Aerosol generating device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

An aerosol generating device and a method for operating the same are provided, which includes a heating chamber configured to accommodate an aerosol product, a heater configured to heat the aerosol product in the heating chamber, an inductance sensor that measures the inductance value of a coil, a capacitance sensor that measures the capacitance value of a capacitor, and a controller that senses whether the aerosol product is inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor that change depending on a marker included in the aerosol product.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and an operating method thereof.

Background Art

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

[0003] Conventionally, the insertion of a cigarette into an aerosol generating device has been detected based on the amount of change in inductance. However, such a cigarette detection method depends only on the amount of change in inductance, and thus has a limitation in that an external ferromagnetic substance may be misrecognized as a cigarette due to a change in inductance generated by the external ferromagnetic substance existing outside the aerosol generating device. As a result, an unintended heating operation may be caused by false detection and malfunction, and there is a high possibility of an accident due to false detection.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device and an operating method thereof that sense the presence or absence of a cigarette inserted into the aerosol generating device based on a combination of the amount of change in inductance and the amount of change in capacitance by disposing a material having both magnetic permeability and permittivity on the cigarette.

[0005] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs from the present disclosure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one embodiment, an aerosol generating apparatus may be provided that includes a heating chamber into which an aerosol product is inserted, a heater configured to heat the aerosol product in the heating chamber, an inductance sensor configured to measure the inductance value of a coil, a capacitance sensor configured to measure the capacitance value of a capacitor, and a control unit configured to sense whether or not an aerosol product has been inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor, which change due to markers contained in the aerosol product. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the conventional cigarette detection method, which relies solely on the amount of inductance change, is improved, and the aerosol generator can distinguish between the presence of an external ferromagnetic material nearby and the insertion of a cigarette.

[0008] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and any effects not mentioned will be clearly understood from this disclosure by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a conceptual diagram relating to the sensing range of the inductance sensor and the capacitance sensor of an aerosol generating apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a drawing of an aerosol generating apparatus equipped with multiple inductance sensors according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a drawing of an aerosol generating apparatus including a shielding member according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generating apparatus including a sensor assembly that integrates an inductance sensor and a capacitance sensor according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of an aerosol generating device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] According to one embodiment, an aerosol generating apparatus may be provided that includes a heating chamber configured to contain an aerosol product, a heater configured to heat the aerosol product in the heating chamber, an inductance sensor configured to measure the inductance value of a coil, a capacitance sensor configured to measure the capacitance value of a capacitor, and a control unit configured to sense whether or not an aerosol product is inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor, which change due to markers contained in the aerosol product.

[0011] The sensing range of the inductance sensor and the sensing range of the capacitance sensor may be set differently from each other.

[0012] The sensing range of an inductance sensor can be set to be wider than that of a capacitance sensor.

[0013] The control unit can detect the insertion of the aerosol product into the heating chamber based on whether the inductance value is equal to or greater than a first reference value and the capacitance value is equal to or greater than a second reference value.

[0014] One side of the capacitance sensor faces the heating chamber, and the aerosol generator may further include a shielding member positioned on the other side opposite to the capacitance sensor.

[0015] The marker is positioned on one side of the aerosol product, and the second inductance sensor may be positioned adjacent to the marker on the aerosol product inserted into the heating chamber.

[0016] The marker can have a permeability that changes the inductance of the coil and a dielectric constant that changes the capacitance value of the capacitor.

[0017] The aerosol generating device may include a sensor assembly including a coil, a capacitor, and a sensor control unit configured to receive an inductance value from the coil and a capacitance value from the capacitor.

[0018] The control unit includes a main control unit configured to operate in a sleep mode in which the heater is controlled to be deactivated and an operation mode in which the heater is controlled to be activated. The sensor assembly wakes up the main control unit from the sleep mode to the operation mode based on the inductance value, and the main control unit can sense the presence or absence of the aerosol generating article based on the capacitance value.

[0019] The aerosol generating article is cigarette-shaped and extends in one direction, and the marker can be disposed at one end of the aerosol generating article.

[0020] The aerosol generating article is also a cartridge containing a liquid aerosol generating substance.

[0021] According to another embodiment, there may be provided an operating method of an aerosol generating device including measuring an inductance value of a coil that changes due to the movement of an aerosol generating article including a marker by an inductance sensor including the coil, measuring a capacitance value of a capacitor that changes due to the movement of the aerosol generating article including the marker by a capacitance sensor including the capacitor, sensing the presence or absence of the aerosol generating article inserted into the heating chamber based on the inductance value and the capacitance value, and heating the aerosol generating article inserted into the heating chamber using a heater.

[0022] According to yet another embodiment, when the main control unit is operating in the sleep mode, as an aerosol-generating article containing a marker approaches, based on the changing inductance value of the coil from the sensor assembly, when the main control unit is operating in the operation mode, and based on the capacitance value of the capacitor measured through the sensor assembly, a method of operating an aerosol-generating device can be provided that includes a step of the main control unit sensing whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the heating chamber.

[0023] According to yet another embodiment, an aerosol-generating system including an aerosol-generating device is provided, the aerosol-generating device including an aerosol-generating article containing an aerosol-generating substance and a marker, a heating chamber into which the aerosol-generating article is inserted, a heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating article in the heating chamber, an inductance sensor that measures the inductance value of the coil, a capacitance sensor that measures the capacitance value of the capacitor, and a control unit configured to sense whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor.

[0024] As used herein, when an expression such as "at least any one of" is in front of an arranged component, it modifies not the entire arranged components but each arranged component. For example, the expression "at least any one of a, b, and c" must be interpreted to include a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c.

[0025] When a component or layer is referred to as “above,” “on top of,” “connected to,” or “joined with” another component or layer, the component or layer may be directly above, on top of, connected to, joined to, or between the other component or layer. In contrast, when a component is referred to as “directly above,” “immediately above,” “directly connected to,” or “directly joined with” another component or layer, there is no component or layer in between. The same reference number refers to the same component throughout.

[0026] The terminology used in the examples has been selected, as far as possible, to be widely used and general terms, while taking into account the function of the present invention. However, this may vary depending on the intent of the articulators, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In certain cases, the applicant may have arbitrarily selected terms, in which case their meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention are not merely names of terms, but must be defined based on the meaning of the terms and the overall content of the present invention.

[0027] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a component, this means that, unless otherwise stated, it may include other components rather than excluding them. Furthermore, terms such as "part" and "module" refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be embodied by hardware or software, or by a combination of hardware and software.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the attached drawings, so as to be easily understood and implemented by a person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. However, the present invention can also be embodied in a variety of different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0029] Throughout this disclosure, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol generating substance in order to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. For example, the aerosol generating device is also a holder.

[0030] Throughout this disclosure, “puff” means the inhalation of an aerosol by the user, and “inhalation” may mean the act of the user breathing through the user’s mouth, nose, or lungs.

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment.

[0033] Referring to Figure 1, the aerosol generation system may include an aerosol generating device 100 and an aerosol product 200. The aerosol generation system illustrated in Figure 1 only shows the components related to this embodiment. However, a person with ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment will understand that the aerosol generation system may also include components other than those shown in Figure 1.

[0034] The aerosol generator 100 can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol product 200, thereby vaporizing the aerosol-generating substances contained in the aerosol product 200. The generated aerosol can be inhaled by the user. The aerosol generator 100 may include a heating chamber 110, a heater 140, an inductance sensor 122, a capacitance sensor 124, a control unit 150, and a battery, etc.

[0035] The heating chamber 110 is also a space into which the aerosol product 200 is inserted and which is heated by the heater 140. The heating chamber 110 is also an empty space formed within the housing that constitutes the external appearance of the aerosol generator 100. The aerosol generating material can be inserted into or removed from the heating chamber 110 through an opening formed in the housing.

[0036] The heating chamber 110 can also be manufactured in a shape corresponding to the shape of the aerosol product 200. For example, if the aerosol product 200 is elongated and extends in one direction, the heating chamber 110 can also be cylindrical with an open space extending in one direction. Alternatively, if the aerosol product 200 is a rectangular cartridge, the heating chamber 110 can also be a rectangular open space to accommodate the cartridge.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the heating chamber 110 may include an insulating material to prevent heat transferred from the heater 140 from being released to the outside.

[0038] The heater 140 can heat the aerosol product 200 inserted in the heating chamber 110. The heater 140 is heated by power supplied from the battery, thereby heating and vaporizing the aerosol-generating material.

[0039] In one embodiment, if the aerosol product 200 is cigarette-shaped, at least a portion of the cigarette containing the aerosol-generating material can be inserted into the aerosol generator 100. The heater 140 can be located inside or outside the cigarette to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0040] According to one embodiment, if the aerosol product 200 is in cartridge form, the aerosol-generating substance can be stored in a storage section (not shown) of the cartridge (not shown). The storage section can transfer the stored aerosol-generating substance along the capillary core to an atomizer (not shown) using surface tension. A heater 140 is provided in the atomizer to heat the aerosol-generating substance.

[0041] The heater 140 can be any heater that heats the aerosol to a desired temperature for vaporization, without any limitations. The desired temperature may be pre-set in the aerosol generator 100, or it may be set to a temperature of the user's choice.

[0042] In one embodiment, the heater 140 is also an electrical resistive heater 140. For example, the heater 140 includes a conductive track, and the heater 140 can be heated by current flowing through the conductive track.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the heater 140 is also an induction heating heater 140. Specifically, the heater 140 includes a conductive coil 260 for heating an aerosol-generating substance by induction heating, and the cigarette or liquid cartridge may include a susceptor 320 that is heated by the induction heating heater 140.

[0044] The inductance sensor 122 may include a coil and a sensor control unit 126 capable of measuring the inductance value of the coil. According to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction, if the magnetic field around a coil through which current flows changes, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil may change.

[0045] When the aerosol product 200 is inserted into or removed from the heating chamber 110, the current flowing through the coil can induce eddy currents in the marker 220 of the aerosol product 200. The eddy currents flowing through the marker 220 can change the characteristics of the current, such as the frequency of the current flowing through the coil and the inductance value of the coil, through mutual induction with the coil.

[0046] The inductance sensor 122 can measure the characteristic values ​​of a changing current. For example, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil may include the frequency value, current value, voltage value, inductance value, effective resistance, impedance value, etc. of the alternating current. The inductance sensor 122 may further include a frequency measuring element, a rectifier, an amplifier, an oscillator circuit that generates electrical oscillations, etc.

[0047] The measurement of the inductance value of the coil by the inductance sensor 122 includes measuring one of the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil and obtaining the inductance value through calculation from the measured characteristic value of the current.

[0048] The inductance L of the coil can be obtained, for example, through Equation 1.

number

[0049] Here, F sen θ indicates the frequency of the current flowing through the coil, and C indicates the capacitance of the coil. The capacitance C of the coil is also a value that takes into account the capacitance of the coil itself and the parasitic capacitance.

[0050] The inductance sensor 122 transmits the measured inductance value to the control unit 150, which can then determine whether or not an aerosol-generating substance has been inserted based on the inductance value.

[0051] The capacitance sensor 124 may include a capacitor and a sensor control unit 126 that measures the capacitance value of the capacitor.

[0052] The capacitance sensor 124 may include two electrodes facing each other. A dielectric material may be placed between the two electrodes. The movement of the marker 220 due to the insertion and removal of aerosol-generating material into and out of the heating chamber 110 can affect the electric field between the two electrodes, causing the capacitance value between the two electrodes to change. The capacitance sensor 124 can measure the capacitance value and transmit it to the control unit 150. Based on the capacitance value, the control unit 150 can determine whether or not the aerosol-generating material has been inserted.

[0053] The control unit 150 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generator 100. Specifically, the control unit 150 controls the operation of not only the battery, heater 140, inductance sensor 122, and capacitance sensor 124, but also other components included in the aerosol generator 100.

[0054] The control unit 150 receives the inductance value of the coil from the inductance sensor 122 and can sense whether or not the aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the inductance value. For example, if the sensed inductance value is above a predetermined threshold, the control unit 150 can determine that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted into the heating chamber 110. The control unit 150 can store in advance the inductance value when the aerosol product 200 is inserted and the inductance value when the aerosol product 200 has been removed, via memory.

[0055] The control unit 150 receives the capacitance value of the capacitor from the capacitance sensor 124 and can sense whether or not the aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the capacitance value. For example, if the sensed capacitance value is above a predetermined threshold, the control unit 150 can determine that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted into the heating chamber 110. The control unit 150 can store in advance the capacitance value when the aerosol product 200 is inserted and the capacitance value when the aerosol product 200 has been removed, via memory.

[0056] In one embodiment, the control unit 150 can determine that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the combination of the inductance value measured from the inductance sensor 122 and the capacitance value measured from the capacitance sensor 124. For example, the control unit 150 can determine that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted if both the first condition related to the inductance value and the second condition related to the capacitance value are met. This will be described in more detail later with reference to Figure 2.

[0057] If the control unit 150 determines that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted into the heating chamber 110, it can supply power from the battery to the heater 140 and heat the aerosol product 200 using the heater 140. If the control unit 150 determines that the aerosol product 200 has been removed from the heating chamber 110, it can interrupt the power supply from the battery to the heater 140.

[0058] The control unit 150 includes at least one processor. The processor is embodied as an array of numerous logic gates and is embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. It will be understood by those with ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment belongs that it can also be embodied in other forms of hardware.

[0059] The battery supplies power used to operate the aerosol generator 100. For example, the battery can supply power to heat the heater 140 and to power the control unit 150. The battery can also supply power to the inductance sensor 122 and the capacitance sensor 124. Furthermore, the battery can supply power to power the display, sensors, motors, and other components included in the aerosol generator 100.

[0060] According to one embodiment, the battery is electrically connected to the adapter, and the adapter can output a current that converts the direct current output from the battery into alternating current.

[0061] Furthermore, the aerosol generator 100 may include components other than the battery, heater 140, inductance sensor 122, and capacitance sensor 124. For example, the aerosol generator 100 may include a motor for outputting a display capable of outputting visual information and / or tactile information, a charging terminal for charging the battery, and so on. The motor may, for example, indicate through vibration that heating of the heater 140 is complete. For example, the aerosol generator 100 may include an LED that can display the operating status of the heater 140.

[0062] Furthermore, the aerosol generator 100 may include at least one sensor (such as a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, or a cigarette insertion detection sensor). The control unit 150 can confirm the presence or absence of a user's puff and the intensity of the puff through the puff detection sensor, and can count the number of puffs.

[0063] Furthermore, the aerosol generator 100 may include an input unit (not shown). User input can be received through the input unit, thereby controlling the operation of the aerosol generator 100.

[0064] The aerosol product 200 may include an aerosol-generating substance and a marker 220. The aerosol-generating substance can be heated by the heater 140 of the aerosol generator 100 and vaporized to generate an aerosol.

[0065] The aerosol-generating substance may contain, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The aerosol-generating substance may also contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. Furthermore, a fragrance solution such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the aerosol-generating substance.

[0066] Marker 220 is a magnetic and conductive material, possessing intrinsic permeability and dielectric constant. Therefore, the presence and movement of marker 220 can change the inductance of the coil and the capacitance of the capacitor. Marker 220 can also be a metallic material, such as aluminum, nickel, and iron. Marker 220 can also be manufactured in the form of ink, tape, band, and paper.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the aerosol product 200 is also cigarette-shaped and extends in one direction. In this case, the aerosol product 200 may include a tobacco rod containing the aerosol-generating substance, a cooling rod for cooling the aerosol, and a filter rod for filtering out impurities. If the aerosol product 200 is cigarette-shaped, the marker 220 may be placed at one end of the aerosol product 200. The end of the aerosol product 200 on which the marker 220 is placed may be inserted into the heating chamber 110.

[0068] In another embodiment, the aerosol product 200 is also a cartridge type containing a liquid aerosol-generating substance. The aerosol product 200 may include a storage container for storing the liquid aerosol-generating substance, a core for transporting the aerosol-generating substance from the storage container, a heater 140 surrounding the core and heating the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the core, and contact terminals connecting the heater 140 to a battery.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the types of aerosol products 200 are diverse, and each aerosol product 200 may contain a pre-specified type of marker 220. Depending on the type of marker 220, the inductance and capacitance values ​​changed by the marker 220 may also differ from one another. The aerosol generator 100 stores table information in memory that matches the type of marker 220 with the type of aerosol product 200, and the aerosol generator 100 can determine the type of inserted aerosol product 200 based on the inductance and capacitance values ​​changed by the marker 220.

[0070] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram relating to the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 and the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 of an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment.

[0071] Referring to Figure 2, the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for the marker 220 is set differently depending on the magnitude of the magnetic field formed in the coil of the inductance sensor 122. That is, the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for the marker 220 is set by the magnitude of the current applied to the coil of the inductance sensor 122. The sensor control unit 126 of the inductance sensor 122 or the control unit 150 of the aerosol generator 100 sets a reference value for the inductance value to recognize that the marker 220 is within a predetermined distance, and the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for the marker 220 can be set according to the reference value of the inductance value.

[0072] The sensing range of the capacitance sensor for the marker 220 can be set differently depending on the magnitude of the electric field formed in the capacitor. That is, the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 for the marker 220 is set by the potential difference between the two electrodes of the capacitance sensor 124 and the magnitude of the capacitance. The sensor control unit 126 of the capacitance sensor 124 or the control unit 150 of the aerosol generator 100 sets a reference value for capacitance to recognize that the marker 220 is within a predetermined distance, and the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 for the marker 220 is set according to the reference value of capacitance.

[0073] The two electrodes of the capacitance sensor 124 may be separated along a first direction. The first direction is also the direction in which the aerosol product 200 and the heating chamber 110 extend. An electric field may be formed on the capacitor along the first direction.

[0074] The sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for detecting the marker 220 and the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 for detecting the marker 220 are different from each other. As a result, there may be a region where the sensing ranges of the inductance sensor 122 and the capacitance sensor 124 overlap. Also, there may be a region where the sensing ranges of the inductance sensor 1220 and the capacitance sensor 124 do not overlap.

[0075] The aerosol generator 100 positions the heating chamber 110 in a region where the sensing ranges of the inductance sensor 122 and the capacitance sensor 124 overlap, and can sense whether or not an aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the inductance and capacitance values ​​obtained from each sensor. For example, the aerosol generator 100 can determine that an aerosol product 200 has been inserted if both the first condition related to the inductance value and the second condition related to the capacitance value are met. The aerosol generator 100 can sense that an aerosol product 200 has been inserted when the inductance value is equal to or greater than the first reference value and the capacitance value is equal to or greater than the second reference value. As a result, the aerosol generator 100 can determine whether or not an aerosol product 200 has been inserted with high accuracy.

[0076] The sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for detecting marker 220 may be set wider than the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 for detecting marker 220. For example, the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 for marker 200 may be set to include not only the heating chamber 110 but also the exterior of the housing of the aerosol generator 100. The sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 for marker 220 may be set to a region inside the heating chamber 110.

[0077] For example, if the aerosol generator 100 determines whether or not to insert an aerosol product 200 based solely on the inductance value received from the inductance sensor 122, it may detect a change in inductance value due to a ferromagnetic material adjacent to the aerosol generator 100 and mistakenly identify the external ferromagnetic material as the aerosol product 200.

[0078] Therefore, the aerosol generator 100 can improve the accuracy of sensing the aerosol product 200 by sensing that the aerosol product 200 is within a predetermined distance based on the inductance value measured by the inductance sensor 122, and by sensing that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted into the heating chamber 110 based on the capacitance value measured by the capacitance sensor 124.

[0079] Furthermore, the sensitivity of the inductance sensor 122 to detect the marker 220 and the sensitivity of the capacitance sensor 124 to detect the marker 220 can be set differently from each other. Generally, the capacitance sensor 124 has high sensitivity to measure capacitance values ​​in units of femtofarads (fF), which allows the capacitance sensor 124 to have a high noise ratio.

[0080] Therefore, the aerosol generator 100 first prioritizes determining whether the first condition related to the inductance value measured by the inductance sensor 122 is satisfied, and then, in lower priority, determines whether the second condition related to the capacitance value measured by the capacitance sensor 124 is satisfied. In other words, the aerosol generator determines whether the second condition related to the capacitance value is satisfied only if the first condition is satisfied. This allows the aerosol generator 100 to solve the problem caused by the high noise ratio of the capacitance sensor 124 mentioned above and improve accuracy.

[0081] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol generating device 100 equipped with multiple inductance sensors 122 according to one embodiment.

[0082] Referring to Figure 3, the aerosol generator 100 can be equipped with a plurality of inductance sensors 122. The plurality of inductance sensors 122 may be spaced apart in a first direction. Here, the first direction is also the direction in which the aerosol product 200 extends. Furthermore, the first direction is also the direction in which the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the aerosol generator 100.

[0083] For example, if an aerosol generator 100 determines whether or not an aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the inductance value measured by a single inductance sensor 122, the inductance value will change due to the influence of the external environment, such as magnetic materials in the vicinity. Therefore, in that case, there is a problem in that the reference value of the inductance used to determine whether or not the aerosol product 200 has been inserted must be corrected in real time.

[0084] To solve these problems, the aerosol generating device 100 can determine whether or not an aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the inductance values ​​measured by multiple inductance sensors 122.

[0085] More specifically, when the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the heating chamber 110, the inductance values ​​measured by the multiple inductance sensors 122 differ depending on the position of the marker 220. The aerosol generator 100 determines that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the difference in the inductance values ​​measured by each inductance sensor 122. This allows the aerosol generator 100 to eliminate noise caused by the external environment and improve accuracy.

[0086] In one embodiment, the inductance sensor 122 may include a first inductance sensor 122-1 and a second inductance sensor 122-2 positioned below the first inductance sensor 122-1. When the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the heating chamber 110, the marker 220 is positioned adjacent to the position of the second inductance sensor 122-2. The first inductance sensor 122-1 and the second inductance sensor 122-2 can measure the inductance value changed by the marker 220. The amount of change in the inductance value at the second inductance sensor 122-2 due to the marker 220 is greater than the amount of change in the inductance value at the first inductance sensor 122-1.

[0087] The control unit 150 or the sensor control unit 126 of the inductance sensor 122 can determine that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted if the difference between the inductance values ​​measured by the first inductance sensor 122-1 and the second inductance sensor 122-2 is greater than a predetermined reference value.

[0088] Although not shown in Figure 3, the aerosol generator 100 is equipped with a plurality of capacitance sensors 124, which may be spaced apart along a first direction. The control unit 150 can sense whether or not an aerosol product 200 has been inserted based on the capacitance values ​​measured from the plurality of capacitance sensors 124.

[0089] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol generating apparatus 100 including a shielding member according to one embodiment.

[0090] Referring to Figure 4, the aerosol generator 100 may be equipped with a shielding member to minimize the influence of external environments, such as electronic devices, on the capacitance sensor 124.

[0091] The capacitance sensor 124 is positioned with one side 124a facing the heating chamber 110, thereby enabling it to sense the aerosol product 200 being inserted into the heating chamber 110.

[0092] A shielding member is positioned on the other side 124b of the capacitance sensor 124. Various electronic devices, including a memory, battery, and control unit 150, are positioned on the other side 124b of the capacitance sensor 124, and the shielding member is positioned between the capacitance sensor 124 and the various electronic devices on the other side 124b. The shielding member can shield the other side 124b of the capacitance sensor 124 from the influence of external electric fields, including those of the electronic devices. As a result, the sensing range of the capacitance sensor 124 is limited to the inside of the heating chamber 110, which can improve accuracy.

[0093] The shielding material can be a conductive material such as aluminum and copper. Alternatively, the shielding material can be a carbon material such as carbon fiber, carbon nanotube (CNT), carbon black, and graphene. Alternatively, the shielding material can be a polymer composite or a polymer composite with carbon, ceramic, or metal added.

[0094] Shielding members can also be in the form of, for example, sheet metal, mesh, or coated with ionized gas. Shielding members can also be manufactured by, for example, sputtering, plating, or spray coating.

[0095] Although not shown in Figure 4, the aerosol generator 100 may include a shielding member positioned on the opposite side of the inductance sensor 122 from one side of the inductance sensor 122 facing the heating chamber 110. This shields the inductance sensor 122 from the influence of external magnetic fields, such as those from electronic equipment positioned on the other side, and limits the sensing range of the inductance sensor 122 to the inside of the heating chamber 110.

[0096] Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an aerosol generating device 100, which includes a sensor assembly integrating an inductance sensor 122 and a capacitance sensor 124 according to one embodiment.

[0097] Referring to Figure 5, the aerosol generator 100 may also include a sensor assembly comprising a coil for measuring inductance values, a capacitor for measuring capacitance values, and a sensor control unit 126 configured to receive and process the inductance and capacitance values ​​and transmit them to the main control unit 155 of the aerosol generator 100.

[0098] The sensor control unit 126 of the sensor assembly is connected to the coil and the capacitor, and the sensor control unit 126 can receive both the inductance value and the capacitance value.

[0099] By having a single sensor control unit 126 in the sensor assembly, power can be saved compared to a case where multiple separate sensor control units 126 are provided for the coil and capacitor.

[0100] Furthermore, if multiple sensor control units 126 for coils and sensor control units 126 for capacitors are provided separately, multiple paths must be designed for each sensor control unit 126 to connect to the main control unit 155, which complicates the packaging and increases the size of the sensors.

[0101] On the other hand, by using a single sensor control unit 126 in the sensor assembly, the coil and capacitor located in close proximity to the heating chamber 110 are connected, enabling simple and compact packaging.

[0102] Depending on the embodiment, the sensor control unit 126 may separately include a port connected to a coil and a port connected to a capacitor. The sensor control unit 126 can control the coil and the capacitor, respectively, through the ports. The sensor control unit 126 may block or ignore information transmission through either the port connected to the coil or the port connected to the capacitor.

[0103] The sensor control unit 126 is connected to the main control unit 155 and can transmit the inductance value measured through the coil and the capacitance value measured through the capacitor to the main control unit 155. According to one or more embodiments, the sensor control unit 126 can determine whether the inductance value or capacitance value satisfies predetermined conditions and inform the main control unit 155 whether the conditions are satisfied. For example, when the inductance value is above a predetermined reference value, the sensor control unit 126 can inform the main control unit 155 that the inductance value is above a predetermined reference value.

[0104] The main control unit 155 can control the components of the aerosol generator 100 in general. The main control unit 155 can operate a sleep mode that operates at low power and an operating mode that activates the heater 140, among others.

[0105] The main control unit 155 can minimize power consumption in sleep mode by deactivating some of the ports connected to various electronic devices, thereby preventing power consumption through the ports. For example, the main control unit 155 can minimize the power consumed to control the heater 140 by deactivating the port connected to the heater 140 in sleep mode and limiting the operation of the heater 140.

[0106] The main control unit 155 activates ports connected to various electronic devices in the operating mode and controls the overall operation of the aerosol generator 100. For example, the main control unit 155 activates a port connected to the heater 140 in the operating mode and controls the heating operation of the heater 140. In sleep mode, the main control unit 155 deactivates the port connected to the heater 140, but the port connected to the sensor control unit 126 can remain active. When the main control unit 155 detects that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted through the sensor control unit 126, it starts operating in an operating mode, thereby activating the port connected to the heater 140 and controlling the heating operation of the heater 140.

[0107] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of the aerosol generator 100.

[0108] Referring to Figure 6, the aerosol generator 100 can operate in sleep mode and operating mode based on the inductance and capacitance values ​​measured by the sensor assembly.

[0109] First, the main control unit 155 of the aerosol generator 100 operates in sleep mode (S1100). As previously shown in Figure 5, the main control unit 155 can deactivate ports connected to electronic equipment due to low power consumption in sleep mode. However, the main control unit 155 can activate ports connected to sensor assemblies.

[0110] The sensor control unit 126 of the sensor assembly determines whether the inductance value is within a predetermined reference range (S1200). The sensor control unit 126 determines whether the inductance value of the coil, which changes as the aerosol product 200 including the marker 220 approaches the heating chamber 110, is within a predetermined reference range. The predetermined reference range of the inductance value is the range of inductance values ​​measured when the aerosol product 200 approaches the heating chamber 110 or is inserted into the heating chamber 110, and can be stored in advance in the sensor control unit 126.

[0111] The sensor control unit 126 transmits an alert signal to the main control unit 155 if the inductance value is within a predetermined reference range. If the sensor assembly's inductance value is not within the predetermined reference range, it does not transmit an alert signal to the main control unit 155, and the main control unit 155 can maintain sleep mode.

[0112] When the main control unit 155 receives an alert signal from the sensor assembly, it can exit sleep mode and operate in operating mode (S1300). In operating mode, the main control unit 155 activates the ports connected to the electronic equipment and performs calculations and information processing using the information received through the ports.

[0113] Thereafter, the aerosol generator 100 determines whether the capacitance value is within a predetermined reference range (S1400). In one embodiment, the main control unit 155, which is operated in operating mode, receives the capacitance value through the sensor control unit 126 and determines whether the capacitance value is within a predetermined reference range. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the sensor control unit 126 can determine whether the capacitance value is within a predetermined reference range.

[0114] A predetermined reference range for capacitance values ​​is the range of capacitance values ​​measured when the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the heating chamber 110, and can be stored in advance in the sensor control unit 126 or the main control unit 155.

[0115] If the capacitance value is not within a predetermined reference range, the main control unit 155 determines that a change in the inductance value has occurred due to an external magnetic material and that the aerosol product 200 has not been inserted. After canceling the operation mode, it operates in sleep mode.

[0116] If the capacitance value is within a predetermined reference range, the main control unit 155 determines that the aerosol product has been inserted into the heating chamber 110 and allows the heater 140 to begin heating. This allows the aerosol generator 100 to improve the accuracy of sensing whether or not the aerosol product 200 has been inserted, based on the combination of inductance and capacitance values.

[0117] Furthermore, the aerosol generator 100 can ensure safety by preventing malfunction of the heater 140 by heating the heater 140 only when the aerosol product 200 is inserted. In addition, the aerosol generator 100 can conserve atmospheric power consumed through the main control unit 155 by operating the main control unit 155 in sleep mode until the measured inductance value falls within the reference range.

[0118] Furthermore, the aerosol generator 100 can quickly detect the approach of aerosol products 200 by prioritizing the use of the inductance measurement value of the inductance sensor 122, which has a wide sensing range, and can reduce the noise ratio and improve accuracy by using the capacitance value of the highly sensitive capacitance sensor 124 in a lower priority.

[0119] As shown in the control unit 155 of Figure 5, at least one of the configurations, components, modules, or units (collectively referred to in this paragraph as "configurations") represented as blocks can also be embodied as a variety of hardware, software, and / or firmware structures that perform the respective functions described above in the exemplary embodiments. For example, at least one of these configurations can use a direct circuit structure that performs its respective function through the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices, such as memory, processors, logic circuits, or lookup tables. At least one of these configurations may also be concretely embodied by a module, program, or part of code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specific logic function and is executed by one or more microprocessors or other control devices. At least one of these configurations may also include, or be embodied by, a processor such as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, etc., that performs its respective function. Two or more of these configurations can be combined into one or more single configurations and perform all the operations or functions of the combined two or more configurations. At least part of the function of at least one of these configurations can also be performed by other configurations. Furthermore, although a bus is not shown in the block diagram, communication in such a configuration can be carried out via a bus. The functional aspects of the exemplary embodiment can also be embodied by algorithms executed by one or more processors. Moreover, the configurations represented at the block or processing stage can utilize any relevant techniques for electronic configuration, signal processing, and / or control and data processing.

[0120] In the embodiments described above, the structure and features of the invention were explained based on the embodiments of this disclosure, but the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the contents of this disclosure can be changed or modified in various ways without exceeding the scope of this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims, and any modifications, substitutions, improvements, and equivalents should be interpreted as falling within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

1. a heating chamber configured to contain the aerosol product; a heater configured to heat the aerosol product within the heating chamber; an inductance sensor for measuring the inductance value of the coil; a capacitance sensor for measuring the capacitance value of the capacitor; and a control unit that detects whether the aerosol product is inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor, which change depending on the marker contained in the aerosol product.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein a sensing range of the inductance sensor and a sensing range of the capacitance sensor are set to be different from each other.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensing range of the inductance sensor is set wider than the sensing range of the capacitance sensor.

4. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the control unit detects insertion of the aerosol product into the heating chamber based on the inductance value being greater than or equal to a first reference value and the capacitance value being greater than or equal to a second reference value.

5. one side of the capacitance sensor faces the heating chamber; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising a shielding member disposed on the other side opposite to the one side of the capacitance sensor.

6. the marker is located on one side of the aerosol product; The inductance sensor includes a first inductance sensor and a second inductance sensor spaced apart from each other in one direction, 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the second inductance sensor is positioned adjacent to the position of the marker on the aerosol product inserted into the heating chamber.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the marker has a magnetic permeability that changes the inductance of the coil and a dielectric constant that changes the capacitance value of the capacitor.

8. The aerosol generating device 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, comprising a sensor assembly including the coil, the capacitor, and a sensor controller configured to receive an inductance value from the coil and a capacitance value from the capacitor.

9. The control unit includes a main control unit configured to operate a sleep mode in which the heater is controlled to be deactivated and an operation mode in which the heater is controlled to be activated, the sensor assembly wakes up the main control unit from the sleep mode to the operating mode based on the inductance value; The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the main control unit detects whether the aerosol product is inserted based on a capacitance value.

10. the aerosol product is in the shape of a cigarette extending in one direction; The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the marker is located at one end of the aerosol product.

11. 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating article is a cartridge containing a liquid aerosol generating substance.

12. measuring, by an inductance sensor including a coil, an inductance value of the coil that changes due to the movement of the aerosol product including the marker; measuring a capacitance value of the capacitor that changes due to movement of the aerosol product containing the marker with a capacitance sensor including the capacitor; detecting whether the aerosol product is inserted into a heating chamber based on the inductance value and the capacitance value; and heating the aerosol product article inserted into the heating chamber using a heater.

13. an aerosol-producing article including an aerosol-generating material and a marker; An aerosol generation system comprising an aerosol generation device including a heating chamber configured to accommodate an aerosol product, a heater configured to heat the aerosol product in the heating chamber, an inductance sensor to measure the inductance value of a coil, a capacitance sensor configured to measure the capacitance value of a capacitor, and a control unit configured to sense whether or not the aerosol product has been inserted based on the inductance value of the coil and the capacitance value of the capacitor.

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