Aerosol generation control device, terminal device, management device, power supply device, information processing method and program

Abstract

To prevent a deterioration in usability due to residual power decrease of a non-combustion type flavor sucker.SOLUTION: An aerosol generation control device of a non-combustion type flavor sucker includes a power source, a control part and a radio communication part, and transmits prescribed information to an external apparatus by radio communication in the case that a parameter showing residual power of the power source satisfies a prescribed condition. The apparatus receiving the information supports power supply to a non-combustion type flavor sucker by providing a service such as matching with a user having a power supply device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generation control device, a terminal device, a management device, a power supply device, an information processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an example of an inhalation device, a non-combustion type flavor inhaler for inhaling flavors without combustion is known. A typical non-combustion type flavor inhaler has an aerosol source that generates an aerosol, a heat source that heats the aerosol source without combustion, and a power source that supplies power to the heat source. A user can inhale the flavor together with the aerosol by inhaling (also called puffing) the aerosol generated from the heated aerosol source.

[0003] In recent years, attempts have been made to equip non-combustion flavor inhalers with a communication function to link them with other devices. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for uploading the usage status of a non-combustion flavor inhaler to a server and tracking the usage status of the user. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 187123 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Since the puffing action using a non-combustion flavor inhaler is possible only when power is supplied to the heat source, the remaining power can have a significant impact on usability. For example, if there is not enough power remaining in the non-combustion flavor inhaler, it becomes difficult for the user to perform the puffing action to inhale the aerosol. It is desirable to provide a mechanism for facilitating the prevention (e.g., prevention or recovery) of such a decrease in usability.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that can prevent a decrease in usability due to a decrease in the remaining power of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generation control device comprising: a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol-generating substrate; a control unit that determines whether a parameter indicating the remaining power of the power source satisfies a predetermined condition; and a wireless communication unit that transmits first information when the control unit determines that the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0008] Satisfying the predetermined condition may include the parameter indicating that the remaining power is less than a predetermined threshold.

[0009] The predetermined threshold may be whether or not there is sufficient power remaining in the power source to use up at least one unused aerosol-forming substrate.

[0010] The aerosol is inhaled by a user along with a flavor generated from a flavor source, and the predetermined threshold is determined to be a threshold at which there is sufficient power remaining in the power source to consume at least one unused flavor source. It may be a threshold value for whether or not the

[0011] The predetermined threshold may be a threshold as to whether or not the power source has remaining power corresponding to a predetermined number of aerosol generations.

[0012] The predetermined threshold may be a threshold for determining whether or not power supply to the aerosol generation unit is restricted.

[0013] The predetermined threshold may be set based on an identity of the aerosol-generating substrate and / or an identity of the flavour source.

[0014] The aerosol generation control device may have a position detection unit that detects position information of the aerosol generation control device, and the first information may include the position information detected by the position detection unit.

[0015] The aerosol generation control device may have a memory unit that stores registration information for an electricity supply service, and the first information may include the registration information stored in the memory unit.

[0016] The wireless communication unit may perform wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Low Power Wide Area (LPWA).

[0017] The control unit may determine whether the parameters satisfy the specified conditions using as a trigger the detection of attachment / detachment of the aerosol-generating substrate to the aerosol generation control device, successful authentication of the aerosol-generating substrate, successful authentication of a flavor source that generates a flavor to be inhaled by the user along with the aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating substrate, the powering on of the aerosol generation control device, or detection of an inhalation action by a user.

[0018] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device comprising: a receiving unit that receives first information regarding the remaining power of a power source transmitted from an aerosol generation control device having a power source that stores power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol generating substrate; and a transmitting unit that transmits second information corresponding to the first information.

[0019] The second information may include location information of the aerosol generation control device.

[0020] The terminal device may have a position detection unit that detects position information of the terminal device, and the second information may include position information detected by the position detection unit as position information of the aerosol generation control device.

[0021] The position information of the aerosol generation control device may be position information indicating a position different from the position of the aerosol generation control device.

[0022] The terminal device may have an output section that outputs information regarding the location of a power supply device capable of supplying power to the aerosol generation control device.

[0023] The terminal device may have an output section that outputs profile information of a user associated with a power supply device capable of supplying power to the aerosol generation control device.

[0024] The terminal device is configured to supply power to the power supply device that supplies power to the aerosol generation control device. The device may further include an input unit that receives an input of a reward to be given to the associated user.

[0025] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a management device comprising: a memory unit that stores position information of a power supply device; a receiving unit that receives position information of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate; a control unit that identifies the power supply device that is in a predetermined positional relationship with the aerosol generation control device; and a transmitting unit that transmits third information to the power supply device identified by the control unit.

[0026] The storage unit may store location information of the power supply device in association with identification information of a user associated with the power supply device.

[0027] The storage unit may store status information relating to an amount of power that can be supplied by the power supply device in association with identification information of a user associated with the power supply device.

[0028] The third information may include location information of the aerosol generation control device.

[0029] The control unit may identify the power supply device based on profile information of a user associated with the aerosol generation control device and / or a user associated with the power supply device.

[0030] The control unit may determine whether a parameter indicating the remaining power of the power source possessed by the aerosol generation control device satisfies a specified condition, and when it is determined that the parameter satisfies the specified condition, identify the power supply device that is in the specified positional relationship with the aerosol generation control device.

[0031] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a terminal device is provided, comprising: a communication unit that receives information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device, the power source storing power to be supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate; and an output unit that outputs information regarding the position of the aerosol generation control device and information indicating that a power supply to the aerosol generation control device is requested.

[0032] The output section may output information that prompts a user to make a decision as to whether or not to supply power to the aerosol generation control device.

[0033] The output unit may output profile information of a user associated with the aerosol generation control device.

[0034] The terminal device has a control unit that determines whether or not to supply power to the aerosol generation control device based on status information regarding the amount of power that can be supplied by a power supply device associated with the terminal device, and the communication unit may return information indicating the result of the determination made by the control unit.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power supply device comprising: a receiving unit that receives information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that stores power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate; a power source that stores power to be supplied to the aerosol generation control device; and a control unit that determines whether to supply power to the aerosol generation control device based on the information regarding the remaining power received by the receiving unit.

[0036] The control unit may control the amount of power supplied to the aerosol generation control device.

[0037] The amount of power supplied to the aerosol generation control device may be determined by an amount corresponding to a predetermined number of aerosol generations, a predetermined power supply time, or a ratio based on the remaining power of the power source.

[0038] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising: determining whether a parameter indicating the remaining power of a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol generating substrate satisfies a predetermined condition; and transmitting first information when it is determined that the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0039] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the steps of receiving first information regarding the remaining power of a power source transmitted from an aerosol generation control device having a power source that accumulates power to be supplied to an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol generating substrate, and transmitting second information corresponding to the first information.

[0040] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the steps of: storing position information of a power supply device; receiving position information of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate; identifying the power supply device that is in a predetermined positional relationship with the aerosol generation control device; and transmitting third information to the identified power supply device.

[0041] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method comprising the steps of receiving information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that stores power to be supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate, and outputting information regarding the position of the aerosol generation control device and information indicating that a power supply to the aerosol generation control device is requested.

[0042] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, an information processing method is provided, comprising the steps of: receiving information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol generating substrate; and determining whether or not to supply power to the aerosol generation control device from the power source that accumulates power to be supplied to the aerosol generation control device based on the received information regarding the remaining power.

[0043] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to determine whether a parameter indicating the remaining power of a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol in an aerosol generating substrate satisfies a predetermined condition, and transmitting first information when it is determined that the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition.

[0044] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer is caused to execute the following steps: receive first information regarding the remaining power of a power source transmitted from an aerosol generation control device having a power source that stores power to be supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol-generating substrate; and transmit second information corresponding to the first information. A program for this purpose will be provided.

[0045] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided to cause a computer to receive information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that stores power to be supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate, and output information regarding the position of the aerosol generation control device and information indicating that a power supply to the aerosol generation control device is requested.

[0046] In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided to cause a computer to receive information regarding the remaining power of a power source of an aerosol generation control device having a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generation unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate, and determine whether or not to supply power to the aerosol generation control device from the power source that accumulates power to be supplied to the aerosol generation control device based on the received information regarding the remaining power. Effect of the Invention

[0047] As described above, according to the present invention, a mechanism is provided that can prevent a decrease in usability due to a decrease in the remaining power of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a power supply connection device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler holding an aerosol-generating substrate according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article. [Figure 6] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a first terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management device according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a second terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by a second terminal device according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a power supply process executed by the system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by a first terminal device according to a first modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a power supply process executed by the system according to the modified example. [Figure 15]FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a power supply process executed by a system according to a second modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 17] 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a power supply process executed by the system according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a power supply device according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a power supply process executed by the system according to the embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0050] <<1. Introduction>> <1.1. Overview of proposed technology> The proposed technology relates to a power supply service for a non-combustion flavor inhaler with a low remaining power. The supply of power to the non-combustion flavor inhaler (i.e., charging of the non-combustion flavor inhaler) is realized, for example, by a power supply device used (i.e., carried) or installed in the environment by a second user different from a first user who uses (i.e., carries) the non-combustion flavor inhaler. Specifically, a power supply device capable of supplying power to the non-combustion flavor inhaler with a low remaining power is specified, triggered by the transmission of information on the remaining power (hereinafter also referred to as help information) by the non-combustion flavor inhaler. Then, the first user and / or the second user is moved to join and connect the non-combustion flavor inhaler with the power supply device, thereby realizing the power supply. By providing such a power supply service, it is possible to prevent the usability of the non-combustion flavor inhaler from decreasing due to the low remaining power, even if the first user does not carry a power supply device.

[0051] <1.2. Configuration of non-combustion type flavor inhaler> (1) First configuration example Hereinafter, a first configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A includes a first member 110 and a second member 120. As shown in the figure, as an example, the first member 110 may include a notification unit 111, a battery 112, a sensor 113, a storage unit 114, and a control unit 115. As an example, the second member 120 may include a reservoir 121, an atomization unit 122, an air intake flow path 123, an aerosol flow path 124, and a suction mouth unit 125. A part of the components included in the first member 110 may be included in the second member 120. A part of the components included in the second member 120 may be included in the first member 110. The second member 120 may be configured to be detachable from the first member 110. Alternatively, all the components included in the first member 110 and the second member 120 may be included in the same housing instead of the first member 110 and the second member 120.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 1, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A includes a third member 130. As an example, the third member 130 may include a flavor source 131. As an example, when the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 131 may include a flavor component contained in tobacco. The third member 130 may be configured to be detachable from the second member 120. Alternatively, all of the components included in the second member 120 and the third member 130 may be included in the same housing instead of the second member 120 and the third member 130.

[0054] The reservoir 121 holds the aerosol source. For example, the reservoir 121 is made of a fibrous or porous material, and holds the aerosol source as a liquid in the gaps between the fibers or in the pores of the porous material. For example, cotton, glass fiber, or tobacco raw material can be used as the fibrous or porous material. The reservoir 121 may be configured as a tank that contains a liquid. The aerosol source is, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. When the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A is nebulized, In the case where the aerosol source is a medical inhaler such as a vaper, the aerosol source may also include a drug for the patient to inhale. As another example, the aerosol source may include a tobacco raw material or an extract derived from a tobacco raw material that releases a flavor component when heated. In this case, an aerosol containing a flavor component is generated even if the third member 130 is not attached. The reservoir 121 may have a configuration that allows the consumed aerosol source to be replenished. Alternatively, the reservoir 121 may be configured so that the reservoir 121 itself can be replaced when the aerosol source is consumed. In addition, the aerosol source is not limited to a liquid, and may be a solid. When the aerosol source is a solid, the reservoir 121 may be, for example, a hollow container that does not use a fibrous or porous material.

[0055] The atomizing unit 122 is configured to atomize the aerosol source to generate the aerosol. When the inhalation operation is detected by the sensor 113, the atomizing unit 122 generates the aerosol. For example, a wick (not shown) may be provided to connect the reservoir 121 and the atomizing unit 122. In this case, a part of the wick communicates with the inside of the reservoir 121 and contacts the aerosol source. Another part of the wick extends to the atomizing unit 122. The aerosol source is transported from the reservoir 121 to the atomizing unit 122 by the capillary effect of the wick. As an example, the atomizing unit 122 includes a heater electrically connected to the battery 112. The heater is disposed so as to be in contact with or in close proximity to the wick. When the inhalation operation is detected, the control unit 115 controls the heater of the atomizing unit 122 to heat the aerosol source transported through the wick, thereby atomizing the aerosol source. Another example of the atomizing unit 122 may be an ultrasonic atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source by ultrasonic vibration. An air intake passage 123 is connected to the atomizing unit 122, and the air intake passage 123 leads to the outside of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A. The aerosol generated in the atomizing unit 122 is mixed with air taken in through the air intake passage 123. The mixture of the aerosol and the air is sent to the aerosol passage 124 as shown by the arrow 126. The aerosol passage 124 has a tubular structure for transporting the mixture of the aerosol and the air generated in the atomizing unit 122 to the mouthpiece 125.

[0056] The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 is disposed in the middle of the aerosol flow path 124. A mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the atomizing unit 122 (it should be noted that the mixed fluid may be simply referred to as the aerosol hereinafter) flows through the aerosol flow path 124 to the mouthpiece 125. In this manner, the flavor source 131 is disposed downstream of the atomizing unit 122 with respect to the flow of the aerosol. In other words, the flavor source 131 is located closer to the mouthpiece 125 than the atomizing unit 122 in the aerosol flow path 124. Therefore, the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 122 passes through the flavor source 131 before reaching the mouthpiece 125. When the aerosol passes through the flavor source 131, the flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol. As an example, when the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 131 may be derived from tobacco, such as tobacco shreds or a processed product formed from tobacco raw materials into granules, sheets, or powder. The flavor source 131 may also be derived from non-tobacco, such as from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint, herbs, etc.). As an example, the flavor source 131 includes a nicotine component. The flavor source 131 may contain a flavor component such as menthol. In addition to the flavor source 131, the reservoir 121 may also have a substance containing a flavor component. For example, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A may be configured to hold a tobacco-derived flavor substance in the flavor source 131 and to contain a non-tobacco-derived flavor substance in the reservoir 121.

[0057] The mouthpiece 125 is located at the end of the aerosol flow path 124 and is configured to open the aerosol flow path 124 to the outside of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A. As shown in the figure, the aerosol flow path 124 extends across the second member 120 and the third member 130. The mouthpiece 125 is provided in the third member 130.

[0058] A user can take in air containing the flavored aerosol into the mouth by holding mouthpiece 125 in the mouth and inhaling.

[0059] Notification unit 111 may include a light emitting element such as an LED, a display, a speaker, a vibrator, etc. Notification unit 111 is configured to provide some kind of notification to the user by light emission, display, voice output, vibration, etc. as necessary.

[0060] The battery 112 is a power source that accumulates power and supplies power to each component of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A, such as the notification unit 111, the sensor 113, the memory unit 114, and the atomization unit 122. The battery 112 may be charged by connecting to an external power source via a predetermined port (not shown) of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A. Only the battery 112 may be detachable from the first member 110 or the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A, and may be replaced with a new battery 112. Also, the battery 112 may be replaced with a new battery 112 by replacing the entire first member 110 with a new first member 110.

[0061] The sensor 113 may include a pressure sensor that detects a change in pressure in the air intake passage 123 and / or the aerosol passage 124, or a flow sensor that detects a flow rate. The sensor 113 may also include a weight sensor that detects a weight of a component such as the reservoir 121. The sensor 113 may also be configured to count the number of puffs by a user using the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A. The sensor 113 may also be configured to integrate the time during which electricity is applied to the atomizing unit 122. The sensor 113 may also be configured to detect the height of the liquid level in the reservoir 121. The sensor 113 may also be configured to detect the attachment / detachment of the second member 120 to the first member 110, or the attachment / detachment of the third member 130 to the second member 120. The sensor 113 may also be configured to detect the SOC (State of Charge), current integration value, voltage, and the like of the battery 112. The current integration value may be obtained by a current integration method, a SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method, etc. The sensor 113 may also be an operation button that can be operated by a user.

[0062] The control unit 115 may be an electronic circuit module configured as a microprocessor or a microcomputer. The control unit 115 may be configured to control the operation of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A according to computer executable instructions stored in the storage unit 114. The storage unit 114 is a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, or a flash memory. In addition to the computer executable instructions as described above, the storage unit 114 may store setting data and the like required for controlling the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A. For example, the storage unit 114 may store various data such as the control method of the notification unit 111 (such as the mode of light emission, vocalization, vibration, etc.), the value detected by the sensor 113, and the heating history of the atomization unit 122. The control unit 115 reads out data from the storage unit 114 as necessary and uses it to control the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A, and stores the data in the storage unit 114 as necessary.

[0063] Hereinafter, the first member 110 will also be referred to as the electrical component unit 110, the second member 120 will also be referred to as the atomization unit 120, and the third member 130 will also be referred to as the capsule unit 130.

[0064] In the configuration described above, the electrical unit 110 corresponds to the aerosol generation control device, and the atomization unit 120 (more precisely, the aerosol source held in the reservoir 121) corresponds to the aerosol-generating substrate. The atomization section 122 corresponds to the aerosol generating section that causes the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol.

[0065] (2) Mechanism for power supply Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a power supply connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 2, the power supply connector 160 has a male connector 161 and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 162. In addition, the electrical unit 110 of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A has a female connector 119.

[0066] Male connector 161 has a helical protrusion. Electrical unit 110 and power supply connector 160 are connected by screwing female connector 119 and male connector 161. Electrical unit 110 and power supply connector 160 are configured to be detachable from each other.

[0067] The USB connector 162 is connected to a USB connector of another device, functions as a communication path with the other connected device, and can receive power from the other device. Power supplied to the USB connector 162 is supplied to the electrical unit 110 via the connection between the female connector 119 and the male connector 161, and the battery 112 is charged. For example, the USB connector 162 may receive power from the other device by being connected to the USB connector of the other device. The USB connector 162 may also receive power from the household AC power source by being connected to the household AC power source via an AC adapter for converting the household AC power source to USB.

[0068] (3) Second configuration example Hereinafter, a second configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0069] Fig. 3 is an overall perspective view of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is an overall perspective view of a non-combustion type flavor inhaler holding an aerosol-generating substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B is configured to generate an aerosol containing a flavor by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, such as a smoking article, having a flavor-generating substrate, such as a filling containing an aerosol source and a flavor source. In the second configuration example below, a smoking article 180 is used as the aerosol-generating substrate.

[0070] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the smoking article 180 is merely one example of an aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol source contained in the aerosol-generating substrate may be a solid or a liquid. The aerosol source may be, for example, a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water. The aerosol source may include a tobacco raw material or an extract derived from the tobacco raw material that releases a flavor component when heated. When the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100B is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicine for the patient to inhale. Depending on the application, the aerosol-generating substrate may not include a flavor source.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B has a top housing 171A, a bottom housing 171B, a cover 172, a switch 173, and a lid portion 174. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B has a heating portion 175 therein. The top housing 171A and the bottom housing 171B are connected to each other to form the outermost housing 171 of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B. The housing 171 may be sized to fit in the user's hand. In this case, when the user uses the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B, the user can hold the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B in his / her hand and inhale the aerosol.

[0072] The top housing 171A has an opening (not shown), and the cover 172 closes the opening. 4, cover 172 has an opening 172a through which smoking article 180 can be inserted. Lid portion 174 is configured to open and close opening 172a of cover 172. Specifically, lid portion 174 is attached to cover 172 and configured to be movable along the surface of cover 172 between a first position at which opening 172a is closed and a second position at which opening 172a is opened.

[0073] The switch 173 is used to switch the operation of the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100B on and off. For example, a user can supply power from a battery (not shown) to the heating unit 175 and heat the smoking article 180 without burning it by operating the switch 173 while inserting the smoking article 180 into the opening 172a as shown in FIG. 4. When the smoking article 180 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the smoking article 180, and the flavor of the flavor source is taken in by the aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol containing the flavor by inhaling the part of the smoking article 180 protruding from the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100B (the part shown in FIG. 4). In this specification, the direction in which the aerosol-generating substrate such as the smoking article 180 is inserted into the opening 172a is referred to as the longitudinal direction of the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100B.

[0074] The heating section 175 has a heating assembly extending in the longitudinal direction. The heating assembly is composed of a plurality of cylindrical members and forms a cylindrical body as a whole. The heating assembly is configured to be capable of storing a part of the smoking article 180 therein, and has a function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the smoking article 180, and a function of heating the smoking article 180 from the outer periphery.

[0075] The configuration of the non-burning type flavor inhaler 100B shown in Figures 3 and 4 is merely one example of the configuration of the non-burning type flavor inhaler according to the present invention. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to the present invention can be configured in various forms so that an aerosol can be generated by heating an aerosol-generating substrate containing an aerosol source, and the generated aerosol source can be inhaled by a user.

[0076] Next, the configuration of the smoking article 180 will be described as an example of an aerosol-generating substrate used in the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the smoking article 180. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the smoking article 180 has a substrate part 180A including a filler 181 (corresponding to an example of a flavor-generating substrate) and a first cigarette paper 182 around which the filler 181 is wrapped, and a mouth part 180B forming an end opposite to the substrate part 180A. The substrate part 180A and the mouth part 180B are connected by a second cigarette paper 183 different from the first cigarette paper 182. However, the second cigarette paper 183 may be omitted, and the substrate part 180A and the mouth part 180B may be connected using the first cigarette paper 182.

[0077] The mouthpiece 180B in FIG. 5 has a cardboard tube 184, a filter 185, and a hollow segment 186 disposed between the cardboard tube 184 and the filter 185. The hollow segment 186 includes, for example, a packed bed having one or more hollow channels and a plug wrapper covering the packed bed. Since the packed bed has a high packing density of fibers, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow channels during inhalation, and hardly flow through the packed bed. In the smoking article 180, when it is desired to reduce the reduction in the amount of aerosol delivered due to the filtration of the aerosol components by the filter 185, shortening the length of the filter 185 and replacing it with the hollow segment 186 is effective in increasing the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0078] In the embodiment of Fig. 5, the mouthpiece 180B is composed of three segments. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece 180B may be composed of one or two segments, or may be composed of four or more segments. For example, the hollow segment 186 may be omitted, and the cardboard tube 184 and the filter 185 may be disposed adjacent to each other. The suction port portion 180B can also be formed by using the same.

[0079] 5, the length of the smoking article 180 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 mm to 90 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 mm to 60 mm. The circumference of the smoking article 180 is preferably 15 mm to 25 mm, more preferably 17 mm to 24 mm or less, and even more preferably 20 mm to 22 mm. In the smoking article 180, the length of the substrate 180A may be 20 mm, the length of the first cigarette paper 182 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment 186 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter 185 may be 7 mm. The lengths of these individual segments may be changed as appropriate depending on the manufacturing suitability, the required quality, and the like.

[0080] In this embodiment, the filling 181 of the smoking article 180 may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated at a predetermined temperature. The type of the aerosol source is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their constituents may be selected depending on the application. Examples of the aerosol source include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol source in the filling 181 is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 20% by weight or less, from the viewpoint of generating a sufficient aerosol and imparting a good smoking flavor.

[0081] The filling material 181 of the smoking article 180 in this embodiment may contain tobacco shreds as a flavor source. The material of the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and backbone can be used. The content of the filling material 181 in the smoking article 180 is, for example, 200 mg to 400 mg, and preferably 250 mg to 320 mg, in the case of a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm. The moisture content of the filling material 181 is, for example, 8 to 18 wt %, and preferably 10 to 16 wt %. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of rolling stains and improves the suitability for rolling during the manufacture of the base material portion 180A. There are no particular limitations on the size of the tobacco shreds used as the filling material 181 or the preparation method thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm may be used. Alternatively, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to a mean particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into a sheet, and then chopped into widths of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. Furthermore, the above-mentioned sheet may be gathered without being chopped and used as the filler 181. The filler 181 may contain one or more flavorings. The type of flavoring is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferred from the viewpoint of providing a good smoking taste.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first cigarette paper 182 and the second cigarette paper 183 of the smoking article 180 can be made from base paper having a basis weight of, for example, 20 gsm to 65 gsm, and preferably 25 gsm to 45 gsm. The thickness of the first cigarette paper 182 and the second cigarette paper 183 is not particularly limited, but is 10 μm to 100 μm, preferably 20 μm to 75 μm, and more preferably 30 μm to 50 μm, from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first cigarette paper 182 and the second cigarette paper 183 of the smoking article 180 may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, and preferably 15% by weight to 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the first cigarette paper 182 and the second cigarette paper 183. In this embodiment, the content of the filler is preferably 15% by weight to 45% by weight, based on the preferred basis weight range (25 gsm to 45 gsm). Examples of the filler that can be used include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and kaolin. Paper containing such a filler exhibits a bright white color that is preferable from the viewpoint of appearance when used as cigarette paper for the smoking article 180, and can permanently maintain its whiteness. By containing a large amount of such a filler, For example, the ISO whiteness of the cigarette paper can be 83% or more. From the practical viewpoint of use as cigarette paper for the smoking article 180, the first cigarette paper 182 and the second cigarette paper 183 preferably have a tensile strength of 8 N / 15 mm or more. This tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content. Specifically, the tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content below the upper limit of the filler content shown in each of the basis weight ranges exemplified above.

[0084] Although not shown in Figures 3 to 5, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B also has components equivalent to the notification unit 111, the battery 112, the sensor 113, the memory unit 114, and the control unit 115 described with reference to Figure 1.

[0085] In the above-described configuration, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B corresponds to an aerosol generation control device. The smoking article 180 corresponds not only to an aerosol-generating substrate but also to a flavor source. The heating unit 175 corresponds to an aerosol generating unit that causes the aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol.

[0086] (4) Supplementary Information The non-combustion type flavor inhalers 100A and 100B are also collectively referred to as the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. However, in the following, an embodiment of the present invention will be described mainly assuming the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100A, and features unique to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B will be mentioned from time to time.

[0087] <<2. First embodiment>> In this embodiment, after matching by the management device, power is supplied from a power supply device used by a second user to a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 used by a first user.

[0088] <2.1. Overview> FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the system 1 according to this embodiment includes a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, a first terminal device 200, a management device 300, a second terminal device 400, and a power supply device 500. The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the first terminal device 200 are used by a first user. The second terminal device 400 and the power supply device 500 are used by a second user. Note that, although FIG. 6 shows one each of the first user and the second user, and the device used by each user, the system 1 involves a plurality of first users and a plurality of second users. That is, the system 1 includes a plurality of each of the non-combustion type flavor inhalers 100, the first terminal device 200, the second terminal device 400, and the power supply device 500.

[0089] The system 1, triggered by the transmission of help information by the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, identifies the power supply device 500 capable of supplying power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 with a low remaining power. Such processing is also referred to as matching below. Then, the system 1 moves the first user using the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and / or the second user using the matched power supply device 500 to merge the first user and the second user. After the merge, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is connected to the power supply device 500 via, for example, the power supply connector 160, thereby realizing the supply of power from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0090] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is associated with the first user and the first terminal device 200. The power supply device 500 is associated with the second user and the second terminal device 400. Therefore, the matching between the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the power supply device 500 is This may be regarded as matching between the first terminal device 200 and the second terminal device 400, or as matching between the first user and the second user.

[0091] The configuration of the non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 is as described above. In this embodiment, the non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 has a communication function and transmits and receives various information to and from the first terminal device 200.

[0092] The first terminal device 200 is a device capable of inputting and outputting information with the first user and communicating with other devices. The first terminal device 200 transmits and receives various information with each of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the management device 300. The first terminal device 200 is configured as, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or the like.

[0093] The second terminal device 400 is a device capable of inputting and outputting information with the second user and communicating with other devices. The second terminal device 400 transmits and receives various information with the management device 300. The second terminal device 400 is configured as, for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a wearable terminal, or the like.

[0094] The power supply device 500 is a device capable of supplying power to other devices. The power supply device 500 is configured as, for example, a mobile battery including a lithium ion battery.

[0095] The management device 300 is a device that controls the power supply service to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The management device 300 performs various processes such as matching based on information collected from each of the first terminal device 200 and the second terminal device 400.

[0096] <2.2. Configuration example> An example of the configuration of each device will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 10. Note that, in the following, components related to the power supply service will be described, and descriptions of other components will be omitted.

[0097] (1) Non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 includes a battery 112, a sensor 113, a storage unit 114, a control unit 115, and a wireless communication unit 116.

[0098] - Battery 112 The configuration of the battery 112 is as described above.

[0099] -Sensor 113 The configuration of the sensor 113 is as described above.

[0100] - Wireless communication unit 116 The wireless communication unit 116 is a wireless interface having functions as a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving information between the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and another device. The wireless communication unit 116 performs wireless communication in accordance with any short-range wireless communication standard, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The wireless communication unit 116 is Various information regarding the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is transmitted and received.

[0101] -Storage unit 114 The configuration of the storage unit 114 is as described above.

[0102] -Control unit 115 The control unit 115 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 115 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. The control unit 115 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs to be used, calculation parameters, and the like, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate.

[0103] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 115. For example, charging of the battery 112, detection of information by the sensor 113, transmission and reception of information by the wireless communication unit 116, and storage and reading of information by the storage unit 114 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 115. Other processes executed by the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 115. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 115 has a remaining power parameter acquisition unit 141 and a determination unit 143. Details of each of these components will be described in detail later.

[0104] (2) First Terminal Device 200 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first terminal device 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the first terminal device 200 includes a wireless communication unit 210, an input / output unit 220, a position detection unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a control unit 250.

[0105] - Wireless communication unit 210 The wireless communication unit 210 is a wireless interface having functions as a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving information between the first terminal device 200 and another device. The wireless communication unit 210 performs wireless communication with the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 in compliance with any short-range wireless communication standard, such as Bluetooth or LPWA. The wireless communication unit 210 also uses a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or LTE (Long Term Evolution) or the like. The wireless communication unit 210 communicates with the management device 300 via wireless communication conforming to any wireless communication standard and a network such as a core network or the Internet. The wireless communication unit 210 transmits and receives various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0106] -I / O section 220 The input / output unit 220 is composed of an input unit that accepts input of information from the first user, and an output unit that outputs information to the first user. The input unit is composed of, for example, a button, a keyboard, a touch panel, or a microphone. The output unit is composed of, for example, an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker. The input / output unit 220 outputs various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and accepts input.

[0107] - Position detection unit 230 The position detection unit 230 detects position information indicating the actual position of the first terminal device 200. The position detection unit 230 detects, for example, a GNSS signal from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite (for example, a GPS signal from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite). ), detects location information consisting of the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the device, and outputs the detected location information. Note that the location detection unit 230 may detect location information using any other technology. For example, the location detection unit 230 may detect location information by transmission and reception with Wi-Fi (registered trademark), a mobile phone, a PHS, a smartphone, or the like, or by short-distance wireless communication, or the like.

[0108] -Storage section 240 The storage unit 240 is a storage medium that stores various information for the operation of the first terminal device 200. The storage unit 240 is configured with a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. The storage unit 240 stores various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0109] -Control unit 250 The control unit 250 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the first terminal device 200 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 250 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. The control unit 250 may include a ROM for storing the programs to be used, arithmetic parameters, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate.

[0110] The first terminal device 200 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 250. For example, the transmission and reception of information by the wireless communication unit 210, the input and output of information by the input / output unit 220, the position detection by the position detection unit 230, and the storage and reading of information by the storage unit 240 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 250. Other processes executed by the first terminal device 200, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 250. As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 250 has an information registration unit 251 and a charging control unit 253. The information registration unit 251 has a function of registering information about the power supply service in the management device 300. The charging control unit 253 has a function of controlling various processes related to charging of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 using the power supply device 500. Details of each of these components will be described in detail later.

[0111] (3) Management device 300 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management device 300 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG.

[0112] -Communication Department 310 The communication unit 310 is a wireless / wired communication interface having functions as a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving information between the management device 300 and other devices. The communication unit 310 typically transmits and receives information via a LAN or a telephone line. The communication unit 310 transmits and receives various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0113] -Storage unit 320 The storage unit 320 is a storage medium that stores various information for the operation of the management device 300. The storage unit 320 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The storage unit 320 stores various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0114] -Control unit 330 The control unit 330 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operation of the management device 300 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 330 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. The control unit 330 may include a ROM for storing the programs to be used, arithmetic parameters, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate.

[0115] The management device 300 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 330. For example, the transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 310, and the storage and reading of information by the storage unit 320 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 330. The input of information to each component, and the processing based on information output from each component, and other processes executed by the management device 300 are also executed under the control of the control unit 330. Other processes are also controlled by the control unit 330. As shown in Fig. 9, the control unit 330 has a memory control unit 331 and a matching unit 333. The memory control unit 331 has a function of controlling the storage of information in the memory unit 320 and the reading of information from the memory unit 320. The matching unit 333 has a function of controlling various processes related to matching between a first user and a second user. The details of each of these components will be described in detail later.

[0116] (4) Second terminal device 400 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a second terminal device 400 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the second terminal device 400 includes a wireless communication unit 410, an input / output unit 420, a position detection unit 430, a storage unit 440, and a control unit 450.

[0117] - Wireless communication unit 410 The wireless communication unit 410 is a wireless interface having functions as a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving information between the second terminal device 400 and other devices. The wireless communication unit 410 communicates with the management device 300 via wireless communication conforming to any wireless communication standard such as wireless LAN or LTE, and a network such as a core network or the Internet. The wireless communication unit 410 transmits and receives various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0118] -I / O section 420 The input / output unit 420 is composed of an input unit that accepts input of information from the second user, and an output unit that outputs information to the second user. The input unit is composed of, for example, a button, a keyboard, a touch panel, or a microphone. The output unit is composed of, for example, an image output device such as a display, and an audio output device such as a speaker. The input / output unit 420 outputs various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and accepts input.

[0119] - Position detection unit 430 The position detection unit 430 detects the position information of the second terminal device 400. The configuration of the position detection unit 430 is similar to that of the position detection unit 230.

[0120] -Storage section 440 The storage unit 440 is a storage medium that stores various information for the operation of the second terminal device 400. For example, the storage unit 440 is configured with a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. The storage unit 440 stores various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0121] -Control unit 450 The control unit 450 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the second terminal device 400 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 450 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. The control unit 450 may include a ROM for storing programs to be used, arithmetic parameters, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate.

[0122] The second terminal device 400 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 450. For example, transmission and reception of information by the wireless communication unit 410, input and output of information by the input / output unit 420, position detection by the position detection unit 430, and storage and reading of information by the storage unit 440 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 450. Other processes executed by the second terminal device 400, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 450. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 450 has an information registration unit 451 and a power supply control unit 453. The information registration unit 451 registers information related to the power supply service, and registers information related to the above in the management device 300. The power supply control unit 453 has a function of controlling various processes related to power supply from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. Details of each of these components will be described later.

[0123] <2.3. Technical features> (1) Advance information registration -Registering information about the first user The first terminal device 200 (e.g., the information registration unit 251) registers information about the first user in the management device 300. In detail, the first terminal device 200 transmits information about the first user to the management device 300, and the management device 300 (e.g., the memory control unit 331 and the memory unit 320) stores the received information. An example of the registered information will be described below.

[0124] The management device 300 stores the identification information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 used by the first user and the identification information of the first terminal device 200 used by the first user. The identification information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be identification information uniquely assigned to each non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and may further include model information indicating the model of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The management device 300 also stores profile information of the first user. The profile information is attribute information such as age and gender. The management device 300 stores this information in association with the identification information of the first user.

[0125] -Register information about second users The second terminal device 400 (e.g., information registration unit 451) registers information about the second user in the management device 300. In detail, the second terminal device 400 transmits information about the second user to the management device 300, and the management device 300 (e.g., the memory control unit 331 and the memory unit 320) stores the received information. An example of the registered information will be described below.

[0126] The management device 300 stores identification information of the second terminal device 400 used by the second user and identification information of the power supply device 500 used by the second user. The management device 300 also stores profile information of the second user. The management device 300 stores these pieces of information together with the identification information of the second user.

[0127] The management device 300 may store the location information of the power supply device 500 in association with the identification information of the second user associated with the power supply device 500. The location information of the power supply device 500 may be location information indicating the actual location of the power supply device 500. The location information indicating the actual location of the power supply device 500 may be detected by the location detection unit 430 of the second terminal device 400 on behalf of the power supply device 500. Alternatively, the location information of the power supply device 500 may be location information indicating a location different from the location of the power supply device 500. The location different from the location of the power supply device 500 may be, for example, the location of a building that serves as a landmark near the power supply device 500, or a location that is convenient for the second user to meet up. Such a location is input to the second terminal device 400 by, for example, the second user. The location information of the power supply device 500 stored in the management device 300 may be made public to the first user in the process of matching or to assist in the meeting up of the first user and the second user. In this regard, when location information indicating a location different from the location of the power supply device 500 is stored, the actual location of the second user is prevented from being unintentionally disclosed to other users, and it becomes possible to facilitate the joining of the first user and the second user.

[0128] Since the second terminal device 400 and the power supply device 500 are carried by the second user, the position of the second terminal device 400, the position of the power supply device 500, and the position of the second user are respectively synonymous. Similarly, the position of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the position of the first terminal device 200, and the position of the first user are respectively synonymous.

[0129] The management device 300 may store status information on the amount of power that the power supply device 500 can supply in association with the identification information of the second user associated with the power supply device 500. The status information is information indicating a status on the power supply capacity of the power supply device 500, such as the remaining power of the power supply device 500, the power supply speed, model information indicating the model of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 to which power can be supplied, and the presence or absence of a power supply connector 160. Storing the status information makes it possible to perform matching according to the power supply capacity of the power supply device 500.

[0130] (2) Transmission of help information by the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information (corresponding to the first information), which is information regarding the remaining power of the battery 112, to the first terminal device 200. This triggers the execution of power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0131] -Get remaining power parameters The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (e.g., the remaining power parameter acquisition unit 141) acquires a remaining power parameter indicating the remaining power of the battery 112. The remaining power parameter is information that directly or indirectly indicates the remaining power, such as the voltage of the battery 112, the number of accumulated puffs, or the elapsed time of the power ON state. For example, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 acquires voltage information from the battery 112, and acquires the number of accumulated puffs based on the detection result by the wind pressure sensor.

[0132] -Condition judgment Next, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (e.g., the determination unit 143) determines whether or not the remaining power parameter of the battery 112 satisfies a predetermined condition. Then, when it is determined that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information to the first terminal device 200. On the other hand, when it is determined that the remaining power parameter does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 does not transmit help information to the first terminal device 200. The help information includes various information related to the remaining power, such as identification information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 or a determination result of whether or not the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition. Since the help information is transmitted only when the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, it is possible to suppress power consumption for wireless communication.

[0133] Satisfying the predetermined condition includes the power remaining parameter indicating that the remaining power (e.g., voltage) of the battery 112 is less than a predetermined threshold. That is, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 determines that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the power remaining parameter indicates that the remaining power of the battery 112 is less than the predetermined threshold, and determines that the predetermined condition is not satisfied when the power remaining parameter does not indicate that the predetermined condition is satisfied. That is, the execution of the power supply is triggered only when the remaining power is less than the predetermined threshold. Therefore, it is possible to trigger the execution of the power supply at an appropriate timing to prevent a decrease in usability due to a decrease in the remaining power of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0134] The predetermined threshold may be a threshold as to whether or not enough power remains in the battery 112 to use up at least one unused atomization unit 120. The power sufficient to use up the unused atomization unit 120 is, for example, a power obtained by adding a predetermined offset to the power required from when the unused atomization unit 120 is attached to the electrical unit 110 and the puffing operation is started until aerosol is no longer generated even when the puffing operation is performed. By setting such a threshold, it is possible to trigger the execution of the power supply before the timing when the usability actually decreases. In addition, with respect to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B, the predetermined threshold may be a threshold as to whether or not enough power remains in the battery 112 to use up the unused smoking article 180.

[0135] The predetermined threshold may be a threshold for determining whether or not sufficient power remains in the battery 112 to use up at least one unused flavor source 131. The sufficient power to use up the unused flavor source 131 is, for example, the power required from when an unused capsule unit 130 is attached and a puffing action is started until the flavor is no longer inhaled even when a puffing action is performed, to which a predetermined offset is added. By setting such a threshold, it is possible to trigger the execution of the power supply before the timing when usability actually decreases.

[0136] The predetermined threshold may be a threshold for determining whether or not the battery 112 has power remaining corresponding to a predetermined number of aerosol generations. If the remaining power is equal to or greater than the threshold, the user can perform puffing for at least the predetermined number of aerosol generations. By setting such a threshold, it becomes possible to trigger the execution of power supply prior to the timing at which usability actually decreases for the predetermined number of aerosol generations. The predetermined number of aerosol generations may be set by the user. In this case, a user's request such as "I want power remaining to enable at least N or more puffing operations" can be satisfied.

[0137] The predetermined threshold value may be a threshold value for determining whether or not power supply to the atomization unit 122 is restricted. If the remaining power is equal to or greater than the threshold value, power supply to the atomization unit 122 is not restricted, and the first user can inhale flavor by puffing. If the remaining power is less than the threshold value, power supply to the atomization unit 122 is restricted, and it becomes difficult for the first user to inhale flavor by puffing. By setting such a threshold value, it becomes possible to trigger the execution of power supply at a timing when usability actually decreases.

[0138] -Judgment timing There are various possible timings for determining whether the remaining power parameter satisfies the above-mentioned predetermined condition.

[0139] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may periodically determine whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 performs the determination when the elapsed time from the previous determination reaches a predetermined time, or when the number of puffs from the previous determination reaches a predetermined number. In these cases, it is possible to periodically monitor the remaining power of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and prevent the remaining power from decreasing.

[0140] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may determine whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition when the attachment / detachment sensor detects the attachment / detachment of the atomization unit 120 to the electrical unit 110. The attachment / detachment of the atomization unit 120 is often performed before the first user performs a puffing operation. Therefore, by performing a determination when the attachment / detachment of the atomization unit 120 is detected, it is possible to trigger the execution of power supply before the first user realizes the decrease in the remaining power due to the inability to inhale flavor even when performing a puffing operation. For the same reason, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be turned on as a trigger to determine whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition. In addition, with regard to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B may be triggered to determine whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition when the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B detects the insertion of the smoking article 180 into the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0141] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may determine whether or not the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition, triggered by successful authentication of the atomization unit 120 attached to the electrical component unit 110. The authentication is performed to obtain identification information of the atomization unit 120 and to confirm whether the atomization unit 120 is a genuine product. The authentication is performed based on the resistance value when electricity is applied to the atomization unit 120, a two-dimensional code such as a barcode attached to the atomization unit 120, Or it may be performed based on the reading result by a magnetic sensor or an optical sensor. Similarly, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may determine whether or not the power remaining amount parameter satisfies a predetermined condition, triggered by successful authentication of the capsule unit 130 attached to the atomization unit 120. As for the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B may determine whether or not the power remaining amount parameter satisfies a predetermined condition, triggered by successful authentication of the smoking article 180 inserted into the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0142] Here, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may set a predetermined threshold value for the above condition determination based on the identification information of the atomization unit 120 that has been successfully authenticated. In other words, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may set different predetermined threshold values ​​for the atomization units 120 that have different identification information. This allows the execution of power supply to be triggered at an appropriate timing for each atomization unit 120 when the power consumption efficiency differs for each type of atomization unit 120. For the same reason, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may set a predetermined threshold value for the above condition determination based on the identification information of the capsule unit 130 that has been successfully authenticated. In addition, with regard to the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100B may set a predetermined threshold value for the above condition determination based on the identification information of the smoking article 180 that has been successfully authenticated.

[0143] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may determine whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition when the wind pressure sensor detects a puffing action by the first user as a trigger, thereby making it possible to trigger the execution of power supply at the timing when the first user is about to perform a puffing action.

[0144] A threshold value according to the determination timing may be used as the above-mentioned predetermined threshold value. For example, in a determination triggered by the detection of attachment / detachment of the atomization unit 120 to / from the electrical unit 110, a threshold value of whether or not sufficient power remains in the battery 112 to use up at least one unused atomization unit 120 or flavor source 131 may be used. With regard to the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100B, in a determination triggered by the detection of the insertion of the smoking article 180 into the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100, a threshold value of whether or not sufficient power remains in the battery 112 to use up at least one unused smoking article 180 may be used. In addition, in a determination triggered by the detection of the puffing action of the first user, a threshold value of whether or not the power supply to the atomization unit 122 is restricted may be used. By using the above-mentioned predetermined threshold value according to the determination timing, it is possible to realize a power supply that meets the needs of the first user.

[0145] (3) Transmission of help information by the first terminal device 200 When the first terminal device 200 (e.g., the charging control unit 253) receives help information from the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, it transmits help information (corresponding to the second information) corresponding to the received information to the management device 300.

[0146] - Help information content The help information received by the first terminal device 200 and the help information transmitted may be the same or different. For example, the first terminal device 200 adds predetermined information to the received help information and / or deletes predetermined information, and then transmits the help information. An example of information included in the help information transmitted by the first terminal device 200 will be described below.

[0147] -User identification information The help information includes the identification information (i.e., user ID) of the first user. In addition to or instead of the identification information of the first user, the help information may include the identification information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 or the identification information of the first terminal device 200.

[0148] -Location information The help information includes location information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (particularly, the electrical unit 110), which enables matching based on the location information and notification of the location information to the second user.

[0149] The position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may be information indicating the actual position of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100. However, the position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may be detected by the position detection unit 230 of the first terminal device 200 on behalf of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100. That is, the help information may include the position information detected by the position detection unit 230 of the first terminal device 200 as the position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100. In this case, the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 does not need to detect the position information by itself, so that power consumption can be reduced.

[0150] The position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may be position information indicating a position different from the position of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100. The position different from the position of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may be, for example, the position of a building that serves as a landmark near the non-burning flavor inhaler 100, or a position that is convenient for the first user to meet up. Such an arbitrary position is, for example, input by the first user to the first terminal device 200. The position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 may be made public to the second user in the process of matching or to assist the first user in meeting up with the second user. In this regard, when the position information indicating a position different from the position of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100 is included in the help information, it is possible to prevent the actual position of the first user from being unintentionally made public to other users and to facilitate the meeting up of the first user and the second user.

[0151] -Registration information for electricity supply service The help information may include the registration information of the power supply service of the first user. This allows the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 to receive power supply according to the registration information of the power supply service of the first user. The registration information of the power supply service may include information indicating the content of the power supply service that the first user can enjoy, such as the upper limit of the amount of power supplied per one power supply, the upper limit of the number of charging times per unit period, and the distance to a matchable power supply device 500. Note that setting the upper limit of the number of charging times per unit period is effective in preventing a situation in which a large fee is charged when a fee according to the number of charging times is charged. The unit period is, for example, one day, one week, or one month. The registration information of the power supply service is stored, for example, by the first terminal device 200.

[0152] The registration information for the power supply service may be registered in advance in the management device 300, in which case the help information does not need to include this information.

[0153] -Power supply amount specification information The help information may include power supply amount designation information for designating the amount of power to be supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. For example, the power supply amount designation information includes information designating the amount of power supply as a ratio based on the number of aerosol generation times, the power supply time, or the capacity of the battery 112. The designation of the amount of power supply based on the number of aerosol generation times may be designated as, for example, the number of puffs sufficient to use up at least one unused atomization unit 120, the number of puffs sufficient to use up at least one unused capsule unit 130, or a predetermined number of puffs. In addition, with respect to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100B, the designation of the amount of power supply based on the number of aerosol generation times may be designated as, for example, the number of puffs sufficient to use up at least one unused smoking article 180, or a predetermined number of puffs. By designating the amount of power supply in this way, it is possible to realize the supply of the amount of power desired by the first user.

[0154] The power supply amount designation information may be registered in advance in the management device 300, and in that case, the help information does not need to include the power supply amount designation information.

[0155] -Profile specific information The help information may include profile designation information for designating profile information of a second user to be specified as a notification destination of the help information. For example, the profile designation information includes information for designating a second user of the same sex and age as the first user. By designating such profile information, it is possible to avoid a situation where the first user encounters a second user having unintended profile information.

[0156] The profile designation information may be registered in advance in the management device 300, and in that case, the help information does not need to include the profile designation information.

[0157] -First user decision making The non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 may transmit help information after a decision is made by the first user. In this case, the non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 outputs information that prompts the first user to make a decision on whether or not to transmit the help information, and accepts an input from the first user. The non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information only when information instructing the first user to transmit the help information is input. In this case, since the help information is transmitted after a decision is made by the first user, the first user can receive power supply at his / her convenience.

[0158] (4) Matching The management device 300 (for example, the matching unit 333) matches a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 with a low remaining power level with a power supply device 500 that can supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0159] In detail, when the management device 300 receives help information, it identifies a power supply device 500 capable of supplying power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 related to the help information. Note that multiple power supply devices 500 may be matched to one non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. Similarly, one power supply device 500 may be matched to multiple non-combustion type flavor inhalers 100.

[0160] -Matching method An example of the matching method will be described below. Note that the matching methods described below may be used in appropriate combination.

[0161] -Distance-based matching The matching unit 333 may perform matching based on the distance from the first user. For example, the matching unit 333 identifies the power supply device 500 that has a predetermined positional relationship with the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the power supply device 500 being in a predetermined positional relationship may be located within a predetermined distance. The predetermined distance may be a straight-line distance, a moving distance taking into account the shape of a road, or may include a height distance. In addition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the power supply device 500 being in a predetermined positional relationship may be located in the same building, or in the same geographical area. By matching based on such a positional relationship, it is possible to match the power supply device 500 associated with the second user who is close to the first user and with whom the first user can join early and receive power supply.

[0162] -Matching based on registered information of electricity supply services The matching unit 333 may perform matching based on the registration information of the power supply service. For example, the matching unit 333 sets only the power supply device 500 located within the matching distance indicated by the registration information of the power supply service from the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 as the matching target. This allows the first user to receive an appropriate power supply service according to the registration information of the power supply service.

[0163] - Matching based on status information The matching unit 333 may perform matching based on the status information of the power supply device 500. For example, the matching unit 333 identifies a power supply device 500 having a remaining power amount equal to or greater than the power supply amount indicated by the power supply amount designation information. Also, for example, the matching unit 333 compares the status information with model information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 to be matched, and identifies a power supply device 500 including the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 to be matched as a model of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 to which power can be supplied. This enables the management device 300 to identify a power supply device 500 having an appropriate power supply capacity.

[0164] -Matching based on profile information The matching unit 333 may perform matching based on the profile information of the first user and / or the second user. For example, the matching unit 333 identifies a second user having profile information designated by the profile designation information from the first user. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the first user encounters a second user having unintended profile information. Similarly, when profile designation information from the second user is registered, the matching unit 333 identifies a second user who designates the profile information of the first user by the profile designation information. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the second user encounters a first user having unintended profile information.

[0165] - Send help information The management device 300 (for example, the matching unit 333) transmits help information (third information) to the matched power supply device 500. For example, the management device 300 transmits the help information to the second terminal device 400 associated with the matched power supply device 500.

[0166] The help information received by the management device 300 and the help information transmitted may be the same or different. For example, the management device 300 adds certain information to the received help information and / or deletes certain information, and then transmits the help information. The help information transmitted by the management device 300 includes at least the position information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. In addition, the help information transmitted by the management device 300 may include profile information of the first user, etc.

[0167] (5) Decision-making on whether to supply electricity The second terminal device 400 (e.g., the power supply control unit 453) may accept a decision as to whether or not to supply power from the second user associated with the matched power supply device 500. In detail, the second terminal device 400 outputs information based on the received help information to the second user, and accepts a decision as to whether or not to supply power to the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0168] For example, the second terminal device 400 outputs information indicating that power supply is requested to the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. This allows the second user to recognize that power supply is requested by the first user.

[0169] For example, the second terminal device 400 outputs information about the position of the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The information about the position of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be the position information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, or may be information indicating the relative positional relationship (e.g., distance and / or direction) between the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the power supply device 500. This allows the second user to make a decision on whether or not to supply power, taking into consideration the travel distance required to meet up with the first user, etc.

[0170] In addition, the second terminal device 400 may output various information related to power supply, such as profile information of the first user associated with the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and information specifying the amount of power supply, which can contribute to the decision-making of the second user.

[0171] For example, the second terminal device 400 outputs information that prompts the second user to make a decision on whether or not to supply power to the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. Then, the second terminal device 400 returns information indicating the decision result on whether or not to supply power, which is input by the second user, to the management device 300. In this way, the second user can select whether or not to supply power even after being matched.

[0172] An example of information output by the second terminal device 400 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0173] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the second terminal device 400 according to the present embodiment. The UI screen 600 shown in FIG. 11 is an example of a UI screen for making a decision on whether or not to supply power to the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The UI screen 600 includes a UI element 601 in which information indicating the position of the first user and the position of the second user is arranged on a map in the vicinity of the second user. In detail, in the UI element 601, an icon 602 of the second user is arranged at a position on the map corresponding to the position of the second user. In addition, in the UI element 601, icons 603A and 603B of two first users are arranged at positions on the map corresponding to the positions of the respective first users. When the icon 603A or the icon 603B is selected, a UI element 604 including the identification information, position information, and profile information of the corresponding first user is output. By referring to the UI element 604, the second user can select a first user located closer to the second user, or can avoid encountering a first user having unintended profile information. The UI element 605 includes options for whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion flavor inhaler 100 of the first user corresponding to the selected icon 603, and the second user can select either option.

[0174] In addition, when a decision to supply power is input in one of the power supply devices 500 among the multiple power supply devices 500 that have been matched and have received help information, the management device 300 invalidates the other help information. For example, the management device 300 transmits information indicating that the help information has been invalidated to each of the second terminal devices 400 other than the transmission source of the decision result to supply power. Upon receiving such information, the second terminal device 400 stops displaying, for example, a UI screen for making a decision on whether or not to supply power. This prevents the occurrence of unnecessary movement, such as multiple second users moving to the location of one first user.

[0175] (6) Merging Support The management device 300 (for example, the matching unit 333) supports the joining of the first user and the second user who has been matched and has made a decision to supply power. For example, The management device 300 transmits, to each of the first terminal device 200 and the second terminal device 400, a meeting instruction including information instructing the first user and the second user to meet up.

[0176] The meeting instruction includes location information of a meeting point. The meeting point may be the location of the first user, in which case the second user is instructed to move to. The meeting point may be the location of the second user, in which case the first user is instructed to move to. The meeting point may be an intermediate point between the location of the first user and the location of the second user, in which case the first user and the second user are instructed to move to.

[0177] When the first terminal device 200 (e.g., the charging control unit 253) and the second terminal device 400 (e.g., the power supply control unit 453) receive the merging instruction, they output information based on the received merging instruction to the first user and the second user. For example, the first terminal device 200 and the second terminal device 400 output the location information included in the merging instruction and directions to the location indicated by the location information. This allows the first user and the second user to easily merge. When the first user and the second user successfully merge, the power supply device 500 starts supplying power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0178] (7) Granting of Rewards A reward may be given to the second user associated with the power supply device 500 that supplied power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The reward may be, for example, points in a power supply service.

[0179] For example, the first terminal device 200 (for example, the charging control unit 253) outputs information requesting the first user to input a reward to be given to the second user associated with the power supply device 500 that supplied power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and accepts the input of the reward. The first terminal device 200 transmits information indicating the reward input by the first user to the management device 300. Then, the management device 300 performs a process of giving the reward input by the first user to the second user. This can strongly motivate the second user to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The input of the reward may be performed after power supply or before the transmission of the help information. In the latter case, for example, the first user can strongly motivate the second user to supply power by specifying a higher reward as the degree of urgency increases.

[0180] (8) Processing flow 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of power supply processing executed by the system 1 according to the present embodiment. This sequence involves the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the first terminal device 200, the management device 300, the second terminal device 400, and the power supply device 500. It is assumed that information on the first user and the second user is registered before the processing shown in this sequence is executed.

[0181] As shown in Fig. 12, first, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 acquires a remaining power parameter of the battery 112 (step S102). Next, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 judges whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition (step S104). If it is judged that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information to the first terminal device 200 (step S106).

[0182] Next, the first terminal device 200 displays a UI screen for deciding whether or not to send the help information, and accepts an input from the first user (step S108). When information instructing the first terminal device 200 to send the help information is input, the first terminal device 200 sends the help information to the management device 300 (step S110).

[0183] Upon receiving the help information, the management device 300 matches the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 with the power supply device 500 (step S112). Next, the management device 300 transmits the help information to the second terminal device 400 associated with the matched one or more power supply devices 500 (step S114).

[0184] The second terminal device 400 that has received the help information displays a UI screen for making a decision as to whether or not to supply power to the matched non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, an example of which is shown in Fig. 11, and accepts input of the decision-making result (step S116). Next, the second terminal device 400 transmits information indicating the decision-making result to the management device 300 (step S118).

[0185] When the management device 300 receives a decision-making result indicating that power should be supplied, it transmits a merging instruction to each of the first terminal device 200 that transmitted the help information and the second terminal device 400 that transmitted the decision-making result (step S120). When the first user and the second user successfully merge based on the merging instruction, power is supplied from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (step S122). When the management device 300 receives a decision-making result indicating that power should be supplied, it transmits information for invalidating the help information to the second terminal device 400 other than the source of the decision-making result.

[0186] Next, the first terminal device 200 displays a UI screen for inputting a reward, and accepts input of a reward to be given to the second user (step S124). Then, the first terminal device 200 transmits information indicating the reward input by the first user to the management device 300 (step S126). As a result, the management device 300 performs a process of giving the reward designated by the first user to the second user.

[0187] <2.4. Modifications> (1) First Modification Although an example in which the second user is asked to make a decision on the matching result has been described above with reference to Fig. 11, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the first user may be asked to make a decision on the matching result.

[0188] In detail, first, the management device 300 (for example, the matching unit 333) transmits information indicating the matching result to the first terminal device 200 that is the sender of the help information. Here, the information indicating the matching result includes location information of the matched power supply device 500, profile information of the second user who is using the power supply device 500, and the like.

[0189] Next, the first terminal device 200 (for example, the charging control unit 253) accepts a decision by the first user regarding a selection of a destination to which the help information is to be sent. In detail, the first terminal device 200 outputs information based on the received matching result to the first user, and accepts an input of a selection of a destination to which the help information is to be sent.

[0190] For example, the first terminal device 200 outputs information indicating that the matched power supply device 500 is capable of supplying power. This allows the first user to recognize that power supply is possible.

[0191] For example, the first terminal device 200 outputs information about the position of the matched power supply device 500. The information about the position of the power supply device 500 may be position information about the power supply device 500, or may be information indicating the relative positional relationship (e.g., distance and / or direction) between the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the power supply device 500. Thus, the first user can make a decision as to whether or not to select the second user as a candidate for the power supply source, taking into consideration the travel distance required to meet up with the second user, etc.

[0192] In addition, the first terminal device 200 may output various information related to power supply, such as profile information of the second user associated with the matched power supply device 500 and status information of the power supply device 500. This can contribute to the decision-making of the first user.

[0193] For example, the first terminal device 200 outputs information that prompts the first user to make a decision on whether to select the matched power supply device 500 as a destination of the help information. Then, the first terminal device 200 returns information indicating the selection result of the destination of the help information input by the first user to the management device 300. The management device 300 transmits the help information only to the second terminal device 400 associated with the power supply device 500 selected by the first user as the destination of the help information. In this way, the first user can select the destination of the help information by referring to the matching result.

[0194] An example of information output by the first terminal device 200 will be described below with reference to Fig. 13. Next, the flow of processing in this modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 14.

[0195] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a UI screen displayed by the first terminal device 200 according to the first modified example. The UI screen 610 shown in FIG. 13 is an example of a UI screen for selecting a destination of help information. The UI screen 610 includes a UI element 611 in which information indicating the position of the first user and the position of the second user is arranged on a map in the vicinity of the first user. In detail, in the UI element 611, an icon 612 of the first user is arranged at a position on the map corresponding to the position of the first user. Also, in the UI element 611, icons 613A and 613B of two second users are arranged at positions on the map corresponding to the positions of the respective second users. When the icon 613A or the icon 613B is selected, a UI element 614 including identification information, position information, and profile information of the corresponding second user is output. By referring to the UI element 614, the first user can select a second user located closer to the first user or avoid encountering a second user having unintended profile information. The UI element 615 includes a choice of whether or not to set the second terminal device 400 of the second user corresponding to the selected icon 613 as a destination of the help information, and the first user can select either one. Note that the first user can select multiple second users as destinations of the help information.

[0196] 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of power supply processing executed by the system 1 according to the first modified example. This sequence involves the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the first terminal device 200, the management device 300, the second terminal device 400, and the power supply device 500. It is assumed that information on the first user and the second user is registered before the processing shown in this sequence is executed.

[0197] The processes in steps S202 to S212 are the same as those in steps S102 to S112 described with reference to FIG. 12. After step S212, the management device 300 transmits information indicating the matching result to the first terminal device 200 that is the transmission source of the help information (step S214). Next, the first terminal device 200 displays a UI screen for selecting the transmission destination of the help information, an example of which is shown in FIG. 13, and accepts input of the selection of the transmission destination of the help information (step S216). Next, the first terminal device 200 transmits information indicating the selection result to the management device 300 (step S218). Next, the management device 300 transmits the help information to the second terminal device 400 associated with the power supply device 500 selected as the transmission destination of the help information (step S220). After that, in steps S222 to S2 The process in step S32 is similar to the process in steps S116 to S126 described above with reference to FIG.

[0198] (2) Second modified example In the above, an example has been described in which the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 determines whether the remaining power level of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is reduced, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may determine whether the remaining power level of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is reduced by a device other than the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (for example, the first terminal device 200 or the management device 300). In the following, as an example, the management device 300 determines whether the remaining power level of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is reduced. In this modification, the determination unit 143 that the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 has in the first embodiment is disposed in the management device 300 instead of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0199] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 acquires a parameter indicating the remaining power, and transmits the acquired parameter indicating the remaining power to the management device 300 via the first terminal device 200. Then, the management device 300 judges whether or not the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition. If it is judged that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, the management device 300 performs matching. On the other hand, if it is judged that the remaining power parameter does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the management device 300 does not perform matching. The flow of the process in this case will be described with reference to FIG. 15.

[0200] 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of power supply processing executed by the system 1 according to the second modified example. This sequence involves the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the first terminal device 200, and the management device 300. In this sequence, processing after matching is omitted. It is assumed that information on the first user and the second user is registered before the processing shown in this sequence is executed.

[0201] As shown in FIG. 15, first, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 acquires the remaining power parameter of the battery 112 (step S302). Next, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits the remaining power parameter to the first terminal device 200, and the first terminal device 200 transmits the received remaining power parameter to the management device 300 (step S304). Next, the management device 300 judges whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition (step S306). Then, when it is judged that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, the management device 300 performs matching (step S308). Note that it is preferable that the management device 300 receives help information from the first terminal device 200 before performing matching. Subsequent processing is the same as the processing after step S114 shown in FIG. 12 or the processing after step S214 shown in FIG. 14.

[0202] (3) Third modified example In the above, an example has been described in which when the second terminal device 400 receives help information, the second user makes a decision as to whether or not to supply power, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the decision as to whether or not to supply power may be automatically made by the second terminal device 400.

[0203] The second terminal device 400 (e.g., the power supply control unit 453) may determine whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 based on the status information of the power supply device 500 associated with the second terminal device 400. The second terminal device 400 determines to supply power when the remaining power of the power supply device 500 is sufficient, and determines not to supply power when the remaining power of the power supply device 500 is insufficient. At that time, the second terminal device 400 may refer to power supply amount designation information included in the help information.

[0204] Then, the second terminal device 400 returns information indicating the result of the determination by the second terminal device 400 to the management device 300. In this way, the decision as to whether or not to supply power is automatically made by the second terminal device 400, so that the decision as to whether or not to supply power can be made more quickly.

[0205] A similar determination may be made by the management device 300 (for example, the matching unit 333). For example, the management device 300 may make a similar determination by referring to status information or the like registered in advance.

[0206] (4) Fourth modified example In the above, it has been described that the position information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is detected by the first terminal device 200 on behalf of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the position information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be detected by the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0207] The non-burning flavor inhaler 100 according to this modification has a position detection unit that detects the position information of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100. The configuration of the position detection unit is similar to that of the position detection unit 230. The non-burning flavor inhaler 100 transmits the position information detected by the position detection unit to the first terminal device 200 together with the help information. In this case, the management device 300 can perform matching based on a more accurate position of the non-burning flavor inhaler 100.

[0208] (5) Fifth Variation In the above, an example has been described in which the registration information of the power supply service of the first user is stored by the first terminal device 200, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may store the registration information of the power supply service.

[0209] The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (e.g., the storage unit 114) according to this modification stores the registration information of the power supply service of the first user. Then, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits the registration information of the power supply service of the first user to the first terminal device 200 by including it in the help information. In this case, even if the first terminal device 200 does not store the registration information of the power supply service, it is possible to receive an appropriate power supply service.

[0210] <<3. Second embodiment>> In this embodiment, power is supplied from a power supply device used by a second user to a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 used by a first user without going through matching by the management device 300.

[0211] <3.1. Overview> Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the system 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 16, the system 1 according to this embodiment has a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, a second terminal device 400, and a power supply device 500. In this embodiment, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the second terminal device 400 directly communicate with each other, thereby realizing the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 by the power supply device 500. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the second terminal device 400 are located within a distance where they can directly communicate with each other, such as when the first user and the second user are located in the same smoking area or in the same room.

[0212] The present embodiment will be described in detail below. However, the description of the points common to the first embodiment will be simplified or omitted. The configuration of each device is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0213] <3.2. Technical features> The non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (for example, the determination unit 143) transmits help information when it is determined that the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition, similarly to the first embodiment.

[0214] When the second terminal device 400 (e.g., the power supply control unit 453) receives the help information, it outputs information based on the help information, as in the first embodiment, and accepts the decision of the second user as to whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The second terminal device 400 may acquire information necessary for the second user's decision-making by referring to information registered in the management device 300 based on the identification information of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 included in the help information. The necessary information here is, for example, profile information, etc.

[0215] When the second user decides to supply power, the second terminal device 400 supports the first user and the second user to join together. For example, the second terminal device 400 outputs information to the second user instructing the second user to move to the location of the first user. The second user can easily join up with the first user by moving based on the joining instruction. In addition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may support the joining by transmitting trigger information and causing the notification unit 111 to emit light in a predetermined light-emitting pattern.

[0216] The flow of processing in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0217] 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of power supply processing executed by the system 1 according to the present embodiment. This sequence involves the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the second terminal device 400, and the power supply device 500. It is assumed that information on the first user and the second user is registered before the processing shown in this sequence is executed.

[0218] As shown in Fig. 17, first, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 acquires a remaining power parameter of the battery 112 (step S402). Next, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 judges whether the remaining power parameter satisfies a predetermined condition (step S404). If it is judged that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information to the second terminal device 400 (step S406).

[0219] Next, the second terminal device 400 displays a UI screen for the second user to decide whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and accepts input from the second user (step S408). When a decision result indicating that power should be supplied is input, the second terminal device 400 displays a merging instruction (step S410). When the first user and the second user successfully merge based on the merging instruction, power is supplied from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (step S412).

[0220] -supplement In the above description, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the second terminal device 400 communicate directly with each other, but the present technology is not limited to this example. For example, the first terminal device 200 may relay the communication between the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the second terminal device 400.

[0221] <<4. Third embodiment>> In this embodiment, after matching by the management device 300, power is supplied from a power supply device 500 installed in the environment to a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 used by a first user.

[0222] <4.1. Overview> Fig. 18 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system according to the third embodiment. As shown in Fig. 18, the system 1 according to this embodiment includes a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, a first terminal device 200, a management device 300, and a power supply device 500. The power supply device 500 according to this embodiment is realized as, for example, an IoT (Internet of Things) terminal capable of wireless communication and autonomous decision-making. The power supply device 500 has a function including the second terminal device 400 and the power supply device 500 in the first embodiment.

[0223] The third embodiment will be described in detail below. However, the description of the points common to the first embodiment will be simplified or omitted. The configurations of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the first terminal device 200, and the management device 300 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0224] <4.2. Configuration example> 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a power supply device 500 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 19, the power supply device 500 includes a wireless communication unit 510, a battery 520, a position detection unit 530, a storage unit 540, and a control unit 550.

[0225] - Wireless communication unit 510 The wireless communication unit 510 is a wireless interface having functions as a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting and receiving information between the power supply device 500 and other devices. The wireless communication unit 510 communicates with the management device 300 via communication conforming to any communication standard such as Bluetooth, LPWA, wireless LAN, LTE, or LAN, and via a network such as the Internet.

[0226] -Battery 520 The battery 520 is a power source that accumulates power and supplies the power to the battery 112 of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. For example, the battery 520 has a USB connector, and when connected to the USB connector 162 of the power supply connection device 160, supplies power to the battery 112 of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 via the USB connector 162. The battery 520 is, for example, a lithium ion battery.

[0227] - Position detection unit 530 The position detection unit 530 detects position information indicating the actual position of the power supply device 500. The configuration of the position detection unit 530 is similar to that of the position detection unit 230.

[0228] -Storage unit 540 The storage unit 540 is a storage medium that stores various information for the operation of the power supply device 500. The storage unit 540 is configured with a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. The storage unit 540 stores various information related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0229] -Control unit 550 The control unit 550 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the power supply device 500 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 550 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. The control unit 550 may include a ROM for storing the programs to be used, arithmetic parameters, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate.

[0230] The power supply device 500 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 550. For example, the wireless communication unit 510 transmits and receives information, the battery 520 supplies power to other devices, the position detection unit 530 detects a position, and the memory unit 540 stores and reads information. 19 is an example of a process controlled by the control unit 550. Other processes executed by the power supply device 500, such as input of information to each component and processes based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 550. As shown in FIG. 19, the control unit 550 has an information registration unit 551 and a power supply control unit 553. The information registration unit 551 has a function of registering information about the power supply device 500 in the management device 300. The power supply control unit 553 has a function of controlling various processes related to the power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 by the power supply device 500. The details of each of these components will be described in detail later.

[0231] <4.3. Technical features> (1) Advance information registration The power supply device 500 (e.g., information registration unit 551) registers information about the power supply device 500 in the management device 300. In detail, the power supply device 500 transmits information about the power supply device 500 to the management device 300, and the management device 300 (e.g., the memory control unit 331 and the memory unit 320) stores the received information. An example of the registered information will be described below.

[0232] The management device 300 stores the position information of the power supply device 500 in association with the identification information of the power supply device 500. The position information of the power supply device 500 is detected by a position detection unit 530 of the power supply device 500.

[0233] The management device 300 can store status information related to the amount of power that the power supply device 500 can supply in association with the identification information of the power supply device 500. The status information is information indicating a status related to the power supply capacity of the power supply device 500, such as the remaining power of the power supply device 500, the power supply speed, and the presence or absence of a power supply connector 160. Storing the status information makes it possible to perform matching according to the power supply capacity of the power supply device 500.

[0234] (2) Matching The matching in this embodiment is similar to that in the first embodiment, except that in this embodiment, since the second user is not involved, matching based on information of the second user, such as matching based on the profile information of the second user, is omitted.

[0235] -Determining whether to supply power When matching is performed, the management device 300 (e.g., the matching unit 333) transmits help information to the matched power supply device 500. Next, the power supply device 500 (e.g., the power supply control unit 553) determines whether or not to supply power based on the received help information. For example, the power supply device 500 determines whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 based on the registration information of the power supply service of the first user. Specifically, the power supply device 500 determines to supply power only when the number of times the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 has received power has not reached the upper limit of the number of times it has been charged per unit period. This allows the power supply device 500 to supply power according to the registration information of the power supply service of the first user.

[0236] The power supply device 500 may determine whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 based on the status information of the power supply device 500. For example, the power supply device 500 determines to supply power when the remaining power of the battery 520 is sufficient, and determines not to supply power when the remaining power of the battery 520 is insufficient. At that time, the power supply device 500 may refer to power supply amount designation information included in the help information.

[0237] Then, the power supply device 500 returns information indicating the determination result to the management device 300. The subsequent processing is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0238] (3) Control of power supply When the first user moves to the position of the power supply device 500 based on a joining instruction to the first user and the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is connected to the power supply device 500, the power supply device 500 supplies power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0239] At this time, the power supply device 500 (for example, the power supply control unit 553) controls the amount of power supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. The amount of power supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be determined by an amount corresponding to a predetermined number of aerosol generation times. The predetermined number of aerosol generation times is, for example, a number of puffs sufficient to use up at least one unused atomization unit 120, a number of puffs sufficient to use up at least one unused capsule unit 130, or another predetermined number of puffs. The amount of power supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be determined by a power supply time. The power supply time is the length of time during which power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is permitted, and is, for example, several minutes. The amount of power supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be determined by a ratio based on the remaining power of the battery 520. The ratio based on the remaining power of the battery 520 is a percentage when the remaining power of the battery 520 before the start of power supply is set to 100%. The power supply device 500 can prevent the amount of power supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 from being excessive or insufficient by controlling the amount of power supplied.

[0240] (4) Processing flow The process flow in this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0241] 20 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of power supply processing executed by the system 1 according to the present embodiment. This sequence involves the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, the first terminal device 200, the management device 300, and the power supply device 500. It is assumed that information on the first user and the power supply device 500 is registered before the processing shown in this sequence is executed.

[0242] The processes in steps S502 to S512 are similar to the processes in steps S102 to S112 described with reference to Fig. 12. After step S512, the management device 300 transmits help information to one or more matched power supply devices 500 (S514).

[0243] The power supply device 500 that has received the help information determines whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (step S516). Next, the power supply device 500 transmits information indicating the decision result to the management device 300 (step S518).

[0244] When the management device 300 receives a determination result indicating that power supply is to be performed, it transmits a junction instruction to the first terminal device 200 that transmitted the help information, instructing the first user to move to the location of the power supply device 500 (step S520). When the first user moves to the location of the power supply device 500 based on the junction instruction, power is supplied from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 (step S522). When the management device 300 receives a determination result indicating that power supply is to be performed, it transmits information to disable matching to the power supply devices 500 other than the source of the determination result.

[0245] <<5. Summary>> An embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to Figs. 1 to 20. As described above, the non-burning type flavor inhaler 100 has a battery 112 that stores power to be supplied to the atomizing unit 122 that causes the aerosol source to generate aerosol. The inhaler 100 determines whether the remaining power parameter of the battery 112 satisfies a predetermined condition, and transmits help information when it is determined that the remaining power parameter satisfies the predetermined condition. The transmission of help information by the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is used as a trigger to identify a power supply device 500 capable of supplying power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. Then, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and the identified power supply device 500 are connected, etc., after the first user and / or the second user moves, thereby realizing power supply from the power supply device 500 to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in usability due to a decrease in the remaining power of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0246] Furthermore, the first terminal device 200 transmits help information transmitted from the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and transmits help information corresponding to the received help information. This allows the first terminal device 200 to relay help information to the management device 300 even if the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 only has a short-distance wireless communication function and has difficulty in communicating directly with the management device 300.

[0247] The management device 300 also stores position information of the power supply device 500. When the management device 300 receives help information related to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, it identifies the power supply device 500 that is in a predetermined positional relationship with the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and transmits the help information to the identified power supply device 500. This makes it possible to realize power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 by the power supply device 500 that is in an appropriate positional relationship, such as being close to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 with low remaining power.

[0248] Furthermore, when the second terminal device 400 receives the help information, it outputs information regarding the position of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 and information indicating that power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is requested. This allows the second user to recognize that power supply to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is requested, and to make a decision as to whether or not to supply power, taking into consideration the travel distance required to meet up with the first user.

[0249] Furthermore, the power supply device 500 accumulates the power to be supplied to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100, and upon receiving help information, determines whether or not to supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 based on the help information. The power supply device 500 can supply power without the second user's decision. Therefore, the power supply device 500 installed in the environment can also supply power to the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100.

[0250] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0251] For example, in the above description, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 is used alone, and the help information is transmitted when the remaining power of the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 decreases, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be used in combination with an external battery, and the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 may be charged from the external battery every several puffing operations. In this case, the help information may be transmitted when the remaining power of the external battery decreases. The external battery is also an example of an aerosol generation control device.

[0252] For example, the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate. For example, the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be combined to provide a non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 with a power supply device 50. 0. In this case, the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 can directly transmit help information to the power supply device 500 installed in the nearby environment to receive power supply. In addition, for example, the devices according to the first to third embodiments may be mixed. In this case, when the non-combustion type flavor inhaler 100 transmits help information, the second terminal device 400 and / or the power supply device 500 receive the help information indirectly through matching by the management device 300, or directly without matching by the management device 300. When it is determined that power supply is to be performed by any one of the second terminal devices 400 or the power supply device 500, the help information for the other devices is invalidated.

[0253] In addition, the processes described in this specification using flowcharts and sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown in the drawings. Some processing steps may be performed in parallel. In addition, additional processing steps may be employed, and some processing steps may be omitted.

[0254] The series of processes performed by each device described in this specification may be realized using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a storage medium (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device. Then, each program is loaded into a RAM when executed by a computer, for example, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The storage medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, etc. Also, the computer programs may be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a storage medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0255] 1 System 100 Non-combustion type flavor inhaler 110 First component, electrical unit 111 Notification Department 112 Battery 113 Sensors 114 Storage section 115 Control Unit 116 Wireless Communication Division 119 Female Connector 120 Second component, atomization unit 121 Reservoir 122 Atomization section 123 Air intake channel 124 Aerosol flow path 125 Mouthpiece 126 Arrow 130 Third component, capsule unit 131 Flavor source 141 Power remaining amount parameter acquisition unit 143 Judgment section 160 Power supply connection device 161 Male Connector 162 Connector 162 USB connector 171 Housing 171A Top Housing 171B Bottom Housing 172 Cover 172a aperture 173 Switch 174 Lid 175 Heating section 180 Smoking articles 180A Base material part 180B Mouthpiece 181 Filling 182 First Scroll 183 Second Scroll 184 Paper tube section 185 Filter section 186 Hollow segment 200 First terminal device 210 Wireless Communication Department 220 Input / output section 230 Position detection unit 240 Storage section 250 Control section 251 Information Registration Department 253 Charging control unit 300 Management device 310 Communications Department 320 Storage section 330 Control Unit 331 Memory control unit 333 Matching Department 400 Second terminal device 410 Wireless Communication Department 420 Input / output section 430 Position detection unit 440 Storage section 450 Control Unit 451 Information Registration Department 453 Power supply control unit 500 Power supply equipment 510 Wireless Communication Department 520 Battery 530 Position detector 540 Storage section 550 Control Unit 551 Information Registration Department 553 Power supply control unit

Claims

1. An aerosol generation control device, comprising: a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol on an aerosol generating substrate; a control unit that determines whether a parameter indicating a remaining amount of power of the power source satisfies a predetermined condition; a wireless communication unit that transmits information to trigger the supply of power to the aerosol generation control device when the control unit determines that the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition; and wherein satisfying the predetermined condition includes the parameter indicating that the remaining power is less than a predetermined threshold, the predetermined threshold being a threshold indicating whether the power source has sufficient power remaining to use up at least one unused aerosol generating substrate.

2. The aerosol generation control device according to claim 1, further comprising: A position detection unit that detects position information of the aerosol generation control device, An aerosol generation control device, characterized in that the information includes the position information detected by the position detection unit.

3. The aerosol generation control device has a storage unit that stores registration information for an electricity supply service, The aerosol generation control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information includes registration information of the power supply service stored in the memory unit.

4. The aerosol generation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the wireless communication unit performs wireless communication using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

5. The aerosol generation control device described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control unit determines whether the parameters satisfy the specified conditions when a user's inhalation action is detected as a trigger.

6. An information processing method for operating an aerosol generation control device, comprising: Determining whether a parameter indicating a remaining power amount of a power source that accumulates power supplied to an aerosol generating unit that causes an aerosol to be generated from an aerosol-generating substrate satisfies a predetermined condition; transmitting information to trigger the supply of power to the aerosol generation control device when it is determined that the parameter satisfies the predetermined condition; Including, An information processing method, characterized in that satisfying the specified condition includes the parameter indicating that the remaining power is less than a specified threshold, the specified threshold being a threshold for whether the power source has enough power remaining to use up at least one unused aerosol generating substrate.

7. The aerosol generation control device has a storage unit that stores registration information for an electricity supply service, The information processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the information includes registration information of the power supply service stored in the storage unit.

8. The information processing method described in claim 6 or 7, characterized in that determining whether the parameters satisfy the specified conditions is triggered by detection of a user's inhalation action on the aerosol generation control device.

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