Aerosol generating device and method of operation thereof for providing information

Abstract

According to one embodiment, the present invention includes a heater for heating at least a portion of an aerosol product, a memory, a user interface for outputting a notification to a user, and a processor electrically connected to the heater, the memory, and the user interface, and the processor may obtain data related to a heating time of the heater and store it in the memory when the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than a critical value, and output a notification through the user interface based on whether a preset condition is satisfied by the data related to the heating time.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device that outputs a notice to a user based on heating time related data, and an operating method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes, such as systems that utilize an aerosol generating device to generate aerosol by heating the cigarette or aerosol generating material, rather than generating aerosol by burning a cigarette.

[0003] In particular, the aerosol generating device includes a separate battery therein, which is also a rechargeable secondary battery. When a user smokes through the aerosol generating device, the battery of the aerosol generating device gradually discharges, which may reduce the usable time of the aerosol generating device. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A conventional aerosol generating device can display the color of an LED (light-emitting diode) indicator light according to the remaining battery charge, or can display the remaining battery charge value on a display, and a user can charge the aerosol generating device after checking the display. However, if the battery is not charged at the appropriate time when charging is required, the battery will be completely discharged, and the complete discharge of the battery will have a negative effect on the battery life.

[0005] Therefore, in various embodiments according to the present disclosure, based on data related to the heating time of a heater in an aerosol generating device, the appropriate time when charging is required is predicted and a notification is provided to the user at the predicted time.

[0006] Problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes a heater for heating at least a portion of the aerosol product, a memory, a user interface for outputting a notification to a user, and a processor, and when the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than a critical value, the processor acquires data related to the heating time of the heater and stores it in the memory, and outputs a notification via the user interface based on whether the heating time related data satisfies a preset condition.

[0008] In one embodiment, the operating method of the aerosol generating device also includes a step of acquiring data related to the heating time of the heater and storing it in a memory when the cumulative heating count of the heater is equal to or greater than a critical value, and a step of outputting a notification via a user interface based on whether the heating time related data satisfies a preset condition. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the user's smoking interval can be used to predict and notify the user of the appropriate time when the battery in the aerosol generating device needs to be charged.

[0010] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the battery life of the aerosol generating device can be further extended by properly charging the battery.

[0011] However, the effects of this embodiment are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiment belongs from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment for acquiring data and outputting notifications. [Diagram 3] 1 is a specific flowchart of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment for acquiring heating time related data. [Figure 4] A figure illustrating an example of data stored in the memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is a specific flowchart illustrating an aerosol generating device outputting a notification according to an embodiment. [Figure 6A] A figure illustrating an example of data stored in the memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B] A figure illustrating a first UI (user interface) state displayed on a display of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] A figure illustrating an example of data stored in the memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7B] A figure illustrating a second UI state displayed on the display of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The terms used in this embodiment are currently widely used general terms as much as possible, taking into consideration the functions of the present invention, but they may vary depending on the intentions of engineers in this field, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings of the terms will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply by the names of the terms.

[0014] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean excluding other components, but also means including other components, unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "module" and "unit" in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0015] As used herein, phrases such as "at least one of," when preceding an array of components, modify the entire array and not each individual component of the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted to include a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0016] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that electrically heats a cigarette contained in the interior space to generate an aerosol.

[0017] The aerosol generating device also includes a heater, in one embodiment the heater is an electrically resistive heater, for example the heater may include a conductive track, such that the heater can be heated when a current is passed through the conductive track.

[0018] Heaters may include tubular, plate, needle or rod heating elements, and depending on the configuration of the heating element, may heat the interior or exterior of the cigarette.

[0019] Cigarettes also include tobacco rods and filter rods. The tobacco rods can be made of sheets, strands, or cut tobacco that is finely cut into a tobacco sheet. The tobacco rods are also surrounded by a heat conductive material. For example, the heat conductive material can be a metal foil, such as, but not limited to, aluminum foil.

[0020] The filter rod is also 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 for cooling the aerosol and a second segment for filtering a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

[0021] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that utilizes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material to generate the aerosol.

[0022] The aerosol generating device also includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material and a main body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the main body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the main body or assembled thereto and fixed so as not to be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the main body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the main body.

[0023] The cartridge may hold an aerosol generating 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 generating material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco material.

[0024] The cartridge can perform a function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase by operating in response to an electric signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body. The aerosol can refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material and air are mixed.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device can heat a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be transmitted through the cigarette to the user, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid composition can travel along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0026] In still 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 may mean a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

[0027] The aerosol generating device may include a vibrator, and may generate short-period vibrations through the vibrator to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be, but is not limited to, about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz.

[0028] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick for absorbing the aerosol generating material, for example, the wick may be positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0029] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer can be transferred to the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the wick can be converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0030] For example, the heat generated by the vibrator reduces the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core, and the ultrasonic vibrations generated by the vibrator break the reduced-viscosity aerosol-generating substance into fine particles, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0031] 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.

[0032] The aerosol generating device also 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 can be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is also a magnetic material that generates heat due to an external magnetic field. When the susceptor is located inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied, the susceptor generates heat, thereby heating the aerosol product. Optionally, the susceptor can be located inside the aerosol product.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a cradle.

[0034] The aerosol generating device may be combined with a separate cradle to form a system, for example, the cradle may be capable of charging a battery of the aerosol generating device, or a heater may be used to heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0035] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the embodiments. The present disclosure may be embodied in the aerosol generating device of the above-mentioned various embodiments, or may be embodied in various different forms, but is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0038] 1, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes a processor 110, a heater 120, a memory 130, and a user interface 140. However, the hardware components inside the aerosol generating device 100 are not limited to those shown in Fig. 1. A person having ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment can understand that some of the hardware components shown in Fig. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0039] In the following, the operation of each component included in the aerosol generating device 100 will be described without limiting the space in which the component is located.

[0040] In one embodiment, the heater 120 can heat an aerosol product inserted into the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the heater 120 can be powered by a battery (not shown) via control of the processor 110 and generate an aerosol by heating at least a portion of the aerosol product via the power provided.

[0041] In one embodiment, the memory 130 may store various data processed in the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the memory 130 may store data processed by the processor 110 and data to be processed. The memory 130 may be embodied in various types of memory, such as a random access memory (RAM) such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM) or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

[0042] In one embodiment, the memory 130 may store data related to the heating time of the heater 120. For example, the data related to the heating time of the heater 120 may include an average heating interval of the heater 120 and a final heating time of the heater 120. In the present disclosure, the "average heating interval" may mean an average interval from a time when heating of the heater 120 ends (i.e., a time when the power supply from the battery to the heater 120 is interrupted) to a time when heating of the heater 120 is restarted (i.e., a time when the power supply from the battery to the heater 120 is started). Also, in the present disclosure, the "final heating time" may mean the most recent time when heating of the heater 120 is started (i.e., the last time when the power supply from the battery to the heater 120 is started).

[0043] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0044] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may obtain data from at least one component within the aerosol generating device 100 and control subsequent processing. For example, the processor 110 may obtain data from at least one sensor (e.g., an aerosol product insertion sensor) and control the power supplied to the heater 120 such that operation of the heater 120 begins or ends.

[0045] In an embodiment, the processor 110 may store data acquired from components in the aerosol generating device 100 in the memory 130. For example, when the cumulative number of times the heater 120 has been heated satisfies a predetermined condition, the processor 110 may acquire data related to the heating of the heater 120 from the heater 120 and store the data in the memory 130. However, a detailed description thereof will be given later with reference to FIG. 2.

[0046] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may initialize at least a portion of the data stored in the memory 130 based on a reference unit time. For example, the processor 110 may initialize data related to heating of the heater 120 stored in the memory 130 based on 24 hours (i.e., one day) which is a reference unit time.

[0047] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may output information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 100 to the outside (e.g., a user) via the user interface 140. For example, the user interface 140 may include various interfacing means such as a display or lamp that outputs visual information, a motor that outputs tactile information, a speaker that outputs sound information, and an input / output (I / O) interfacing means (e.g., a button or a touch screen) that receives information input from a user or outputs information to a user.

[0048] In an embodiment, when data acquired from components in the aerosol generating device 100 satisfies a predetermined condition, the processor 110 may output a notification through the user interface 140. For example, when data related to heating of the heater 120 satisfies a predetermined condition, the processor 110 may output a notification through the user interface 140. However, a detailed description thereof will be given later with reference to FIG.

[0049] FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of an aerosol generating device acquiring data and outputting notifications according to one embodiment.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 2, in operation 201, a processor (e.g., processor 110 (FIG. 1)) may acquire data related to the heating time of heater 120 and store it in a memory (e.g., memory 130 (FIG. 1)) if the cumulative number of heating times of a heater (e.g., heater 120 (FIG. 1)) is greater than or equal to a critical value.

[0051] In the present disclosure, the "cumulative number of heating times of the heater" may refer to the number of times the heater 120 has been heated, counted since the most recent charging of the aerosol generating device (e.g., the aerosol generating device 100 (FIG. 1)) was completed. For example, if a user has performed five smoking actions through the aerosol generating device 100 since the charging of the aerosol generating device 100 was completed, the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is also five. Each smoking action also includes a series of consecutive puffs.

[0052] For example, the threshold value for the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 may be set to 10. In this case, if the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is 8, the processor 110 does not separately acquire data related to the heating time of the heater 120. However, if the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is 11, the processor 110 may acquire data related to the heating time of the heater 120 and store it in the memory 130.

[0053] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may obtain an average heating interval of the heater 120 and a final heating time of the heater 120 when the cumulative heating count of the heater 120 is equal to or greater than a critical value. In this case, the average heating interval of the heater 120 may mean an average of a plurality of heating intervals corresponding to the cumulative heating count excluding the maximum interval and the minimum interval. Also, the average heating interval of the heater 120 may be obtained through a calculation operation of the processor 110. Since the processor 110 according to the present disclosure performs the calculation operation when the cumulative heating count of the heater 120 is equal to or greater than a critical value, the burden on the calculation demand of the processor 110 may be reduced and efficiency may be improved in terms of power consumption.

[0054] According to one embodiment, in operation 203, processor 110 may output a notification via a user interface (eg, user interface 140 (FIG. 1)) based on whether a preset condition is satisfied for data related to the heating time of heater 120.

[0055] In one embodiment, the preset condition of the heating time related data of the heater 120 also includes a condition related to an average heating interval of the heater 120. For example, the condition related to the average heating interval of the heater 120 may be satisfied when the average heating interval calculated in operation 201 is less than a preset time (e.g., 240 minutes). In this case, the preset time may be set by the manufacturer or a user. Also, the preset time may be automatically set based on the smoking cycle of the user.

[0056] However, in another embodiment, the processor 110 may determine whether the condition of the data stored in the memory 130 is satisfied first before determining whether the preset condition of the data related to the heating time of the heater 120 is satisfied. For example, the condition related to the data stored in the memory 130 may be satisfied when, among the data flags of the log data, a first data flag related to the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 has a value of 1 and a second data flag related to whether or not to issue a notification has a value of 0. In this case, when the first data flag has a value of 1, it may mean that the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Also, when the second data flag has a value of 0, it may mean that no notification is output via the user interface 140. However, the data representation method is not limited thereto and may be variously changed according to design.

[0057] In an embodiment, when the data related to the heating time of the heater 120 satisfies a preset condition, the processor 110 may output a notification via the user interface 140. The notification output via the user interface 140 may also be related to charging of a battery in the aerosol generating device 100. For example, when the data related to the heating time of the heater 120 satisfies a preset condition, the processor 110 may change the value of a second data flag related to the notification stored in the memory 130 from 0 to 1. The processor 110 may output a notification via the user interface 140 as the value of the second data flag is changed to 1.

[0058] 3 is a flow chart showing a specific process for an aerosol generating device to acquire heating time related data according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flow chart for specifically explaining operation 201 in FIG.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 3, in operation 201a, a processor (e.g., processor 110 (FIG. 1)) may obtain the cumulative heating count of heater 120 if power is supplied to heater 120 after a critical time has passed since the last heating time of the heater (e.g., heater 120 (FIG. 1)). For example, if the critical time is 10 minutes and power is supplied to the heater 120 after the critical time of 10 minutes has elapsed since the last time heating of the heater 120 was started, the processor 110 may add 1 to the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120. In this case, the critical time may mean the maximum time that the processor 110 determines as a continuous smoking behavior of the user. The critical time may be set by the manufacturer or the user. In addition, the preset time may be automatically set based on the smoking cycle of the user, and the processor 110 may count the heating operation of the heater 120 due to the continuous smoking behavior of the user as the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120.

[0060] According to one embodiment, in operation 201b, the processor 110 may calculate an average heating interval of the heater 120 and update the last heating time of the heater 120 if the cumulative heating count of the heater 120 is equal to or greater than a critical value.

[0061] For example, if the critical value is 10 and the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is 11, the processor 110 may calculate the average heating interval of the heater 120. In this case, the processor 110 may calculate the time (T1) from the end of the first heating, which is the initial heating of the heater 120, to the start of the second heating, the time (T2) from the end of the second heating to the start of the third heating, the time (T3) from the end of the third heating to the start of the fourth heating, ..., the time (T4) from the end of the tenth heating to the start of the eleventh heating, which is the final heating of the heater 120. 10 In one embodiment, the processor 110 may calculate the average heating interval for the remaining eight heating intervals excluding the maximum and minimum values ​​from the ten heating intervals. In this case, the reliability of the average value of the heating interval of the heater 120 may be increased.

[0062] Also, for example, if the critical value is 10 and the cumulative number of heating times of the heater 120 is 11, the processor 110 may update the last heating time of the heater 120. In this case, the updated last heating time may mean the time when the 11th heating of the heater 120 started.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the processor 110 may store the heating time related data, including the average heating interval calculated in act 201c and the updated final heating time, in a memory (eg, memory 130 (FIG. 1)).

[0064] In one embodiment, the processor 110 may store data related to the heating time in a data register of the memory 130. The data register of the memory 130 may refer to a register that stores data to be used in subsequent calculations. For example, the processor 110 may set a parameter related to the average heating interval to "INTERVAL_AVG" and store "INTERVAL_AVG=120min" in relation to the calculated average heating interval in the data register of the memory 130. The processor 110 may also set a parameter related to the final heating time to "FINAL_HEAT" and store "FINAL_HEAT=11:30:01" in relation to the updated final heating time in the data register of the memory 130.

[0065] According to one embodiment, in operation 201d, the processor 110 may set the value of a first data flag, which is data related to the cumulative number of heatings of the heater 120, to 1, and set the value of a second data flag, which is data related to notifications via a user interface (e.g., user interface 140 (FIG. 1)), to 0.

[0066] 4 illustrates an example of data stored in a memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, including, but not limited to, a database format for an execution log of a processor (e.g., processor 110 (FIG. 1)) in an aerosol generating device (e.g., aerosol generating device 100 (FIG. 1)).

[0067] 4, the execution log 400 of the processor 110 includes an item number 405, a date and time 410, an element ID 415, an operation content 420 of the element, and a parameter 425. However, this is merely an example, and the execution log 400 may include various fields within a range that is obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0068] In one embodiment, log data 1 (i.e., data whose item number 1 is 1) is data indicating that power supply to the heater (e.g., heater 120 (FIG. 1)) begins, and log data 2 is also data indicating that power supply to the heater 120 is interrupted. At this time, the ID of the heater 120, which is a component of the aerosol generating device 100, is also 1. For example, the processor 110 may detect that power supply from the battery to the heater 120 begins at "2021.11.27. 09:00:00" and store the log data 1 in a memory (e.g., memory 130 (FIG. 1)). Thereafter, the processor 110 may detect that power supply from the battery to the heater 120 is interrupted at "2021.11.27. 09:03:24" and store the log data 2 in the memory 130. The processor 110 can also determine the final heating time to be "2021.11.27. 09:00:00", when power supply from the battery to the heater 120 began.

[0069] In one embodiment, the log data 3 is also data indicating that the insertion of a cigarette (i.e., an aerosol product) is detected in the aerosol generation device 100. At this time, the ID of a cigarette recognition sensor (not shown), which is a component of the aerosol generation device 100, is also 2. For example, the processor 110 may detect the insertion of a cigarette via the cigarette recognition sensor at "2021.11.27. 11:30:00" and store the log data 3 in the memory 130.

[0070] In one embodiment, the log data 4 is also data indicating that power supply to the heater 120 starts. In this case, the processor 110 may detect that power supply from the battery to the heater 120 starts at "2021.11.27. 11:30:01". The processor 110 may also detect that power is supplied to the heater 120 after a critical time of 10 minutes has elapsed since "2021.11.27. 09:00:00", which is the final heating time of the heater 120. As a result, the processor 110 may add 1 to the accumulated number of heatings to obtain an updated accumulated number of heatings (i.e., 11) of the heater 120. Thereafter, the processor 110 may store "ACCUMULATED_HEAT=11" in the memory 130 as a parameter related to the accumulated number of heatings of the heater 120.

[0071] In one embodiment, the log data 5 is also data indicating that data related to the heating time of the heater 120 is stored. At this time, the ID of the memory 130, which is a component of the aerosol generating device 100, is also 3. For example, at "2021.11.27. 11:30:02", the processor 110 may calculate the average heating interval of the heater 120, update the final heating time of the heater 120, and store it in the memory 130. For example, the processor 110 may store "INTERVAL_AVG=120min" as a parameter related to the average heating interval of the heater 120, and "FINAL_HEAT=11:30:01" as a parameter related to the final heating time of the heater 120 in the memory 130.

[0072] In one embodiment, the log data 6 is also data indicating that a data flag value is set and stored by the processor 110. For example, the processor 110 may set the value of a first data flag, which is data related to the accumulated number of heatings of the heater 120, to 1, and set the value of a second data flag, which is data related to a notification via a user interface (e.g., user interface 140 (FIG. 1)), to 0. In this case, if a threshold value related to the accumulated number of heatings of the heater 120 is 10 times and the accumulated number of heatings is 11 times, the processor 110 may store "COUNT_10_FLAG=1" in the memory 130 as a parameter of the first data flag. Also, since a notification via the user interface 140 has not been output, the processor 110 may store "NOTI_FLAG=0" in the memory 130 as a parameter of the second data flag.

[0073] 5 is a flowchart illustrating a specific process for outputting a notification from the aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for specifically explaining operation 203 in FIG.

[0074] 5, a processor (e.g., processor 110 (FIG. 1)) may determine whether the average heating interval of a heater (e.g., heater 120 (FIG. 1)) is less than a preset time in operation 203a. For example, if the preset time is 240 minutes (i.e., 4 hours) and the average heating interval of heater 120 calculated in operation 201b of FIG. 3 is 120 minutes (i.e., 2 hours) (i.e., if the user smokes at an average interval of 2 hours), processor 110 may determine that the average heating interval of heater 120 is less than the preset time. In one embodiment, if it is determined that the average heating interval of the heater 120 is less than the preset time, the processor 110 may acquire the current time via a real time clock (RTC) module in operation 203b. For example, the processor 110 may acquire that the current time is "2021.11.27.15:00:02" via the RTC module.

[0075] In one embodiment, in operation 203c, the processor 110 may compare the sum of the last heating time of the heater 120 and the average heating interval of the heater 120 with the current time acquired via the RTC module. For example, if the last heating time of the heater 120 updated in operation 201b of FIG. 3 is "2021.11.27. 11:30:01" and the average heating interval of the heater 120 is 120 minutes, the processor 110 may acquire "2021.11.27. 13:30:01" by summing the last heating time of the heater 120 and the average heating interval of the heater 120.

[0076] In one embodiment, if it is determined that the combined time of the last heating time of the heater 120 and the average heating interval of the heater 120 (e.g., "2021.11.27. 13:30:01") is prior to the current time (e.g., "2021.11.27. 15:00:02"), the processor 110 may, in operation 203d, change the value of the second data flag to 1 and output a notification via a user interface (e.g., user interface 140 (Figure 1)).

[0077] If it is determined that the sum of the final heating time of the heater 120 and the average heating interval of the heater 120 is after the current time, the processor 110 can return to operation 203a and repeat the following operations.

[0078] In one embodiment, if it is determined that the average heating interval of the heater 120 is equal to or greater than the preset time, the processor 110 may determine in operation 203e whether the preset time has elapsed since the last heating time of the heater 120. For example, if the preset time is 240 minutes (i.e., 4 hours) and the average heating interval of the heater 120 is 270 minutes (i.e., 4.5 hours) (i.e., if the user smokes on average every 4 hours and 30 minutes), the processor 110 may determine whether 4 hours have elapsed since the last heating time, "2021.11.27. 11:30:01".

[0079] In one embodiment, when it is determined that the preset time has elapsed since the last heating time of the heater 120, the processor 110 may initialize data related to the heating time of the heater 120 stored in the memory 130 in operation 203f. That is, when the user smokes less frequently than the preset time, the processor 110 may initialize data related to the heating time of the heater 120 stored in the memory 130 without outputting a separate notification related to battery charging.

[0080] If it is determined that the preset time has not elapsed since the final heating time of the heater 120, the processor 110 can return to operation 203a and repeat the subsequent operations.

[0081] 6A illustrates an example of data stored in a memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and FIG. 6B illustrates a first UI (user interface) state displayed on a display D of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0082] 6A, the processor execution log 600 also includes an item number 605, a date and time 610, an element ID 615, an operation content of the element 620, and a parameter 625. However, this is merely an example, and the execution log 600 may include various fields within a range that is obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0083] In one embodiment, the log data 15 is also data indicating that there is no power supplied to the battery. At this time, the ID of the battery (not shown), which is a component of the aerosol generating device (e.g., the aerosol generating device 100 (FIG. 1)), is also 4. For example, the processor (e.g., the processor 110 (FIG. 1)) may detect that there is no power supplied to the battery via a terminal for supplying charging power, and store the log data 15 in a memory (e.g., the memory 130 (FIG. 1)).

[0084] In one embodiment, the log data 16 is also data indicating a result of comparing the average heating interval of the heater 120 with a preset time. For example, the processor 110 may compare the value of "INTERVAL_AVG", which is a parameter related to the average number of heating times of the heater 120, "120 min" with the value of "INTERVAL_SET", which is a parameter related to the preset time, "240 min". The processor 110 may also determine that the average heating interval of the heater 120 is less than the preset time.

[0085] In one embodiment, the log data 17 is also data indicating that the current time is obtained via the RTC module. In this case, the ID of the RTC module, which is a component of the aerosol generating device 100, is also 5. For example, the processor 110 may obtain "RTC_TIME=15:00:02" from the RTC module as a parameter related to the current time.

[0086] In one embodiment, the log data 18 is also data indicating that the sum of the final heating time of the heater 120 and the average heating interval of the heater 120 is compared with the current time to obtain a result. For example, the processor 110 may sum "FINAL_HEAT=11:30:01" indicating the final heating time of the heater 120 and "INTERVAL_AVG=120min" indicating the average heating interval of the heater 120 to obtain "ESTIMATED_TIME=13:30:01" as a parameter related to the estimated smoking time. The processor 110 may also compare "13:30:01", which is the value of "ESTIMATED_TIME", which is the parameter related to the estimated smoking time, with "15:00:02", which is a parameter related to the current time. As a result, the processor 110 may determine that the estimated smoking time is earlier than the current time.

[0087] In one embodiment, the log data 19 is also data indicating that the data flag value stored in the memory 130 is changed by the processor 110 and a notification is output. For example, when the processor 110 determines that the estimated smoking time is earlier than the current time, the processor 110 may change the value of a second data flag, which is data related to a notification via a user interface (e.g., the user interface 140 (FIG. 1)), to 1. The processor 110 may store "NOTI_FLAG=1" in the memory 130 as a parameter of the second data flag and output a notification via the user interface 140.

[0088] 6B, the UI screen output through the display D of the aerosol generating device 100 includes at least one of the expected number of heatings, the expected usage time, and the remaining battery capacity. In this case, the expected number of heatings and the expected usage time may respectively mean the expected remaining number of smoking actions that can heat a cigarette and the expected remaining time, when the user's smoking cycle is taken into consideration. For example, the UI screen output through the display D may display that the expected number of heatings is 2.5 times and the expected usage time is 10 minutes. The UI screen also includes an area 630 that displays the remaining battery status.

[0089] For example, the area 630 may also include a warning icon indicating that the aerosol generating device 100 needs charging, information and / or icons relating to the remaining battery charge.

[0090] 7A illustrates an example of data stored in a memory of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and FIG 7B illustrates a second UI state displayed on a display D of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0091] 7A, the processor execution log 700 includes an item number 705, a date and time 710, an element ID 715, an operation content of the element 720, and a parameter 725. However, this is merely an example, and the execution log 700 may include various fields within a range that is obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

[0092] In one embodiment, the log data 15 is also data indicating that there is no power supplied to the battery. At this time, the ID of the battery (not shown), which is a component of the aerosol generating device (e.g., the aerosol generating device 100 (FIG. 1)), is also 4. For example, the processor (e.g., the processor 110 (FIG. 1)) may detect that there is no power supplied to the battery via a terminal for supplying charging power, and store the log data 15 in a memory (e.g., the memory 130 (FIG. 1)).

[0093] In one embodiment, the log data 16 is also data indicating a comparison of the average heating interval of the heater 120 with a preset time and obtaining a result. For example, the processor 110 may compare the value of "INTERVAL_AVG", which is a parameter related to the average number of heating times of the heater 120, of "250 min", with the value of "INTERVAL_SET", which is a parameter related to the preset time, of "240 min". As a result, the processor 110 may determine that the average heating interval of the heater 120 exceeds the preset time.

[0094] In one embodiment, the log data 17 is also data indicating whether or not the preset time has elapsed from the final heating time of the heater 120. For example, the processor 110 may determine whether or not "INTERVAL_SET=240 min", which indicates the preset time, has elapsed from "FINAL_HEAT=11:30:01", which indicates the final heating time of the heater 120.

[0095] In one embodiment, the log data 18 is also data indicating that data related to the heating time of the heater 120 is initialized. For example, when it is determined that a preset time (e.g., 240 minutes) has elapsed from the final heating time of the heater 120, the processor 110 may initialize the data related to the heating time of the heater 120.

[0096] 7B, the UI screen output through the display D of the aerosol generating device 100 includes at least one of the number of heatings and the remaining battery charge state. In this case, the number of heatings may mean the expected remaining number of times that a cigarette can be heated, taking into account the current remaining battery charge. For example, the UI screen output through the display D may display that the current remaining battery charge is 85%, and the number of heatings based on this is 12. That is, the UI screen in Fig. 7B is different from the UI screen in Fig. 6B in that it displays data that does not reflect the user's smoking cycle. However, this is merely an example, and data that reflects the user's smoking cycle may also be displayed on the UI screen in Fig. 7B.

[0097] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 800 according to another embodiment.

[0098] The aerosol generating device 800 also includes a control unit 810, a sensing unit 820, an output unit 830, a battery 840, a heater 850, a user input unit 860, a memory 870, and a communication unit 880. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 800 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 8. That is, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to the present embodiment can understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 8 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 800.

[0099] The sensing unit 820 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 800 or the state around the aerosol generating device 800, and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 810. The control unit 810 may control the aerosol generating device 800 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 850, restricting smoking, determining whether or not an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, and displaying notifications based on the sensed information.

[0100] The sensing unit 820 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 822, an insertion detection sensor 824, and a puff sensor 826, but is not limited thereto.

[0101] The temperature sensor 822 may sense the temperature to which the heater 850 (or the aerosol generating substance) is heated. The aerosol generating device 800 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 850, or the heater 850 itself may function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 822 may be disposed around the battery 840 to monitor the temperature of the battery 840.

[0102] The insertion detection sensor 824 may detect the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 824 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and may detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article.

[0103] The puff sensor 826 may detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or airflow channel, for example, the puff sensor 826 may detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

[0104] The sensing unit 820 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (red-green-blue) (illuminance) sensor in addition to the above-mentioned sensors (temperature sensor 822, insertion sensor 824, and puff sensor 826). A person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from its name, so a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0105] The output unit 830 may output information related to the state of the aerosol generating device 800 and provide it to a user. The output unit 830 may include at least one of a display unit 832, a haptic unit 834, and an audio output unit 836, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 832 and the touchpad have a layered structure and are configured as a touch screen, the display unit 832 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0106] The display unit 832 may visually provide information related to the aerosol generating device 800 to a user. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 800 may mean various information such as a charging / discharging state of the battery 840 of the aerosol generating device 800, a preheating state of the heater 850, an insertion / removal state of an aerosol product, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 800 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 832 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 832 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. The display unit 832 may also be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0107] The haptic unit 834 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide a user with tactile information related to the aerosol generating device 800. For example, the haptic unit 834 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0108] The acoustic output unit 836 can audibly provide the user with information related to the aerosol generating device 800. For example, the acoustic output unit 836 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0109] The battery 840 may supply power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 800. The battery 840 may supply power so that the heater 850 can be heated. The battery 840 may also supply power necessary for the operation of other components (e.g., the sensing unit 820, the output unit 830, the user input unit 860, the memory 870, and the communication unit 880) included in the aerosol generating device 800. The battery 840 may be a rechargeable battery or a one-time use battery. For example, the battery 840 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0110] The heater 850 may be supplied with power from the battery 840 and heat the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in Fig. 8, the aerosol generating device 800 further includes a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC (direct current) / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 840 and supplies it to the heater 850. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 800 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 800 further includes a DC / AC (alternating current) converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 840 into an AC power supply.

[0111] The control unit 810, the sensing unit 820, the output unit 830, the user input unit 860, the memory 870, and the communication unit 880 can perform their functions by receiving power from a battery 840. Although not shown in FIG 8, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 840 and supplies it to each component.

[0112] In one embodiment, the heater 850 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material, such as, but 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. The heater 850 may also be embodied as, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having conductive tracks disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0113] In another embodiment, heater 850 is an inductive heater, for example one that includes a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol generating material.

[0114] The user input unit 860 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 860 may be, but is not limited to, a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 8, the aerosol generating device 800 may further include a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to another external device through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 840.

[0115] The memory 870 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 800, and may store data processed by the control unit 810 and data to be processed. The memory 870 may include at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card-type memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) memory or an extreme digital (XD) memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 870 may store the operation time, maximum puff count, current puff count, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the user's smoking pattern of the aerosol generating device 800.

[0116] The communication unit 880 also includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices, for example, the communication unit 880 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 882 and a wireless communication unit 884.

[0117] The short-range communication unit 882 may include, 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 (wireless local area network) (Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)) 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, and the like.

[0118] The wireless communication unit 884 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 884 may also use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 800 within the communication network.

[0119] The control unit 810 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 800. In one embodiment, the control unit 810 also includes at least one processor. The processor may be realized by an array of a number of logic gates, or may be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, it will be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs that the processor may be realized by other types of hardware.

[0120] The control unit 810 can control the temperature of the heater 850 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 840 to the heater 850. For example, the control unit 810 can control the power supply by controlling switching of switching elements of the battery 840 and the heater 850. In another example, a heating direct circuit can control the power supply to the heater 850 by a control command from the control unit 810.

[0121] The control unit 810 may analyze the result sensed by the sensing unit 820 and control the process to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit 810 may control the power supplied to the heater 850 so that the operation of the heater 850 is started or stopped based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 820. As another example, the control unit 810 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 850 and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater 850 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 820.

[0122] The control unit 810 may control the output unit 830 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 820. For example, if the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 826 reaches a preset number, the control unit 810 may notify the user through at least one of the display unit 832, the haptic unit 834, and the audio output unit 836 that the aerosol generating device 800 will soon be shut down.

[0123] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium including computer executable instructions such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer readable medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, including both volatile and non-volatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. A computer readable medium also includes both a computer recording medium and a communication medium. The computer recording medium includes both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery medium.

[0124] The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents described in the claims should be interpreted as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. In the aerosol generating device, a heater for heating at least a portion of the aerosol product; Memory, A user interface that outputs a notification to a user; a processor; The processor, If the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than a critical value, data related to the heating time of the heater is obtained and stored in the memory; An aerosol generating device that outputs the notification via the user interface based on whether or not the heating time related data satisfies a preset condition.

2. The processor, The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein after acquiring the heating time related data, the value of a first data flag, which is data related to the cumulative number of heating times of the heater, is set to 1, and the value of a second data flag, which is data related to the notification via the user interface, is set to 0.

3. a battery for supplying power to the heater; The processor, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the cumulative number of heating events is increased when the battery starts to supply power to the heater after a critical time from a final heating time of the heater.

4. The processor, If the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than the critical value, calculate an average heating interval between the end of a previous heating of the heater and the start of a next heating of the heater, and update a final heating time of the heater; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: storing the heating time-related data, including the calculated average heating interval and the updated final heating time, in the memory.

5. Further includes a real time clock (RTC) module; The processor, If the calculated average heating interval is less than a preset time, obtain a current time through the RTC module; The aerosol generating device of claim 4, wherein when the estimated smoking time obtained by adding the final heating time of the heater to the calculated average heating interval is earlier than the current time, the value of a second data flag, which is data related to whether or not a notification is given via the user interface, is changed to 1.

6. The processor, outputting the notification based on the changed value of the second data flag; The aerosol generating device according to claim 5 , wherein the notification indicates at least one of an estimated remaining number of heating times, an estimated remaining usage time, and a remaining battery charge status.

7. The processor, The aerosol generating device of claim 4, wherein when the calculated average heating interval is equal to or longer than a preset time and the preset time has elapsed since the final heating time of the heater, the heating time related data stored in the memory is initialized.

8. The processor, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the data related to the heating time of the heater stored in the memory is initialized based on a reference unit time.

9. 1. A method of operating an aerosol generating device, comprising: if the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than a critical value, acquiring data related to the heating time of the heater and storing the data in a memory; and outputting a notification via a user interface based on whether the heating time related data satisfies a preset condition.

10. The method for operating the aerosol generating device described in claim 9, further comprising the step of setting a value of a first data flag related to the cumulative number of heating times of the heater to 1 after acquiring the heating time related data, and setting a value of a second data flag, which is data related to the notification via the user interface, to 0.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising increasing the cumulative number of heatings when a battery starts supplying power to the heater after a critical time has elapsed since the last heating time of the heater.

12. If the cumulative number of heating times of the heater is equal to or greater than the critical value, calculating an average heating interval between the end of a previous heating of the heater and the start of a next heating of the heater, and updating a final heating time of the heater; The method of claim 9 , further comprising: storing the heating time related data, including the calculated average heating interval and the updated final heating time, in the memory.

13. If the calculated average heating interval is less than a preset time, acquiring a current time through a real time clock (RTC) module; The method for operating an aerosol generating device as described in claim 12, further comprising: changing the value of a second data flag, which is data related to notification via the user interface, to 1 when the estimated smoking time, which is the sum of the final heating time of the heater and the calculated average heating interval, is earlier than the current time.

14. outputting the notification based on the changed value of the second data flag; The method of claim 13, wherein the notification indicates at least one of an expected remaining number of heatings, an expected remaining usage time, and a remaining battery charge status.

15. The method for operating an aerosol generating device according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of initializing heating time-related data stored in the memory and outputting a notification regarding at least one of an expected remaining number of heatings and an expected remaining usage time when the calculated average heating interval is equal to or greater than a preset time and the preset time has elapsed since the final heating time of the heater.

Images