Aerosol generating device and system

Abstract

The present invention provides an aerosol generating device and system that can accurately determine the presence or absence of an aerosol-generating substrate by controlling the power supplied to a heating unit. [Solution] The aerosol generating device 10 and system 1 determine whether the aerosol generating substrate 20 has detached from the aerosol generating device 10 based on the change in inductance while the power supplied to the heating section 140 is cut off.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to aerosol generating devices and systems, and more particularly to aerosol generating devices and systems that can more accurately determine the desorption of an aerosol-generating substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes, such as a method of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material in the cigarette or liquid reservoir, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette.

[0003] Such an aerosol generating device can detect the presence or absence of a cigarette through an inductive sensor and heat the heater based on the presence or absence of a cigarette.

[0004] However, when a cigarette is heated by induction heating, the variable magnetic field generated by the induction coil acts as a noise component in the induction sensor, making it difficult to accurately detect whether or not a cigarette is present. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The technical problem that the present disclosure aims to solve is to provide an aerosol generating device and system that can accurately determine the presence or absence of an aerosol generating substrate by controlling the power supplied to a heating section.

[0006] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and further technical problems can be inferred from the following examples. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above-mentioned technical problems may include a cavity for accommodating an aerosol-generating substrate, a heating unit for heating the aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the cavity, a substrate detection unit for detecting a change in inductance caused by the insertion and detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate, and a control unit for determining the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate based on the amount of change in inductance while power supplied to the heating unit is cut off.

[0008] An aerosol generating system according to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problems includes an aerosol generating device including an aerosol-generating substrate, a susceptor arranged to surround a cavity in which the aerosol-generating substrate is accommodated, and an induction coil that generates a variable magnetic field to heat the susceptor, and the aerosol generating device may further include a substrate detection unit that detects a change in inductance caused by insertion and detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate, and a control unit that determines the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate based on the amount of change in inductance when power supplied to the induction coil is cut off. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The aerosol generating device and system disclosed herein periodically cuts off the power supplied to the heating unit and periodically detects changes in inductance while the power is cut off, thereby completely eliminating noise components of the induction sensor caused by the variable magnetic field generated in the heating unit.

[0010] In addition, the aerosol generating device and system calculate the amount of change in inductance with the noise components of the induction sensor removed, so that the detachment of the cigarette can be determined more accurately.

[0011] Furthermore, the aerosol generation device and system can prevent the temperature of the heating part from dropping suddenly by setting the power supply time to be longer than the power cut-off time.

[0012] Furthermore, the aerosol generating device and system can accurately determine whether a cigarette has been detached without impairing the user's smoking experience by preventing a sudden change in temperature of the heating section.

[0013] In addition, the aerosol generating device and system can prevent overheating of the aerosol generating device and significantly reduce power consumption by cutting off the power supplied to the heating unit when a cigarette is detached.

[0014] The effects of the present disclosure 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 present disclosure pertains from this specification and the attached drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operation of an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting whether or not an aerosol-generating substrate is inserted according to the present disclosure, and a method for controlling a heating unit when an aerosol-generating substrate is inserted. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting detachment of an aerosol-forming substrate according to the present disclosure and a method for controlling a heating unit when an aerosol-forming substrate is detached. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating a power cut-off time and a power supply time according to one or more embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating an inductance change amount according to one or more embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problems may include a main body including a cavity for accommodating an aerosol-generating substrate, a heating unit for heating the aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the cavity, a substrate detection unit for detecting a change in inductance caused by the insertion of the aerosol-generating substrate into the cavity and its detachment from the cavity, and a control unit for determining the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate from the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance when power supplied to the heating unit is cut off.

[0017] In addition, the control unit can activate the substrate detection unit while cutting off the power supplied to the heating unit, calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit, and determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted into the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance that is greater than or equal to a preset upper critical value.

[0018] The control unit may also initiate power supply to the heating unit based on a determination that the aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted into the cavity.

[0019] In addition, the control unit can periodically cut off the power supplied to the heating unit based on the aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the cavity, and while the power supplied to the heating unit is periodically cut off, periodically calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit, and determine detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate from the cavity based on the periodically calculated amount of change in inductance.

[0020] In addition, the control unit supplies power to the heating unit based on a power supply time of a periodic control signal and cuts off the power supplied to the heating unit based on a power cut-off time of the periodic control signal, and in one period of the periodic control signal, the power cut-off time can be set to be shorter than the power supply time.

[0021] Furthermore, the control unit can calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit during the power cut-off time.

[0022] The controller may also determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate has been detached from the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance being less than a preset lower critical value.

[0023] The control unit may also cut off power supplied to the heating unit based on a determination that the aerosol-generating substrate has been detached from the cavity.

[0024] An aerosol generating system according to another embodiment of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem may include an aerosol generating device including an aerosol-generating substrate and a susceptor arranged to surround a cavity of the aerosol generating device in which the aerosol-generating substrate is contained, an induction coil that generates a variable magnetic field to heat the susceptor, a substrate detection unit that detects a change in inductance caused by the insertion of the aerosol-generating substrate into the cavity and its detachment from the cavity, and a control unit that determines the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate from the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance when the power supplied to the induction coil is cut off.

[0025] In addition, the control unit can activate the substrate detection unit while cutting off the power supplied to the induction coil, calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit, and determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted into the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance that is greater than or equal to a preset upper critical value.

[0026] The controller may also provide power to the induction coil based on a determination that the aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted into the cavity.

[0027] In addition, the control unit can periodically cut off the power supplied to the induction coil based on the aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the cavity, and while the power supplied to the induction coil is periodically cut off, periodically calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit, and determine detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate from the cavity based on the periodically calculated amount of change in inductance.

[0028] In addition, the control unit supplies power to the induction coil based on a power supply time of the periodic control signal and cuts off power to the induction coil based on a power cut-off time of the periodic control signal, and in one period of the periodic control signal, the power cut-off time can be set to be shorter than the power supply time.

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit can calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit during the power cut-off time.

[0030] The controller may also determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate has been detached from the cavity based on the amount of change in inductance being less than a preset lower critical value.

[0031] The terms used in the examples are currently widely used and common terms as much as possible, taking into consideration the functions in the present disclosure, but they may vary depending on the intentions of the technical experts in the field, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select a term, and in such cases, the meaning of the term will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, not just the name of the term.

[0032] As used herein, phrases such as "at least one" modify the entire list of elements and not the individual elements of the list. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to include any of "a," "b," "c," "a and b," "a and c," "b and c," or "a, b, and c."

[0033] When an element or layer is referred to as being "above," "on," "connected," or "coupled" to another element or layer, it may be directly connected or directly coupled to the other element or layer, or there may be separate coupled elements or layers. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly above," "directly on," "directly connected," or "directly coupled" to another element or layer, it must be understood that there are no intervening separate elements. Like reference numbers refer to the same elements throughout.

[0034] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean excluding other components, and may further include other components, unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Furthermore, the terms "part" and "module" described in this specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0035] Throughout this specification, "puff" refers to a user's inhalation, which can refer to the situation in which air and / or aerosol is drawn in through the user's mouth and nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

[0036] Throughout this specification, the pre-heating section refers to a section for increasing the temperatures of the first heater and the second heater, and the smoking section refers to a section for maintaining the temperature of the first heater and a section in which the user inhales. Hereinafter, the pre-heating section and the smoking section may also be referred to as the pre-heating time and the smoking time, respectively.

[0037] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating system according to the present disclosure.

[0040] Referring to the drawings, the aerosol generation system 1 may include an aerosol generation device 10 and a cigarette 20. The aerosol generation device 10 includes a cavity 160 into which the cigarette 20 is inserted, and is capable of generating an aerosol by heating the cigarette 20 inserted into the cavity 160. The cigarette 20 may include an aerosol-generating substance as a type of aerosol-generating substrate.

[0041] The aerosol generating device 10 may include a battery 110, a control unit 120, a susceptor 130, an induction coil 140, and a substrate detection unit 150. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. A person having ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment would understand that some of the hardware configurations shown in Fig. 1 may be omitted or new configurations may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10.

[0042] The battery 110 supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the battery 110 can supply power so that the induction coil 140 generates a variable magnetic field. The battery 110 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other hardware configurations provided in the aerosol generating device 10, such as various sensors (not shown), a user interface (not shown), a memory (not shown), and the control unit 120. The battery 110 is a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 110 can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0043] The control unit 120 is hardware that controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation apparatus 10. For example, the control unit 120 controls the operation of not only the battery 110, the susceptor 130, the induction coil 140, and the substrate detection unit 150, but also other components included in the aerosol generation apparatus 10. The control unit 120 can also check the state of each component of the aerosol generation apparatus 10 and determine whether the aerosol generation apparatus 10 is in an operable state.

[0044] The control unit 120 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a number of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the processor may also be implemented as different types of hardware.

[0045] The susceptor 130 may include a material that is heated by application of a variable magnetic field. For example, the susceptor 130 may include a metal or carbon. The susceptor 130 may include at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). The susceptor 130 may also include at least one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloy, metal film, ceramic such as zirconia, transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), and semi-metal such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P), but is not limited thereto.

[0046] In one example, the susceptor 130 may be tubular or cylindrical and may be disposed to surround the cavity 160 into which the cigarette 20 is inserted. When the cigarette 20 is inserted into the cavity 160 of the aerosol generating device 10, the susceptor 130 may be disposed to surround the cigarette 20. Thus, the temperature of the aerosol generating material within the cigarette 20 may be increased by heat transferred from the external susceptor 130.

[0047] The induction coil 140 may generate a variable magnetic field by receiving power from the battery 110. The variable magnetic field generated by the induction coil 140 may be applied to the susceptor 130, thereby heating the susceptor 130. The power supplied to the induction coil 140 may be adjusted under the control of the control unit 120, and the temperature to which the susceptor 130 is heated may be appropriately maintained.

[0048] The substrate detection unit 150 can detect whether the cigarette 20 is inserted into the cavity 160. The substrate detection unit 150 can detect the amount of change in inductance caused by the insertion and removal of the cigarette 20. To this end, the cigarette 20 may include an electromagnetic inductor 210. The electromagnetic inductor 210 can change the inductance of the substrate detection unit 150. The electromagnetic inductor 210 may include a conductor in which an eddy current is induced and a magnetic material capable of generating a magnetic flux change. For example, the electromagnetic inductor 210 may include a metal material, magnetic ink, magnetic tape, etc. The electromagnetic inductor 210 may also be a metal material such as aluminum. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electromagnetic inductor 210 may include a material that changes the inductance of the substrate detection unit 451 without limitation.

[0049] The substrate detector 150 includes a detection coil (not shown) and can convert a frequency value that is varied by inserting and removing the cigarette 20 into an inductance output value and output it.

[0050] The control unit 120 can calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150, and determine whether the cigarette 20 has been inserted or removed based on the amount of change in inductance.

[0051] When the control unit 120 detects the insertion of the cigarette 20, the control unit 120 can automatically perform a heating operation without any additional external input. For example, when the control unit 120 detects the insertion of the cigarette 20 using the substrate detection unit 150, the control unit 120 can control the battery 110 to supply power to the induction coil 140. The susceptor 130 can be heated by generating a variable magnetic field by the induction coil 140. Therefore, the cigarette 20 placed inside the susceptor 130 can be heated and an aerosol can be generated.

[0052] The cigarette 20 may be similar to a typical combustion cigarette. For example, the cigarette 20 may be divided into a first portion including an aerosol-generating material and a second portion including a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of the cigarette 20 may also include an aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material formed into granules or capsules may be inserted into the second portion.

[0053] The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol generation device 10, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generation device 10, and the entire first part and a part of the second part may be inserted. A user may inhale the aerosol while holding the second part in his / her mouth. In this case, the aerosol is generated by external air passing through the first part, and the generated aerosol is delivered to the user's mouth by passing through the second part.

[0054] As an example, the external air may flow in through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the opening and / or closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10 and / or the size of the air passage may be adjusted by the user. This allows the user to adjust the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. As another example, the external air may flow in through at least one hole formed in the surface of the cigarette 20.

[0055] Meanwhile, the aerosol generation device 10 may further include a general-purpose configuration in addition to the battery 110, the control unit 120, the susceptor 130, the induction coil 140, and the substrate detection unit 150. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 may further include other sensors (e.g., a temperature detection sensor, a puff detection sensor, etc.) and a user interface in addition to the substrate detection unit 150. In addition, the aerosol generation device 10 may be manufactured with a structure in which external air flows in or internal gas flows out even when the cigarette 20 is inserted.

[0056] The user interface can provide a user with information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 10. The user interface may include a display or lamp for outputting visual information, a motor for outputting tactile information, a speaker for outputting sound information, and an input / output (I / O) interfacing means (e.g., a button or a touch screen) for receiving information input from a user or outputting information to a user. The user interface may also include various interfacing means such as a terminal for performing data communication or receiving charging power, and a communication interfacing module for performing wireless communication with an external device (e.g., WI-FI, WI-FI Direct, Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near-Field Communication), etc.).

[0057] According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 may be embodied by selecting only a part of the various user interface examples exemplified above. Also, the aerosol generating device 10 may be embodied by combining at least a part of the various user interface examples exemplified above. For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a touch screen display capable of outputting visual information on the front side and receiving user input. The touch screen display may include a fingerprint sensor, and user authentication may be performed by the fingerprint sensor.

[0058] Although not shown in Fig. 1, the aerosol generating device 10 may configure a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 10. Alternatively, the induction coil 140 may be heated with the cradle and the aerosol generating device 10 coupled together.

[0059] FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure.

[0060] Referring to the drawings, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a battery 110, a control unit 120, a susceptor 130, an induction coil 140, a substrate detection unit 150, and a memory 170. Fig. 2 illustrates a partial configuration of the aerosol generating device 10. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment would understand that the aerosol generating device 10 further includes other components in addition to the components illustrated in Fig. 2. In the following, the description overlapping with Fig. 1 will be omitted.

[0061] The substrate detection unit 150 can detect whether or not an aerosol-generating substrate 20 is present in the cavity 160. The substrate detection unit 150 can detect a change in inductance caused by the insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating substrate 20. The aerosol-generating substrate 20 is also the cigarette 20 of FIG.

[0062] The substrate detection unit 150 may include an inductive sensor that detects a change in inductance caused by the insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating substrate 20. In this case, the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may include an electromagnetic inductor 210 that is detected by the inductive sensor. For example, at least one of the multiple wrappers included in the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is also made of aluminum foil.

[0063] The substrate detection unit 150 can transmit the amount of inductance change caused by the insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 to the control unit 120 as an interrupt signal ir.

[0064] The control unit 120 can detect the insertion and removal of the aerosol-generating substrate based on the interrupt signal ir output by the substrate detection unit 150. In addition, the control unit 120 can distinguish the type of metal contained in the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150, and can verify the authenticity and / or type of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on this.

[0065] In standby mode, with the power supplied to the heating unit 310 cut off, the control unit 120 can determine whether or not the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160 based on the change in inductance output by the substrate detection unit 150.

[0066] The control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160 when the amount of change in inductance is equal to or greater than a preset upper critical value in the standby mode.

[0067] When the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160, it can start supplying power to the heating unit 310. In this case, the heating unit 310 also includes a susceptor 130 and an induction coil 140.

[0068] The control unit 120 may control the power supplied to the heating unit 310 through a pulse width modulation (PWM) method. To this end, the control unit 120 may include a pulse width modulation module.

[0069] The control unit 120 can periodically cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 while starting the power supply to the heating unit 310. This is to remove noise components of the substrate detection unit 150 generated by the induction coil 140.

[0070] When the control unit 120 starts supplying power to the heating unit 310, the control unit 120 can determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached based on the amount of change in inductance output during a preset power cut-off time. The control unit 120 can determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160 when the amount of change in inductance output during a preset power cut-off time is equal to or less than a preset lower limit critical value.

[0071] When the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160 , it can cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 .

[0072] The memory 170 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 10, and can store data processed by the control unit 120 and data to be processed. The memory can be of various types, such as RAM (random access memory) such as DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), and EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory). Thus, it is embodied.

[0073] The memory 170 may store an upper and lower critical values ​​of an inductance change amount for determining the presence or absence of the aerosol-generating substrate 20. The memory 170 may also store data related to the operation time of the aerosol-generating device 10, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the smoking pattern of the user.

[0074] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure.

[0075] Referring to the drawings, the method of operating the aerosol generating device 10 is composed of steps that are processed in a time series manner in the aerosol generating device 10 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Therefore, even if the content is omitted below, it can be understood that the content described above regarding the aerosol generating device 10 in Figures 1 and 2 also applies to the method of operating the aerosol generating device in Figure 3.

[0076] At step S310, the control unit 120 can determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160 based on the amount of change in inductance while cutting off the power supplied to the heating unit 310.

[0077] The control unit 120 can determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160 when the amount of change in inductance is greater than or equal to a preset upper critical value while the power supplied to the heating unit 310 is cut off.

[0078] If the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has not been inserted into the cavity 160 , it may wait until the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160 .

[0079] Step S310 is performed in a standby mode. The standby mode refers to any mode in which power is cut off to the remaining components except for the components for detecting the insertion of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 (e.g., the substrate detection unit, etc.) before the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, and the standby mode in the present disclosure is not limited to the name. For example, the standby mode may refer to the same mode as a power saving mode, a sleep mode, etc.

[0080] In step S320, when the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160, it can start supplying power to the heating unit 310.

[0081] When the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, it can automatically supply power to the induction coil 140 without any additional external input. The control unit 120 can control the power supplied to the induction coil 140 through a pulse width modulation (PWM) method. A method of detecting whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted and a method of controlling the heating unit 310 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

[0082] Meanwhile, since the substrate detection unit 150 includes a detection coil, when power is supplied to the induction coil 140, the variable magnetic field generated by the induction coil 140 can affect the detection coil. That is, when power is supplied to the induction coil 140, the variable magnetic field generated by the induction coil 140 can induce an induced current to the detection coil, thereby changing the inductance output value of the substrate detection unit 150. Since the induced current induced by the induction coil 140 acts as a noise component of the substrate detection unit 150, if the amount of change in inductance is calculated without removing such noise component, the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 cannot be accurately determined.

[0083] The aerosol generating device 10 of the present disclosure periodically cuts off the power supply to the heating unit 310 in order to remove noise components of the substrate detection unit 150 caused by the induction coil 140, and can detect the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150 during a pre-set power cut-off time.

[0084] Specifically, in step S330, the control unit 120 may periodically cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 while starting the power supply to the heating unit 310.

[0085] For example, the control unit 120 may cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 for 100 ms every 1900 ms, but is not limited thereto.

[0086] In step S340, the control unit 120 can determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160 based on the amount of change in inductance while the power supplied to the heating unit 310 is cut off.

[0087] The control unit 120 can determine the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on the amount of change in inductance output during a preset power cutoff time. For example, when the control unit 120 cuts off the power supplied to the induction coil 140 for 100 ms every 1900 ms, the control unit 120 can determine the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on the amount of change in inductance during the 100 ms.

[0088] The control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160 if the amount of change in inductance output during the preset power cutoff time is equal to or less than a lower critical value.

[0089] The aerosol generating device 10 disclosed herein calculates the amount of inductance change in the substrate detection unit 150 while the power supplied to the induction coil 140 is cut off, and therefore can completely remove the noise components in the substrate detection unit 150 generated by the induction coil 140, thereby accurately determining the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20.

[0090] In step S350, if the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160, it can cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310.

[0091] When the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160, it can automatically cut off the power supplied to the induction coil 140 without any additional external input. A method for detecting the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and a method for controlling the heating unit 310 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached will be described in further detail with reference to FIG.

[0092] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a method of detecting whether or not an aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted according to the present disclosure, and a method of controlling a heating unit when an aerosol-generating substrate has been inserted.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 4, in step S410, the control unit 120 may activate the substrate detection unit 150 while cutting off the power supplied to the heating unit 310.

[0094] In a standby mode, the control unit 120 can cut off power supplied to the heating unit 310 and supply power to the substrate detection unit 150. The control unit 120 can periodically collect the inductance output value of the substrate detection unit 150 while the substrate detection unit 150 is in an activated state. The collection period of the inductance output value can be appropriately set based on the power consumption, the inductance variation amount, etc. For example, the control unit 120 can collect the inductance output value of the substrate detection unit 451 at intervals of 100 ms, but is not limited thereto.

[0095] In step S420 , the control unit 120 may calculate an amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150 .

[0096] Since the aerosol-generating substrate 20 includes the electromagnetic inductor 210, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, the inductance of the sensing coil included in the substrate sensing unit 150 may be increased.

[0097] The substrate detection unit 150 can output the inductance value as an interrupt signal ir to the control unit 120. The control unit 120 can calculate the amount of increase in inductance based on the interrupt signal ir.

[0098] In step S430, the control unit 120 may compare the amount of change in inductance with an upper limit critical value.

[0099] The upper threshold value may be set in consideration of the self inductance of the substrate detection unit 150 and the mutual inductance between the detection coil of the substrate detection unit 150 and the aerosol-generating substrate 20. For example, the upper threshold value may be +0.32 mH, but is not limited thereto.

[0100] In step S440, the control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160 if the amount of change in inductance is equal to or greater than a preset upper critical value.

[0101] Alternatively, if the amount of change in inductance is less than a preset upper critical value, the control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 160 and may continue to maintain the standby mode. That is, the control unit 120 may periodically collect the inductance output value of the substrate detection unit 150 while supplying power to the substrate detection unit 150, and may calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the collected inductance output value.

[0102] In step S450, when the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been inserted into the cavity 160, it can start supplying power to the heating unit 310.

[0103] In one embodiment, when it is determined that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, the control unit 120 may output a trigger signal to the induction coil 140 to heat the aerosol-generating substrate 20. The trigger signal may be a signal modulated through a PWM method. That is, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity, the heating unit 310 may be automatically heated without any additional external input. The aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure recognizes the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and automatically heats the heating unit 310, thereby increasing user convenience.

[0104] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a method for detecting detachment of an aerosol-generating substrate according to the present disclosure, and a method for controlling a heating unit when an aerosol-generating substrate is detached, Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining power-cutoff times and power-supply times to which the method described in Figure 5 can be applied, and Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining a method for calculating the amount of inductance change that can be applied to the method described in Figure 5.

[0105] Referring to FIG. 5, in step S510 of FIG. 5, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, the control unit 120 may periodically cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310.

[0106] The control unit 120 can supply and cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 based on the periodic control signal.

[0107] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a periodic control signal.

[0108] 6, in one cycle Tc of the periodic control signal, when the control signal is on, power is supplied to the heating unit 310, and when the control signal is off, the power supplied to the heating unit 310 is cut off. That is, the control unit 120 can supply and cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 based on the periodic control signal. For example, the control unit 120 can cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 for 100 ms every 1900 ms. When the power supplied to the heating unit 310 is cut off, the noise component due to the induction coil 140 can be completely removed from the inductance output value of the substrate detection unit 150.

[0109] On the other hand, the power cutoff time T off is the power supply time T on For example, the power supply time T on is the power cutoff time T off In this way, the aerosol generation device 10 of the present disclosure can prevent a sudden drop in temperature of the heating unit 310, thereby preventing a decrease in the smoking taste.

[0110] In addition, in step S520 of FIG. 5, the control unit 120 may periodically calculate the amount of change in inductance based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150 while the power supplied to the heating unit 310 is cut off.

[0111] The control unit 120 determines the power cutoff time T off The amount of change in inductance can be calculated based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150. For example, the amount of change in inductance can be calculated based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150 ... on is 1900ms, and the power cutoff time T off is 100 ms, the control unit 120 can calculate the amount of change in inductance during 100 ms.

[0112] The control unit 120 determines the power cutoff time T off The amount of change in inductance can be calculated based on the inductance output value output by the substrate detection unit 150 during this period.

[0113] FIG. 7 shows a state graph 720 illustrating the insertion and desorption states of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and the power cut-off time T off 7 is a graph showing an example of an inductance change amount graph 710 calculated by the control unit 120 during the

[0114] In FIG. 7, the insertion state of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is illustrated as a high state, and the desorption state of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is illustrated as a low state.

[0115] As described above, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 160, the control unit 120 periodically cuts off the power supplied to the heating unit 310 for a power cutoff time T off It is possible to calculate the amount of inductance change between the period of time t1 and t2. As a result, the amount of inductance change can be derived periodically as shown in FIG.

[0116] The control unit 120 can determine the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 based on the amount of change in inductance calculated periodically.

[0117] Meanwhile, since the aerosol-generating substrate 20 includes the electromagnetic inductor 210, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is detached from the cavity 160, the inductance of the detection coil included in the substrate detection unit 150 may decrease.

[0118] The substrate detection unit 150 can output the inductance value as an interrupt signal ir to the control unit 120. The control unit 120 can calculate the amount of decrease in inductance based on the interrupt signal ir.

[0119] Also, in step S530 of FIG. 5, the control unit 120 may compare the amount of change in inductance with a lower limit critical value.

[0120] The lower critical value may be set in consideration of the self inductance of the substrate detection unit 150 and the mutual inductance between the detection coil of the substrate detection unit 150 and the aerosol-generating substrate 20. For example, the lower critical value may be, but is not limited to, −0.32 mH.

[0121] Meanwhile, the absolute value of the lower critical limit is the same as the absolute value of the upper critical limit in Fig. 4. When the absolute value of the lower critical limit (i.e., th2) is set to be the same as the absolute value of the upper critical limit (i.e., th1), the insertion and desorption of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 can be determined more accurately.

[0122] In step S540, the control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160 if the amount of change in inductance is equal to or less than a preset lower critical value.

[0123] Alternatively, if the amount of change in inductance is greater than a preset lower critical value, the control unit 120 may determine that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has not been detached from the cavity 160 and may periodically calculate the amount of change in inductance.

[0124] In step S550, if the control unit 120 determines that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 has been detached from the cavity 160, it may cut off the power supplied to the heating unit 310.

[0125] In other words, when the aerosol-generating substrate 2 is detached from the cavity 160, the heating unit 310 can automatically stop heating without any additional external input. The aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure recognizes the detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and automatically stops heating the heating unit 310, thereby preventing the device from overheating and significantly reducing power consumption.

[0126] The above-mentioned method can be created as a computer executable program and can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that runs the program using a computer readable recording medium. Also, the data structure used in the above-mentioned method can be recorded in a computer readable recording medium through 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 recording media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

[0127] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiment can be embodied in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed method should be considered in an explanatory rather than restrictive manner. The scope of the present disclosure is defined in the claims, not the above description, and all differences within the scope of the equivalents should be interpreted as being included in the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A battery; an induction coil that generates a variable magnetic field based on the power supplied from the battery; a susceptor that is heated by the variable magnetic field and that heats an aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the cavity; A substrate sensing unit that senses whether the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted or extracted; a control unit that, when the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted into the cavity, supplies and cuts off power to the induction coil according to a periodic control signal including a power supply time and a power cut-off time that is shorter than the power supply time, the substrate sensing portion includes an inductive sensor; the inductive sensor detects a change in inductance caused by the aerosol-forming substance, including an electromagnetic inductor, being extracted from the cavity during the power interruption period; An aerosol generating device, wherein the inductive sensor does not sense a change in inductance during the time that power is supplied.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit activates the substrate sensing unit during the power cut-off period.

3. The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines whether the aerosol generating substrate is extracted from the cavity based on an inductance output value output by the substrate sensing unit during the power cut-off period.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the power supply time is set to be 19 times or more the power cut-off time.

5. The control unit is 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the power supplied to the induction coil is cut off when the aerosol generating substrate is extracted from the cavity.

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