurality of modes according to an embodiment. [Figure 9A] 1 is a diagram referred to in the description of the operation of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9B] 1 is a diagram referred to in the description of the operation of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array and not each individual element in the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0015] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a stick contained in an internal space.

[0016] The aerosol generating device includes a heater. In one embodiment, the heater is an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and when an electric current is passed through the conductive track, the heater may be heated.

[0017] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the stick depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0018] The stick includes a tobacco rod and a filter rod. The tobacco rod can be made in either a sheet or strand form, and the tobacco sheet can be made from finely chopped tobacco. The tobacco rod is surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material can be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited to this.

[0019] The filter rod may also be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters out specific components contained in the aerosol.

[0020] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

[0021] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge is detachably connected to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the body or assembled and fixed so that it cannot be removed by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol generating material stored therein. However, the invention is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is connected to the body.

[0022] The cartridge holds an aerosol-forming material in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state. The aerosol-forming material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0023] The cartridge is activated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, and functions to convert the phase of the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material are mixed with air.

[0024] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to the user through the stick. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow path of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow path can be configured to deliver the aerosol to the user through the stick.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0026] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator that generates short-period vibrations to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibrations generated by the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0027] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance, for example, the wick being positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0028] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator are transferred to the aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick is converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the vibrator, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0029] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed into the core is reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating substance is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0030] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0031] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field is formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied. The susceptor is located inside the coil, and generates heat when a magnetic field is applied, thereby heating the aerosol product. Alternatively, the susceptor can be located inside the aerosol product.

[0032] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

[0033] The aerosol generating device may be configured as a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are coupled together.

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present invention may be embodied in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0036] 1 and 2 show an aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generator 1 includes at least one of a power source 11, a control unit 12, a sensor 13, a heater 18, and a cartridge 19. 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 generator. The main body 10 may provide a space with an opening at the top into which an aerosol-producing product, a stick S, can be inserted. The space with an opening at the top is also referred to as an insertion space. The insertion space is recessed to a predetermined depth toward the inside of the main body 10 so that at least a portion of the stick S can be inserted. The depth of the insertion space corresponds to the length of a region of the stick S containing the aerosol-generating material and / or medium. The bottom end of the stick S is inserted into the main body 10, and the top end of the stick S protrudes outside the main body 10. A user can inhale air through the top end of the stick S exposed to the outside.

[0038] The heater 18 can heat the stick S. The heater 18 can extend long upward around the periphery of the space into which the stick S is inserted. For example, the heater 18 can be tubular with a hollow interior. The heater 18 can be arranged around the periphery of the insertion space. The heater 18 can be arranged so as to surround at least a portion of the insertion space. The heater 18 can heat the insertion space or the stick S inserted into the insertion space. The heater 18 includes an electrical resistance heater and / or an induction heater.

[0039] For example, 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 the power source 11. The heater 18 may be directly heated by receiving a current from the power source 11.

[0040] For example, the aerosol generating device 1 includes an induction coil surrounding the heater 18. The induction coil can cause the heater 18 to generate heat. The heater 18 is a susceptor, and the heater 18 can be heated by a magnetic field generated by AC current flowing through the induction coil. The magnetic field penetrates the heater 18 and generates eddy currents within the heater 18. The current causes the heater 18 to generate heat.

[0041] Meanwhile, a susceptor is included inside the stick S, and the susceptor inside the stick S can be heated by a magnetic field generated by an AC current flowing through an induction coil.

[0042] Cartridge 19 contains an aerosol-forming material that can be in any one of a liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel state. The aerosol-forming material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance that includes a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0043] The cartridge 19 is either integrally formed with the main body 10 or detachably coupled to the main body 10 .

[0044] For example, referring to FIG. 1, the cartridge 19 may be integrally formed with the main body 10 and communicate with the insertion space through the airflow path CN.

[0045] 2, a space is formed on one side of the main body 10, and at least a portion of the cartridge 19 is inserted into the space formed on one side of the main body 10 to mount the cartridge 19 on the main body 10. An airflow path CN is defined by a portion of the cartridge and / or a portion of the main body 10, and the cartridge 19 can communicate with the insertion space through the airflow path CN.

[0046] The main body 10 may be configured to allow outside air to flow into the main body 10 when the cartridge 19 is inserted. In this case, the outside air flowing into the main body 10 may pass through the cartridge 19 and flow into the user's mouth.

[0047] The cartridge 19 includes a storage section C0 containing an aerosol-generating substance and / or a heater 24 for heating the aerosol-generating substance in the storage section C0. A liquid transfer means impregnated with (containing) the aerosol-generating substance is disposed inside the storage section C0. The liquid transfer means may include a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic. The conductive track of the heater 24 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.

[0048] In the following description, the heater 18 will also be referred to as a first heater 18. The heater 24 will also be referred to as a second heater 24 or a cartridge heater 24.

[0049] The cartridge 19 can generate an aerosol. The aerosol is generated by heating the liquid transfer means with the cartridge heater 24. The aerosol is generated by heating the stick S with the heater 18. As the aerosol generated by the cartridge heater 24 and the heater 18 passes through the stick S, tobacco substances are added to the aerosol, and the aerosol with the added tobacco substances is inhaled into the user's mouth through one end of the stick S.

[0050] The aerosol generating device 1 is equipped with only the cartridge heater 24, and the main body 10 is not equipped with a heater 18. In this case, the aerosol generated by the cartridge heater 24 passes through the stick S, and is mixed with tobacco substances before being inhaled into the user's oral cavity.

[0051] The aerosol generating device 1 includes a cap (not shown), which is releasably coupled to the main body 10 so as to cover at least a portion of the cartridge 19 coupled to the main body 10. The stick S is inserted into the main body 10 through the cap.

[0052] The power source 11 can supply power to operate the components of the aerosol generation device. 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, the cartridge heater 24, and the heater 18. If the aerosol generation device 1 includes an induction coil, the power source 11 can supply power to the induction coil.

[0053] 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, the sensor 13, the heater 18, and the cartridge 19. The control unit 12 can control the operation of a display, a motor, etc. provided in the aerosol generation device. The control unit 12 can check the status of each component of the aerosol generation device and determine whether the aerosol generation device is in an operable state.

[0054] 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 cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 so as to start or end the operation of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on the results sensed by the sensor 13. For example, the control unit 12 can control the amount of power and the time for which power is supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 so that the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 are heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensor 13.

[0055] The sensor 13 includes at least one of a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, an insertion detection sensor, a color sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, and a cap 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 a user. For example, the sensor 13 can sense whether the stick S is inserted into the insertion space. For example, the sensor 13 can sense whether a cartridge is attached. For example, the sensor 13 can sense whether a cap is attached.

[0056] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] 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, at least one heater 18, 24, and a timer 121. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generation device 1 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 3. That is, it is understood by 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. 3 may be omitted or new components may be added.

[0058] 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 stick S and / or the cartridge 19 is inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0059] 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 .

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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 temperature sensor 131 can be implemented using a thermistor, 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] The temperature sensor 131 is disposed inside the main body 10 and is capable of sensing the internal temperature of the main body 10 .

[0064] The puff sensor 132 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow path. For example, the puff sensor 132 can detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change. The puff sensor 132 can output a signal corresponding to the puff.

[0065] In one embodiment, the puff sensor 132 may include a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor can output a sensing signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device. Here, the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device 1 corresponds to the pressure of an airflow path through which the gas flows (e.g., the airflow path CN in FIGS. 1 and 2). The pressure sensor may be disposed in the aerosol generation device 1 corresponding to the airflow path through which the gas flows.

[0066] The pressure sensor may output a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal having opposite polarities depending on the direction of airflow in the airflow path. For example, during a user's exhalation, the pressure sensor may output a first sensing signal of a first polarity, and during a user's inhalation, the pressure sensor may output a second sensing signal of an opposite polarity to the first polarity. For example, the first polarity may be a positive signal, and the second polarity may be a negative signal. The controller may determine whether the user is inhaling or exhaling based on the polarity of the sensing signal from the pressure sensor.

[0067] In one embodiment, the puff sensor 132 may include a flow sensor. The flow sensor may measure the flow of air in the airflow path. The flow sensor may output a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal having opposite polarities depending on the direction of airflow in the airflow path. For example, during a user's exhalation, the flow sensor may output a first sensing signal of a first polarity, and during a user's inhalation, the flow sensor may output a second sensing signal of an opposite polarity to the first polarity. For example, the first polarity may be a positive signal, and the second polarity may be a negative signal. The controller may determine whether the user is inhaling or exhaling based on the polarity of the sensing signal from the flow sensor.

[0068] The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the stick S. The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect a signal change caused by the insertion and / or removal of the stick 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 stick 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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 around the conductor. For example, when a stick S including a metal wrapper is inserted into the insertion space, the wrapper of the stick S may change the electromagnetic characteristics around the conductor.

[0072] The reuse detection sensor 134 can detect whether the stick S has been reused. The reuse detection sensor 134 is also a color sensor. The color sensor can detect the color of the stick S. The color sensor can detect the color of a part of the wrapper surrounding the outside of the stick 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 one component together with the proximity sensor, or as a separate component separate from the proximity sensor.

[0073] At least a portion of the bells constituting the stick S may change color due to the aerosol. The reuse detection sensor 134 may be disposed corresponding to a position where at least a portion of the bells, the color of which changes due to the aerosol, is disposed when the stick S is inserted into the insertion space. For example, before the stick S is used by a user, the color of at least a portion of the bells is a first color. In this case, while the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation device 1 passes through the stick S, at least a portion of the bells may be wetted by the aerosol, thereby changing the color of at least a portion of the bells to a second color. Meanwhile, after the color of at least a portion of the bells is changed from the first color to the second color, the color may be maintained at the second color.

[0074] The cartridge detection sensor 135 can detect the installation and / or removal of the cartridge 19. The cartridge detection sensor 135 can be implemented by an inductance-based sensor, a capacitance-type sensor, a resistance sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC) using the hall effect, or the like.

[0075] 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 19 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 (hall IC), an optical sensor, etc.

[0076] The motion detection sensor 137 can detect the motion of the aerosol generating device and is implemented by at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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 stick 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 3, 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.

[0084] 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.

[0085] Heater 18 can heat the medium or aerosol-generating substance in stick S by receiving power from power supply 11. Although not shown in Fig. 3, aerosol generation device 1 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of power supply 11 and supplies it to cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. Furthermore, when aerosol generation device 1 generates aerosol by induction heating, aerosol generation device 1 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of power supply 11 into AC power.

[0086] 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. 3, the power supply 11 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. 3, 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.

[0087] 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 conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0088] In other embodiments, heater 18 is an induction heater. For example, heater 18 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0089] 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.

[0090] 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.

[0091] On the other hand, 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.

[0092] 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.

[0093] 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] 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.

[0096] In one embodiment, the timer 121 is turned on upon receiving the second control signal and turned off upon receiving the first control signal. The first control signal and the second control signal may be received from the control unit 12.

[0097] In another embodiment, the timer 121 can count the operation time of the aerosol generating device. The timer 121 can be paused upon receiving a second control signal, and can start counting again upon receiving a first control signal.

[0098] In Figure 3, the timer 121 is shown as a separate component from the control unit 12, but this is for the sake of convenience of explanation, and the configuration of the timer 121 can also be built into the control unit 12 and configured as a single IC chip.

[0099] Although not shown in Figure 3, 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.

[0100] 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.

[0101] 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.

[0102] 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, the heater 18, or the induction coil 181. 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] 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.

[0105] The control unit 12 controls the switching of the switching elements 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 boosts 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.

[0106] 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.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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 19 has been consumed when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds the limit temperature, and can interrupt the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24.

[0111] 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.

[0112] 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.

[0113] 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.

[0114] 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.

[0115] The control unit 12 can determine whether the stick S is inserted into the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor 133. The control unit 12 can determine that the stick S has been inserted based on the output signal of the insertion detection sensor 133. If it is determined that the stick 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.

[0116] The control unit 12 can determine whether the stick S has been removed from the insertion space. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether the stick S has been removed from the insertion space via the insertion detection sensor 133. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the stick 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 stick 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.

[0117] The control unit 12 can control the time and / or amount of power supply to the heater 18 depending on the state of the stick S sensed by the sensor 13. The control unit 12 can check the level range that includes the level of the signal from the capacitance sensor based on a lookup table. The control unit 12 can determine the amount of moisture in the stick S based on the checked level range.

[0118] When the stick 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 of the stick S compared to when the stick S is in a normal state.

[0119] The control unit 12 can determine whether the stick 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 with a first reference range including a first color, and determine that the stick 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 with a second reference range including a second color, and determine that the stick S has been used if the sensing value is within the second reference range. If it is determined that the stick 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.

[0120] The control unit 12 can determine whether to connect and / or remove the cartridge 19 through the cartridge detection sensor 135. For example, the control unit 12 can determine whether to connect and / or remove the cartridge 19 based on the sensing value of the signal of the cartridge detection sensor.

[0121] 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 19 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 19 has been exhausted, it can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18.

[0122] The control unit 12 can determine whether the cartridge 19 can be used. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the cartridge 19 cannot be used if the current number of puffs is equal to or greater than the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge 19 based on the data stored in the memory 17. For example, the control unit 12 can determine that the cartridge 19 cannot be used if the total time that the 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 heater 24 is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum amount of power.

[0123] 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 is occurring based on the sensed value of the signal from the puff sensor. 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.

[0124] 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.

[0125] 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 stick 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 attached. For example, the control unit 12 can transmit information about the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 to the user through the output unit 14.

[0126] 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, for example, detection of insertion of the stick S, start of heating of the stick 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 stick S, operations such as turning the power of the aerosol generation device 1 on / off, start of charging the power source 11, detection of overcharging of the power source 11, and end of charging the power source 11, which are performed in the aerosol generation device 1. 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 stick 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.

[0127] 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.

[0128] 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.

[0129] 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.

[0130] 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.

[0131] The control unit 12 may 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 server. The control unit 12 may perform operations such as determining a user's inhalation pattern and generating a temperature profile using the learning model received from the server. The control unit 12 may 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 may store a database related to each component included in the aerosol generation device 1 for training the artificial neural network (ANN), as well as weights and biases constituting the artificial neural network (ANN). The control unit 12 may learn data related to sensing values ​​of at least one sensor 13, a user's inhalation pattern, a temperature profile, and the like stored in the memory 17, and generate at least one learning model used for determining a user's inhalation pattern, generating a temperature profile, and the like.

[0132] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0133] 3 and 4, the control unit 12 can load the operation time of the aerosol generating device 1 stored in the memory 17 and control the power supplied to the heater based on the operation time. Specifically, the control unit 12 can heat the heater 18 or 24 for a first time period so that an appropriate amount of aerosol is generated by a user's puff. Here, the first time period refers to a predetermined time period for appropriate use of a smoking article (e.g., a stick or a cartridge) containing an aerosol-generating material. The first time period is stored in the memory 17. In step 410, the control unit 12 starts the heating operation of the heater in a first mode. The first mode is a mode in which a control operation is set to suit a situation in which a user is smoking using the aerosol generating device, simulating the situation in which the user is smoking.

[0134] In the first embodiment, if the control unit 12 starts the heating operation of the heater in the first mode in step 410, the timer 121 is turned on and can count the operation time of the aerosol generating device.

[0135] In step 420, the controller 12 generates a second control signal in response to the second user input, thereby operating the aerosol generating device in a second mode. The second mode is a mode in which control operations are set to suit situations where the user temporarily stops smoking, assuming a situation in which the user temporarily stops smoking. Here, the second user input is a user input for temporarily stopping smoking, and is received through the user's exhalation, voice input, button input, or touch input. The user's exhalation is sensed through a pressure sensor or flow sensor included in the puff sensor 132. The user's button input or touch input is received through the input unit 15. In one embodiment, the controller 12 may control the heater to be supplied with lower power in the second mode than in the first mode. Specific details regarding the power supplied to the heater in the first and second modes will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0136] In the first embodiment, in step 420, the control unit 12 generates a second control signal in response to a second input from the user, and the timer 121 receives the second control signal and can pause counting the operating time of the aerosol generating device.

[0137] In the second embodiment, the timer 121 is turned on upon receiving the second control signal. By receiving the second control signal and being turned on, the timer 121 can count the time during which the aerosol generating device operates in the second mode.

[0138] In step 430, the control unit 12 senses the first user input and generates a first control signal to operate the aerosol generating device again in the first mode.

[0139] In the first embodiment, the timer 121 receives the first control signal and operates again in step 430. That is, the timer 121 receives the first control signal, the paused state is released, and the timer 121 can count the operation time of the aerosol generating device again.

[0140] In the first embodiment, the control unit 12 cuts off the power supplied to the heater to stop the heating operation of the aerosol generation device when the operation time TC of the aerosol generation device 1 counted by the timer 121 exceeds the first time, which is the operation time of the aerosol generation device 1 stored in the memory 17. In the first embodiment, the timer 121 temporarily stops counting the operation time of the aerosol generation device while the aerosol generation device 1 operates in the second mode, and as a result, the operation time of the aerosol generation device is extended by the time the aerosol generation device operated in the second mode.

[0141] In the second embodiment, the timer 121 may receive a first control signal and be turned off. By receiving the first control signal and being turned off, the timer 121 may select and count the time during which the aerosol generating device operates in the second mode.

[0142] The control unit 12 may extend the operating time of the aerosol generation device 1 by the accumulated time for which the aerosol generation device is operated in the second mode in step 440. In the second embodiment, the timer 121 is turned on upon receiving the second control signal and turned off upon receiving the first control signal, so the timer 121 may accumulate and count the time for which the aerosol generation device is operated in the second mode. The control unit 12 may extend the operating time of the aerosol generation device 1 by the second time for which the timer 121 is operated in the turned-on state.

[0143] In one embodiment, if the second time exceeds 120 seconds, the control unit 12 can extend the operation time of the aerosol generation device 1 by 120 seconds instead of the second time. If the operation time of the aerosol generation device 1 is extended beyond 120 seconds, problems such as overheating or carbonization of the heater 18 or 24 may occur.

[0144] As described above, the aerosol generating device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention can switch to a second mode through a second input (input / exhalation through the input section) by the user in a situation where the user temporarily stops smoking (e.g., a phone call, a brief greeting / meeting with a non-smoker while smoking).

[0145] The aerosol generating device 1 according to the first embodiment counts the operating time of the aerosol generating device 1 excluding the time spent operating in the second mode, thereby ensuring sufficient smoking time and improving the user's smoking satisfaction.

[0146] Similarly, the aerosol generating device 1 according to the second embodiment counts the time spent operating in the second mode and extends the operating time of the aerosol generating device 1 by the cumulative time spent operating in the second mode relative to the default operating time of the aerosol generating device 1, thereby ensuring sufficient smoking time and improving the user's smoking satisfaction.

[0147] Hereinafter, a method for controlling the power supplied to the heater in the extended operating section will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0148] 5 and 6 are diagrams illustrating the temperature profile of a heater according to one embodiment.

[0149] 1 to 6, when a signal requesting activation of the heater 18 or 24 is generated, the control unit 12 supplies power to the heater 18 or 24 to start the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24. For example, the signal requesting activation of the heater 18 or 24 may be, but is not limited to, a user input signal, a signal indicating the insertion (fastening) of a stick or cartridge, etc. In one embodiment, the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 includes predetermined operations corresponding to each of a plurality of time sections.

[0150] For example, the heating operation of heater 18 or 24 includes a first heating operation, a second heating operation, and a third heating operation. The first heating operation is a heating operation that reaches a target temperature in a relatively short time from when power supply to heater 18 or 24 is started, thereby preparing for the user to start puffing. The second heating operation is a heating operation that maintains at least one predetermined temperature for a first predetermined time so that an appropriate amount of aerosol is generated by the user's puff. The third heating operation is a heating operation that maintains at least one predetermined temperature after the first time has elapsed so that aerosol is generated for a second time.

[0151] The predetermined first time period refers to a predetermined time period for proper use of a smoking article (e.g., a stick, a cartridge) containing an aerosol-generating substance. The first time period is stored in memory 17.

[0152] The second time means the total time that the aerosol generating device has operated in the second mode. According to one embodiment, the timer 121 can count the total time that the aerosol generating device has operated in the second mode.

[0153] When the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 is started, the control unit 12 controls the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 according to a pre-stored temperature profile. The temperature profile refers to the temperature change of the heater 18 or 24 over time.

[0154] 1 to 5, in a first section 510, the controller 12 may control the heater 18 or 24 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 rises from the ambient temperature to a first temperature T1. The first temperature T1 at the first time point a is a temperature suitable for vaporizing the aerosol-generating substance and may vary depending on the smoking environment (e.g., temperature, pressure, humidity, the user's smoking pattern, air composition, etc.) within a preset allowable temperature range. The heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 in the first section 510 corresponds to the first heating operation described above.

[0155] In the second section 520, the control unit 12 can control the heater 18 or 24 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 decreases from the first temperature T1 to the second temperature T2. The second temperature T2 is also within the allowable temperature range and is lower than the first temperature T1. The second temperature T2 is maintained until a predetermined second point b. The second point b is the value obtained by adding the first time a to the first time period. The heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 in the second section 520 corresponds to the second heating operation described above.

[0156] The control unit 12 can set the target temperature of the heater 18 or 24 for the third section 530 to be the same as the target temperature at the second time point b, which is the end of the first time period. That is, the control unit 12 can control the heater 18 or 24 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at the second temperature T2 at the second time point b, during the third section 530. The heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 during the third section 530 corresponds to the third heating operation described above and is continued until the third time point c. The third time point c is the sum of the second time point b and the second time period. The length of the third section 530 is the second time period during which the aerosol generation device 1 operates in the second mode.

[0157] In the third section 530, the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at the same temperature as the temperature T2 at the second point in time b, so that the amount of atomization and smoking sensation in the second section 520 can be maintained.

[0158] The control unit 12 can terminate the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 after the third time point c.

[0159] In the third section 530, 630, the target temperature of the heater 18 or 24 differs between FIG. 5 and FIG.

[0160] 1 to 6, in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the control unit 12 may set the target temperature of the heater 18 or 24 for the third section 630 to be lower than the target temperature at the second time point b, which is the end of the first time period. Specifically, the control unit 12 may control the heater 18 or 24 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at a third temperature T3, which is lower than the temperature T2 at the second time point b, during the third section 630. The heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 during the third section 630 corresponds to the third heating operation described above and is continued until a third time point c. For example, the third time point c is the time during which the aerosol generation device 1 operates in the second mode.

[0161] The control unit 12 may control the heater 18 or 24 in the third section 630 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at a temperature lower than the second temperature T2 at the second time point b. The third temperature T3 is set lower the longer the aerosol generating device 1 operates in the second mode. However, the third temperature T3 is set within a predetermined allowable temperature range. Here, the allowable temperature range is a temperature suitable for vaporizing the aerosol generating material, providing a certain level of atomization and smoking sensation, while preventing carbonization.

[0162] In the third section 630, the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at a temperature lower than the temperature T2 at the second point b, thereby preventing overheating and carbonization of the heater 18 or 24 due to depletion of the aerosol-generating substance, and suppressing a decrease in the smoking sensation.

[0163] The control unit 12 can terminate the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 after the third time point c.

[0164] 5 and 6 is further divided into multiple sections, and the control unit 12 can control the heating operation of the heater 18 or 24 so that the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 is maintained at a predetermined temperature corresponding to each of the multiple sections. In some embodiments, the predetermined temperature corresponding to each of the multiple sections included in each of the sections 510, 520, 530, 610, 620, 630 is set to gradually increase or decrease over time, to gradually increase and decrease, to gradually decrease and increase, or to repeat a combination thereof.

[0165] For example, in the third section 530, 630, the control unit 12 can maintain the temperature of the heater 18 or 24 at the temperature T2 at the second time point b for a predetermined time, and can maintain the temperature at a temperature (e.g., T3) lower than the temperature T2 after the predetermined time. Here, the predetermined time can be selected by the control unit 12 based on the smoking environment (e.g., temperature, pressure, humidity, the user's smoking pattern, air composition, etc.) acquired through the sensor 13 or the memory 17.

[0166] Hereinafter, the power profile and temperature profile for the first heater 18 and the second heater 24 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0167] 7 and 8 are diagrams illustrating examples of power and temperature profiles for a first heater in multiple modes according to an embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating examples of power and temperature profiles for a second heater in multiple modes according to an embodiment.

[0168] As described above, the first heater 18 heats the stick S inserted into the aerosol generation device 1, and the second heater 24 heats the liquid composition stored in the cartridge 19 that is attached to and detached from the aerosol generation device 1. In Figures 7 and 8, first graphs 71 and 81 show the temperature profile of the heater 18 or 24, and second graphs 72 and 82 show the power profile supplied to the heater 18 or 24. The first sections 710 and 810 are sections operating in the first mode. The second sections 720 and 820 are sections operating in the second mode.

[0169] First, the power supplied to the first heater 18 and the temperature profile of the first heater 18 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. It is preferable that the control unit 12 sets the target temperature of the first heater 18 to be the same in the first mode 710 and the second mode 720. That is, as shown in Figure 7, it is preferable that the first heater 18 is heated to the first temperature T71 in both the first mode 710 and the second mode 720. This is because if the temperature of the first heater 18 that heats the stick S differs between the first mode 710 and the second mode 720, the aerosol generated from the stick S will have a different smoking taste.

[0170] To this end, it is preferable that the control unit 12 controls the power level supplied to the first heater 18 to gradually decrease over time in the second mode 720. For example, as shown in the second graph 72 of Fig. 7, the power supplied to the first heater 18 in a first section 721 of the second mode 720 is a first power W71, the power supplied to the first heater 18 in a second section 722 is a second power W72 lower than the first power W71, and the power supplied to the first heater 18 in a third section 723 is a third power W73 lower than the second power W72.

[0171] As described above, the user can switch the aerosol generation device 1 to the second mode 720 through the user's second input (input section input / exhale) in a situation where the user wants to temporarily stop smoking.

[0172] Meanwhile, in the first mode 710, the temperature of the first heater 18 may be cooled by the user's puff. On the other hand, in the second mode 720, the user's puff is temporarily stopped, so the first heater 18 cannot be expected to be cooled by the user's puff. Therefore, if a fixed power is supplied to the first heater 18 in the second mode 720, the temperature of the first heater 18 may continuously rise. This may cause the stick S to overheat and lead to carbonization. Therefore, in the second mode 720, it is preferable to control the power level supplied to the first heater 18 to gradually decrease over time rather than to a fixed value.

[0173] Next, the power supplied to the second heater 24 and the temperature profile of the second heater 24 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. The control unit 12 preferably sets the target temperature of the second heater 24 in the second mode 820 to be lower than the target temperature of the second heater 24 in the first mode 810. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the second heater 24 is preferably heated in the second mode 820 to a temperature lower than the first temperature T81, which is the target temperature in the first mode 810. The liquid composition stored in the cartridge 19 is atomized at temperatures above the second temperature T82 and not atomized at temperatures below the second temperature T82. If the temperature of the second heater 24 is maintained at the first temperature T81, which is higher than the second temperature T82, unwanted atomization may occur in the second mode 820, when smoking is not expected. Therefore, to prevent unwanted atomization in the second mode 820, it is necessary to maintain the temperature of the second heater 24 at a third temperature T83, which is lower than the second temperature T82.

[0174] For this reason, it is preferable that the control unit 12 controls the power level supplied to the second heater 24 in the second mode 820 to be lower than the power level supplied to the second heater 24 in the first mode 810. For example, as shown in the second graph 82 of FIG. 8, it is preferable that the power supplied to the second heater 24 in the first mode 810 is a first power W81, and the power supplied to the second heater 24 in the second mode 820 is a second power W82 lower than the first power W81.

[0175] 9A and 9B are diagrams to be referred to in explaining the operation of the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0176] 9A and 9B, the aerosol generating device 1 can output an operation mode through the output unit. For example, Fig. 9A shows the first mode output, and Fig. 9B shows the second mode output.

[0177] The aerosol generating device 1 can output a user interface screen displaying an operation mode through the display 141. In this case, the user interface screen output through the display 141 can include at least one indicator indicating a plurality of modes. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 can output a user interface screen including an indicator indicating the mode currently set as the operation mode through the display 141 based on the execution of a function for setting the operation mode.

[0178] According to one embodiment, an indicator included in the user interface screen may be output to distinguish between the first mode and the second mode.

[0179] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1 can set an operation mode based on a user input received through the input unit 15. For example, when a first input of pressing the input unit 15 once within a predetermined time is received, the aerosol generating device 1 can change an indicator included in a user interface screen output through the display 141. For example, when a second input of pressing the input unit 15 for more than a predetermined time is received, the aerosol generating device 1 can set the operation mode to a mode corresponding to an indicator included in a user interface screen output through the display 141.

[0180] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1 can set an operation mode based on a user input received through the sensor 13. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 can set an operation mode by distinguishing between the user's inhalation and exhalation through the sensor 13. The aerosol generating device 1 can determine the user's inhalation as a first input and the user's exhalation as a second input.

[0181] As described above, the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention controls the heating of the heater taking into account the time that the aerosol generating device is paused other than the preset operating time, thereby ensuring sufficient smoking time and improving the user's smoking satisfaction.

Claims

1. In the aerosol generating device, at least one heater for heating the aerosol generating material; a memory storing at least one temperature profile and an operating time of the aerosol generating device; a timer that is turned on in response to receiving the second control signal and turned off in response to receiving the first control signal; a control unit that controls the power supplied to the heater based on the operation time, The operating time is stored as a first time; The control unit operates the aerosol generating device by adding a second time during which the timer has operated in a turned-on state to the first time.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the target temperature of the heater for the section to which the second time is added to be the same as the target temperature of the heater at the end of the first time.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the target temperature of the heater for the section to which the second time is added to be lower than the target temperature of the heater at the end of the first time.

4. further comprising a puff sensor for sensing a puff by a user; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit cuts off the power supplied to the heater when the total number of puffs by the user exceeds a predetermined number of puffs.

5. further including an input unit for receiving information input by a user; The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the control unit generates the first control signal in response to a first input from a user or generates the second control signal in response to a second input from the user.

6. further comprising a sensor for sensing a physical change in the airflow path; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit generates the first control signal in response to a first sensing signal output by the sensor.

7. further comprising a sensor for sensing a physical change in the airflow path; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit generates the second control signal in response to a second sensing signal output by the sensor.

8. further comprising an output unit that outputs information relating to the state of the aerosol generation device; The control unit operating the aerosol generating device in a first mode based on the first control signal; operating the aerosol generating device in a second mode based on the second control signal; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the output unit is controlled to output information relating to the state of the aerosol generating device.

9. The aerosol generation device according to claim 8 , wherein the output unit transmits information relating to the state of the aerosol generation device to a user through at least one of visual, auditory, and tactile senses.

10. The heater is a first heater for heating a stick inserted into a first portion of the aerosol generating device; The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , further comprising: a second heater configured to heat a liquid composition stored in a cartridge detachably attached to the second part of the aerosol generating device.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the control unit controls the power supplied to the first heater so that the power level supplied to the first heater in the second mode gradually decreases over time.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10, wherein the control unit controls the power supplied to the second heater such that the power level supplied to the second heater in the second mode is lower than the power level supplied to the second heater in the first mode.

13. 13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 12, wherein the power level supplied to the second heater in the second mode corresponds to a minimum temperature of the second heater for generating an aerosol through the liquid composition.

14. In the aerosol generating device, at least one heater for heating the aerosol generating material; a memory storing at least one temperature profile and an operating time of the aerosol generating device; a timer that counts the operation time of the aerosol generating device; a control unit that controls the power supplied to the heater, The control unit generating a second control signal to pause the timer and a first control signal to restart the timer; When the operation time expires, the aerosol generating device cuts off the power supplied to the heater.

15. an input unit for receiving information input by a user; a sensor that senses a physical change in the airflow path; The control unit generating the first control signal in response to a first sensing signal output by the sensor or in response to a first input from the user; generating the second control signal in response to a second sensing signal output by the sensor or in response to a second input from the user; The aerosol generating device according to claim 14 , wherein the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal have opposite polarities to each other.

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