Aerosol generating device, method, and program

Abstract

In a device for detecting whether or not a smoking article is inserted into a device, it is desirable that accurate detection is possible even in a case where a detection unit that detects capacitance and is provided in the device has been downsized.　This aerosol generation device generating aerosol comprises: a holding portion that holds an aerosol forming base body including an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a detection unit that detects a plurality of values of a capacitance sensor; and a control unit that calculates a moving average value of the detected plurality of values of the capacitance sensor, and determines at least one of insertion, inserted or not, and withdrawal of the aerosol forming base body into / from the holding portion, by using the calculated moving average value and a preset threshold value.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device, a method, and a program for generating an aerosol. [Background technology]

[0002] In smoking devices in which a smoking article is inserted and heated to volatilize the components contained in the smoking article, there is a technology that detects changes in capacitance to detect whether a smoking article is inserted into the device (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-510270 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, considering the size of typical smoking articles and smoking devices (portable size, size that fits in the palm of a user's hand), it is desirable that the capacitance detection unit be able to detect accurately even when it is miniaturized. Furthermore, similar requirements exist not only for the method of detecting the insertion of a smoking article by detecting capacitance as in Patent Document 1, but also for other methods of detecting the insertion of a smoking article.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol, comprising: a holding unit that holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a detection unit that detects multiple values ​​of a capacitance sensor; and a control unit that calculates a moving average of the multiple detected values ​​of the capacitance sensor and determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it is inserted, and whether it has been removed, using the calculated moving average and a predetermined threshold value.

[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the threshold value is a threshold value related to the difference between the two moving average values, and the control unit determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it is inserted or not, and whether it has been removed by comparing the difference between the two moving average values ​​with the threshold value.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is an aerosol generating device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode having different power consumption, the power consumption in the two modes is less than the power consumption in the first mode, and in the second mode, the control unit cancels the second mode state after a predetermined time has elapsed and performs the detection in the detection unit.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device, wherein the detection unit uses a sampling capacitor.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, which includes a power supply unit capable of storing power and a charging terminal electrically connected to the power supply unit, and the control unit changes the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor in the detection unit based on detecting that the charging terminal has been connected to an external power supply source.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the power supply unit is supplied with power from outside the aerosol generating device.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the detection unit sets a sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor to a period shorter than the sampling period after the predetermined period has elapsed after the supply of power from the outside has been stopped.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device described above, wherein the aerosol generating device is electrically connectable to a separate charger that supplies power to the aerosol generating device, and the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while connected to the charger.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the detection unit detects the value of the capacitance sensor at a sampling period that is shorter than the sampling period after a predetermined period has elapsed after the connection with the charger is disconnected.

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the holding unit has an openable and closable lid, and the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the lid is closed.

[0016] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device, wherein at least two of the detecting units are provided.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device, wherein the threshold values ​​used in the at least two detecting units are different values.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the holding part has an insertion port for inserting the aerosol-forming substrate and an elongated spatial shape for holding the aerosol-forming substrate, and of the at least two detection parts, a first detection part is arranged on the insertion port side in the longitudinal direction of the spatial shape of the holding part, and a second detection part is arranged on the opposite side of the insertion port side from the first detection part in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the first detection unit has a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the second detection unit has a third electrode and a fourth electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first electrode and the third electrode are connected to ground, the first electrode and the fourth electrode are arranged in a position where they overlap in the longitudinal direction, and the second electrode and the third electrode are arranged in a position where they overlap in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device, wherein the heating unit is disposed between the at least two detection units.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device, wherein at least one of the at least two detecting units is a sensor other than a capacitance sensor.

[0022] Another aspect of the present invention is the above-mentioned aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit based on the detection results of the insertion of the aerosol-forming substrate in each of the at least two detection units.

[0023] Another aspect of the present invention is the aerosol generating device described above, further comprising a notification unit that, when the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit, notifies the user that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit or prompts the user to clean the holding unit.

[0024] Another aspect of the present invention is a method performed by an aerosol generating device having a holding unit that holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source and a heating unit that heats the aerosol source, the method including the steps of detecting multiple values ​​of a capacitance sensor, calculating a moving average of the multiple detected capacitance sensor values, and using the calculated moving average and a predetermined threshold value to determine at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it is inserted, and whether it has been removed.

[0025] Another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing an aerosol generating device to execute the above method. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration example of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention constitutes a holder for a PCC. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a capacitance sensor mechanism that can be used in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating an outline of changes in the count value (cnt) due to variations in the quality of circuit components and the influence of disturbances such as noise. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating calculation of a moving average of a plurality of count values ​​(cnt). [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a change in the count value (cnt) due to the temperature drift of the sampling capacitor Cs. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the difference between two count values ​​(cnt). [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an aerosol generating device includes a plurality of detecting units. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the ground electrode and the sensor electrode of one sensor and the ground electrode and the sensor electrode of the other sensor. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sensing pattern for detecting capacitance. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which an aerosol generating device has a detection unit near the bottom of a holding unit. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a foreign liquid has entered the holding portion. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a foreign object is mixed into a holding portion. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a detection unit and a heating unit in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration when notifying a user. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow of a stick-shaped substrate insertion detection process of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Configuration of aerosol generating device) FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of an aerosol generation device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generation device 100 according to this example configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a memory unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a detection unit 117, a heating unit 121, a holding unit 140, and an insulating unit 144. Note that the aerosol generation device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described using a heated tobacco product as an example, but is not limited to this, and a similar configuration can also be applied to electronic cigarettes, etc. Furthermore, heated tobacco products are classified into low-temperature heating types and high-temperature heating types depending on the heating temperature, and a configuration similar to that of the aerosol generation device 100 according to the present embodiment can be applied to either heating method.

[0028] The power supply unit 111 stores electric power. The power supply unit 111 supplies electric power to each component of the aerosol generating device 100 based on the control of the control unit 116. The power supply unit 111 may be configured, for example, as a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. The power supply unit 111 may be powered by connecting to an external outlet, for example, via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) charging cable (not shown). Alternatively, the power supply unit 111 may be connected to a separate charger via a charging terminal (not shown) and may be charged by receiving power from the charger.

[0029] The sensor unit 112 acquires various information related to the aerosol generating device 100. The sensor unit 112 may include a pressure sensor such as a microphone capacitor, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor. The sensor unit 112 may also include an input device such as a button or a switch that accepts information input from a user. Furthermore, the sensor unit may include a sensor configured to detect the movement of a flavor inhaler or the like.

[0030] The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 in this embodiment may include a display device that displays a message. The notification unit 113 may include, for example, an audio output device such as a speaker, a light emitting device or light emitting element that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device or acoustic element that outputs sound, or a vibration device including a vibrator.

[0031] The memory unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The memory unit 114 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. The memory unit 114 may include a volatile memory that provides a working area for control by the control unit 116.

[0032] The communication unit 115 may include a communication interface (including a communication module) that complies with a predetermined LPWA wireless communication standard or a wireless communication standard having similar restrictions. Examples of such communication standards include Sigfox and LoRA-WAN. The communication unit 115 may also be a communication interface that is capable of performing communication that complies with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards that may be adopted include Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0033] The detection unit 117 detects multiple sensor values. In this embodiment, as an example, the detection unit 117 is a capacitance sensor. Furthermore, if the detection unit 117 is a capacitance sensor, the detection unit 117 may detect a value related to parasitic capacitance as the sensor value. If a sampling capacitor is provided, the detection unit 117 may detect a value related to the sampling capacitor. Furthermore, the detection unit 117 may be an optical sensor such as an infrared proximity sensor, a pressure-sensitive sensor using a piezoelectric element, or other such sensor. The sensor value detected by the detection unit 117 is used by the control unit 116 (described later) to determine whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140 by a user of the aerosol generation device 100 or the like. Note that, in FIG. 1 , the detection unit 117 is provided near the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140, but this is merely an example. The detection unit 117 may be located elsewhere. Furthermore, the aerosol generation device 100 may be provided with one or more detection units 117. The arrangement of the detection unit 117 will be described in detail later. The detection unit 117 may be configured as a part of the sensor unit 112.

[0034] The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor.

[0035] Furthermore, the control unit 116 calculates a moving average of multiple values ​​detected by the detection unit 117, such as a capacitance sensor, and determines at least one of whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the holder 140, whether it is inserted, and whether it has been removed, using the calculated moving average and a predetermined threshold value. Furthermore, the control unit 116 may determine whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the holder 140 by using the difference between multiple moving average values ​​and a predetermined threshold value for the difference. A moving average is generally known as a method for smoothing time-series data. The moving average calculates an average value for each fixed interval, and the time-series trend of the average value is displayed. This allows, for example, the trend of the time-series trend of the count value, which will be described later, to be identified more accurately. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that any method, such as a simple moving average, a weighted moving average, or an exponential moving average, can be used as the moving average in this embodiment.

[0036] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may use the capacitance sensor value detected by the detection unit 117 and a predetermined threshold value to determine at least one of whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the holder 140, whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 is still inserted, and whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been removed. That is, the control unit 116 may compare the capacitance sensor value itself (parasitic capacitance value, sampling capacitor value) with the threshold value. The control unit 116 may change the sampling period for detecting the capacitance sensor value based on the state of heating control for the heating unit 121. For example, the control unit 116 may change the sampling period for detecting the capacitance sensor value depending on whether the heating unit 121 is heating the aerosol-forming substrate (stick-shaped substrate 150).

[0037] The holding unit 140 holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source. The holding unit 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-type substrate 150 while accommodating a portion of the stick-type substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The stick-type substrate 150 of this embodiment is an example of an aerosol-forming substrate and may also be referred to as a "refill." In this embodiment, the stick-type substrate 150 is an aerosol-forming substrate having an elongated stick shape, but other shapes may also be used. The holding unit 140 of this embodiment has an overall elongated shape similar to that of the stick-type substrate 150 so as to be able to accommodate the stick-type substrate 150. The holding unit 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside and holds the stick-type substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the holding unit 140 is a cylindrical body having the opening 142 and a bottom 143 as its bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. In this embodiment, as an example, the holding part 140 has a cylindrical shape that is elongated in the insertion direction of the stick-shaped substrate 150. More specifically, in this embodiment, the holding part 140 has a cylindrical shape in which the length (height) of the cylindrical shape (the distance between the opening 142 and the bottom 143) is longer than the width of the opening 142 (in this embodiment, the opening 142 is approximately circular, and the "width of the opening 142" is, for example, the diameter). The holding part 140 also has the function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the stick-shaped substrate 150. An air inlet, which is the entrance of air to this flow path, is disposed in, for example, the bottom 143. On the other hand, an air outlet, which is the exit of air from this flow path, is the opening 142.

[0038] The stick-type substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source may be solid or liquid and is atomized by heating to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may be derived from tobacco, such as a processed product obtained by molding cut tobacco or tobacco raw materials into granules, sheets, or powder. The aerosol source may also include non-tobacco-derived aerosol sources made from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint and herbs). As an example, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring ingredient such as menthol. When the aerosol generating device 100 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a medication to be inhaled by a patient. When the stick-type substrate 150 is held in the holding portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds the suction mouthpiece 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and sucks, air flows into the internal space 141 through an air inlet hole (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base material 151.

[0039] The heating unit 121 generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source contained in the substrate unit 151 and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the heating unit 121 is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover at least a portion of the outer periphery of the holding unit 140. When the heating unit 121 generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from at least a portion of the outer periphery, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111. In this embodiment, the heating unit 121 may start heating when the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140. The control unit 116 may stop heating when it determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been removed from the internal space 141 of the holding unit 140.

[0040] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121 to other components. For example, the heat insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

[0041] The above describes exemplary configurations of the aerosol-generating device 100. Of course, the configuration of the aerosol-generating device 100 is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0042] As one example, the heating unit 121 may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the holding unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140.

[0043] As another example, the holding unit 140 may include an opening / closing mechanism such as a hinge that opens and closes a portion of the outer shell that forms the internal space 141. The holding unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to clamp the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141. In this case, the heating unit 121 may be provided at the clamping location in the holding unit 140, and heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0044] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating.

[0045] 1 may constitute a heated tobacco product by itself, or may constitute a holder for a portable charger case (PCC). That is, the aerosol generating device 100 may be electrically connected to a separate charger (not shown) via a charging terminal or the like, and the charger may charge a rechargeable battery (power supply unit 111) with enough power to enable several cigarettes.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a PCC system in which the aerosol generation device 100 constitutes a holder for the PCC. The PCC system shown in FIG. 2 includes a holder 100′ and a charger (charger) 200. In addition to the configuration of the aerosol generation device 100 shown in FIG. 1, the holder 100′ further includes a charging terminal PG1 that connects to the charger 200 so that the holder 100′ can be charged. The charging terminal PG1 is connected to a power supply unit 111, and sends power supplied from the charger 200 to the power supply unit 111. Although the configuration of the holder 100′ is simplified in FIG. 2, the configuration of the holder 100′ other than the charging terminal PG1 is the same as that shown in FIG. 1.

[0047] The charger 200 may be configured to supply power to the holder 100′ to charge the power supply unit 111 of the holder 100′. The charger 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be, for example, a portable pocket charger, and may be sized to fit in a user's pocket or bag. The charger 200 may include a housing 202 having an accommodation unit 201 (accommodation space) capable of accommodating the holder 100′, a user interface 203, and an electrical component 210 having a power source BAT. The power source BAT may be a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery, or an electric double-layer capacitor such as a lithium-ion capacitor. The user interface 203 may include, for example, a display unit 203a (e.g., a light-emitting element such as an LED and / or an image display such as an LCD) that provides information to the user, and / or an operation unit 203b (e.g., a switch such as a button switch and / or a touch display) that accepts user operations. The electrical component 210 is provided within the housing 202.

[0048] As shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 2 , the entire holder 100′ or a portion thereof including the charging terminal PG1 is inserted into the storage section 201 of the charger 200. The charger 200 may also include a connector PG2 in the storage section 201 that is electrically connected to the charging terminal PG1 of the holder 100′ when the entire holder 100′ or a portion thereof including the charging terminal PG1 is stored in the storage section 201. Here, the charger 200 may also include a terminal (not shown) such as a USB terminal that is electrically connected to, for example, a household power source in order to charge the power source BAT of the charger 200. The charger 200 may also include a cover member (not shown) in the housing 202 that is configured to be openable and closable relative to the storage section 201 so as to cover the holder 100′ stored in the storage section 201.

[0049] (Capacitive sensor) As described above, the detection unit 117 may be a capacitance sensor. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the mechanism of a capacitance sensor that can be used in the aerosol generation device 100 according to this embodiment. The capacitance sensor is controlled by the control unit 116. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140, the charge accumulated in the capacitor Cx (parasitic capacitance) increases. In the capacitance sensor, the control unit 116 controls the charge transfer circuit 1160 to repeatedly transfer the charge of the capacitor Cx to the sampling capacitor Cs at predetermined time intervals, and the control unit 116 counts the number of transfers. The control unit 116 is equipped with a register (not shown) and records a count value (i.e., the number of times the charge of the capacitor Cx is transferred to the sampling capacitor Cs) in the register each time the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches a threshold value Vih. The count value may be recorded in the memory unit 114. Through this control, the control unit 116 can determine whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into or removed from the holding unit 140. The capacitors Cs and Cx are configured so that the capacitance of the capacitor Cs is greater than the capacitance of the capacitor Cx.

[0050] The charge transfer circuit 1160 also includes a switch, and the control unit 116 controls the switch to switch between charging the capacitor Cx and transferring the charge to the sampling capacitor Cs. The control unit 116 closes the switch so that the capacitors Cx and Cs are connected at predetermined time intervals, and controls the switch between Cx and Cs to be open during the charging period of the capacitor Cx.

[0051] For example, if the number of times the charge of the capacitor Cx has been transferred to the sampling capacitor Cs is 8000 when the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches the threshold value Vih while the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holding unit 140, then a "count value (cnt) = 8000" is recorded in the register of the control unit 116. The charge of the capacitor Cx increases when the stick-shaped substrate 150 comes into contact with the capacitance sensor (detection unit 117), and therefore the count value decreases when the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches the threshold value Vih. That is, the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches the threshold value Vih fewer times than when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holding unit 140. In other words, the control unit 116 can detect whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140 based on the difference in the count value between when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holding unit 140 and when it is inserted.

[0052] Generally, it takes about several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds for the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs to reach the threshold value Vih. This cycle is repeated at specific time intervals (hereinafter referred to as the "sampling period") while the capacitance sensor is active.

[0053] Incidentally, the count value (cnt) detected by the capacitance sensor varies for the following reasons: In other words, the count value (cnt) may change not only when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding part 140 but also for the following reasons. (a) Variation in the quality of circuit components (b) Effects of external disturbances such as noise

[0054] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an overview of changes in the count value (cnt) due to (a) variations in the quality of the circuit components and (b) the influence of disturbances such as noise. FIG. 4 shows multiple graphs 410 representing count values ​​(cnt) counted in a specific temperature environment when the stick-type substrate 150 is not inserted into the holder 140, and multiple graphs 412 representing count values ​​(cnt) counted when the stick-type substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140. Note that these graphs in FIG. 4 show an overview of changes in the count value due to the above-mentioned (a) and (b), but do not strictly represent changes in the count value. Each graph in FIG. 4 also shows the number of times (count value) that the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches the threshold value Vih for each sampling period.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, variations in the count values ​​(cnt) detected by the detection unit 117 can occur due to variations in the quality of the circuit components or the influence of noise such as circuit noise and external noise. For example, graph 410 shows multiple count values ​​when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted, and variations occur among the count values. Furthermore, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted, the count values ​​normally exceed the threshold value α, but some count values ​​do not exceed the threshold value α. Furthermore, graph 412 shows count values ​​when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, and variations occur among the count values. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, the count values ​​normally do not exceed the threshold value α, but some count values ​​exceed the threshold value α. If variations in the count values ​​occur due to the above reasons (a) or (b), the control unit 116 cannot correctly determine the insertion state of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In portable devices such as smoking devices, the detection unit 117 of the capacitance sensor needs to be miniaturized, and the detectable capacitance becomes smaller, so such variations in the count value (cnt) in particular affect the detection of the insertion state of the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0056] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the calculation of a moving average of multiple count values. Taking into consideration the possibility of variations in the count values ​​(cnt) due to noise, etc., as described in FIG. 4, the control unit 116 calculates the moving average (graphs 410x, 420x) of the count values ​​of a predetermined number of consecutive samples, thereby absorbing errors that occur in each count value. The control unit 116 then compares the calculated moving average with a predetermined threshold value for the moving average value, and if the moving average value falls below the threshold value, it can determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the holder 140. Note that variations in values ​​due to the above reasons (a) and (b) can also occur in the capacitor Cx. Therefore, even when the detection unit 117 detects the value of the capacitor Cx, the control unit 116 may calculate a moving average of the detected value of the capacitor Cx.

[0057] The count value (cnt) may also change due to temperature drift of the sampling capacitor Cs. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an overview of changes in the count value (cnt) due to temperature drift of the sampling capacitor Cs. FIG. 6 shows a graph 420a representing the count value counted when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140 in an environment of A°C, and a graph 422a representing the count value counted when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holder 140. FIG. 6 also shows a graph 420b representing the count value counted when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140 in an environment of B°C, which is a temperature different from A°C, and a graph 422b representing the count value counted when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holder 140. Note that these graphs in FIG. 6 show an overview of changes in the count value due to temperature drift of the sampling capacitor Cs, and do not strictly represent changes in the count value. Each graph in FIG. 6 indicates the number of times (cnt) that the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs reaches the threshold value Vih for each sampling period.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 6, graph 420a shows that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holder 140 in an A°C environment, and graph 422a shows that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted, and does not exceed the threshold value α. Thus, the control unit 116 can determine whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140 based on whether the count value (cnt) exceeds the threshold value. However, as a result of temperature drift causing the capacitance of the sampling capacitor Cs to change, as shown by graphs 420b and 422b, there may be a situation where the count values ​​both when inserted and when not inserted decrease, and neither reaches the threshold value α. In such a case, the control unit 116 may erroneously determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140, even though it is not (graph 420b).

[0059] To solve this problem, control unit 116 may compare the difference between two count values ​​with a predetermined threshold value for the difference, rather than comparing the absolute value of the count value with a threshold value. Furthermore, control unit 116 may calculate a moving average value of multiple count values ​​as described in FIG. 5, and compare the calculated moving average value with a predetermined threshold value for the moving average value.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the difference between two count values. When temperature drift of the sampling capacitor Cs occurs as described in FIG. 6, the count values ​​shown by graphs 420a and 422a generally deviate in a similar manner when the ambient temperature changes. Therefore, instead of comparing the absolute value of the count value in each sampling cycle with the threshold value α, the control unit 116 can absorb temperature drift due to changes in ambient temperature by comparing the difference between the count values ​​before and after the count value detected in each sampling cycle with a predetermined threshold value for the difference. The predetermined threshold value for the difference is assumed to be a fairly large value that can be expected between the inserted and uninserted states of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In other words, if only a difference that does not exceed this threshold occurs, it can be determined that the previous inserted or uninserted state has not changed. Furthermore, if a difference greater than the threshold value is detected, it can be determined that a change has occurred from the inserted state to the uninserted state, or from the uninserted state to the inserted state. Note that temperature drift can also occur in capacitor Cx, so even when detection unit 117 detects the value of capacitor Cx, control unit 116 may be configured to calculate a moving average of the detected value of capacitor Cx.

[0061] Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device 100 according to this embodiment may be configured to calculate a moving average value of the count value or the parasitic capacitance value in a predetermined number of sampling periods, and further compare the difference between the calculated moving average values ​​with a predetermined threshold value, thereby making it possible to reduce the effects of all of the above reasons (a) to (c).

[0062] (Sensor placement method) The aerosol generation device 100 according to this embodiment may include a plurality of detection units 117. When the moving average value of the capacitance sensor values ​​detected by each detection unit 117 exceeds a threshold value, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the holding unit 140.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration in which the aerosol generation device 100 includes multiple sensors (detection unit 117), and illustrates the positions of the detection unit 117 and the holding unit 140 that holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the aerosol generation device 100. The mouthpiece portion 152 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 may include a filter, and the substrate portion 151 may be configured to include a paper tube portion 151a on the mouthpiece side, a paper filter portion 151b at the end opposite the mouthpiece, and a raw material portion 151c containing tobacco raw materials, flavor sources such as flavorings, and pharmaceuticals between the paper tube portion 151a and the paper filter portion 151b. The holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100 illustrated in FIG. 8 has a cylindrical shape that is elongated in the insertion direction of the stick-shaped substrate 150, and FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are cross-sectional views of the holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100 when cut longitudinally along a plane passing through the central axis of the cylindrical shape (FIGS. 9 and 11 to 14 also show similar cross-sectional views). FIG. 8(a) shows a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100. FIG. 8(b) shows a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100. FIG. 8(c) is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane that is approximately parallel to the bottom 143 of the cylindrical holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100 and passes through the sensor 117a or the sensor 117b. The sensor 117a and the sensor 117b are sensors provided in the detection unit 117 for detecting the capacitance of the capacitor Cx. The sensor 117a and the sensor 117b may each be further connected to a sampling capacitor Cs to form the detection unit 117.

[0064] The aerosol-generating device 100 shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(c) includes, as an example, two sensors 117a and 117b. The sensors 117a and 117b are provided spaced apart from each other on the side surface of the cylindrical aerosol-generating device 100. The sensor 117a is provided near the bottom 143 of the holding part 140, at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the paper filter 151b of the substrate part 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding part 140 (Figure 8(a)). The sensor 117b is provided near the opening 142 of the holding part 140.

[0065] After the stick-shaped substrate 150 of the aerosol generating device 100 is heated (such as after the user smokes), for example, ash of tobacco leaves may accumulate at the bottom 143 of the holding part 140. As shown in FIG. 8(b), in some cases, the inside of the holding part 140 must be cleaned with a cleaning cotton swab 50 or the like. In this case, when the aerosol generating device 100 includes only the sensor 117a, there is a possibility that the cleaning cotton swab 50 may be erroneously detected as the stick-shaped substrate 150. The aerosol generating device 100 of this example includes the sensor 117b in the vicinity of the opening 142 of the holding part 140 in addition to the sensor 117a. When the cleaning cotton swab 50 moves inside the holding part 140, the possibility that both the sensor 117a and the sensor 117b simultaneously erroneously detect the cleaning cotton swab 50 as the stick-shaped substrate 150 becomes very low. In this way, the two sensors are arranged apart from each other. In particular, when they are arranged near the bottom 143 and the opening 142 of the holding part 140, that is, when the two sensors are arranged at both longitudinal ends of the internal space 141 of the holding part 140, the detection part 117 and the control part 116 can reduce the possibility of false detection.

[0066] The distance L2 between the sensor 117a and the sensor 117b is more preferably determined as follows. For example, a sensing pattern for capacitance detection is formed with an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) or the like, and the sensor 117b is installed at a position that is at a distance of at least the size L1 of an assumed foreign object (the cleaning cotton swab 50 in FIG. 8) from the bottom 143 of the holding part 140 or the sensor 117a. That is, it is preferable that L1 < L2.

[0067] Each of the sensors 117a and 117b may be configured such that one electrode faces the detection target, or such that multiple electrodes face each other across the detection target. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the sensors 117a and 117b may be configured with two electrodes facing each other, and the two electrodes may be arranged to sandwich the side of the holding unit 140. The facing electrodes may be flat or curved. In such a configuration, the detection unit 117 may use the two facing electrodes as a capacitor Cx to detect the capacitance between the two electrodes as the capacitance sensor value, or may detect a count value detected by a sampling capacitor Cs connected to the capacitor Cx as the capacitance sensor value. The number of sensors may be three or more.

[0068] Here, sensors 117a and 117b each have two electrodes, one of which is a ground electrode 117x connected to ground, and the other electrode opposite to it is a sensor electrode 117y for reading the charge accumulated in capacitor Cx. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the ground electrode 117x and sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117a and the ground electrode 117x and sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117b. As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the ground electrode 117x and sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117a are arranged to face each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the holding unit 140, sandwiching the holding unit 140 therebetween. Furthermore, the ground electrode 117x and sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117a are located at approximately the same distance from the opening 142 or the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 in the longitudinal direction. Similarly, the ground electrode 117x and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117b are provided facing each other with the holding part 140 sandwiched between them in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the holding part 140. The ground electrode 117x and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117b are located at approximately the same distance from the opening 142 or the bottom 143 of the holding part 140 in the longitudinal direction.

[0069] 9(a), the ground electrode 117x of the sensor 117a and the ground electrode 117x of the sensor 117b, and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117a and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117b may be arranged at positions where they substantially overlap in the longitudinal direction of the elongated cylindrical holding unit 140 (positions where they substantially overlap when viewed from the opening 143 toward the bottom 143). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the ground electrode 117x of the sensor 117a and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117b, and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117a and the ground electrode 117x of the sensor 117b may be arranged at positions where they substantially overlap in the longitudinal direction of the elongated cylindrical holding unit 140 (positions where they substantially overlap when viewed from the opening 143 toward the bottom 143). Note that "almost overlapping" means that even if they do not overlap exactly, a slight misalignment is allowed within a range that allows them to function as a capacitor.

[0070] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a sensing pattern for detecting capacitance. The sensing pattern for detecting capacitance is formed using an FPC or the like, and is wrapped around the holding part 140 so that the ground electrode 117x and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117b face each other with the holding part 140 in between, and the ground electrode 117x and the sensor electrode 117y of the sensor 117a face each other with the holding part 140 in between.

[0071] It is the sensor electrode 117y that undergoes a large change in capacitance when the object to be detected comes into contact with it. Therefore, by configuring the sensor electrode position to vary depending on the longitudinal position of the holding portion 140 in this way, even if, for example, L2 is shorter than L1 in FIG. 8(b) and a foreign object (here, the cleaning swab 50) comes into contact with both the sensors 117a and 117b, if the foreign object comes into contact with the sensor electrode 117y at one sensor but the foreign object does not come into contact with the sensor electrode 117y at the other sensor but comes into contact with the ground electrode 117x, the change in capacitance at the other sensor is small, and therefore the possibility that both the sensors 117a and 117b will simultaneously erroneously detect a foreign object such as the cleaning swab 50 as the stick-shaped substrate 150 is extremely low.

[0072] That is, as illustrated in Figures 9(b) and 10, by arranging the sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117a and the ground electrode 117x of sensor 117b at a position where they almost overlap in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 140 (when viewed from the opening 143 to the bottom 143), and by arranging the ground electrode 117x of sensor 117a and the sensor electrode 117y of sensor 117b at a position where they almost overlap in the longitudinal direction of the holding portion 140 (when viewed from the opening 143 to the bottom 143), it is possible to accurately detect whether the object to be detected is the expected one.

[0073] 8, 9, and 10, when the moving average value of multiple capacitance sensor values ​​detected using each of sensors 117a and 117b or the difference between two moving average values ​​exceeds a predetermined threshold, control unit 116 determines that stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into holding unit 140. Furthermore, the threshold values ​​for the capacitance sensor values ​​detected using each of sensors 117a and 117b may be the same value or different values.

[0074] 8, 9, and 10 illustrate the case where the aerosol generation device 100 includes two sensors, but it may include three or more sensors. The control unit 116 may determine whether or not the moving average value of multiple capacitance sensor values ​​detected using each sensor or the difference between two moving average values ​​exceeds a predetermined threshold value. This can further improve the detection accuracy of the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0075] Furthermore, if the control unit 116 detects a change in capacitance of only one of the sensors 117a or 117b, it is highly likely that the detection is not of the stick-shaped substrate 150 but of some kind of foreign object, and therefore the notification unit 113 may be configured to notify the user of the aerosol generating device 100 to encourage cleaning.

[0076] Furthermore, at least one of the two or more sensors may be a sensor other than a capacitance sensor, and may be, for example, an optical sensor such as an infrared proximity sensor, or a pressure-sensitive sensor using a piezoelectric element.

[0077] FIG. 11 also illustrates a configuration in which the planar electrode of the sensor 117c is arranged to face the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 of the aerosol generation device 100. The sensor 117c is a sensor included in the detection unit 117 for detecting the capacitance of the capacitor Cx. The sensor 117c may be further connected to a sampling capacitor Cs to form the detection unit 117. The planar electrode of the sensor 117c has a ground electrode on the surface opposite to the surface facing the holding unit 140, thereby forming the capacitor Cx. FIG. 11 also illustrates a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140. When the planar electrode is arranged in this manner, the detection unit 117 can detect the capacitance formed by the combination of the planar electrode and the stick-shaped substrate 150 as the capacitance of the capacitor Cx when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holding unit 140.

[0078] 12 and 13 are diagrams showing an example of a case where a foreign object has entered the inside of the holding portion 140. Fig. 12 illustrates an example of a case where a liquid foreign object such as water or glycerin has entered, while Fig. 13 illustrates an example of a case where other foreign objects (particularly solid objects) have entered.

[0079] When liquid foreign matter gets into the holding portion 140, it is expected that the foreign matter 52 will adhere to cover the entire bottom 143 of the holding portion 140, as shown in Figure 12(a), or that the foreign matter 52 will adhere to the inner side of the holding portion 140, as shown in Figure 12(b).

[0080] Furthermore, when solid foreign matter gets mixed into the holding portion 140, it is conceivable that the foreign matter 53 will adhere to cover the entire bottom 143 of the holding portion 140, as shown in Figure 13(a), or that the foreign matter 53 will adhere near the opening 142 of the holding portion 140, as shown in Figure 13(b).

[0081] If the above-described contamination of foreign matter is considered, it is preferable to use a capacitance sensor as sensor 117a and an optical sensor as sensor 117b. Because bottom 143 of holder 140 is more likely to attract foreign matter than the vicinity of opening 142, i.e., is more likely to become soiled by tobacco leaves, it is more preferable to use a capacitance sensor near bottom 143.

[0082] Furthermore, additives such as glycerin in the stick-shaped substrate 150 may evaporate due to heating. Because a change in the amount of additive changes the capacitance, if an additive such as glycerin evaporates due to heating, the count value may not reach a predetermined threshold even though the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, and the insertion may not be detected. Therefore, for example, a capacitance sensor may be used for sensor 117a and an optical sensor may be used for sensor 117b. When detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 to start heating, the sensor values ​​may be detected by the two sensors 117a and 117b. After heating starts, or after a predetermined time has elapsed since heating starts, detection may be performed using only sensor 117b near the opening 142, without using sensor 117a near the bottom 143.

[0083] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the detection unit 117 and the heating unit 121 in the aerosol-generating device 100. The configuration including the above-described multiple sensors (detection unit 117) is applicable to both the externally heated and internally heated aerosol-generating devices 100. FIG. 14(a) shows an example of an externally heated configuration using a heater. FIG. 14(b) shows an example of an electromagnetic induction configuration using a coil. FIG. 14(c) shows an example of an internally heated configuration using a heater. As shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 14(b), in the case of the externally heated type, a heater 121a or a coil 121b (heating unit 121) may be provided between the sensors 117a and 117b. With this configuration, the heater 121a or the coil 121b is disposed in the raw material portion 151c of the stick-shaped substrate 150, and the sensors 117a and 117b that detect capacitance can be disposed correspondingly in the paper tube portion 151a and the paper filter portion 151b above and below it. This allows glycerin, PG (propylene glycol), or the like, which has a capacitance that is easier to detect in the paper tube portion 151a or the paper filter portion 151b rather than in the raw material portion 151c, to be added in an amount adjusted to be suitable for detecting capacitance. Glycerin and PG (propylene glycol) are also used as aerosol sources, and this configuration allows the aerosol source contained in the raw material portion 151c to be efficiently heated so that it is mainly delivered to the user, and the glycerin, PG (propylene glycol), or the like added to the paper tube portion 151a or the paper filter portion 151b is less likely to evaporate than the raw material portion 151c, making it easier to detect the capacitance with sensors 117a and 117b even when heated.

[0084] 14(c), heater 121c (heating unit 121) is configured in a blade shape and is arranged to protrude from bottom 143 of holder 140 into internal space 141. When heating unit 121 is configured in this manner, sensors 117a and 117b may be arranged spaced apart from each other, with one installed near bottom 143 of holder 140 and the other installed near opening 142.

[0085] As described above, when the sensor 117 detects a foreign object in the holding unit 140, a notification urging the user of the aerosol generation device 100 to clean the device may be issued. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration for issuing a notification to the user. FIG. 15(a) shows a case where the aerosol generation device 100 alone issues a notification to the user. In this case, the notification may be issued to the user using a user interface (notification unit 113) provided in the aerosol generation device 100. More specifically, the notification urging the user to clean the aerosol generation device 100 may be issued by sound, light, vibration, text, images, or the like using an audio output device such as a speaker, a light-emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode), a vibrator function using a vibrator, or a display device such as a liquid crystal panel.

[0086] 15(b) shows a case where the aerosol generation device 100 notifies the user via other devices 300 and 400. For example, when the control unit 116 determines that a foreign substance has been mixed in, the aerosol generation device 100 may use a communication function (communication unit 115) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) installed in the aerosol generation device 100 to transmit a cleaning prompt, image, or other data to the user terminal 300, such as the user's smartphone or tablet terminal, as a trigger for notification. When the control unit 116 determines that a foreign substance has been mixed in, the aerosol generation device 100 may use a communication function (communication unit 115) such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) installed in the aerosol generation device 100 to transmit foreign substance intrusion information including the foreign substance determination result of the control unit 116 to the user terminal 300, such as the user's smartphone or tablet terminal, and the user terminal 300 may further transmit the foreign substance intrusion information to the server device 400. This configuration allows the server device 400 to accumulate foreign substance intrusion information and investigate the frequency of foreign substance intrusion, etc. For example, if dirt detection is possible, it will be possible for the server device 400 to investigate the frequency of cleaning in relation to the number of times smoking is performed, based on the number of times smoking data and foreign matter contamination information separately transmitted from the aerosol generating device 100 to the server device 400 as appropriate.

[0087] (Processing flow of the aerosol generating device 100) 16 and 17 show an example of a processing flow of the aerosol generation device 100. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a main processing flow. The processing illustrated in Fig. 16 can be started, for example, while the aerosol generation device 100 is active (while the power supply unit 111 holds enough power for the aerosol generation device 100 to operate), in response to an explicit instruction by a user's operation input, or the like.

[0088] 16, first, the control unit 116 initializes a variable K (K="0") (step S100). This variable K is a variable that counts the cycles for calculating the moving average value, and indicates the number of the current cycle. The variable K is used in the processing flow of FIG.

[0089] Next, the control unit 116 increments the variable K by 1 (step S102). The control unit 116 and the detection unit 117 execute insertion detection processing for the stick-shaped substrate 150 (step S104). The insertion detection processing in step S104 can be executed according to the processing flow illustrated in FIG. 17. These processes are repeated until it is determined that the process has ended (step S106). Note that the conditions for determining that the process has ended can be, for example, when the power is turned off (the battery runs out), when an explicit instruction is given by a user's operation input, or the like.

[0090] FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the insertion detection processing of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in step S104 of FIG.

[0091] First, triggered by a predetermined operation such as turning on the aerosol generation device 100 or disconnecting the charging terminal PG1 from the charger 200, the control unit 116 initializes cnt, which is a count value for counting the number of times the charge of the capacitor Cx has been transferred to the sampling capacitor Cs (sets cnt to "0") (step S202). After a predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit 116 transfers the charge of the capacitor Cx of the detection unit 117 (capacitance sensor) to the sampling capacitor Cs (step S204). The control unit 116 increments the value of cnt by 1 (step S206). The control unit 116 determines whether the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs is equal to or higher than "Vih" (step S208). If the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs is less than "Vih" (step S208: No), the control unit 116 repeats the process of transferring the charge of the capacitor Cx to the sampling capacitor Cs at predetermined time intervals (steps S204 and S206). When the terminal voltage of the sampling capacitor Cs becomes equal to or higher than "Vih" (step S208: Yes), the value of cnt for one sampling is acquired. The control unit 116 stores the value of cnt in a memory or the like (storage unit 114) (step S210).

[0092] The detection unit 117 and the control unit 116 repeat the processes of steps S202 to S210 at a predetermined sampling period until they acquire count values ​​a predetermined number of times, that is, X times (step S212: No). Here, "X" is the number of samples for calculating the moving average. For example, in the example of FIG. 7, the moving average value of the count values ​​of three samples is calculated, so X=3.

[0093] When X count values ​​are acquired (step S212: Yes), the control unit 116 calculates the moving average value of the X count values ​​(step S214). Then, the control unit 116 calculates the difference Y from the (K-1)th moving average value (the moving average value calculated the previous time the process of FIG. 17 was executed) (step S216). The control unit 116 determines whether the calculated difference Y is greater than a threshold value Th related to the difference (step S218). If the difference Y is greater than the threshold value Th (step S218: Yes), the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into or has been removed from the holder 140 (step S220). If the difference Y is equal to or less than the threshold value Th (step S218: No), the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the holder 140 (step S222).

[0094] For example, a moving average for three times (X=3) may be calculated as the moving average of the nth, (n+1)th, and (n+2)th times, the moving average of the (n+3)th, (n+4)th, and (n+5)th times, etc., or as the moving average of the nth, (n+1)th, and (n+2)th times, the moving average of the (n+1)th, (n+2)th, and (n+3)th times, etc. In this case, after initially acquiring the values ​​of cnt for X times, in step S210, control unit 116 stores the values ​​of cnt in memory or the like (storage unit 114), and then proceeds to step S214.

[0095] 16 and 17 are processing flows assuming that the sampling process is repeated from when the power is turned on until when the power is turned off, for example. However, for example, the sampling process may be executed only for a predetermined period of time using a timer.

[0096] (Other embodiments) The control unit 116 may be configured to change the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor in the detection unit 117 based on detecting that the charging terminal is connected to a power supply source such as an external charger or an outlet. For example, the control unit 116 may control the detection unit 117 not to detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the power supply unit 111 is receiving power from an external source external to the aerosol generation device 100. In particular, in a PCC system, the charger supplies the power supply unit 111 with enough power for several cigarettes. However, since the charger itself is portable and has a limited amount of power, there is a demand for saving power as much as possible. Furthermore, during charging, the user typically does not use the aerosol generation device 100 (i.e., does not smoke). Therefore, power can be saved by configuring the detection unit 117 not to execute processing during charging.

[0097] Furthermore, the detection unit 117 may set the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor to be shorter during a predetermined period after the supply of external power from a separate charger, an outlet, or the like is stopped than the sampling period after the period has elapsed. It is expected that the user will start using the aerosol generation device 100 (i.e., start smoking) immediately after charging is completed or interrupted. That is, there is a high possibility that the stick-shaped substrate 150 will be inserted for smoking. Therefore, in anticipation of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150, the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor of the detection unit 117 may be shortened during a predetermined period after charging is stopped, and may be lengthened after the period has elapsed. Note that "detecting the value of the capacitance sensor" refers to the case of detecting a value related to parasitic capacitance or a value related to a sampling capacitor.

[0098] Furthermore, while the control unit 116 detects that the detection unit 117 is electrically and / or physically connected to a separate charger, the control unit 116 may perform control so that the detection unit 117 does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor. "Electrically connected" may be connected via a charging terminal, or may be connected by other methods such as non-contact.

[0099] The control unit 116 may control the detection unit 117 to detect the value of the capacitance sensor at a sampling period shorter than the sampling period after a predetermined period has elapsed after the electrical and / or physical connection with the charger has been disconnected. After the connection with the charger has been disconnected, i.e., after charging has been completed or interrupted, it is expected that the user will start using the aerosol generation device 100 (i.e., start smoking). Therefore, in anticipation of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150, the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor of the detection unit 117 may be shortened for a predetermined period after the connection with the charger has been disconnected, and may be lengthened after the period has elapsed.

[0100] The holding unit 140 may also have an openable / closable lid 130, and the control unit 116 may be configured to detect the open / closed state of the lid 130. The lid 130 moves, for example, by a hinge or a slider, between a position where it covers the insertion opening for the stick-shaped substrate 150 (closed state) and a position where it opens it (open state). Since the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted while the lid 130 is closed, the control unit 116 may perform control so as not to detect the value of the capacitance sensor from the perspective of saving power. Note that if the holding unit 140 does not have a lid 130, there is always the possibility that the stick-shaped substrate 150 will be inserted, so it is preferable to perform insertion detection processing of the stick-shaped substrate 150 at all times. In this case, it is effective to change the sampling depending on the connection status of the charging terminals, as described above.

[0101] In addition, the control unit 116 may be configured to change the sampling period (and / or the number of samples when calculating a moving average) for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor depending on the state of control of the operation of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0102] The control unit 116 may operate the aerosol generation device in multiple operating modes with different maximum power consumptions, which are the peak value of the amount of power consumed by the power supply unit 111. The control unit 116 changes the operating mode by increasing or decreasing the maximum power consumption, for example, by changing the number of hardware components operating in the aerosol generation device 100 or by changing the circuits to be operated. Examples of operating modes include an active state in which the control unit 116 operates all hardware as needed, and a sleep state in which the maximum power consumption is reduced compared to the active state. For example, in the sleep state, the control unit 116 stops all hardware other than the control unit 116 and disables all functions of the control unit 116 except for the function of detecting operations from an input device that accepts information input from a user.

[0103] The aerosol generation device 100 transitions to the active state in a sleep state in which the maximum power consumption is reduced compared to the active state by receiving a user operation input (such as a button operation or a slider operation) or by detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in a state in which the sleep state described below has been temporarily canceled. The control unit 116 may start heating control in the active state by detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. The control unit 116 may enter the active state and further start heating control based on the detection of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in a state in which the sleep state described below has been temporarily canceled. The control unit 116 stops heating of the aerosol-forming substrate (stick-shaped substrate 150) by the heating unit 121, for example, by detecting that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of heating, that a predetermined number of puffs have been performed, or that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been removed. When heating is stopped, the control unit 116 may transition the aerosol generating device 100 to a sleep state in which the maximum power consumption is reduced from that of the active state, either automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed or by receiving user input (button operation, slider operation, etc.).

[0104] The control unit 116 can be realized by, for example, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) or the like, and may control the operation of the heating unit 121 based on a heating profile stored in the memory unit 114. The heating profile is information that specifies the time series transition of a target temperature, which is a target value for the temperature of the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 acquires temperature information of the heating unit 121, calculates the difference between the temperature information and the target temperature, and performs known feedback control, such as PID control. Specifically, power from the power supply unit is supplied to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses obtained by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). The control unit 116 calculates and adjusts the duty ratio of the power pulses based on the difference between the temperature information of the heating unit 121 and the target temperature, and supplies the power to the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 may be configured to change the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor depending on whether the heating unit 121 is heating the aerosol-forming substrate (stick-shaped substrate 150). Furthermore, when the control unit 116 changes the sampling period, if the control unit 116 calculates a moving average value of the count value when detecting the insertion / removal of the stick-shaped substrate 150, in addition to or instead of changing the sampling period, the control unit 116 may increase or decrease the number of samples used to calculate the moving average value (the value of variable X in FIG. 17).

[0105] During heating, the control unit 116 executes heating control as described above, which increases the load on the MCU and other devices. Therefore, from the perspective of reducing the load on the MCU and other devices and saving power, the control unit 116 may, for example, lengthen the sampling period during heating compared to when heating is stopped (before heating starts and / or after heating has stopped). Also, the number of samples taken when calculating a moving average may be reduced. With this configuration, insertion and removal of the stick-shaped substrate can be detected with high accuracy when heating is stopped, and insertion and removal of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be detected during heating while reducing the load on the MCU and other devices and saving power.

[0106] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may be configured to shorten the sampling period during heating compared to when heating is stopped (before heating is started and / or after heating is stopped). This is because, during heating control, temperature changes occur, and as described above, the accuracy of detection by the detection unit 117 may decrease due to changes in capacitance caused by temperature drift, etc. Therefore, by shortening the sampling period, the accuracy of detection by the detection unit 117 can be ensured. Furthermore, the number of samples when calculating a moving average may be increased. With this configuration, insertion and removal of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be detected with high accuracy during heating, and insertion and removal of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be detected while saving power during heating.

[0107] Furthermore, when the heating unit 121 stops heating the aerosol-forming substrate (stick-type substrate 150), the control unit 116 may transition the aerosol generation device 100 to a sleep state in which maximum power consumption is reduced from the active state, either automatically after a predetermined period of time has elapsed or by receiving a user operation input (such as a button operation or a slider operation), and then cancel the sleep state at predetermined time intervals to cause the detection unit 117 to perform detection. Canceling the sleep state may be to switch to an active state or a partially active state. The partially active state may, for example, cancel only the sleep state of the circuitry or hardware involved in the detection of the insertion or removal of the stick-type substrate 150 by the detection unit 117 and the control unit 116, while the circuitry or hardware not involved in the insertion or removal detection maintains the sleep state. Even in the sleep state, the sleep state may be temporarily canceled at predetermined time intervals to perform processing to detect the insertion of the stick-type substrate 150, thereby saving power while enabling the device to detect the insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 and immediately perform processing such as heating when the user attempts to smoke.

[0108] While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above along with their modifications and applications, it should be understood that these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that modifications, additions, improvements, etc. to the embodiments can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments, but should be defined only by the claims and their equivalents.

[0109] The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. (1A) An aerosol generating device for generating an aerosol, a holder for holding an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a detection unit that detects a plurality of values ​​of the capacitance sensor; a control unit that calculates a moving average value of a plurality of detected values ​​of the capacitance sensor, and determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed, using the calculated moving average value and a predetermined threshold value; An aerosol generating device comprising:

[0110] (2A) the threshold is a threshold for a difference between the two moving average values, The aerosol generating device of (1A) above, wherein the control unit determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed by comparing the difference between the two moving average values ​​with the threshold value.

[0111] (3A) An aerosol generating device of (1A) or (2A) above, wherein the control unit is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode having different power consumption, the power consumption in the two modes being less than the power consumption in the first mode, and the control unit cancels the second mode state after a predetermined time has elapsed in the second mode and performs the detection in the detection unit.

[0112] (4A) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1A) to (3A) above, wherein the detection unit uses a sampling capacitor.

[0113] (5A) a power supply unit capable of storing power; and a charging terminal electrically connected to the power supply unit; An aerosol generating device according to any one of (1A) to (4A) above, wherein the control unit changes the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor in the detection unit based on detecting that the charging terminal is connected to an external power supply source.

[0114] (6A) The aerosol generation device of (5A) above, wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the power supply unit is supplied with power from outside the aerosol generation device.

[0115] (7A) An aerosol generating device according to (5A) or (6A) above, wherein the detection unit sets the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor to a period shorter than the sampling period after the predetermined period has elapsed after the supply of power from the outside has been stopped.

[0116] (8A) the aerosol generating device is electrically connectable to a separate charger that supplies power to the aerosol generating device; The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1A) to (7A) above, wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while connected to the charger.

[0117] (9A) The aerosol generating device of (8A) above, wherein the detection unit detects the value of the capacitance sensor at a sampling period shorter than the sampling period after a predetermined period has elapsed after the connection with the charger is disconnected.

[0118] (10A) The holding portion has an openable and closable lid portion, The aerosol generation device of any one of (1A) to (9A) above, wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the lid unit is closed.

[0119] (11A) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1A) to (10A) above, wherein the detecting unit is provided with at least two units.

[0120] (12A) The aerosol generating device of (11A) above, wherein the threshold values ​​used in each of the at least two detection units are different values.

[0121] (13A) the holding part has an insertion port for inserting the aerosol-forming substrate and an elongated spatial shape for holding the aerosol-forming substrate, An aerosol generating device of (11A) or (12A) above, wherein of the at least two detection units, a first detection unit is arranged on the insertion opening side in the longitudinal direction of the spatial shape of the holding unit, and a second detection unit is arranged on the opposite side of the insertion opening side from the first detection unit in the longitudinal direction.

[0122] (14A) the first detection unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the second detection unit includes a third electrode and a fourth electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first electrode and the third electrode are connected to ground; The aerosol generating device of (13A) above, wherein the first electrode and the fourth electrode are arranged in a position where they overlap in the longitudinal direction, and the second electrode and the third electrode are arranged in a position where they overlap in the longitudinal direction.

[0123] (15A) The aerosol generating device of any one of (11A) to (14A) above, wherein the heating unit is disposed between the at least two detection units.

[0124] (16A) The aerosol generating device according to (11A), (12A), (13A), or (15A) above, wherein at least one of the at least two detecting units is a sensor other than a capacitance sensor.

[0125] (17A) An aerosol generating device according to any one of (11A) to (16A) above, wherein the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit based on the detection results of the insertion of the aerosol-forming substrate in each of the at least two detection units.

[0126] (18A) The aerosol generating device of (17A) above further comprises a notification unit that, when the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit, notifies the user that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit or prompts the user to clean the holding unit.

[0127] (19A) A method carried out by an aerosol generating device including a holding unit that holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source, and a heating unit that heats the aerosol source, comprising: detecting a plurality of capacitance sensor values; calculating a moving average value of a plurality of detected values ​​of the capacitance sensor, and determining at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding portion, whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted, and whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been removed, using the calculated moving average value and a predetermined threshold value; A method comprising:

[0128] (20A) A program for causing an aerosol generating device to execute the method described in (19A) above.

[0129] (1B) An aerosol generating device for generating an aerosol, a holder for holding an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a detection unit that detects a value of the capacitance sensor; a control unit that determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted, and whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been removed, using the detected capacitance sensor value and a predetermined threshold value; Equipped with The control unit changes the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor based on the state of heating control for the heating unit.

[0130] (2B) The aerosol generating device of (1B) above, wherein the control unit changes the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor depending on whether the heating unit is heating the aerosol-forming substrate or not.

[0131] (3B) The aerosol generating device according to (1B) or (2B) above, wherein the detection unit uses a sampling capacitor.

[0132] (4B) The aerosol-generating device according to any one of (1B) to (3B) above, wherein the sampling period while the heating unit is heating the aerosol-forming substrate is longer than the sampling period while heating is stopped.

[0133] (5B) The aerosol-generating device according to any one of (1B) to (4B) above, wherein the sampling period while the heating unit is heating the aerosol-forming substrate is shorter than the sampling period while heating is stopped.

[0134] (6B) The control unit calculates a moving average value of multiple values ​​of the detected capacitance sensor, and uses the calculated moving average value and a predetermined threshold value to determine at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it is inserted, and whether it has been removed, any of the aerosol generating devices described above in (1B) to (5B).

[0135] (7B) the threshold is a threshold for a difference between the two moving average values, The aerosol generating device of (6B) above, wherein the control unit determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed by comparing the difference between the two moving average values ​​with the threshold value.

[0136] (8B) The control unit is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode with different power consumption, the power consumption in the second mode being smaller than the power consumption in the first mode, and when the heating unit stops heating the aerosol-forming substrate, the control unit transitions the aerosol generation device to the second mode by satisfying a predetermined condition, and cancels the second mode state at predetermined time intervals to cause the detection unit to perform detection. An aerosol generation device according to any of (1B) to (7B) above.

[0137] (9B) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1B) to (8B) above, wherein the detecting unit is provided with at least two units.

[0138] (10B) The aerosol generating device of (9B) above, wherein the control unit uses the capacitance sensor values ​​detected in each of the at least two detection units and the threshold value to determine at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it is inserted or not, and whether it has been removed.

[0139] (11B) A method carried out by an aerosol generating device including a holding unit that holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source, and a heating unit that heats the aerosol source, comprising: detecting a value of a capacitive sensor; a step of determining at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding portion, whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted, and whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been removed, using the detected capacitance sensor value and a predetermined threshold value; Including, The method, wherein the determining step changes a sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor based on a state of heating control for the heating unit.

[0140] (12B) A program for causing an aerosol generating device to execute the method of (11B) above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 100...Aerosol generating device 111...Power supply section 112...Sensor section 113…Notification department 114...Storage section 115…Communications Department 116...Control unit 117...Detection unit 121...Heating part 130...Lid part 140...Holding part 141...Interior space 142…Aperture 143…Bottom 144...Insulation section 150...Stick-type base material 151...Base material part 152...Suction part 200... Charger 300...User terminal 400...Server device 50...Cleaning swabs 52, 53...Foreign object

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device for generating an aerosol, a holder for holding an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a detection unit that detects a plurality of values ​​of the capacitance sensor; a control unit that calculates a moving average value of a plurality of detected values ​​of the capacitance sensor, and determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed, using the calculated moving average value and a predetermined threshold value; Equipped with the threshold is a threshold for a difference between the two moving average values, The control unit determines at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding unit, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed by comparing the difference between the two moving average values ​​with the threshold value.

2. The aerosol generating device described in claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode having different power consumption, the power consumption in the second mode being smaller than the power consumption in the first mode, and the control unit, in the second mode, cancels the second mode state after a predetermined time has elapsed and performs the detection in the detection unit.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the detection unit uses a sampling capacitor, and the detection unit detects a terminal voltage value of the sampling capacitor as the value of the capacitance sensor.

4. a power supply unit capable of storing power; and a charging terminal electrically connected to the power supply unit; An aerosol generating device described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit changes the sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor in the detection unit based on detecting that the charging terminal is connected to an external power supply source.

5. The aerosol generation device according to claim 4 , wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the power supply unit is supplied with power from outside the aerosol generation device.

6. The aerosol generating device described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the detection unit sets a sampling period for detecting the value of the capacitance sensor to a period shorter than the sampling period after a predetermined period has elapsed after the supply of power from the outside has been stopped.

7. the aerosol generating device is electrically connectable to a separate charger that supplies power to the aerosol generating device; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while connected to the charger.

8. The aerosol generating device described in claim 7, wherein the detection unit detects the value of the capacitance sensor at a sampling period shorter than the sampling period after a predetermined period has elapsed after the connection with the charger is disconnected.

9. The holding portion has an openable and closable lid portion, The aerosol generation device according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit does not detect the value of the capacitance sensor while the lid unit is closed.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting unit is provided in a number of two.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the threshold values ​​used in each of the at least two detection units are different values.

12. the holding part has an insertion port for inserting the aerosol-forming substrate and an elongated spatial shape for holding the aerosol-forming substrate, An aerosol generating device as described in claim 10 or 11, wherein of the at least two detection units, a first detection unit is arranged on the insertion port side of the longitudinal direction of the spatial shape of the holding unit, and a second detection unit is arranged on the opposite side of the insertion port side from the first detection unit in the longitudinal direction.

13. the first detection unit includes a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the second detection unit includes a third electrode and a fourth electrode facing each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the first electrode and the third electrode are connected to ground; The aerosol generating device according to claim 12, wherein the first electrode and the fourth electrode are arranged in overlapping positions in the longitudinal direction, and the second electrode and the third electrode are arranged in overlapping positions in the longitudinal direction.

14. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the heating unit is disposed between the at least two detection units.

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10 , 11 , 12 , or 14 , wherein at least one of the at least two detecting units is a sensor other than a capacitance sensor.

16. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit based on the detection results of the insertion of the aerosol-forming substrate in each of the at least two detection units.

17. The aerosol generating device described in claim 16, further comprising a notification unit that, when the control unit determines that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit, notifies the user that an object other than the aerosol-forming substrate is present in the holding unit or prompts the user to clean the holding unit.

18. A method carried out by an aerosol generating device including a holding unit that holds an aerosol-forming substrate including an aerosol source, and a heating unit that heats the aerosol source, comprising: detecting a plurality of capacitance sensor values; calculating a moving average value of a plurality of detected values ​​of the capacitance sensor, and determining at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding portion, whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted, and whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been removed, using the calculated moving average value and a predetermined threshold value; Including, the threshold is a threshold for a difference between the two moving average values, The method further includes determining at least one of whether the aerosol-forming substrate has been inserted into the holding portion, whether it has been inserted, and whether it has been removed by comparing the difference between the two moving average values ​​with the threshold value.

19. A program for causing an aerosol generating device to execute the method according to claim 18.

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