A method for protecting an aerosol generator using an aerosol generator and fall detection.

Abstract

A method for protecting an aerosol generator using an aerosol generator and fall detection involves detecting the vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generator, monitoring the changes in the detected vertical acceleration to determine whether the aerosol generator has entered a predetermined fall state, and if it is determined that the aerosol generator has entered the predetermined fall state, a protection process is executed to save system data for controlling the heating function of the aerosol generator's heater before the removable battery equipped in the aerosol generator is detached due to impact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a method for protecting the aerosol generating device by using drop detection.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, the demand for alternative methods to overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes has been increasing. For example, the demand for a method of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating substance, rather than a method of burning a cigarette to generate an aerosol, has been increasing. Accordingly, research on heat-generating aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted.

[0003] On the other hand, as the worldwide interest in environmental issues has been increasing, there is a current situation in which environmental friendliness and safety are required to be demonstrated throughout the entire life cycle from the production to the recycling of batteries. Accordingly, in the field of electronic cigarettes, research on separable batteries has been advanced while promoting the development of related technologies such as battery reuse and recycling.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When a detachable battery is provided in an aerosol generating device, the detachable battery may be unintentionally separated by an external impact. At this time, the abnormal separation of the detachable battery shortens the life of the aerosol generating device or causes a failure, and does not guarantee the safety of using the aerosol generating device. Therefore, a method for protecting the system of the aerosol generating device before the detachable battery is abnormally separated by an impact is required.

[0005] The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems can be analogized from the following embodiments.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present invention, in order to prevent safety breaches and device failures of aerosol generators due to abnormal separation of detachable batteries caused by impact, a method is provided to predict the impact situation in advance and protect the system function of the aerosol generator before the impact occurs.

[0007] In one aspect, the aerosol generator includes a motion detection unit that detects the vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generator, and a processor that monitors the change in the detected vertical acceleration to determine whether the aerosol generator has entered a predetermined falling state. If the processor determines that the aerosol generator has entered the predetermined falling state, it performs a protection process to save system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generator before the detachable battery provided in the aerosol generator is detached by impact.

[0008] In other words, a method for protecting an aerosol generator using fall detection includes the steps of: using a motion detection unit to detect a vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generator; using a processor to monitor the change in the detected vertical acceleration and determine whether the aerosol generator has entered a predetermined fall state; and using the processor, if it is determined that the aerosol generator has entered the predetermined fall state, to perform a protection process to save system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generator before the removable battery provided in the aerosol generator is detached by impact. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] As mentioned above, safe use of the device can be ensured by implementing protective processes to prevent malfunctions of the aerosol generator caused by situations such as dropping or impact, and by saving system data. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment.

[0011] [Figure 2A] It is a drawing showing an embodiment of the aerosol generation device of FIG. 1 embodied in various types. [Figure 2B] It is a drawing showing an embodiment of the aerosol generation device of FIG. 1 embodied in various types. [Figure 2C] It is a drawing showing an embodiment of the aerosol generation device of FIG. 1 embodied in various types. [Figure 2D] It is a drawing showing an embodiment of the aerosol generation device of FIG. 1 embodied in various types. [Figure 2E] It is a drawing showing an embodiment of the aerosol generation device of FIG. 1 embodied in various types.

[0012] [Figure 3] It is a drawing for explaining attaching a new detachable battery to an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment.

[0013] [Figure 4] It is a drawing for explaining the change in the vertical acceleration of an aerosol generation device due to the walking of a user carrying the aerosol generation device according to an embodiment.

[0014] [Figure 5] It is a drawing for explaining a state where an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment is falling.

[0015] [Figure 6] It is a drawing for explaining the fall detection of an aerosol generation device according to an embodiment.

[0016] [Figure 7] It is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generation device using fall detection according to an embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 8] These are diagrams for explaining the execution of a protection process during the detection of a fall of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0018] [Figure 9] These are diagrams for explaining the execution of a protection process by impact detection according to an embodiment.

[0019] [Figure 10] This is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device by using impact detection according to an embodiment.

[0020] [Figure 11] These are diagrams for explaining an impact history regarding an impact generated from an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0021] [Figure 12] This is a flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device by using fall detection according to an embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] According to one aspect, the aerosol generating device includes a motion detection unit that detects a vertical acceleration with respect to the aerosol generating device, and a processor that determines whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration. When the processor determines that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state, the processor executes a protection process for storing system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol generating device before a detachable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached by an impact.

[0023] The terminology used in the embodiments is selected as widely used and general terms as possible, taking into account the function of the present invention, although this may vary depending on the intent of the articulators in the field, case law, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In certain cases, the applicant may have arbitrarily selected terms, in which case their meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention are not merely names of terms, but must be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention.

[0024] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a component, it means, unless otherwise specified, that it does not exclude other components, but rather that it may include other components. Furthermore, terms such as "...part" and "...module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is embodied by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

[0025] As used herein, when an expression such as “at least one of the following” precedes a set of elements, it modifies the entire set of elements, not each of the elements themselves. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, and c” must be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, so that they can be easily implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, the present invention can be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0027] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0028] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an aerosol generation device according to one embodiment.

[0029] Referring to Figure 1, the aerosol generator 100 may include a removable battery 110, a heater 120, a processor 130, a user interface 140, a memory 150, a sensor 160, a motion detector 170, and a voltage detector 180. However, the internal hardware components of the aerosol generator 100 are not limited to those shown in Figure 1. A person with ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment will understand that the design of the aerosol generator 100 may omit some of the hardware configurations shown in Figure 1, or that new configurations (e.g., a communication module) may be added.

[0030] In the following, the operation of each component in the aerosol generator 100 will be described without limiting the space in which each component is located.

[0031] The removable battery 110 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generator 100. For example, the removable battery 110 can supply power to heat the heater 120. Furthermore, the removable battery 110 can continuously supply power for acceleration monitoring of the motion detection unit 170 even when the aerosol generator 100 is not in use. That is, the removable battery 110 can supply the power necessary for the operation of other hardware components within the aerosol generator 100, such as the heater 120, processor 130, user interface 140, memory 150, sensor 160, or motion detection unit 170. The removable battery 110 is, for example, a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery or a lithium-ion battery, but is not limited to these.

[0032] The detachable battery 110 is a replaceable (separable) type power source that can be installed in a battery housing provided within the aerosol generator 100 or removed from the battery housing. The detachable battery 110 is equipped with electrical contacts, and when the detachable battery 110 is installed in the aerosol generator 100, the electrical contacts of the detachable battery 110 are electrically connected to the electrical contacts of the battery connection provided in the aerosol generator 100, and can be implemented to provide battery-related data to the aerosol generator 100 or to supply power. As an alternative, the detachable battery 110 may be equipped with a charging coil (transmitter / receiver coil) for supplying power to the aerosol generator 100 by wireless charging instead of separate electrical contacts, in which case the battery connection may be implemented by the transmitter / receiver coil. In other words, the power supply method of the detachable battery 110 is diverse, and the electrical connection method between the detachable battery 110 and the battery connection part of the aerosol generator 100 changes depending on the power supply method supported by the detachable battery 110.

[0033] The removable battery 110 may be equipped with a charger interface (not shown) that connects to an external charger. Power for charging the removable battery 110 may be supplied to the removable battery 110 through the charger interface. The removable battery 110 may be charged by an external charger while coupled to the aerosol generator 100 or while removed from the aerosol generator 100 (uninstalled).

[0034] The removable battery 110 may optionally be equipped with a wireless tag such as an RFID tag or an NFC tag. The wireless tag equipped on the removable battery 110 can be read through a short-range communication protocol with a wireless module such as an RFID module or an NFC module. When the removable battery 110 is equipped with a wireless tag, the wireless tag records identification information associated with the removable battery 110, battery capacity information, etc. In such a case, the aerosol generator 100 can obtain various information about the removable battery 110 by tagging the wireless tag of the removable battery 110.

[0035] The heater 120 is powered by the removable battery 110 under the control of the processor 130. The heater 120 can use the power supplied by the removable battery 110 to heat the cigarette inserted into the aerosol generator 100 or the cartridge attached to the aerosol generator 100. In other words, the heater 120 can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material contained in the cigarette or cartridge.

[0036] The heater 120 may be located in the body of the aerosol generator 100. Alternatively, if the aerosol generator 100 consists of a body and a cartridge, the heater 120 may be located in the cartridge. If the heater 120 is located in the cartridge, it may be powered by a removable battery 110 located in the body.

[0037] The heater 120 can be embodied as an electrically resistive heating heater made of an electrically resistive material. For example, the electrically resistive material is a metal or metal alloy including, but is not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. The heater 120 can be embodied as, but is not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate on which conductive tracks are arranged, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0038] The heater 120 may be implemented as an induction heating heater. The heater 120 corresponds to a heater assembly that is a set of conductive coil and susceptor for heating a cigarette or cartridge by induction heating.

[0039] The heater 120 can heat a cigarette inserted into a containment space provided within the aerosol generator 100. Because the cigarette is contained within the containment space of the aerosol generator 100, the heater 120 can be located inside and / or outside the cigarette. This allows the heater 120 to heat the aerosol-generating material inside the cigarette and generate an aerosol.

[0040] On the other hand, the heater 120 may be embodied as a coil heater provided only within the cartridge. The cartridge includes a coil heater, a liquid transfer means, and a liquid storage section, and can generate an aerosol by transferring an aerosol-generating substance contained in the liquid storage section through the liquid transfer means, and by heating the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the liquid transfer means with the coil heater. For example, if the heater 120 is a coil heater, it may be made of a material such as nickel-chromium and may be wound around the liquid transfer means or positioned adjacent to the liquid transfer means.

[0041] The processor 130 is hardware that controls the overall operation of the aerosol generator 100. The processor 130 may include at least one processing unit, such as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The processor 130 may be embodied as an array of numerous logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and memory storing a program executable by this microprocessor. It will be understood by those ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs that it may also be embodied as other forms of hardware.

[0042] The processor 130 can analyze the results sensed by the sensor 160 or the results detected by the motion detection unit 170, and control subsequent processing based on the analyzed results. For example, the processor 130 can control the power supplied to the heater 120 so that the heater 120 starts or stops operating, based on the results sensed by the sensor 160. The processor 130 can also control the amount of power and time supplied to the heater 120 so that the heater 120 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintains an appropriate temperature, based on the results sensed by the sensor 160. Alternatively, the processor 130 can perform drop detection on the aerosol generator 100 based on the results detected by the motion detection unit 170.

[0043] The processor 130 can control the operation of the heater 120 based on a pre-stored temperature profile. The processor 130 can also control the temperature of the heater 120 after sensing the user's puffs using the puff sensor in the sensor 160. Furthermore, the processor 130 can count the number of puffs using the puff sensor, and if the number of puffs reaches a pre-set number, it can interrupt the power supply to the heater 120.

[0044] The processor 130 may control the user interface 140 based on the sensing results. For example, after counting the number of puffs using the puff sensor, if the number of puffs reaches a pre-set number, the processor 130 may use a lamp, motor, or speaker to notify the user that the aerosol generator 100 is finished.

[0045] On the other hand, the processor 130 can recognize or detect whether the detachable battery 110 has been detached or installed through the voltage detection unit 180. The processor 130 may also monitor whether the detachable battery 110 is properly connected based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 180.

[0046] The user interface 140 can provide the user with information regarding the status of the aerosol generator 100. The user interface 140 may include a variety of interface means, such as a display or lamp that outputs visual information (UI (user interface) screen), a motor that outputs tactile information, a speaker that outputs acoustic information, input / output (I / O) interface means (e.g., buttons or touchscreens) that receive information input from the user or output information to the user, and terminals for supplying charging power.

[0047] The memory 150 is hardware that stores various types of data processed within the aerosol generator 100, and can store data processed by the processor 130 and data being processed. The memory 150 can be implemented in various forms such as RAM (random access memory) including DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), and EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory).

[0048] Memory 150 may store data necessary for controlling the heating operation of the heater 120, such as the operating time of the aerosol generator 100, the maximum number of puffs, and the temperature profile, as well as various usage data such as user smoking information and battery authentication information stored while the aerosol generator 100 is in use.

[0049] On the other hand, the memory 150 can also store backup and restore data for backup and restore processes to retain various data within the aerosol generator 100 before and after battery replacement during the replacement process of the removable battery 110. Furthermore, the memory 150 can store backup and restore data to prevent data loss due to abnormal separation of the removable battery 110.

[0050] Sensor 160 may include a puff sensor. The puff sensor can detect a user's puff based on at least one of the following: changes in the flow rate of an incoming airflow, changes in pressure, and sound detection. The processor 130 can count the number of puffs by detecting the start and end times of the user's puffs using the puff sensor.

[0051] Sensor 160 may include a user input sensor. A user input sensor is a sensor that receives user input, such as a switch, physical button, or touch sensor.

[0052] Sensor 160 may include a cigarette lighter detection sensor that senses the insertion or removal of a cigarette. A cigarette lighter detection sensor means a sensor that measures a change in an electrical signal due to interaction with a cigarette, such as an inductance sensor, capacitance sensor, infrared sensor, or color sensor, and detects the presence or absence of a cigarette without mechanical contact.

[0053] Sensor 160 may include a variety of sensors for measuring information about the surrounding environment of the aerosol generator 100. For example, sensor 160 may include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment, a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the surrounding environment, a moisture sensor for detecting liquid leakage or water ingress from the aerosol generator 100, and an atmospheric pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the surrounding environment.

[0054] The sensors 160 provided in the aerosol generator 100 are not limited to the types described above and may include a variety of other sensors. For example, the aerosol generator 100 may include a fingerprint sensor for acquiring fingerprint information from the user's finger, an iris recognition sensor for analyzing the iris pattern of the pupil, a vein recognition sensor for sensing the amount of infrared light absorbed by reduced hemoglobin in the veins from an image of the palm, a facial recognition sensor for recognizing feature points such as the eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours in a 2D or 3D manner, or an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) sensor.

[0055] The aerosol generator 100 may incorporate only a portion of the various sensors 160 exemplified above. In other words, the aerosol generator 100 can utilize a combination of information sensed by at least one of the aforementioned sensors.

[0056] When a removable battery 110 is attached to the aerosol generator 100, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect the voltage applied by the removable battery 110 based on the electrical coupling formed through the connector connected to the removable battery 110. For example, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect the voltage applied by the removable battery 110 by forming an electrical coupling with the protection circuit module (PCM) provided in the removable battery 110.

[0057] The aerosol generator 100 can be powered by the removable battery 110 or access the protective circuit module of the removable battery 110 through connector contact (or connector coupling) with the removable battery 110.

[0058] The detachable battery 110 can be coupled to the aerosol generator 100 by, for example, being fixed to a battery housing (not shown) having a hook structure. As another example, it can also be implemented by magnetically coupling a magnetic material provided on a part of the detachable battery 110 to a magnetic material area or electromagnet area provided on a part of the battery housing. In other words, the method by which the detachable battery 110 according to this embodiment is attached to the aerosol generator 100 is not limited to just one method, but can be implemented in a variety of ways.

[0059] The motion detection unit 170 is a hardware configuration that acquires data on the position and motion of the device, such as an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). For example, the motion sensor may include an acceleration sensor that measures acceleration in three directions (x, y, and z axes) and a gyroscope that measures angular velocity in three directions.

[0060] The motion detection unit 170 can detect the acceleration or movement of the aerosol generator 100. That is, the motion detection unit 170 can measure the acceleration or current orientation currently applied to the aerosol generator 100. The motion detection unit 170 can collect motion data continuously or periodically over a certain period of time, or in response to a trigger event. Here, the motion detection unit 170 may be controlled to collect motion data in a specific direction (e.g., towards the ground surface).

[0061] The aerosol generator 100 is carried along by the user, and during this time, a motion detection unit 170 provided within the aerosol generator 100 can continuously or periodically collect motion data (i.e., acceleration) related to the acceleration of the aerosol generator 100. The motion data is measured at a predetermined sampling frequency and can be obtained in the form of changes in acceleration with respect to time.

[0062] The motion detection unit 170 detects the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 in order to detect the aerosol generator 100 falling, and the processor 130 can determine whether a predetermined falling state has been reached of the aerosol generator 100 by monitoring the change in the detected vertical acceleration. Vertical acceleration refers to the acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 in the direction in which gravity acts.

[0063] Specifically, the processor 130 can determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state if it monitors that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 exceeds a threshold acceleration. Here, the threshold acceleration is the acceleration due to gravity (1g, approximately 9.8m / s²). 2 The value is set to a predetermined percentage (for example, 80th, 90th, or 100th percentile), and the predetermined percentage can be determined in various ways depending on the design characteristics of the aerosol generator 100.

[0064] If the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, there is a high probability that the aerosol generator 100 has detached from the user and is falling on its own. Therefore, if the processor 130 monitors that the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, it determines that the aerosol generator 100 is in a state of free fall.

[0065] If the aerosol generator 100 is dropped, the impact may unintentionally separate the detachable battery 110 from the aerosol generator 100. If such an abnormal separation occurs, the power supply to the detachable battery 110 will be momentarily interrupted, interrupting the power supply to the hardware configuration within the aerosol generator 100, resulting in software or hardware failure. To prevent such a phenomenon, the aerosol generator 100 according to this embodiment performs a fall detection using a motion detection unit 170 and pre-executes a process to protect the system data of the aerosol generator 100 before the impact of the fall occurs to the aerosol generator 100. As a result, even if the detachable battery 110 is separated due to impact, the system of the aerosol generator 100 can be safely protected.

[0066] On the other hand, although not shown in Figure 1, the aerosol generator 100 may also constitute an aerosol generation system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used to charge the removable battery 110 of the aerosol generator 100 while storing the aerosol generator 100. That is, the cradle is a dedicated device solely for the aerosol generator 100, powered by the cradle's battery while the aerosol generator 100 is housed in the storage space inside the cradle, and used to charge the removable battery 110 of the aerosol generator 100.

[0067] Figures 2A to 2E are drawings illustrating embodiments of the aerosol generator of Figure 1 in various types. Referring to Figures 2A to 2E, the aerosol generator 100 can be embodied in various types of aerosol generators 200a to 200e, such as utilizing an electric resistance heating method or an induction heating method, a method further equipped with a vaporizer, or a cartridge method. Figures 2A to 2E show only some elements to illustrate the types of aerosol generators 200a to 200e, and other general-purpose elements may be further included in the aerosol generators 200a to 200e in addition to the elements shown in Figures 2A to 2E.

[0068] In Figures 2A to 2E, the removable battery 110, heaters 120a to 120e, and processor 130 are components corresponding to the removable battery 110, heater 120, and processor 130 in Figure 1, respectively, and can perform the functions of the removable battery 110, heater 120, and processor 130 described in Figure 1.

[0069] Figure 2A is a diagram illustrating an electrical resistance type aerosol generator 200a according to an exemplary embodiment. The aerosol generator 200a is a type of aerosol generator 100.

[0070] Referring to Figure 2A, the aerosol generator 200a may include a removable battery 110, a heater 120a, and a processor 130.

[0071] A cigarette 20a can be inserted into the internal containment space of the aerosol generator 200a. Once the cigarette 20a is inserted into the aerosol generator 200a, the aerosol generator 200a can generate an aerosol from the cigarette 20a by heating it using the heater 120a. The generated aerosol is transmitted to the user through the cigarette 20a, allowing the user to smoke the cigarette 20a.

[0072] The heater 120a can be heated by power supplied from the removable battery 110. The heater 120a is an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater 120a includes a conductive track, and the heater 120a can be heated by current flowing through the conductive track.

[0073] The conductive track of the heater 120a is made of an electrically resistive material, the heating temperature is determined by the power consumption of the resistor, and the resistance value of the conductive track can be set based on the power consumption of the resistor of the conductive track. The resistance value of the conductive track can be set in various ways depending on the constituent material, length, width, thickness, or pattern of the electrically resistive material.

[0074] Due to its temperature coefficient of resistance characteristic, the internal resistance of a conductive track increases as the temperature rises. For example, the temperature and resistance of a conductive track can be proportional within a given temperature range. Utilizing this principle, a heater 120a made of a conductive track can heat a cigarette 20a using an electrical resistance method.

[0075] Conductive tracks can be made from tungsten, gold, platinum, silver, copper, nickel-palladium, or combinations thereof. Conductive tracks may also be doped with appropriate doping materials and may include alloys.

[0076] The shape of the heater 120a can be varied, such as tubular, plate-shaped, needle-shaped, or rod-shaped. Multiple heaters 120a may also be arranged. The heater 120a can be inserted into the cigarette 20a and used in an internal heating method to heat the inside of the cigarette 20a.

[0077] The detachable battery 110 can be separated from or attached to the aerosol generator 200a. When the detachable battery 110 is attached to the aerosol generator 200a, power is supplied from the detachable battery 110 to the heater 120a for heating operation of the heater 120d, and the temperature of the conductive track can be controlled.

[0078] The processor 130 can control the heating operation of the heater 120a by controlling the power supplied to the heater 120a. For example, the processor 130 can control the temperature at which the cigarette 20a is heated by the heater 120a using a temperature profile.

[0079] Figures 2B and 2C are diagrams illustrating aerosol generators 200b and 200c further comprising vaporizers 125b and 125c according to exemplary embodiments. Each of the aerosol generators 200b and 200c is a type of aerosol generator 100.

[0080] Referring to Figures 2B and 2C, the aerosol generators 200b and 200c further include vaporizers 125b and 125c. Cigarettes 20b and 20c can be inserted into the internal space of the aerosol generators 200b and 200c.

[0081] Figure 2B shows that the steamer 125b and heater 120b are arranged in a single line. However, Figure 2C shows that the steamer 125c and heater 120c are arranged in parallel. In other words, the aerosol generators 200b and 200c can be distinguished according to the arrangement of the steamer 125b.

[0082] Heaters 120b and 120c may be heated by power supplied from a removable battery 110. Heaters 120b and 120c are electrically resistive heaters and may include, for example, conductive tracks.

[0083] Unlike heater 120a described in Figure 2A, heaters 120b and 120c in Figures 2B and 2C can be implemented as an external heating method, positioned on the outer periphery of cigarettes 20b and 20c, and heating the outer surface of cigarettes 20b and 20c.

[0084] The vaporizers 125b and 125c heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which can then be transmitted to the user through the cigarettes 20b and 20c. That is, the aerosol generated by the vaporizers 125b and 125c is transported along the airflow passage of the aerosol generators 200b and 200c, and the airflow passage can be configured so that the aerosol generated by the vaporizers 125b and 125c is transmitted to the user through the cigarettes 20b and 20c.

[0085] The vaporizers 125b and 125c may include a liquid storage unit, a liquid transfer means, and a heating element (or vaporization element). However, each of the liquid storage unit, liquid transfer means, and heating element may be an independent module and located at another location within the aerosol generator 100, not inside the vaporizers 125b and 125c.

[0086] The liquid storage section can store liquid compositions. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid containing non-tobacco substances. The liquid storage section may be manufactured to detach from / adhere to the vaporizers 125b and 125c, or it may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizers 125b and 125c. For example, the liquid composition may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavorings, or vitamin mixtures. The liquid composition may also include aerosol-forming agents such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0087] The liquid transfer means can transfer the liquid composition of the liquid storage section to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer means may be a wick made of cotton fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, or porous ceramic, but is not limited to these.

[0088] The heating elements provided within the vaporizers 125b and 125c are for heating (vaporizing) the liquid composition transmitted by the liquid transmission means. For example, the heating elements may be metal heating wires, metal heating plates, ceramic heaters, etc., but are not limited to these. Alternatively, the heating elements may consist of conductive filaments such as nichrome wire and be arranged in a structure that is wound around the liquid transmission means. The heating elements are heated by an electric current supply, and heat is transferred to the liquid composition in contact with the heating elements, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated. For this reason, the vaporizers 125b and 125c may also be referred to by other terms such as cartomizer or atomizer.

[0089] The detachable battery 110 can be separated from or attached to the aerosol generators 200b and 200c. When the detachable battery 110 is attached to the aerosol generators 200b and 200c, power can be supplied from the detachable battery 110 to the heaters 120b and 120c and the vaporizers 125b and 125c for heating operation.

[0090] The processor 130 can control the heating operation of the heaters 120b, 120c and the vaporizers 125b, 125c by controlling the power supplied to these heaters. For example, the processor 130 can control the heating temperature of the cigarettes 20b, 20c by the heaters 120b, 120c and the vaporizers 125b, 125c using a temperature profile.

[0091] Figure 2D is a diagram illustrating an induction heating type aerosol generator 200d according to an exemplary embodiment. The aerosol generator 200d is a type of aerosol generator 100.

[0092] Referring to Figure 2D, the aerosol generator 200d may include a heater 120d with a coil 121d and a susceptor 122d, a removable battery 110, and a processor 130.

[0093] The aerosol generator 200d can generate an aerosol by heating a cigarette 20d housed within it using an induction heating method. The induction heating method refers to a method of heating a magnetic material that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field by applying an alternating magnetic field that periodically changes direction. Therefore, the aerosol generator 200d can heat the cigarette 20d by applying an alternating magnetic field to the magnetic material, causing it to release thermal energy, and then transferring this released thermal energy to the cigarette. Here, the magnetic material that generates heat in response to the external magnetic field is a susceptor 122d. The susceptor 122d is provided in the aerosol generator 200d. Alternatively, instead of being provided in the aerosol generator 200d, the susceptor 122d may be provided inside the cigarette 20d in the form of a section, slice, or strip.

[0094] The susceptor 122d is made of a ferromagnetic material. For example, the material of the susceptor 122d may include metal or carbon. The material of the susceptor 122d may include at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). In addition, the material of the susceptor 122d may include at least one of ceramics such as graphite and zirconia, transition metals such as nickel (Ni) and cobalt (Co), and quasimetallic materials such as boron (B) and phosphorus (P).

[0095] The aerosol generator 200d can accommodate a cigarette 20d. The aerosol generator 200d may have a space for accommodating the cigarette 20d. A susceptor 122d may be positioned around the space for accommodating the cigarette 20d. For example, the susceptor 122d may have a cylindrical shape that surrounds the outside of the cigarette 20d. Therefore, when the cigarette 20d is accommodated in the aerosol generator 200d, the cigarette 20d is housed in the accommodation space of the susceptor 122d, and the susceptor 122d may be positioned to surround at least a portion of the outer surface of the cigarette 20d. However, the shape of the susceptor 122d is not limited to this and can be diverse.

[0096] The heater 120d uses an induction heating method and can heat the cigarette 20d contained in the aerosol generator 200d by utilizing a susceptor 122d that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field generated by the coil 121d.

[0097] The coil 121d is arranged to be wound along the outer surface of the susceptor 122d, and an alternating magnetic field can be applied to the susceptor 122d. When power is supplied to the coil 121d from the aerosol generator 200d, a magnetic field can be formed in the internal region of the coil 121d. When an alternating current is applied to the coil 121d, the direction of the magnetic field formed inside the coil 121d can be continuously changed. If the susceptor 122d is located inside the coil 121d and is exposed to a periodically changing alternating magnetic field, the susceptor 122d may generate heat, and the cigarette housed in the susceptor 122d may be heated. The shape of the coil 121d is cylindrical, wound along the longitudinal direction of the cigarette 20d, but is not limited thereto, and the coil 121d may be embodied in various types, such as a planar coil.

[0098] The detachable battery 110 can be separated from or attached to the aerosol generator 200d. When the detachable battery 110 is attached to the aerosol generator 200d, it can, for example, supply power to the coil 121d for the heating operation of the heater 120d.

[0099] The processor 130 can control the heating operation of the heater 120d by controlling the power supplied to the coil 121d. For example, the processor 130 can control the heating temperature of the cigarette 20d by inductive heating of the susceptor 122d by adjusting the strength of the magnetic field induced by the coil 121d using a temperature profile.

[0100] On the other hand, while Figure 2D describes the heater 120d as being implemented by an induction heating method using a coil 121d and a susceptor 122d, in other embodiments, the heater 120d may be made of an electrically resistive heater (for example, a cylindrical film heater) as described in Figures 2B and 2C, and may be implemented in a way that heats the outside of the cigarette 20d. That is, if the heater 120d is made of an electrically resistive heater, the aerosol generating device 200d in Figure 2D may be implemented in a way that generates an aerosol from the cigarette 20d using only the electrically resistive heater (heater 120d) without the vaporizers 125b and 125c shown in Figures 2B and 2C.

[0101] Figure 2E is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generator 200e equipped with a replaceable cartridge 210e containing an aerosol generating substance 20e according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0102] The aerosol generator 200e in Figure 2E includes a cartridge 210e containing an aerosol generating substance 20e and a main body 220e supporting the cartridge 210e. The aerosol generator 200e is one type of the aerosol generator 100 in Figure 1. In this case, the hardware configuration included in the aerosol generator 100 in Figure 1 can be divided and located as the main body 220e and the cartridge 210e.

[0103] Cartridge 210e can be attached to the main body 220e with the aerosol-generating substance 20e contained inside. Cartridge 210e can be attached to the main body 210 by inserting a portion of cartridge 210e into the receptacle of the main body 210.

[0104] Cartridge 210e contains an aerosol-generating substance 20e in liquid composition, but is not limited thereto; it may contain an aerosol-generating substance 20e in any one state, such as solid, gas, or gel. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance that includes volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0105] The heater 120e located inside the cartridge 210e performs a heating operation in response to an electrical signal or wireless signal transmitted from the main unit 220e. As a result, the aerosol-generating substance 20e inside the cartridge 210e is vaporized by the heating of the heater 120e, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0106] The heater 120e generates heat through electrical resistance to heat the aerosol-generating substance transmitted to the liquid transfer means. It is embodied in conductive filaments of metal materials such as copper, nickel, or tungsten, or ceramic heating elements, and may be wound around the liquid transfer means or positioned adjacent to the liquid transfer means.

[0107] The detachable battery 110 can be separated from or attached to the aerosol generator 200e, and when the detachable battery 110 is attached to the aerosol generator 200e, power can be supplied from the detachable battery 110 to the heater 120e for heating operation.

[0108] The processor 130 can control the heating operation of the heater 120e by controlling the power supplied to the heater 120e. For example, the processor 130 can control the heating temperature of the aerosol-generating substance 20e by the heater 120e using a temperature profile.

[0109] On the other hand, although not shown in Figures 2A to 2E, the aerosol generators 200a to 200e may be configured with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can store the aerosol generators 200a to 200e or charge the removable batteries 110 of the aerosol generators 200a to 200e.

[0110] According to various embodiments, the aerosol generator 100 in Figure 1 is embodied in at least one of the types of aerosol generators 200a to 200e shown in Figures 2A to 2E, but is not necessarily limited thereto and can be embodied in other types as well.

[0111] The aerosol generators 200a to 200e shown in Figures 2A to 2E can all utilize a detachable battery 110 as a power source. The detachable battery 110 is a battery that is replaced by being attached to or detached from the aerosol generators 200a to 200e.

[0112] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the installation of a new detachable battery in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0113] Referring to Figure 3, the aerosol generator 100 currently does not have a battery installed. This state occurs when the battery has been removed from the aerosol generator 100 because the battery has reached the end of its lifespan, the user wants to use a battery with a different capacity, or for any other reason the user wants to replace it with a new battery. In this case, the user can install the first detachable battery 110-1 as a new battery in the aerosol generator 100.

[0114] When the first detachable battery 110-1 is fixed to the battery housing (not shown) of the aerosol generator 100 and mounted on the aerosol generator 100, the terminals (connectors) of the detachable battery 110 may form an electrical connection by contacting the terminals (connectors) of the aerosol generator 100. The voltage detection unit 180 can detect the connection or disconnection of the detachable battery 110 by detecting the voltage applied from the detachable battery 110 through the terminals (connectors). For example, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect a voltage of 3.5 to 4 [V] when the detachable battery 110 is connected, and a voltage of 0 [V] when the detachable battery 110 is disconnected. In this way, the processor 130 can detect the connection or disconnection of the detachable battery 110 by monitoring the voltage change.

[0115] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the change in the vertical acceleration of an aerosol generator due to a user walking while carrying an aerosol generator according to one embodiment.

[0116] Referring to Figure 4, we see a situation in which user 40 walks while carrying the aerosol generator 100 in their hand. The lower part of Figure 4 shows graph 400 of the change in the vertical acceleration g of the aerosol generator 100 due to user 40 walking.

[0117] At time t1, the user 40 carrying the aerosol generator 100 is in a stationary state. When the user 40 starts walking, the user 40 naturally swings their arms forward and backward, causing the aerosol generator 100 to perform a pendulum motion. At time t2, the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point in the direction of walking. After time t2, the aerosol generator 100 moves along the opposite direction of walking, reaching its lowest point at time t3. At time t4, the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point in the opposite direction of walking. After time t4, the aerosol generator 100 moves along the direction of walking, reaching its lowest point at time t5. At time t6, the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point in the direction of walking.

[0118] In other words, during the user 40's walking process, the aerosol generator 100 performs a pendulum motion along the movement path indicated at time t2 to time t6. At this time, the aerosol generator 100 uses the motion detection unit 170 to detect the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 and monitors the change in vertical acceleration.

[0119] The motion detection unit 170 can be implemented as a combination of one or more of various sensors, such as an acceleration sensor that measures x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis acceleration values, a gyro sensor that measures angular velocity, or a tilt sensor or inertial measurement unit (IMU).

[0120] The motion detection unit 170 can detect the acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 relative to the ground (i.e., vertical acceleration). The processor 130 can calculate the vertical acceleration based on the acceleration, angular velocity, tilt, orientation, etc. of various axes measured by the acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, etc. of the motion detection unit 170.

[0121] The x-axis of graph 400 represents time s, and the y-axis of graph 400 represents the vertical acceleration g detected by the motion detection unit 170. Each of the time points t1 to t6 displayed on the x-axis of graph 400 corresponds to a time during walking.

[0122] Up to time t1, user 40, who is carrying the aerosol generator 100, is stationary. When user 40 starts walking, user 40 naturally swings their arms forward and backward, causing the aerosol generator 100 to perform a pendulum motion, which changes its vertical acceleration.

[0123] At time t2, the aerosol generator 100 reaches its highest point in the walking direction. Since the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point, the vertical acceleration value at time t2 is 0.

[0124] From time t2 onward, the aerosol generator 100 moves in the opposite direction to the walking direction, reaching its lowest point at time t3. At time t3, when the aerosol generator 100 reaches its lowest point, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 is negative.

[0125] At time t4, the aerosol generator 100 reaches its highest point in the opposite direction of walking. Since the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point, the acceleration value at time t4 is 0.

[0126] From time t4 onward, the aerosol generator 100 moves along the walking direction and reaches its lowest point at time t5. At time t5, when the aerosol generator 100 reaches its lowest point, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 has a positive value. The positive or negative value of the vertical acceleration indicates the direction of movement of the aerosol generator 100. In other words, the sign of the vertical acceleration differs depending on which direction is used as the reference.

[0127] Time t6 corresponds to the same situation as time t2. That is, at time t6, the aerosol generator 100 reaches its highest point in the walking direction. Since the aerosol generator 100 stops the moment it reaches its highest point, the acceleration value at time t6 is 0.

[0128] When user 40 walks while carrying the aerosol generator 100 in their hand, the motion detection unit 170 monitors the change in vertical acceleration from time t1 to time t6. That is, while the aerosol generator 100 is being carried and moved by user 40, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 can change within a predetermined vertical acceleration range. As a result, if the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 changes within a predetermined vertical acceleration range, the processor 130 can determine that the aerosol generator 100 has not entered a predetermined falling state (for example, a free fall state).

[0129] However, unlike graph 400 in Figure 4, if the vertical acceleration changes rapidly as it approaches a pre-set threshold acceleration, the aerosol generator 100 is in a state of falling. The processor 130 can determine whether the device is in a falling state by monitoring the change in vertical acceleration, comparing the vertical acceleration with the threshold acceleration, and determining whether the vertical acceleration has reached the threshold acceleration.

[0130] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the state in which an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment is falling.

[0131] Referring to Figure 5, the aerosol generator 100 is shown falling from the table to the ground. Here, it is assumed that the motion detection unit 170 detects a positive value for vertical acceleration when moving towards the ground. However, it is not limited to this, and the sign of the vertical acceleration may be set to the opposite. That is, according to this embodiment, the sign of the vertical acceleration for an object moving towards the ground can be set to an appropriate sign depending on the design of the aerosol generator 100.

[0132] At time t1, the aerosol generator 100 begins to fall from the edge of the table to the ground. At time t1, the vertical acceleration is still 0. After time t1, at time t2, the aerosol generator 100 is in free fall to the ground. Between time t1 and time t2, gravity acts only on the aerosol generator 100, causing a rapid increase in vertical acceleration. However, the processor 130 is unable to accurately determine whether the change in vertical acceleration measured by the motion detection unit 170 is due to free fall or because the user applied force to move the aerosol generator 100.

[0133] At time t3, the aerosol generator 100 is in a state of free fall, and the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 reaches the threshold acceleration for the first time. In Figure 5, for the sake of explanation, the threshold acceleration is exemplified as being approximately 90% of the gravitational acceleration, but the threshold acceleration can be changed and set to other values ​​(for example, 100%, 80%, 70%, etc., of the gravitational acceleration).

[0134] The processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state only when it determines that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 has reached a threshold acceleration. Here, the predetermined falling state means a state in which the aerosol generator 100 is in free fall with only gravity acting on it and no external force. Even before the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 reaches the threshold acceleration, the aerosol generator 100 is in a free fall state, but the processor 130 can perform fall detection by comparing it with the threshold acceleration in order to more accurately determine whether it is actually in a free fall state.

[0135] From time t3 onward, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 can reach the acceleration due to gravity.

[0136] At time t4, the aerosol generator 100 may collide with the ground. At this time, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 may decrease rapidly and change while converging to zero. In this way, if the aerosol generator 100 is subjected to an impact due to falling, the detachable battery 110 may be unintentionally separated from the aerosol generator 100, or the contact of the detachable battery 110 within the aerosol generator 100 may be released.

[0137] Therefore, the aerosol generator 100 according to this embodiment can perform a protection process to save the system data of the aerosol generator 100 during the time between detecting a predetermined fall condition and the actual impact occurring (for example, the time between time point t3 and time point t4 in Figure 5).

[0138] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the fall detection of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0139] Referring to Figure 6, as the aerosol generator 100 moves, its vertical acceleration changes, and the motion detection unit 170 detects this vertical acceleration. The processor 130 continuously monitors the detected change in vertical acceleration.

[0140] The processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state if the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 reaches a threshold acceleration and then exceeds the threshold acceleration. That is, at time t in Figure 6, the processor 130 determines that start The fall detection can be performed when the aerosol generator 100 enters a predetermined falling state. In Figure 6, for the sake of explanation, the threshold acceleration is exemplified as being approximately 90% of the gravitational acceleration g (i.e., 0.9 g), but the threshold acceleration can be changed and set to other values ​​(for example, 100%, 80%, 70%, etc., of the gravitational acceleration).

[0141] On the other hand, the processor 130 can execute a protection process if it determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state.

[0142] For example, the processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state (time t start The protection process can be executed immediately.

[0143] As another example, the processor 130 may execute a protection process if, after entering a predetermined fall state, the predetermined fall state is maintained for a predetermined time. In other words, the processor 130 may execute a protection process at time t start If the predetermined drop condition is maintained thereafter, and a predetermined time (e.g., 10ms, 50ms, 100ms, etc.) has elapsed, the protection process can be executed. This is because even if the predetermined drop condition is detected, the user may have grabbed the aerosol generator 100 before the impact occurred.

[0144] In other words, the timing at which the protection process is executed by the processor 130 according to this embodiment is not limited to any single point in time, but can be varied in various ways depending on the design of the aerosol generator 100.

[0145] Figure 7 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generator using fall detection according to one embodiment. Referring to Figure 7, the method for protecting the aerosol generator 100 using fall detection corresponds to the process that is processed chronologically in the aforementioned diagram (for example, the aerosol generator 100 in Figure 1).

[0146] In step 701, the motion detection unit 170 detects the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generator 100. Here, vertical acceleration refers to acceleration in the direction in which gravity acts on an object, and the motion detection unit 170 can detect the acceleration of the aerosol generator 100 toward the ground (i.e., vertical acceleration).

[0147] In step 702, the processor 130 monitors the detected change in vertical acceleration. For example, the processor 130 can continuously monitor the change in the value of vertical acceleration. Alternatively, the processor 130 may monitor the change in the value of vertical acceleration at predetermined sampling periods (e.g., 5ms, 10ms, 100ms, etc.). In other words, the acceleration monitoring method of the processor 130 is not limited to any one method.

[0148] In step 703, the processor 130 determines whether the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration based on the monitoring results. If the detected vertical acceleration does not exceed the threshold acceleration, the acceleration monitoring in step 702 is performed again. However, if the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, the fall determination in step 703 is performed.

[0149] In step 704, the processor 130 determines whether the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state. The predetermined falling state means that the aerosol generator 100 is in free fall with only gravitational acceleration acting on it and no external force.

[0150] For example, if the processor 130 determines that the detected vertical acceleration has reached a threshold acceleration and then exceeded that threshold acceleration, it can immediately determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state.

[0151] As another example, the processor 130 can determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state if the detected vertical acceleration remains above a threshold acceleration for a predetermined time (e.g., 10 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, etc.).

[0152] If it is determined that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state, the processor 130 performs step 705. However, if it is determined that the aerosol generator 100 has not entered a predetermined falling state, the processor 130 performs acceleration monitoring again in step 702.

[0153] In step 705, if the processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state, it executes a protection process to save the system data of the aerosol generator 100 before the removable battery 110 provided in the aerosol generator 100 is detached by the impact. The system data to be saved here includes data for controlling the heating function of the heater 120. The system data may also include usage data saved while the aerosol generator 100 is in use.

[0154] The processor 130 completes the execution of a protection process for a short period of time between the time a fall is detected and the time an impact occurs. The protection process may include, for example, a process to reset the system currently running in the aerosol generator 100. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process to suspend the process currently running in the aerosol generator 100 and back up the system data while the process is suspended. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process to shut down the system and turn off the power. In other words, the protection process may be a process that combines one or more of the processes described above, or may include other processes.

[0155] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the execution of a protection process when a fall is detected in an aerosol generator according to one embodiment. Referring to Figure 8, the situation in which the aerosol generator 100 described in Figure 5 has fallen will be explained as an example.

[0156] The processor 130 determines that at time t3 the aerosol generator 100 is in a state of free fall and that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit 170 has reached a threshold acceleration.

[0157] The processor 130 can immediately execute a protection process at time t3, when it is determined that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state.

[0158] The protection process refers to a process for saving the system of the aerosol generator 100 before impact in order to prevent failure of the aerosol generator 100 due to battery separation caused by impact. Here, saving the system may include saving system data, including data necessary for controlling the heating operation of the heater 120 provided in the aerosol generator and usage data saved while the aerosol generator 100 is in use.

[0159] A protection process can include one or more diverse processes. Examples of protection processes are described below.

[0160] Specifically, "Protection Process A" is a process that resets the system currently running in the aerosol generator 100. For example, if the heater 120 is currently heating, "Protection Process A" means a reset operation that interrupts the control of the heating operation of the heater 120 and initializes the operation of the heater 120. Alternatively, "Protection Process A" means a reset operation that initializes the sensing operations of various sensors provided in the aerosol generator 100, the display operations of the user interface, etc. In other words, "Protection Process A" is a process that initializes the system of the aerosol generator 100 so that the functions currently operating in the aerosol generator 100 do not result in errors due to a sudden power outage.

[0161] Next, “protection process B” may include a process that suspends the process currently running in the aerosol generator 100 and backs up system data while the currently running process is suspended.

[0162] Specifically, "Protection Process B" is a process for preserving the current system state and data state of the aerosol generator 100. For example, "Protection Process B" is a process that instantaneously backs up system data regarding what functions were being performed in the aerosol generator 100, as well as usage data and log data accumulated through the use of the aerosol generator 100, to memory 150. In other words, "Protection Process B" is a process that backs up data stored in the aerosol generator 100 so that system data within the aerosol generator 100 is not lost due to a sudden power outage. On the other hand, when "Protection Process B" is executed, once the impact on the aerosol generator 100 has ended, the processor 130 can execute a restoration process based on the backup data to restore the aerosol generator 100 to its previous system state.

[0163] "Protection process C" is the process of shutting down the aerosol generator 100 system and turning off the power. In other words, "Protection process C" means that a normal power-off process is performed in advance to prevent the power from being abnormally turned off due to battery separation caused by impact.

[0164] In this embodiment, the execution of the protection process based on drop detection means performing only one of the aforementioned protection processes A, B, and C, or performing a combination of two or more of the protection processes A, B, and C. Alternatively, the execution of the protection process according to this embodiment may include performing other processes, in addition to the exemplified protection processes A, B, and C, to protect the aerosol generator 100 system while preventing failure of the aerosol generator 100 due to impact.

[0165] On the other hand, the processor 130 can cut off the power supply from the removable battery 110 once the protection process is complete. That is, if the aerosol generator 100 is dropped and an impact occurs, the power supply from the removable battery 110 may be cut off so that the user can observe the damage to the aerosol generator 100 or the removable battery 110 and then turn on the power to the aerosol generator 100.

[0166] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the execution of a protection process by impact detection according to one embodiment.

[0167] Referring to Figure 9, the processor 130 can use the voltage detection unit 180 to monitor changes in the voltage applied from the attached removable battery 110. For example, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect a voltage of 3.5 to 4 [V] when the removable battery 110 is connected, and a voltage of 0 [V] when the removable battery 110 is disconnected. As a result, the processor 130 can detect the connection or disconnection of the removable battery 110 by monitoring the voltage changes detected by the voltage detection unit 180.

[0168] If the detachable battery 110 is suddenly separated from the aerosol generator 100 due to impact, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect a rapid voltage drop. In other words, even if the user does not normally separate the detachable battery 110, if the voltage detection unit 180 monitors and detects a rapid voltage drop, the processor 130 can determine that an abnormal separation situation has occurred.

[0169] Graph 900 shows the voltage change detected by the voltage detection unit 180 over time. In this embodiment, the processor 130 can determine that an impact has been applied to the aerosol generator 100 if a sudden voltage drop exceeding a threshold voltage change occurs while monitoring the voltage change.

[0170] Specifically, when the detachable battery 110 is properly installed inside the aerosol generator 100, the voltage detection unit 180 detects that a voltage of approximately 4[V] is applied and maintained. However, if the aerosol generator 100 is subjected to an impact (at time t impact When the detachable battery 110 is separated by the addition of ) the voltage detection unit 180 detects a rapid voltage drop from 4[V] to 0[V].

[0171] The point at which the impact was applied (point t) impact If the voltage decreases from ) and exceeds a threshold voltage change amount, the processor 130 can determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state. Here, the threshold voltage change amount can be set to any amount (for example, 1.5[V], 2[V], 2.3[V], etc.) depending on the design of the aerosol generator 100.

[0172] For example, if the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 180 is monitored to exceed a threshold voltage change, the processor 130 can immediately determine that it has entered an impact state.

[0173] As another example, the processor 130 can determine that an impact condition has been entered only if, after the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 180 exceeds a threshold voltage change, the voltage does not rise again and the voltage drop is maintained for a predetermined time (e.g., 5ms, 10ms, 50ms, etc.). This is because an impact was applied, but the removable battery 110 was not completely detached and remained reattached. In other words, the impact determination method of the processor 130 is not limited to any one of these methods.

[0174] If it is determined that an impact condition has been entered, the processor 130 will, before the removable battery 110 is completely separated, at time t start A protection process can be executed. Here, the processor 130 can execute the protection process illustrated in Figure 8.

[0175] Figure 10 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generator using impact detection according to one embodiment. Referring to Figure 10, the method for protecting the aerosol generator 100 using impact detection corresponds to the process that is processed chronologically in the aforementioned diagram (for example, the aerosol generator 100 in Figure 1).

[0176] In step 1001, the voltage detection unit 180 detects the voltage applied by the removable battery 110. For example, when the removable battery 110 is connected to the aerosol generator 100, the voltage detection unit 180 can detect a voltage of approximately 3.5 to 4 [V].

[0177] In step 1002, the processor 130 monitors the detected voltage change. For example, the processor 130 can continuously monitor the voltage change. Alternatively, the processor 130 may monitor the voltage change at predetermined sampling periods (e.g., 5ms, 10ms, 100ms, etc.). In other words, the voltage monitoring method of the processor 130 is not limited to any one method.

[0178] In step 1003, the processor 130 determines whether the detected voltage change (voltage decrease) exceeds a threshold voltage change. If the detected voltage change does not exceed the threshold voltage change, voltage monitoring in step 1002 is performed again. However, if the detected voltage change exceeds the threshold voltage change, shock detection in step 1003 is performed.

[0179] In step 1004, the processor 130 determines whether the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state.

[0180] For example, if the processor 130 determines that the detected voltage change has exceeded a threshold voltage change after reaching that threshold voltage change, it can immediately determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state.

[0181] As another example, the processor 130 can determine that the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state if the detected voltage change exceeds a threshold voltage change for a predetermined time (e.g., 10ms, 50ms, 100ms, etc.) while the voltage drop persists. In other words, the impact determination method of the processor 130 is not limited to any one of these methods.

[0182] If it is determined that the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state, the processor 130 performs step 1005. However, if it is determined that the aerosol generator 100 has not entered an impact state, the processor 130 performs voltage monitoring again in step 1002.

[0183] In step 1005, if the processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered an impact state, it executes a protection process to save the system data of the aerosol generator 100 before the removable battery 110 provided in the aerosol generator 100 is detached by the impact.

[0184] The processor 130 completes the execution of a protection process for a short period of time between the time shock detection is performed and the time the shock occurs. The protection process may include, for example, a process to reset the system currently running in the aerosol generator 100. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process to suspend the process currently running in the aerosol generator 100 and back up the system data while the process is suspended. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process to shut down the system and turn off the power. In other words, the protection process may be a process that combines one or more of the processes described above, or may include other processes.

[0185] On the other hand, Figures 9 and 10 illustrate that impact detection on the aerosol generator 100 is performed based on the voltage change detected by the voltage detection unit 180. However, the aerosol generator 100 according to this embodiment may also perform impact detection using methods other than voltage detection by the voltage detection unit 180. For example, an impact detection method can be used in which a sheet-shaped sensing sensor that senses externally applied pressure is installed on the aerosol generator 100, and when a change in external pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold is detected, it is determined that an impact has occurred.

[0186] Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the impact history related to the impact generated by an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0187] Referring to Figure 11, the processor 130 can manage impact history information 1100 related to impacts generated from the aerosol generator 100. For example, the impact history information 1100 may include information such as the number of impacts, the date and time of impact, whether a protection process was executed, and whether the battery was separated. The impact history information 1100 can be updated while being stored in the memory 150.

[0188] In the impact history information 1100, the number of impact occurrences can represent the number of times a fall exceeding a threshold acceleration was detected or the number of times an impact exceeding a threshold voltage change was detected. If the aerosol generator 100 or the detachable battery 110 is repeatedly subjected to impacts, the aerosol generator 100 or the detachable battery 110 will malfunction. In particular, the detachable battery 110 is a component whose durability decreases and is easily damaged by repeated impacts. Therefore, if the detachable battery 110 is subjected to a large number of impacts, it is desirable to replace the battery.

[0189] This allows the processor 130 to manage the impact history information 1100 and, when the number of impacts reaches a certain number (for example, n times), to control the system to notify the user of the battery endurance risk. For example, the processor 130 can control the system so that a battery replacement notification is provided through the user interface 140.

[0190] Figure 12 is a flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generator using fall detection according to one embodiment. The method in Figure 12 corresponds to the steps performed chronologically in the previously mentioned diagrams. Therefore, even if the details are omitted below, the information described in the aforementioned diagrams can also be applied to the method in Figure 12.

[0191] In step 1201, the motion detection unit 170 detects the vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generator 100.

[0192] In step 1202, the processor 130 monitors the detected change in vertical acceleration to determine whether the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state.

[0193] In step 1203, if the processor 130 determines that the aerosol generator 100 has entered a predetermined falling state, it performs a protection process to save system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generator 100 before the removable battery 110 provided in the aerosol generator 100 is detached by the impact.

[0194] The method described above can be created using a program executed on a computer and can be implemented on a general-purpose digital computer that runs the program using a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium. Furthermore, the data structure used in the method described above can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium by various means. The computer-readable recording medium includes recording media such as magnetic recording media (e.g., ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM, USB, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and optical reading media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

[0195] Those with ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment will understand that it will be embodied in modified forms that do not deviate from the essential characteristics described above. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered in an explanatory rather than restrictive view. The scope of the invention is expressed in the claims, not in the above description, and all differences within an equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the invention.

Claims

1. In an aerosol generating device, A motion detection unit for detecting the vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generating device, The processor includes a processor that determines whether the aerosol generator has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring the detected change in vertical acceleration, The aforementioned processor, If it is determined that the aerosol generator has entered the predetermined falling state, the aerosol generator performs a protection process to save system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generator before the detachable battery provided in the aerosol generator is detached by impact.

2. The aforementioned processor, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein if the detected vertical acceleration is monitored to exceed a threshold acceleration, it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state.

3. The threshold acceleration is set to a value corresponding to a predetermined ratio of the gravitational acceleration. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined falling state corresponds to a state in which the aerosol generating apparatus is in free fall.

4. The aforementioned processor, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein if the predetermined falling state is maintained for a predetermined time after entering the predetermined falling state, the protection process is executed.

5. The aforementioned protection process, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process for resetting the system currently running in the aerosol generating apparatus.

6. The aforementioned protection process, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process for suspending a process currently running in the aerosol generating apparatus and backing up system data while the currently running process is suspended.

7. The aforementioned system data is The aerosol generator according to claim 6, comprising data necessary for controlling the heating operation of a heater provided in the aerosol generator and usage data stored while the aerosol generator is in use.

8. The aforementioned processor, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply from the removable battery is cut off when the execution of the protection process is completed.

9. The aforementioned processor, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the generation of an impact on the aerosol generating apparatus has ended, a restoration process is performed to restore the previous system state.

10. The aforementioned processor, The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an impact history is saved when the impact occurs to the aerosol generating apparatus.

11. In a method for protecting an aerosol generator using fall detection, A step of detecting the vertical acceleration relative to the aerosol generating device using a motion detection unit, The steps include: using a processor to monitor the detected change in vertical acceleration to determine whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state; A method comprising the step of using the processor to determine that the aerosol generator has entered a predetermined falling state, and performing a protection process to save system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generator before the removable battery provided in the aerosol generator is detached by impact.

12. The aforementioned determination step is, The method according to claim 11, wherein if the detected vertical acceleration is monitored to exceed a threshold acceleration, it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state.

13. The threshold acceleration is set to a predetermined percentage of the gravitational acceleration. The method according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined falling state corresponds to the state in which the aerosol generating device is in free fall.

14. The aforementioned protection process, The method according to claim 11, comprising at least one of the following: a process for resetting a system currently running in the aerosol generator; and a process for suspending a process currently running in the aerosol generator and backing up system data while the currently running process is suspended.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of performing a restoration process to restore the aerosol generating device to its previous state when the generation of impact on the aerosol generating device has ceased.

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