Cover, aerosol generator

Abstract

This cover 10 is mounted in a body having a heating unit that heats a base material containing an aerosol source, the cover comprising: an external sensor 31 that detects external information, which is separate from internal information related to the state of the body and internal information related to the state of the cover; a display unit 80 that displays information; and a display control unit 62 that causes the display unit 80 to display the external information detected by the external sensor 31 and / or information acquired from an external device other than the cover 10.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cover and an aerosol generating device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a suction device capable of detecting user's biological information has been proposed. For example, the suction device described in Patent Document 1 includes an operation unit that receives an operation by the user, and a biological information detection unit that detects the biological information of the user, and the biological information detection unit is disposed in the operation unit or in the vicinity of the operation unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] From the perspective of user convenience, it is desirable to be able to confirm not only biological information but also other external information other than information related to the state of the device that generates the aerosol. The present disclosure provides a cover or the like that can allow external information to be confirmed. do.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The present disclosure completed for such an object is a cover that is attached to a main body having a heating unit that heats a base material including an aerosol source, and includes a sensor that detects external information other than internal information related to the state of the main body and internal information related to the state of the cover, a display unit that displays information, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display at least any one of the external information detected by the sensor and information acquired from an external device other than the cover. Herein, the device further has a plurality of connecting parts that connect to the main body, the display part is provided between the plurality of connecting parts, and the sensor may be provided at either of the ends in the direction of the centerline of a columnar holding part formed in the main body to accommodate a part of the base material. Furthermore, the sensor may be provided on the opening side of the holding portion in the direction of the centerline, rather than on the side of the plurality of connecting portions. Furthermore, the display control unit may have a storage unit that stores a control sequence that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit when heating the heating unit, and the display control unit may cause the display unit to display information related to the control sequence stored in the storage unit. Furthermore, the storage unit may store multiple control sequences, and the user may select one of the multiple control sequences displayed on the display unit. Furthermore, the sensor may detect temperature or humidity, and the display control unit may cause the display unit to display that the temperature or humidity is appropriate for storing the substrate, based on at least one of the temperature or humidity detected by the sensor and the temperature or humidity obtained from the external device. Furthermore, the sensor may detect the heart rate or pulse rate, and the display control unit may cause the display unit to display a warning if the heart rate or pulse rate detected by the sensor is outside a predetermined range. Furthermore, from another perspective, the present disclosure is an aerosol generating apparatus comprising a main body having a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, and a cover of the above disclosure attached to the main body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a cover or the like that allows external information to be viewed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is an example of a diagram showing an aerosol generator viewed from the front and slightly above. [Figure 2] This is an example of a view of an aerosol generator from the front and slightly below. [Figure 3] This is an example of a view of the main unit from the front with the cover removed. [Figure 4] This is an example of a view of the cover from the rear. [Figure 5] This is an example of a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the main unit. [Figure 6] This is an example of a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of the cover. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of a state where the generating device is held in the right hand. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a state where the generating device is held in the left hand. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of information stored in the memory unit. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of the information displayed on the display unit. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of the information displayed on the display unit. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of the heating control process performed by the control unit. [Figure 13]It is a diagram showing an example of the temporal change of the target temperature of the heating part displayed on the display part of the cover. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen of a control sequence displayed on the display part of the cover. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing an example of the on-off control process performed by the control unit. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing an example of the information displayed by the display control unit on the display part. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the sensor and the necessity of display on the display part.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] FIG. 1 is an example of a view of the aerosol generating device 1 as seen from the front upper oblique direction. FIG. 2 is an example of a view of the aerosol generating device 1 as seen from the front lower oblique direction. FIG. 3 is an example of a view of the main body 100 with the cover 10 removed as seen from the front side. FIG. 4 is an example of a view of the cover 10 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 5 is an example of a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the main body 100. FIG. 6 is an example of a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cover 10. The aerosol generating device 1 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "generating device 1") includes a main body 100 having a heating part 170 for heating a base material 500 containing an aerosol source (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "base material 500"), and a cover 10 that is detachable from the main body 100.

[0009] The main body 100 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing 101 that houses the heating element 170 and the like. The cover 10 covers one side of the housing 101. Hereinafter, of the six sides of the housing 101, the side to which the cover 10 is attached will be referred to as the front 102, the left side when viewed from the front 102 side will be referred to as the left side 103, the right side as the right side 104, the upper side as the top 105, and the lower side as the bottom 106. Also, of the six sides of the housing 101, the side that connects to the left side 103, the right side 104, the top 105, and the bottom 106, and is different from the front 102, will be referred to as the rear 107. The cover 10 covers the front 102 of the housing 101, and the left side 103, the right side 104, the top 105, the bottom 106, and the rear 107 are exposed to the outside when the cover 10 is attached.

[0010] (Main unit 100) As shown in Figure 5, the main unit 100 comprises a power supply unit 110, a sensor unit 120, a notification unit 130, a storage unit 140, a communication unit 150, a control unit 160, a heating unit 170, a heat insulation unit 180, and a holding unit 190. The power supply unit 110, sensor unit 120, notification unit 130, storage unit 140, communication unit 150, control unit 160, heating unit 170, and heat insulation unit 180 are housed within the housing 101. The main unit 100 also has a shutter 194 (see Figure 1) positioned on its top surface 105, which can be slid along the top surface 105. The following describes each component in turn.

[0011] ((Power supply section 110)) The power supply unit 110 includes a battery 111 for storing power and a power supply unit 112 for supplying power. Battery 111 may be a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. Battery 111 may be charged by connecting to an external power source via a cable connected to the USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal 113. Alternatively, battery 111 may be charged wirelessly using wireless power transmission technology without being connected to a power-transmitting device. Furthermore, battery 111 may be removable from the main unit 100 and replaced with a new battery 111.

[0012] The power supply unit 112 supplies power to each component of the main body 100 based on control by the control unit 160. The power supply unit 112 also supplies power to the cover 10. The power supply unit 112 supplies power to the cover 10, for example, by contactless power transmission. One example of contactless power transmission is power transmission by short-range wireless communication. This enables power supply to the cover 10 with a simple configuration.

[0013] ((Sensor unit 120)) The sensor unit 120 detects various information related to the main unit 100. The sensor unit 120 then outputs the detected information to the control unit 160. As an example, the sensor unit 120 is composed of a pressure sensor such as a microphone condenser, a flow sensor, or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 120 detects a value associated with suction by the user, it outputs information to the control unit 160 indicating that suction has occurred by the user. The sensor unit 120 also detects the temperature of the heating unit 170 and outputs the detected temperature to the control unit 160. As another example, the sensor unit 120 is composed of an input device that accepts information input from the user, such as a button or switch. In particular, the sensor unit 120 may include a button that instructs the start / stop of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 120 then outputs the information input by the user to the control unit 160. As a button, the sensor unit 120 has an operation button 121 that instructs the start of aerosol generation. As shown in Figure 3, the operation button 121 is provided so as to be exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101.

[0014] ((Notification section 130)) The notification unit 130 notifies the user of information. For example, the notification unit 130 is composed of a light-emitting device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In this case, the notification unit 130 emits light in different patterns depending on whether the battery 111 of the power supply unit 110 needs charging, whether the battery 111 is charging, or whether an abnormality occurs in the main unit 100. The light-emitting pattern here is a concept that includes the color and the timing of turning on / off. The notification unit 130 may be composed of a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, and a vibration device that vibrates, either together with or instead of the light-emitting device.

[0015] The front surface 102 of the housing 101 has a display window 108 that transmits light emitted by a light-emitting device such as an LED, which is an example of a notification unit 130, and the light-emitting device is located behind the display window 108.

[0016] ((Storage unit 140)) The memory unit 140 stores various information for the operation of the generating device 1. The memory unit 140 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. An example of the information stored in the memory unit 140 is information related to the OS (Operating System) of the generating device 1, such as the control contents of various components by the control unit 160. Another example of the information stored in the memory unit 140 is information related to suction by the user, such as the number of suctions, suction times, and cumulative suction time. Yet another example of the information stored in the memory unit 140 is information related to the control sequence that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when heating the heating unit 170. The memory unit 140 may store information related to multiple types of control sequences that have different temporal changes in the target temperature of the heating unit 170.

[0017] ((Communications Department 150)) The communication unit 150 is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the generating device 1 and other devices. The communication unit 150 performs communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Such communication standards may include, for example, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). As an example, the communication unit 150 transmits information about user suction to other devices (for example, a portable terminal described later) in order to display the information about user suction on those devices. As another example, the communication unit 150 receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the storage unit 140.

[0018] ((Control Unit 160)) The control unit 160 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and control unit, and controls the overall operation of the generation device 1 according to various programs. The control unit 160 is implemented by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 160 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing the programs and calculation parameters to be used, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters that change as needed. The generation device 1 executes various processes based on the control of the control unit 160. Examples of processes controlled by the control unit 160 include supplying power from the power supply unit 110 to other components, charging the power supply unit 110, detection by the sensor unit 120, notification of information by the notification unit 130, storage and retrieval of information by the storage unit 140, and transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 150. Other processes performed by the generation device 1, such as inputting information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 160.

[0019] ((Heating section 170)) The heating unit 170 generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source, thereby atomizing it. The heating unit 170 is made of any material such as metal or polyimide. For example, the heating unit 170 is made in the form of a film and is positioned to cover the outer circumference of the holding unit 190. When the heating unit 170 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the substrate 500 is heated from the outer circumference of the substrate 500 and atomized, generating an aerosol. The heating unit 170 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 110, and heats the substrate 500. When the temperature of the substrate 500 heated by the heating unit 170 reaches a predetermined temperature, the user can inhale it. After that, if the sensor unit 120 detects that a predetermined user input has been made, the power supply may be stopped.

[0020] ((Insulation section 180)) The heat insulating section 180 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 170 to other components of the generating apparatus 1. The heat insulating section 180 is positioned to cover at least the outer periphery of the heating section 170. For example, the heat insulating section 180 is made of vacuum insulating material and aerogel insulating material. Vacuum insulating material is an insulating material in which heat conduction by gas is reduced to almost zero by wrapping glass wool and silica (silicon powder) etc. in a resin film and creating a high vacuum.

[0021] ((Holding part 190)) The holding portion 190 has a columnar internal space 191 provided inside the housing 101 and an opening 192 formed on the upper surface 105 of the housing 101 to connect the internal space 191 to the outside. The internal space 191 is a cylindrical body with the bottom portion 193 as its base. The holding portion 190 is configured such that, in at least a portion in the height direction of the cylindrical body, its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the base material 500, and it can hold the base material 500 by compressing the base material 500 inserted into the internal space 191 from the outer circumference. The holding portion 190 also has the function of defining an air passage through the base material 500. An air inlet, which is the entrance for air into such a passage, is located, for example, at the bottom portion 193. On the other hand, the air outlet, which is the exit for air from such a passage, is the opening 192. The opening 192 is exposed by sliding the shutter 194 to the open position and concealed by sliding the shutter 194 to the closed position.

[0022] ((Shutter 194)) The shutter 194 has a magnet on its back surface. Meanwhile, a magnetic sensor (not shown) of the sensor unit 120 is mounted on the upper surface 105 of the housing 101 within the movable range of the shutter 194. The magnetic sensor is a Hall IC composed of a Hall element and an operational amplifier, and outputs a voltage corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field crossing the Hall element. In this embodiment, the control unit 160 detects the opening and closing of the shutter 194 from the change in voltage output from the magnetic sensor as the shutter 194 slides.

[0023] ((Base material 500)) The base material 500 is a stick-shaped component. The base material 500 includes a base material portion 501 and a suction port portion 502. The base material 501 contains an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating, generating an aerosol. The aerosol source may be tobacco-derived, such as processed products made by molding shredded tobacco or tobacco raw materials into granules, sheets, or powder. The aerosol source may also contain non-tobacco-derived materials made from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint and herbs). As an example, the aerosol source may contain fragrance components such as menthol. If the generating device 1 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain medication for the patient to inhale. The aerosol source is not limited to solids, but may also be liquids such as glycerin and polyhydric alcohols such as propylene glycol, and water. At least a portion of the base material 501 is housed in the internal space 191 of the holding part 190 when the base material 500 is held in the holding part 190.

[0024] The suction nozzle 502 is a component that the user holds in their mouth when suctioning. At least a portion of the suction nozzle 502 protrudes from the opening 192 when the base material 500 is held in the holding part 190. When the user holds the suction nozzle 502 protruding from the opening 192 in their mouth and suctions, air flows into the inside of the holding part 190 from an air inlet hole (not shown). The incoming air passes through the internal space 191 of the holding part 190, that is, through the base material 501, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base material 501.

[0025] ((Example of the external configuration of the main unit 100)) As shown in Figure 3, the main body 100 is provided so as to be exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101 and has two magnets, an upper magnet 195 and a lower magnet 196, which are used to connect with the cover 10. The upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 are cylindrical in shape, forming a circle when viewed from the front. The centers of the circles of the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 are aligned in the direction of the center line of the base material 500 by the holding part 190 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "center line direction"), with the upper magnet 195 provided on the upper part of the main body 100 and the lower magnet 196 provided on the lower part of the main body 100.

[0026] The main body 100 has an operation button 121 located in the center in the direction of the centerline, exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101. In other words, the operation button 121 is located between the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196.

[0027] The main unit 100 has a display window 108 above the operation button 121, between the upper magnet 195 and the operation button 121, which allows light from a light-emitting device such as an LED to pass through. The display window 108 is a window provided at a position corresponding to the position of the light-emitting device located inside the housing 101 of the main unit 100, and allows light from the light-emitting device to pass through. As a result, the user can see the light from the outside of the main unit 100.

[0028] The main body 100 has a magnetic sensor 122. The magnetic sensor 122 detects the magnetic force based on the magnetic field applied from the magnet 75 of the cover 10, which will be described later. For example, the magnetic sensor 122 is preferably a Hall sensor made using a Hall element. This makes it possible to detect when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100.

[0029] (Cover 10) The following provides a detailed explanation of cover 10. As shown in Figure 6, the cover 10 includes a cover body 11, a power supply unit 20, a sensor unit 30, a storage unit 40, a communication unit 50, a control unit 60, and a display unit 80.

[0030] ((Cover body 11)) The cover body 11 is formed into a plate shape from a light-transmitting material and covers the front surface 102 of the housing 101 of the main body 100, and is molded so as not to create any steps between the cover body 103, the left side surface 104, the top surface 105, and the bottom surface 106 of the housing 101. As a result, the cover body 10 forms an integrated appearance with the left side surface 103, the right side surface 104, the top surface 105, and the bottom surface 106 of the housing 101, and has a decorative function. The cover body 10 also has the function of suppressing the propagation of heat emitted from the main body 100. The power supply unit 20, sensor unit 30, memory unit 40, communication unit 50, control unit 60, and display unit 80 are mounted on the cover body 11.

[0031] ((Power supply section 20)) The power supply unit 20 includes a battery 21 for storing power, a power supply unit 22 for supplying power to each component of the cover 10, and a power receiving unit 23 for receiving power from the power supply unit 112 of the power supply unit 110 of the main body 100.

[0032] The battery 21 can be exemplified as a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery formed in the form of a film. The battery 21 is charged by the power supplied to the cover 10 from the power supply unit 112 of the power supply unit 110 of the main unit 100.

[0033] The power supply unit 22 supplies power from the battery 21 to each component of the cover 10. The power supply unit 22 also supplies power received by the power receiving unit 23 to each component of the cover 10. This allows the power supplied from the main unit 100 to the cover 10 to operate each component of the cover 10, including the sensor unit 30.

[0034] The power receiving unit 23 is configured to include an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader / writer module and an NFC antenna, etc., when the power supply unit 112 of the main unit 100 supplies power to the cover 10 by contactless power transmission such as short-range wireless communication.

[0035] ((Sensor unit 30)) The sensor unit 30 has an ambient air sensor that detects information about the air surrounding the generating device 1. Examples of air information include temperature and humidity. That is, as an example of an ambient air sensor, the sensor unit 30 may include a temperature sensor capable of detecting the ambient temperature (e.g., room temperature) and a humidity sensor capable of detecting ambient humidity. Furthermore, the air information may also be atmospheric pressure, and as an example of an ambient air sensor, the sensor unit 30 may include a pressure sensor capable of detecting the atmospheric pressure around the generating device 1.

[0036] Furthermore, the sensor unit 30 may have a vital sensor that detects the user's biological information. An example of a vital sensor is a sensor that can detect any of the user's body temperature, heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, or COHb (carbon monoxide hemoglobin). An example of a sensor that detects the user's body temperature is a sensor that converts infrared radiation emitted from the forehead, etc., into body temperature. An example of a sensor that detects at least one of heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, or COHb is an optical sensor comprising a light-emitting element that irradiates light onto the human body and a light-receiving element that receives the light irradiated by the light-emitting element through the user's body, and outputs information about the light received by the light-receiving element. The light-emitting element is a light source and can be realized by, for example, an LED. The light-receiving element can be realized by, for example, a photodiode. The light received by the light-receiving element is, for example, reflected light from the human body. This reflected light includes light that has been scattered and reflected within the human body (i.e., scattered light).

[0037] Furthermore, the vital sensor may be a sensor capable of detecting the alcohol concentration in the user's breath. In addition, the sensor unit 30 may have a distance sensor capable of detecting the distance between the generating device 1 and the object, and a color sensor capable of detecting the color of the object.

[0038] Furthermore, the sensor unit 30 has a touch sensor 35 that detects when a user touches the cover 10. The touch sensor 35 is implemented by the function of the display unit 80 that detects when a user touches it. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish it from the touch sensor 35, sensors that detect external information other than information related to the state of the main unit 100 and external information other than information related to the state of the cover 10, in other words, external information other than information related to the state of the generating device 1, may be referred to as "external sensors 31". External sensors 31 is a general term for sensors that detect external environmental information of the generating device 1, such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors and atmospheric pressure sensors, vital sensors that detect the user's biological information, distance sensors and color sensors. External information includes biological information such as body temperature, heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, and COHb, as well as external environmental information such as temperature and humidity.

[0039] ((Storage unit 40)) The memory unit 40 stores various information for the operation of the cover 10. The memory unit 40 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. An example of the information stored in the memory unit 40 is information related to the OS (Operating System) of the cover 10, such as the control contents of various components by the control unit 60. The memory unit 40 also stores information acquired from the sensor unit 30. The memory unit 40 also stores predetermined temperature ranges, predetermined humidity ranges, and predetermined permission ranges, which will be described later. The memory unit 40 also stores information related to control sequences that define the temporal change of the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when the control unit 160 of the main body 100 heats the heating unit 170. The memory unit 40 may store information related to multiple types of control sequences that have different temporal changes in the target temperature of the heating unit 170.

[0040] ((Communications Section 50)) The communication unit 50 is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the cover 10 and external devices other than the cover 10. The communication unit 50 performs communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards include wireless LAN (Local Area Network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0041] External devices are devices other than the main unit 100 and the generation device 1. Examples of devices other than the generation device 1 include portable terminals such as a multi-function mobile phone (so-called "smartphone"; hereinafter sometimes referred to as "mobile phone") owned by the user, or a server (not shown). Other portable terminals may include tablet terminals, tablet PCs, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and notebook PCs. For example, the communication unit 50 transmits information detected by the sensor unit 30 to the mobile phone. The communication unit 50 also receives new OS information from the server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 40.

[0042] Furthermore, the communication unit 50 may communicate with the main unit 100, for example, by short-range wireless communication. As mentioned above, by supplying power from the main unit 100 to the cover 10 by short-range wireless communication, and by having the communication unit 50 communicate with the main unit 100 by short-range wireless communication, communication and power transmission between the main unit 100 and the cover 10 can be efficiently realized, and the configuration of the main unit 100 and the cover 10 can be simplified. In the case where power is supplied from the main unit 100 to the cover 10 by short-range wireless communication, and the communication unit 50 communicates with the main unit 100 by short-range wireless communication, the communication unit 50 can be implemented using the same NFC reader / writer module and NFC antenna as the power receiving unit 23. Furthermore, if the main unit 100 and the cover 10 are connected via a physical power supply interface, the communication unit 50 may communicate with the main unit 100 via this power supply interface.

[0043] ((Control Unit 60)) The control unit 60 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and control unit, and controls the overall operation of the cover 10 according to various programs. The control unit 60 is implemented by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 60 may include a ROM for storing the programs and calculation parameters to be used, and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as needed. The cover 10 performs various processes based on the control of the control unit 60. Power supply from the power supply unit 20 to each component, charging of the power supply unit 20, detection by the sensor unit 30, storage and retrieval of information by the storage unit 40, and transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 50 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 60. Other processes performed by the cover 10, such as inputting information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 60.

[0044] Furthermore, the control unit 60 transmits and receives data with the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 via the communication unit 50. For example, the control unit 60 transmits the detection value of the sensor unit 30 to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100. The control unit 60 also receives from the control unit 160 of the main unit 100, for example, that heating of the heating unit 170 has started or stopped.

[0045] ((Display section 80)) The display unit 80 can be exemplified by a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, or electronic paper, which has both a display function and a function to detect when a user is touching it. The function of the display unit 80 to detect when a user is touching it can be considered as the touch sensor 35 described above.

[0046] ((magnet)) As shown in Figure 4, the cover 10 has an upper magnet 71 and a lower magnet 72 on the back surface 13 of the cover body 11, which is the side facing the main body 100. The upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72 are cylindrical in shape, forming a circle when viewed from the rear, and are positioned to correspond to the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 provided on the main body 100, respectively. In other words, the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72 are aligned in the direction of the center line, with the upper magnet 71 located on the upper part of the cover 10 and the lower magnet 72 located on the lower part of the cover 10.

[0047] For example, if the upper magnet 71 and lower magnet 72 of the cover 10 are north poles, then the upper magnet 195 and lower magnet 196 of the main body 100 are south poles. The cover 10 is attached to the main body 100 by the attractive force between the magnets. In addition, either the magnets provided on the cover 10 (upper magnet 71, lower magnet 72) or the magnets provided on the main body 100 (upper magnet 195, lower magnet 196) may be made of iron or other magnetic metal. Furthermore, the cover 10 is not limited to being attached to the main body 100 by the attractive force between magnets. For example, the cover 10 and the main body 100 may be physically fitted together. An example of a physically fitted structure is one in which a fitting claw provided on one of the components of the cover 10 or the main body 100 (for example, the cover 10) is fitted into a hole or recess formed in the other component (for example, the main body 100).

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, the display unit 80 described above is located midway between the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72, in other words, in the center of the cover 10 in the direction of the centerline. Since attraction can be started by the user touching the display unit 80 (e.g., the touch sensor 35), Figure 4 shows an example where the display unit 80 is located in the center of the generating device 1 in the direction of the centerline. However, the position of the display unit 80 is not limited to the position shown in Figure 4.

[0049] The cover 10 has a magnet 75 to the left of the line connecting the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72 in Figure 4. The magnet 75 is positioned to correspond to the magnetic sensor 122 provided on the main body 100, and the attachment of the cover 10 to the main body 100 is detected by the magnetic sensor 122 provided on the main body 100.

[0050] ((Placement of external sensor 31)) The external sensor 31 of the sensor unit 30 is preferably provided at both ends of the cover 10 in the direction of the centerline, in other words, in either the first region R1 above the upper magnet 71 and the second region R2 below the lower magnet 72, as shown in Figure 4.

[0051] For example, if the external sensor 31 is a light sensor, it is configured to have a light-emitting element that illuminates a finger or the like placed in front of the front surface 12 of the cover body 11, and a light-receiving element that receives the light emitted by the light-emitting element via the finger or the like. Therefore, if dirt is attached to the part through which the light is transmitted, it becomes difficult to detect it with high accuracy.

[0052] Figure 7 shows an example of holding the generating device 1 in the right hand. Figure 8 shows an example of holding the generating device 1 in the left hand. For example, Figure 4 shows an example in which the external sensor 31 is located in the first region R1. By placing the external sensor 31 in the first region R1, it is made difficult for the user to touch the external sensor 31. In other words, as shown in Figure 7 or Figure 8, even if the generating device 1 is held in the right or left hand when attracting with the generating device 1, the opening 192 side (upper side) of the holding part 190 is less likely to be covered by the hand than the upper magnet 71, so the area where the external sensor 31 is located is less likely to be touched by the hand.

[0053] In the cover 10 according to this embodiment, the external sensor 31 is located in an area that is difficult for the user to touch, so dirt is less likely to adhere to the front surface 12 of the cover 10, making it possible to detect with high accuracy.

[0054] Furthermore, by positioning the external sensor 31 in the first region R1, it is possible to make it difficult for the user to apply load to the external sensor 31. The external sensor 31 may also be positioned in the second region R2, which is below the lower magnet 72. Even if it is in the second region R2, when the generating device 1 is held in the right or left hand for attraction, it is in a position corresponding to the little finger, making it difficult for the user to apply load to it.

[0055] Furthermore, even if the external sensor 31 is a sensor other than a light sensor (for example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor), by placing it in the first region R1 or the second region R2, it can be made less susceptible to user overload, thus reducing the likelihood of the external sensor 31 failing.

[0056] ((Display of detected values ​​from external sensor 31, etc.)) The control unit 60 has an output unit 61 (see Figure 6) that outputs information detected by the external sensor 31 of the sensor unit 30 to an external device via the communication unit 50. The control unit 60 also has a display control unit 62 (see Figure 6) that displays the information detected by the external sensor 31 of the sensor unit 30 on the display unit 80.

[0057] The output unit 61 outputs biological information detected by, for example, a vital sensor, which is an example of an external sensor 31, to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100. The display control unit 62 displays the temperature and humidity detected by, for example, the temperature sensor and humidity sensor, which are examples of external sensors 31, on the display unit 80. This allows the user to check information about the surrounding air on the display unit 80.

[0058] Figure 9 shows an example of information stored in the memory unit 40. Figures 10 and 11 show examples of information displayed on the display unit 80. The display control unit 62 causes the display unit 80 to display that the temperature or humidity is appropriate for storing the substrate 500, based on the temperature or humidity detected by the temperature sensor or humidity sensor.

[0059] For example, as shown in Figure 9, the memory unit 40 stores a predetermined temperature range (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "predetermined temperature range") as an appropriate temperature range for storing the substrate 500. Then, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is within the predetermined temperature range, the display control unit 62 displays the temperature detected by the temperature sensor, along with the indication that it is an appropriate temperature for storage, on the display unit 80. As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the display unit 80 displays that it is an appropriate temperature for storage. The predetermined temperature range can be exemplified as 10°C to 28°C, preferably 17°C to 21°C.

[0060] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the memory unit 40 stores a predetermined humidity range (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "predetermined humidity range") as an appropriate humidity range for storing the substrate 500. Then, if the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is within the predetermined humidity range, the display control unit 62 displays on the display unit 80 that the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is appropriate for storage. As a result, as shown in Figure 10, the display unit 80 displays that the humidity is appropriate for storage. The predetermined humidity range can be exemplified as 66% to 74%, preferably 68% to 72%.

[0061] Furthermore, the memory unit 40 stores a predetermined temperature range as an appropriate temperature range for storing the substrate 500, and also stores a predetermined humidity range as an appropriate humidity range for storage. Then, if the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is within the predetermined temperature range and the humidity detected by the humidity sensor is within the predetermined humidity range, the display control unit 62 displays on the display unit 80 that the temperature and humidity detected by the temperature sensor and humidity sensor are appropriate for storage.

[0062] In addition, the display control unit 62 displays information detected by the vital sensor of the sensor unit 30 on the display unit 80. For example, if the vital sensor detects at least one of the user's body temperature, heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, COHb, or alcohol concentration, the display control unit 62 displays at least one of the user's body temperature, heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, COHb, or alcohol concentration detected by the vital sensor on the display unit 80. Furthermore, if the value detected by the vital sensor is outside the predetermined permitted range described later, the display control unit 62 may display a warning message on the display unit 80.

[0063] Figure 11 shows the sensor unit 30, which has a vital sensor that detects the user's body temperature and heart rate, and the display control unit 62, which displays the body temperature and heart rate detected by the vital sensor on the display unit 80, showing the display unit 80 with the body temperature and heart rate displayed. Furthermore, Figure 11 shows that the heart rate detected by the vital sensor is 95 bpm (beats / minute), which is outside the predetermined permitted range (65-85 bpm) described later, so the display unit 80 displays an icon to draw attention along with an example of a warning message, "Your heart rate is high." By displaying it in this way, the user can check information about their own body on the display unit 80 of the cover 10.

[0064] Furthermore, the display control unit 62 may, via the communication unit 50, display information detected by the sensor unit 120 of the main unit 100. For example, the display control unit 62 may display the temperature detected by the temperature sensor of the sensor unit 120 of the main unit 100 on the display unit 80. Also, if the sensor unit 120 of the main unit 100 has a vital sensor, the display control unit 62 may display the biological information detected by the vital sensor on the display unit 80.

[0065] Furthermore, the display control unit 62 may also display information acquired from a portable terminal such as a mobile phone on the display unit 80 via the communication unit 50. For example, the display control unit 62 may display emails and messages received on a mobile phone on the display unit 80.

[0066] (Heating control) The control unit 160 of the main unit 100 permits aerosol generation when the cover 10 is attached. In other words, the control unit 160 permits heating of the heating unit 170 when the cover 10 is attached to the main unit 100. To put it another way, the cover 10, by being attached to the main unit 100, permits heating of the heating unit 170 by the main unit 100. As described above, the control unit 160 can determine whether the cover 10 is attached to the main unit 100 using the output value of the Hall sensor.

[0067] Furthermore, the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 may control the heating of the heating unit 170 based on the output of the sensor unit 30 of the cover 10. This makes it possible to operate the generating device 1 appropriately according to the user's condition.

[0068] Here, the quality of the inhalation experience (e.g., smoking experience) that a user can experience by using the generator 1 may depend on the user's physical condition. Therefore, even if the aerosol source and flavor source are suited to the user's preferences, if the user is in poor physical condition, they may not be able to obtain a high-quality inhalation experience. Thus, it is undesirable for the generator 1 to continue generating aerosols when the user is not in a state to obtain a high-quality inhalation experience, as this leads to the waste of the aerosol source and flavor source.

[0069] In view of the above, even if the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100, the generating device 1 may not permit heating of the heating unit 170 if the value detected by the vital sensor of the sensor unit 30 is outside a predetermined range. Hereinafter, the predetermined range of the vital sensor's detected value for which heating of the heating unit 170 is permitted may be referred to as the "predetermined permitted range".

[0070] For example, if the vital sensor is capable of detecting the user's body temperature, the permitted range may be 38°C or lower. If the vital sensor is capable of detecting the user's heart rate, the permitted range may be 65-85 bpm (beats / min). If the vital sensor is capable of detecting the user's pulse rate, the permitted range may be 65-100 bpm (beats / min). If the vital sensor is capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation, the permitted range may be 96% or higher. If the vital sensor is capable of detecting blood flow, the permitted range may be 20-60 ml / min / 100g. If the vital sensor is capable of detecting COHb, the permitted range may be less than 2%. If the vital sensor is an alcohol sensor capable of detecting alcohol concentration in exhaled breath, the permitted range may be 0.20 mg or less.

[0071] In the generating device 1, the storage unit 140 stores a predetermined permitted range for each piece of biological information. The control unit 160 of the main body 100 acquires the detected values ​​from the vital sensor from the cover 10, and may also not permit heating of the heating unit 170 if the detected values ​​are outside the predetermined permitted range.

[0072] Below, an example of the heating control process performed by the control unit 160 of the main unit 100, in which heating of the heating unit 170 is permitted when the detected value of the vital sensor is within a predetermined permitted range, will be explained using a flowchart. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the heating control process performed by the control unit 160. The control unit 160 repeatedly executes this process at predetermined intervals (for example, 1 millisecond).

[0073] The control unit 160 determines whether or not a heating instruction has been given (S1201). A heating instruction can be exemplified by, for example, a predetermined operation being performed on the display unit 80. A predetermined operation can be exemplified by, for example, touching an icon displayed on the display unit 80 for a predetermined time (for example, 3 seconds). If a heating instruction has been given (YES in S1201), the control unit 160 determines whether or not the cover 10 is attached (S1202). This process determines whether or not the magnetic sensor 122 has detected a magnetic field.

[0074] If the cover 10 is attached (YES in S1202), the control unit 160 determines whether the value detected by the vital sensor is within a predetermined permitted range (S1203). If it is within the predetermined permitted range (YES in S1203), the control unit 160 starts heating the heating unit 170 (S1204). The control unit 160 also transmits to the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that heating of the heating unit 170 has started. The control unit 160 then heats the heating unit 170 according to a control sequence stored in the storage unit 140 of the main unit 100 that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when heating the heating unit 170, and then stops heating. After stopping heating of the heating unit 170, the control unit 160 transmits to the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that heating of the heating unit 170 has stopped.

[0075] On the other hand, if there is no heating instruction (NO in S1201), if the cover 10 is not installed (NO in S1202), or if the value detected by the vital sensor is not within the predetermined permitted range (NO in S1203), the control unit 160 does not start heating the heating unit 170 (S1205).

[0076] The control unit 160 of the main unit 100 allows heating of the heating unit 170 when the detected value of the vital sensor is within a predetermined permitted range, thereby providing the user with a high-quality suction experience and preventing waste of aerosol sources, etc.

[0077] However, the control unit 160 may permit heating of the heating unit 170 without relying on the vital sensor's detection value. As an example of heating control processing that does not rely on the vital sensor's detection value, the control unit 160 may start heating of the heating unit 170 if the cover 10 is attached (YES in S1202) without performing the determination in S1203 in Figure 12.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 160 may permit heating of the heating unit 170 even if the cover 10 is not attached. As an example of heating control processing that permits heating of the heating unit 170 even if the cover 10 is not attached, the control unit 160 may start heating of the heating unit 170 if the detected value of the vital sensor is within a predetermined permitted range (YES in S1203) without performing the determination in S1202 in Figure 12.

[0079] ((Display of control sequence)) Figure 13 shows an example of the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 displayed on the display unit 80 of the cover 10. As shown in Figure 13, after the main body 100 starts heating the heating unit 170 (S1204), the display control unit 62 of the cover 10 displays the time change of the target temperature of the heating unit 170 on the display unit 80 of the cover 10, and also displays the current temperature detected by the temperature sensor of the sensor unit 120 on the display unit 80 of the cover 10. This allows the user to understand, for example, the time required until the aerosol reaches a temperature at which it can be inhaled, when it becomes possible to inhale, and the time remaining until the inhalation period ends.

[0080] Furthermore, if multiple control sequences are stored in the storage units of the generation device 1 (storage unit 140 of the main unit 100 and storage unit 40 of the cover 10), the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 may allow the user to select one control sequence from among the multiple control sequences stored in these storage units.

[0081] Figure 14 shows an example of a control sequence selection screen displayed on the display unit 80 of the cover 10. For example, in the heating control process explained using the flowchart in Figure 12, after the control unit 160 determines that the temperature is within a predetermined permitted range (YES in S1203), it displays the selection screen shown in Figure 14 on the display unit 80 of the cover 10 before starting heating of the heating unit 170 (S1204). This is a process in which the display control unit 62 of the control unit 60 displays on the display unit 80 according to the instructions of the control unit 160. For example, as shown in Figure 14, the display control unit 62 displays the temporal change of the target temperature of the heating unit 170 in the first sequence Se1 and second sequence Se2 stored in the storage unit 140 of the main body 100, and in the third sequence Se3 stored in the storage unit 40 of the cover 10. Then, the control unit 160 determines the control sequence that the user has touched from among the control sequences displayed on the display unit 80 (first sequence Se1, second sequence Se2, third sequence Se3) as the control sequence selected by the user. The control unit 160 then controls the heating of the heating unit 170 according to the temporal change in the target temperature in the determined control sequence. In this way, when the user can select a control sequence via the display unit 80, the function of the display unit 80 to detect when the user touches it can be considered as an operation unit that allows the user to select one control sequence from among multiple control sequences displayed on the display unit 80.

[0082] Furthermore, if a control sequence (for example, the third sequence Se3) stored in the memory unit 40 of the cover 10 is selected, the control unit 60 of the cover 10 transmits information related to the control sequence to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 via the communication unit 50. The control unit 160 of the main unit 100 then uses the information received from the cover 10 to heat the heating unit 170.

[0083] (On / off control of the sensor in sensor unit 30) Next, the timing of when the sensor switch of the sensor unit 30 turns on and when it turns off will be explained. Hereinafter, when the sensor switch is on, it will be referred to as "sensor on," and when the sensor switch is off, it will be referred to as "sensor off."

[0084] The touch sensor 35 is always switched on and outputs an ON signal to the control unit 60 when the user touches the cover 10. The external sensor 31 is switched on when the touch sensor 35 outputs an ON signal, in other words, when the user touches the cover 10. The external sensor 31 then detects when it is ON at regular intervals (for example, 1 second).

[0085] However, the switch on the external sensor 31 may be turned off when the heating unit 170 of the main unit 100 is heating. In this way, energy saving can be achieved by turning off the external sensor 31 when the heating unit 170 of the main unit 100 is heating.

[0086] Below, an example of the on / off control process of the sensor unit 30 performed by the control unit 60 of the cover 10 will be explained using a flowchart. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of an on / off control process performed by the control unit 60. The control unit 60 is activated, for example, when the touch sensor 35 detects that a user is touching the cover 10, and repeatedly executes the process exemplified in Figure 15 at a predetermined fixed time interval (for example, 1 millisecond).

[0087] First, the control unit 60 transmits to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 that the control unit 60 has started up (S1501). Then, the control unit 60 switches on the external sensor 31 (S1502) and transmits the detected value of the external sensor 31 to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 (S1503). After that, the control unit 60 determines whether or not the heating unit 170 of the main unit 100 has started heating (S1504). This is the process by which the control unit 60 determines whether or not it has received notification from the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 that the heating unit 170 has started heating.

[0088] If heating is started (YES in S1504), the control unit 60 turns off the switch of the external sensor 31 (S1505). Then, the control unit 60 determines whether the heating unit 170 of the main body 100 has stopped heating (S1506). If heating has not stopped (NO in S1506), the control unit 60 waits until heating stops.

[0089] If heating is stopped (YES in S1506), the control unit 60 determines whether the touch sensor 35 has detected that the user is touching the cover 10 (S1507). If the touch sensor 35 has detected it (YES in S1507), the control unit 60 proceeds with the processing from S1502 onwards. On the other hand, if the touch sensor 35 has not detected it (NO in S1507), the control unit 60 transmits to the control unit 160 of the main unit 100 that the control unit 60 will turn off the power (S1508), and turns off the power (S1509). On the other hand, if heating has not been started (NO in S1504), the control unit 60 performs the processing from S1507 onwards.

[0090] (Notification in case of a malfunction of the sensor in sensor unit 30) Next, we will explain the process to be carried out when the sensor in the sensor unit 30 malfunctions. Figure 16 shows an example of information displayed on the display unit 80 by the display control unit 62. The display control unit 62 of the control unit 60 causes the display unit 80 to display that the external sensor 31 of the sensor unit 30 has failed if a failure occurs in the external sensor 31. For example, if the humidity sensor fails, the display control unit 62 displays on the display unit 80 that the humidity sensor has failed. As a result, as shown in Figure 16, the display unit 80 displays that the humidity sensor has failed. Examples of failures in the external sensor 31 include open circuits and short circuits. The control unit 60 can determine that the external sensor 31 has failed if it is unable to obtain an output value from the external sensor 31.

[0091] The display control unit 62 may also display information on the display unit 80 depending on the type of external sensor 31. For example, the display control unit 62 may display information on the display unit 80 if the vital sensor, temperature sensor, or humidity sensor is faulty, but may not display information on the display unit 80 if the pressure sensor, distance sensor, or color sensor is faulty.

[0092] The reason why the display unit 80 displays a message when the vital sensor malfunctions is that heating of the heating unit 170 is not permitted unless the detected value of the vital sensor is within a predetermined permitted range, and the user may not be able to inhale aerosols if the vital sensor malfunctions. Furthermore, the reason why the display unit 80 displays a failure in the temperature sensor and humidity sensor is that it would be impossible to notify the user that the temperature and humidity are within the predetermined ranges. However, the types of external sensors 31 that are displayed on the display unit 80 when they fail, and the types of external sensors 31 that are not displayed on the display unit 80 even when they fail, are not particularly limited. They can be set arbitrarily.

[0093] Figure 17 shows an example of the relationship between the sensor and whether or not a display needs to be shown on the display unit 80. The memory unit 40 stores whether or not to display on the display unit 80 that an external sensor 31 has failed, for each external sensor 31 that the sensor unit 30 has. In the example shown in Figure 17, the memory unit 40 stores that it is necessary to display on the display unit 80 if the vital sensor, temperature sensor, and humidity sensor have failed, but it is not necessary to display on the display unit 80 if the pressure sensor, distance sensor, and color sensor have failed.

[0094] Furthermore, the display control unit 62 should, when any of the multiple sensors fail, display the failure on the display unit 80 if the storage unit 40 has stored that it is necessary to display a message on the display unit 80 when that sensor fails, and not display a message on the display unit 80 if the storage unit 40 has stored that it is unnecessary to display a message on the display unit 80 when that sensor fails.

[0095] As shown in Figure 17, for example, if it is stored that the vital sensor has failed and that this failure should be displayed on the display unit 80, the display control unit 62 will display that the vital sensor has failed on the display unit 80. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 17, if it is stored that it is not necessary to display that the barometric pressure sensor has failed on the display unit 80, for example, the display control unit 62 will not display that the barometric pressure sensor has failed on the display unit 80.

[0096] As described above, the cover 10 is a cover attached to a main body 100 which has a heating unit 170 that heats a substrate 500 containing an aerosol source. The cover 10 includes an external sensor 31 as an example of a sensor that detects internal information related to the state of the main body 100 (for example, the temperature of the heating unit 170) and external information other than the internal information related to the state of the cover 10, and a display unit 80 that displays the information. The cover 10 also includes a display control unit 62 that displays at least one of the external information detected by the external sensor 31 and information acquired from external devices other than the cover 10 (for example, the main body 100 or a portable terminal) on the display unit 80. With the cover 10 configured in this way, the user can check biological information such as body temperature, heart rate, pulse rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood flow rate, COHb, and alcohol concentration, as well as external environmental information such as temperature and humidity on the display unit 80, thereby improving user convenience.

[0097] The cover 10 further includes an upper magnet 71 and a lower magnet 72 as examples of multiple connecting parts that connect to the main body 100, and the display unit 80 is provided between the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72. The external sensor 31 is preferably provided at either end of a columnar holding part 190 formed on the main body 100 to accommodate a part of the base material 500, in the direction of the centerline. This makes the display unit 80 easier to see and makes it difficult for the user to put a load on the external sensor 31, thus reducing the likelihood of the external sensor 31 failing. Furthermore, if the external sensor 31 is an optical sensor, interference between the optical sensor and other light sources (e.g., LEDs, liquid crystals) used in the display unit 80 can be suppressed.

[0098] Furthermore, it is preferable that the external sensor 31 be positioned in the direction of the centerline, on the side of the opening 192 of the holding part 190 that is closer to the upper magnet 71. The area on the side of the opening 192 (upper side) that is closer to the upper magnet 71 is an area that is less likely to be touched by the user, even if the generating device 1 is held in the right or left hand when attracting, so dirt is less likely to adhere to the front surface 12 of the cover 10, making it possible to detect with high accuracy.

[0099] Furthermore, the cover 10 has a storage unit 40 that stores a control sequence that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when heating the heating unit 170, and the display control unit 62 displays the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 in the control sequence stored in the storage unit 40 (an example of information related to the control sequence) on the display unit 80. This allows the user to understand the control sequence stored in the storage unit 40 of the cover 10. In addition, it becomes easier for the user to imagine the suction experience that can be felt by using the generating device 1.

[0100] Furthermore, the memory unit 40 may store multiple control sequences, and the cover 10 may select one control sequence from among the multiple control sequences displayed on the display unit 80. This allows the user to easily select the suction experience they can have using the generating device 1, for example, according to their physical condition or mood at the time.

[0101] Furthermore, the external sensor 31 may detect temperature or humidity, and the display control unit 62 may display on the display unit 80 that the temperature or humidity is appropriate for storing the substrate 500, based on at least one of the temperature or humidity detected by the external sensor 31 and the temperature or humidity obtained from the external device. With the cover 10 configured in this way, the user can confirm the appropriate storage location for the substrate 500 using the cover 10, thereby improving user convenience. It also makes it possible to store the substrate 500 in an appropriate location.

[0102] Furthermore, the external sensor 31 may detect the heart rate or pulse rate, and the display control unit 62 may cause the display unit 80 to display a warning if the heart rate or pulse rate detected by the external sensor 31 is outside a predetermined range.

[0103] Furthermore, if the external sensor 31 malfunctions, the display control unit 62 will display a message on the display unit 80 indicating that the external sensor 31 has malfunctioned. This makes it possible to notify the user that the external sensor 31 has malfunctioned.

[0104] The cover 10 has multiple sensors (e.g., temperature sensors, vital signs sensors, etc.), and each sensor has a storage unit 40 that stores whether or not it is necessary to notify when that sensor fails. The display control unit 62, when any of the multiple sensors fails, displays on the display unit 80 if it is stored in the storage unit 40 that it is necessary to notify when that sensor fails, and does not display on the display unit 80 if it is stored in the storage unit 40 that it is unnecessary to notify when that sensor fails. This makes it possible to notify or not notify when a failure has occurred depending on the type of sensor, and to inform the user only of the information that is truly necessary, thereby improving convenience. Furthermore, it is possible to save energy compared to a configuration in which all sensor failures are output to an external device.

[0105] Furthermore, since the cover 10 configured as described above has a battery 21, even when the cover 10 is not attached to the main unit 100, the external sensor 31 can detect temperature, humidity, biological information, etc., and display this information on the display unit 80. Therefore, when the user is looking for a suitable place to store the substrate 500, there is no need to carry the main unit 100 with them.

[0106] Furthermore, by providing the battery 21 in the cover 10, even if the power supply from the main unit 100 to the cover 10 becomes unstable due to some factor, the battery 21 can supply stable power to each component of the cover 10, thereby stabilizing their operation.

[0107] Furthermore, because the amount of power that can be supplied per unit time from the power supply unit 112 of the main unit 100 to the cover 10 via non-contact power transmission such as short-range wireless communication is small, the components that can be mounted on the cover 10 (for example, the external sensor 31) are limited if only non-contact power transmission is used. However, by providing the battery 21, the degree of freedom of the components that can be mounted on the cover 10 can be improved.

[0108] However, the battery 21 may be omitted from the cover 10, and the cover 10 may operate solely on power supplied from the main unit 100 via contactless power transmission when the cover 10 is attached to the main unit 100 or is in the vicinity of the main unit 100.

[0109] Furthermore, in the cover 10 configured as described above, the types of sensors included in the external sensor 31 may differ for each type of cover 10. For example, one cover 10 may have only a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and a pressure sensor, while another cover 10 may have only a vital sensor. This allows the user to change the functions provided by the generating device 1 by changing the cover 10. Also, by making the cover 10 interchangeable, the appearance of the generating device 1 can be changed through the replacement of the cover 10. Therefore, the user can customize the appearance and functions of the generating device 1 to suit their preferences, for example. As a result, the marketability of the generating device 1 can be improved.

[0110] Furthermore, by configuring the cover 10 to be detachable from the main unit 100, if the main unit 100 malfunctions, for example, only the main unit 100 can be replaced while the cover 10 remains usable. Since the cover 10 has a memory unit 40, when only the main unit 100 is replaced, the information stored in the memory unit 140 of the main unit 100 can be transferred to the memory unit 40 of the cover 10. Examples of information stored in the memory unit 140 of the main unit 100 include the heating control process explained using Figure 12, and a control sequence program that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when heating the heating unit 170. As for the method of transferring the information, it may be contactless power transmission such as short-range wireless communication, or it may be transmitted by providing a USB terminal on the cover 10 and connecting a cable between the USB terminal and the USB terminal 113 of the main unit 100.

[0111] In the cover 10, whether or not a heating instruction for the heating unit 170 has been given is determined by touching the display unit 80 located in the center, but the device is not limited to this configuration. For example, a projection is provided between the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72, corresponding to the operation button 121 of the main unit 100, extending from the back surface 13 toward the main unit 100. By elastically deforming the cover 10, it is possible to press the operation button 121 with this projection, and the device may also determine whether or not a heating instruction has been given when the operation button 121 is operated in a predetermined manner (for example, by being pressed continuously for 3 seconds).

[0112] In addition, This disclosure includes the following components: (1) A cover to be attached to a main body having a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, comprising: a sensor for detecting internal information related to the state of the main body and external information other than internal information related to the state of the cover; a display section for displaying information; and a display control section for causing the display section to display at least one of the external information detected by the sensor and information acquired from an external device other than the cover. (2) The cover according to (1), further having a plurality of connecting parts that connect to the main body, the display part being provided between the plurality of connecting parts, and the sensor being provided at either of the ends in the direction of the centerline of a columnar holding part formed on the main body to accommodate a part of the base material. (3) The cover according to (2), wherein the sensor is provided in the direction of the centerline on the opening side of the holding portion rather than the plurality of connecting portions. (4) A cover according to any one of (1) to (3), having a storage unit that stores a control sequence that defines the temporal change of the target temperature of the heating unit when heating the heating unit, and the display control unit causes the display unit to display information related to the control sequence stored in the storage unit. (5) The cover according to (4), wherein the storage unit stores a plurality of control sequences and allows one of the control sequences displayed on the display unit to be selected. (6) The cover according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the sensor detects temperature or humidity, and the display control unit causes the display unit to display that the temperature or humidity is appropriate for storing the substrate, based on at least one of the temperature or humidity detected by the sensor and the temperature or humidity obtained from the external device. (7) The cover according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the sensor detects the heart rate or pulse rate, and the display control unit causes the display unit to display a warning if the heart rate or pulse rate detected by the sensor is outside a predetermined range. (8) An aerosol generating apparatus comprising a main body having a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, and a cover according to any one of (1) to (7) attached to the main body. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1...Aerosol generating device, 10...Cover, 30...Sensor unit, 31...External sensor (example of a sensor), 35...Touch sensor, 40...Storage unit, 50...Communication unit, 60...Control unit, 62...Display control unit, 71...Upper magnet (example of a connecting part), 72...Lower magnet (example of a connecting part), 80...Display unit, 100...Main body (example of an external device), 170...Heating unit, 190...Holding unit, 192...Opening, 500...Base material

Claims

1. A cover attached to a main body having a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, A sensor that detects internal information related to the state of the main body and external information other than internal information related to the state of the cover, A display unit that displays information, A display control unit that displays at least one of the external information detected by the sensor and the information acquired from an external device other than the cover on the display unit, Equipped with, It further has a plurality of connecting parts that connect to the main body, The display unit is provided between the plurality of connecting units, The sensor is provided at either end of a columnar holding portion formed on the main body to accommodate a part of the substrate, in the direction of the centerline. cover.

2. The sensor is provided in the direction of the centerline, on the opening side of the holding portion, rather than on the side of the plurality of connecting portions. The cover according to claim 1.

3. The heating unit has a storage unit that stores a control sequence that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit when the heating unit is heated. The display control unit causes the display unit to display information related to the control sequence stored in the storage unit. The cover according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The storage unit stores a plurality of the control sequences, The display unit allows selection of one of the multiple control sequences shown. The cover according to claim 3.

5. The sensor detects temperature or humidity, The display control unit causes the display unit to display that the temperature or humidity is appropriate for storing the substrate, based on at least one of the temperature or humidity detected by the sensor and the temperature or humidity obtained from the external device. The cover according to claim 1.

6. The sensor detects heart rate or pulse rate, The display control unit causes the display unit to display a warning if the heart rate or pulse rate detected by the sensor is outside a predetermined range. The cover according to claim 1.

7. A main body having a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, The cover described in claim 1 is attached to the main body, An aerosol generating device equipped with the following features.

Images