Information processing device, inhalation system, and information presentation method

Abstract

A control unit (250) of a terminal device (200) capable of communicating with an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol capable of being inhaled by a user performs the processes of: acquiring inhalation information representing an actual inhalation manner used for the inhalation device; generating, on the basis of the acquired inhalation information, comparison information in which the actual inhalation manner and a prescribed reference inhalation manner are compared; and presenting the generated comparison information to the user.

Description

Information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method.

[0002] Conventionally, inhalers that generate aerosols containing flavor components and deliver the generated aerosols to a user for inhalation have been known. Such inhalers typically heat a substrate containing an aerosol source with a heating unit (also referred to as a "heating element") that is an electric resistance or induction heater, thereby delivering the generated aerosol to a user. In recent years, research and development has been conducted on temperature control of the heating unit in such inhalers and on communication functions with external devices (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below).

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-524260 International Publication No. 2015 / 161402

[0004] However, the history of research and development of suction devices is still short, and there is room for improvement in terms of providing users with a higher quality experience.

[0005] The present disclosure provides an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method that enable a higher quality experience to be provided to a user.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that includes a control unit that performs the following processes: acquires suction information representing an actual suction pattern performed on an suction device that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it; generates comparison information that compares the actual suction pattern with a predetermined reference suction pattern based on the suction information; and presents the comparison information to the user.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a suction system including the above-mentioned information processing device and a suction device capable of communicating with the information processing device, wherein the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing device at a predetermined timing, and the information processing device is a terminal device used by the user and equipped with a display unit capable of displaying information, and generates comparison information based on the suction information received from the suction device, and presents the comparison information to the user by displaying it on the display unit.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is an information presentation method in which a computer executes the following processing: acquires suction information representing an actual suction pattern performed on an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it; generates comparison information that compares the actual suction pattern with a predetermined reference suction pattern based on the suction information; and presents the comparison information to the user.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method that make it possible to provide a higher quality experience to a user.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a suction system 10. FIG. 2A is a diagram illustrating an example of a suction device 100A, which is a first configuration example of the suction device 100. FIG. 2B is a diagram illustrating an example of a suction device 100B, which is a second configuration example of the suction device 100. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a heating profile. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of suction information acquired by the control unit 116. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a terminal device 200. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing executed by the control unit 250. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a preference information acquisition process. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating an example of first reference suction information representing a first reference suction mode corresponding to option Op1. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating an example of second reference suction information representing a second reference suction mode corresponding to option Op2. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of comparison information. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of suction support control. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a heating profile Pr2 and an example of a reference suction mode corresponding to the heating profile Pr2.

[0011] An embodiment of the information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction indicated by the reference symbols. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Furthermore, two or more features of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Note that, below, identical or similar elements are designated by identical or similar reference symbols, and their descriptions may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] [1. Suction System] First, an example of a suction system according to the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a suction system 10. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the suction system 10 includes a suction device 100 and a terminal device 200. In the suction system 10, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are provided in a state in which they can communicate with each other. For communication between the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or the like may be employed. Alternatively, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 may be connected by wire.

[0013] The inhalation device 100 is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user and delivers the generated substance so that the user can inhale it. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device 100 is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device 100 may be a gas. A specific configuration example of the inhalation device 100 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B .

[0014] The terminal device 200 is an example of an information processing device of the present disclosure, and is a terminal device (computer) that includes a display unit 210 capable of displaying information and is used by a user of the suction device 100. For example, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are linked to each other by the user. The terminal device 200 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), a wearable terminal (e.g., a smart watch), or the like. In the following description, the terminal device 200 is assumed to be a smartphone.

[0015] Display unit 210 is configured with, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays an image to present information represented by the image to the user. As will be described in detail later, display unit 210 displays comparison information comparing the actual suction mode performed on suction device 100 with a predetermined reference suction mode. A specific configuration example of terminal device 200 will be described later using FIG. 3.

[0016] The terminal device 200 is also configured to be able to communicate with the server 300 via, for example, a network NET. The network NET may be, for example, a mobile communication network, but is not limited to this and may be the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network) including Wi-Fi, or the like.

[0017] Server 300 is, for example, a server (computer) managed by the manufacturer of suction device 100, and distributes predetermined information to terminal device 200, etc. As an example, server 300 distributes reference suction information indicating a reference suction mode to terminal device 200 in response to a distribution request from terminal device 200. Specific examples of reference suction information will be described later with reference to Figures 8A and 8B. Server 300 may be a virtual server (cloud server) realized in a cloud computing service, or may be a physical server realized as a single device.

[0018] [2. Configuration Examples of Inhalation Device] <2-1. First Configuration Example of Inhalation Device> Next, a configuration example of the inhalation device 100 will be described. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of an inhalation device 100A, which is a first configuration example of the inhalation device 100. As shown in FIG. 2A, the inhalation device 100A of this example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a flavor imparting cartridge 130. The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply section 111A, a sensor section 112A, a notification section 113A, a memory section 114A, a communication section 115A, and a control section 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating section 121A, a liquid guiding section 122, and a liquid storage section 123. The flavor imparting cartridge 130 includes a flavor source 131 and a mouthpiece 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavor imparting cartridge 130.

[0019] The power supply unit 111A stores electric power. The power supply unit 111A supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100A under the control of the control unit 116A. The power supply unit 111A may be configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0020] The sensor unit 112A acquires various types of information related to the suction device 100A. The sensor unit 112A is configured with, for example, a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor, and acquires values ​​associated with the suction by the user.

[0021] As one example, sensor unit 112A may include a pressure sensor (also referred to as a "puff sensor") that detects a change in pressure (hereinafter also referred to as an "internal pressure") inside suction device 100 caused by the user's inhalation. As another example, sensor unit 112A may include a flow rate sensor that detects a flow rate (hereinafter also simply referred to as a "flow rate") caused by the user's inhalation. Furthermore, as another example, sensor unit 112A may include a temperature sensor (also referred to as a "puff thermistor") that detects the temperature of heating unit 121A or the vicinity of heating unit 121A.

[0022] The sensor unit 112A may also be configured by an input device, such as an operation button or switch, that accepts information input from the user.

[0023] The notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113A may be configured, for example, by a light emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

[0024] The storage unit 114A stores various types of information (for example, programs and data) for the operation of the suction device 100 A. The storage unit 114A can be configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0025] The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards include standards using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, or LPWA. The communication unit 115A communicates with, for example, a communication unit 240 of the terminal device 200, which will be described later. The communication unit 115A may also communicate with other devices (e.g., the server 300) other than the terminal device 200.

[0026] The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100A in accordance with various programs stored in the storage unit 114A, etc. The control unit 116A is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

[0027] The liquid reservoir 123 stores an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source is a liquid, such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may contain a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler, such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a drug.

[0028] The liquid guide portion 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is a liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 123, from the liquid storage portion 123. The liquid guide portion 122 is, for example, a wick formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage portion 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

[0029] The heating unit 121A generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 2A , the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil and is wound around the liquid guide unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. As an example, power may be supplied when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Then, power supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input.

[0030] The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may include tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components.

[0031] The air flow path 180 is a path for air inhaled by the user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inlet 181, which is an entrance for air into the air flow path 180, and an air outlet 182, which is an exit for air from the air flow path 180, at both ends. A liquid guide section 122 is disposed on the upstream side (closer to the air inlet 181) of the air flow path 180, and a flavor source 131 is disposed on the downstream side (closer to the air outlet 182). Air flowing in through the air inlet 181 as the user inhales is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating section 121A and, as shown by arrow 190, is transported through the flavor source 131 to the air outlet 182. When the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol.

[0032] Mouthpiece 124 is a member that is held in the mouth by the user when inhaling. Air outlet holes 182 are arranged in mouthpiece 124. By holding mouthpiece 124 in the mouth and inhaling, the user can take in the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air into the oral cavity.

[0033] The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100A. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100A is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0034] As an example, the inhalation device 100A may not include the flavoring cartridge 130. In that case, the cartridge 120 is provided with the mouthpiece 124.

[0035] As another example, the inhalation device 100A may include multiple types of aerosol sources. Multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed in the air flow path 180 and undergo a chemical reaction to generate additional types of aerosols.

[0036] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121 A. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be vibration atomization or induction heating.

[0037] 2B is a diagram showing an example of a suction device 100B, which is a second configuration example of the suction device 100. As shown in FIG. 2B, the suction device 100B of this example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a storage unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0038] Each of the power supply unit 111B, sensor unit 112B, notification unit 113B, memory unit 114B, communication unit 115B, and control unit 116B is substantially the same as the corresponding component included in the suction device 100A described above.

[0039] The storage unit 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The storage unit 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside and accommodates the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage unit 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and a bottom 143 as its bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path that supplies air to the internal space 141 is connected to the storage unit 140. An air inlet, which is an air inlet to the air flow path, is arranged, for example, on a side surface of the suction device 100. An air outlet, which is an air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is arranged, for example, on the bottom 143.

[0040] The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100B is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicament. The aerosol source may be, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water, containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component, or a solid containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is housed in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When a user holds the mouthpiece portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth along with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

[0041] 2B, the heating unit 121B is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the storage unit 140. When the heating unit 121B generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

[0042] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121B 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.

[0043] The above is a description of an example of the configuration of the suction device 100B. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0044] As one example, the heating unit 121B may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121B 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 121B may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121B may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the storage unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140.

[0045] As another example, the accommodation 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 accommodation unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to accommodate the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 while clamping it. In this case, the heating unit 121B may be provided at the clamping location in the accommodation unit 140 and heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0046] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121B. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In that case, the suction device 100B has at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil that generates a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121B. A susceptor that generates heat by induction heating may be provided in the suction device 100B, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0047] Furthermore, the suction device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air flow path 180 may supply air to the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the heating unit 121A flows into the internal space 141 and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the oral cavity of the user.

[0048] [3. Operational Examples of Inhalation Device] <3-1. Aerosol Generation> Next, an operational example of inhalation device 100 (100A, 100B) will be described. Controller 116 (116A, 116B) of inhalation device 100 can operate inhalation device 100 based on input from a user. As an example, controller 116 causes inhalation device 100 to generate aerosol in response to a request for aerosol generation from the user.

[0049] The aerosol generation request may be, for example, an operation to instruct the inhalation device 100 to start heating (hereinafter also referred to as a "heating start operation"). As one example, the heating start operation may be the pressing of a predetermined operation button (not shown) provided on the inhalation device 100. As another example, the heating start operation may be a suction operation of the inhalation device 100 when the inhalation device 100 is powered on. Furthermore, the aerosol generation request is not limited to a direct operation on the inhalation device 100, but may also be, for example, the receipt of predetermined information from another device capable of communicating with the inhalation device 100, such as a smartphone. The control unit 116 can detect the aerosol generation request based on, for example, information acquired by the sensor unit 112 (112A, 112B) or the communication unit 115 (115A, 115B).

[0050] For example, if the inhalation device 100 is the inhalation device 100A shown in FIG. 2A , when the control unit 116A detects an inhalation action on the inhalation device 100A based on the detection result of the puff sensor, it supplies a predetermined amount of power to the heating unit 121A to generate aerosol. At this time, the power supplied to the heating unit 121A is predetermined by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100A so that an appropriate amount of aerosol containing an appropriate amount of flavor component is generated. This allows the user to have a high-quality smoking experience.

[0051] 2B , when the control unit 116B detects a heating start operation (e.g., pressing a predetermined operation button), it controls the temperature of the heating unit 121B based on a pre-prepared heating profile, thereby generating an aerosol. Here, the heating profile is information that indicates the heating mode of the stick-shaped substrate 150 (i.e., the aerosol source) by the heating unit 121B, and is, for example, information that specifies the time series progression of the target temperature, which is the target value for the temperature of the heating unit 121B. The heating profile is pre-stored in, for example, the storage unit 114B.

[0052] To explain in more detail the temperature control of heating unit 121B based on the heating profile (hereinafter also simply referred to as "heating control"), control unit 116B controls the temperature of heating unit 121B based on the deviation between a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time since the start of heating control and the actual temperature of heating unit 121B (hereinafter also referred to as "actual temperature"). More specifically, at this time, control unit 116B controls the temperature of heating unit 121B so that the time series change of the actual temperature of heating unit 121B becomes the same as the time series change of the target temperature specified in the heating profile.

[0053] The temperature control of the heating unit 121B can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. For example, the control unit 116B supplies power from the power supply unit 111B to the heating unit 121B in the form of pulses modulated by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116B can control the temperature of the heating unit 121B by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulses.

[0054] In feedback control, the control unit 116B may control the power supplied to the heating unit 121B, for example, the duty ratio, based on the difference between the actual temperature and the target temperature. The feedback control may be a proportional-integral-differential controller (PID) control. Alternatively, the control unit 116B may perform simple ON-OFF control. For example, the control unit 116B may perform heating by the heating unit 121B until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, stop heating by the heating unit 121B when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and resume heating by the heating unit 121B when the actual temperature falls below the target temperature.

[0055] The temperature of the heating unit 121B can be obtained (in other words, quantified) by, for example, measuring or estimating the electrical resistance value of the heating resistor that constitutes the heating unit 121B. This is because the electrical resistance value of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The electrical resistance value of the heating resistor can be estimated (i.e., obtained) by, for example, measuring the amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor. The amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor can be measured (i.e., obtained) by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. As another example, the temperature of the heating unit 121B may be measured by a temperature sensor (puff thermistor) installed near the heating unit 121B.

[0056] The heating profile is designed to optimize the flavor experienced by the user, assuming that the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150 in a predetermined inhalation manner (e.g., a reference inhalation manner described below). Thus, by controlling the temperature of the heating unit 121B based on the heating profile, a high-quality smoking experience can be provided to a user inhaling in a predetermined inhalation manner.

[0057] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a heating profile. The vertical axis in Fig. 3 represents the temperature [°C] of the heating unit 121B. The horizontal axis in Fig. 3 represents time [sec], more specifically, the elapsed time from the start of heating control.

[0058] The control unit 116B performs heating control based on, for example, the heating profile Pr1 shown in Fig. 3. In the heating profile Pr1, when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is equal to or greater than 0 [sec] and less than tm1 [sec] (where tm1 > 0, e.g., 30 [sec]), the target temperature is set to T1 [°C] (e.g., 290 [°C]). When the elapsed time from the start of heating control is equal to or greater than tm1 [sec] and less than tm2 [sec] (where tm2 > tm1, e.g., 180 [sec]), the target temperature is set to T2 [°C] (where T2 < T1, e.g., 230 [°C]). When the elapsed time from the start of heating control is between tm2 [sec] and tm3 [sec] (where tm3 > tm2, e.g., 300 [sec]), the target temperature is set to T3 [°C] (where T2 < T3 < T1, e.g., 260 [°C]).

[0059] Therefore, according to the heating profile Pr1, as shown in Fig. 3, the temperature of the heating unit 121B can be raised to T1 [°C] when the heating control starts, then lowered to T2 [°C], and then raised again to T3 [°C]. Then, when the elapsed time from the start of the heating control reaches tm3 [s], the heating control can be ended.

[0060] In addition, suction may be performed a predetermined number of times (eight times in this embodiment) before tm3 [sec] has elapsed since the start of heating control. In this case, the control unit 116B ends the heating control when the predetermined number of suctions have been performed.

[0061] In the following, unless otherwise specified, the suction device 100 of this embodiment will be described as the suction device 100B shown in Figure 2B, and heating control will be performed based on the heating profile Pr1, but this is not limited to this.

[0062] <3-2. Acquisition and Transmission of Suction Information> Furthermore, the control unit 116 acquires suction information indicating the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100 based on the information acquired by the sensor unit 112. Here, the actual suction mode includes, for example, the suction strength and suction timing related to the suction performed on the suction device 100.

[0063] The suction strength is an evaluation value that indicates the strength of suction, and can be, for example, the amount of change in internal pressure per unit time. Alternatively, for example, the amount of temperature decrease of the heating unit 121 per unit time or the flow rate per unit time can also be used as the suction strength. The suction timing is the time when suction is performed, and is, for example, a time determined by the elapsed time from the start of heating control.

[0064] 4 is a diagram showing an example of suction information acquired by the control unit 116. Hereinafter, suction by the suction device 100 is also referred to as a "puff."

[0065] 4A, assume that the first puff Pf1, second puff Pf2, third puff Pf3, fourth puff Pf4, fifth puff Pf5, sixth puff Pf6, seventh puff Pf7, and eighth puff Pf8 are performed in sequence during heating control based on heating profile Pr1. That is, the first puff Pf1 is the first puff performed during heating control. Similarly, the second puff Pf2 is the second puff, the third puff Pf3 is the third puff, the fourth puff Pf4 is the fourth puff, the fifth puff Pf5 is the fifth puff, the sixth puff Pf6 is the sixth puff, the seventh puff Pf7 is the seventh puff, and the eighth puff Pf8 is the eighth puff.

[0066] 4A, the vertical length of each rectangle representing each puff from the first puff Pf1 to the eighth puff Pf8 represents the suction strength of each puff. For example, the suction strength of the first puff Pf1 is Ip1. The suction time of the first puff Pf1 is when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is tm11 [sec].

[0067] When each of the puffs from the first puff Pf1 to the eighth puff Pf8 shown in (a) of Fig. 4 has been performed, the control unit 116 acquires suction information that associates the suction timing and suction intensity of each puff from the first puff Pf1 (i.e., the first puff) to the eighth puff Pf8 (i.e., the eighth puff) as shown in (b) of Fig. 4. Thereafter, the control unit 116 transmits the suction information to the terminal device 200 at a predetermined timing.

[0068] In this embodiment, when the heating control ends, the control unit 116 transmits suction information that associates the suction timing and suction intensity of each puff performed during the heating control to the terminal device 200. This enables the terminal device 200 to generate comparison information (described later) and present it to the user every time the heating control is performed (for example, every eight puffs).

[0069] Furthermore, the control unit 116 may transmit suction information to the terminal device 200 each time multiple heating control operations are performed or each time a predetermined time period has elapsed (e.g., every day). In this case, the control unit 116 may transmit suction information indicating the average value of the suction time of the nth puff in each of multiple heating control operations, instead of the suction time of the nth puff (where n is a natural number greater than or equal to 1) in one heating control operation, or the average value of the suction intensity of the nth puff in each of multiple heating control operations, instead of the suction intensity of the nth puff in one heating control operation. In this way, the terminal device 200 can obtain suction information indicating the averaged suction time and suction intensity (in other words, the averaged suction behavior) and can present comparison information based on the averaged suction behavior.

[0070] The suction information may further include other information. For example, the suction information may include information indicating the suction time related to the suction performed by the suction device 100. Here, the suction time is an evaluation value representing the duration of one suction (i.e., each puff), and may be, for example, the length of time (period) during which the internal pressure, which decreases with suction, remains below a threshold. Alternatively, for example, the length of time during which the temperature of the heating unit 121, which decreases with suction, remains below a threshold, may be used as the suction time.

[0071] The suction information may also include information indicating a suction interval related to suction performed by the suction device 100. Here, the suction interval is an evaluation value that indicates the length of the time interval (in other words, the interval) between one suction and the next suction, and may be, for example, the length of time during which the suction strength is equal to or less than the threshold between each puff.

[0072] [4. Example of the configuration of the terminal device] Next, a description will be given of an example of the configuration of the terminal device 200. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the terminal device 200. As shown in Fig. 5, the terminal device 200 includes a display unit 210, an input unit 220, a storage unit 230, a communication unit 240, and a control unit 250.

[0073] The display unit 210 presents various information (for example, images and text) to the user by displaying them under the control of the control unit 250. In this embodiment, the display unit 210 displays comparison information, which will be described later.

[0074] The input unit 220 is configured with input devices such as a touch panel, a keyboard, or a mouse, and receives information input (operation input) from a user. In this embodiment, the input unit 220 includes a touch panel that is integral with a display serving as the display unit 210.

[0075] The storage unit 230 stores various types of information (e.g., programs and data) for the operation of the terminal device 200. For example, the storage unit 230 can store suction information received by the terminal device 200 from the suction device 100 and reference suction information (described later) received by the terminal device 200 from the server 300. The storage unit 230 can be configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0076] The communication unit 240 is a communication interface capable of performing communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards include standards using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, or LPWA. The communication unit 240 communicates with, for example, the communication unit 115 (115A, 115B) of the suction device 100. In this embodiment, the communication unit 240 is also configured to be able to communicate with other devices (e.g., the server 300) via the network NET.

[0077] The control unit 250 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the terminal device 200 in accordance with various programs stored in the storage unit 230, etc. The control unit 250 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU or a microprocessor, for example.

[0078] 5. Example of Operation of Terminal Device Next, an example of operation of terminal device 200 will be described. Research and development of inhalers such as inhalation device 100 has only recently begun, and there is room for improvement in terms of providing users with a higher quality experience. For example, some users desire a more engaging experience that goes a step beyond the experience of "inhaling aerosol."

[0079] Therefore, the control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 performs processing to acquire suction information representing the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100, generate comparison information by comparing the actual suction mode with a predetermined reference suction mode based on the acquired suction information, and present the generated comparison information to the user. This allows the comparison information to indicate to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode, thereby providing the user with a new form of enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience, thereby improving the marketability of the suction device 100.

[0080] The reference inhalation mode may be, for example, an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100. This makes it possible to provide a higher quality smoking experience to users who inhale in an inhalation mode close to the reference inhalation mode.

[0081] In addition, it is also assumed that the desired flavor strength and inhalation method may differ from user to user. Therefore, the reference inhalation mode may be varied depending on the user's input (e.g., operation input). In this way, it is possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual inhalation mode from the reference inhalation mode that reflects the user's preferences.

[0082] The method (presentation mode) of presenting the comparison information is not particularly limited as long as it can suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. For example, the comparison information can be presented using an image, sound, vibration by a vibration device, or light emitted by a light-emitting element (e.g., an LED: Light Emitting Diode), etc.

[0083] In this embodiment, the comparison information is information that visually compares the actual suction mode with the reference suction mode, so that the user can intuitively and easily grasp the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. A specific example of the comparison information will be described later with reference to FIG. 9.

[0084] 6. Example of Processing Executed by the Control Unit of the Terminal Device Here, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control unit 250. FIG.

[0085] 6, first, the control unit 250 executes a preference information acquisition process (step S1) to acquire preference information representing a user's preferences regarding suction using the suction device 100. A specific example of the preference information acquisition process will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0086] Then, the control unit 250 executes a reference suction information acquisition process to acquire reference suction information that indicates a reference suction mode that matches the user's preferences, based on the preference information acquired by the preference information acquisition process (step S2). A specific example of the reference suction information acquisition process and the reference suction information acquired by the reference suction information acquisition process will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B.

[0087] The preference information acquisition process and the reference suction information acquisition process may be executed only when the series of processes shown in Fig. 6 is executed for the first time or when a user requests their execution. In other words, the preference information acquisition process and the reference suction information acquisition process do not need to be executed (i.e., may be skipped) when the series of processes shown in Fig. 6 are executed for the second or subsequent times. When the preference information acquisition process and the reference suction information acquisition process are not executed, the processes from step S3 onward described below may be executed, for example, in response to the terminal device 200 receiving suction information from the suction device 100.

[0088] Next, the control unit 250 executes a suction information acquisition process to acquire suction information (step S3). In this embodiment, in the suction information acquisition process, the control unit 250 receives the suction information transmitted from the suction device 100 and acquires the received suction information.

[0089] Then, the control unit 250 executes a deviation rate calculation process to calculate an average deviation rate, which is an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode, based on the suction information acquired by the suction information acquisition process (step S4). A specific example of the deviation rate calculation process will be described later.

[0090] Next, the control unit 250 executes a comparison information generation process to generate comparison information that compares the actual suction mode with the reference suction mode (step S5). A specific example of the comparison information will be described later with reference to FIG. 9. The control unit 250 then displays the comparison information generated by the comparison information generation process on the display unit 210 (step S6) to present it to the user.

[0091] Next, the control unit 250 determines whether the average deviation rate calculated by the deviation rate calculation process is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (step S7). If it is determined that the average deviation rate is less than the predetermined value (step S7: No), that is, if it is determined that the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode is relatively small, the control unit 250 ends the example process shown in FIG.

[0092] On the other hand, if it is determined that the average deviation rate is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (step S7: Yes), that is, if it is determined that the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode is relatively large, the control unit 250 transmits the reference suction information acquired by the reference suction information acquisition process to the suction device 100 via the communication unit 240 (step S8), causing the suction device 100 to execute suction assist control that assists suction in the reference suction mode represented by the reference suction information, thereby ending the example process shown in Fig. 6. A specific example of suction assist control will be described later using Fig. 10.

[0093] 6-1. Preference Information Acquisition Process Next, an example of the preference information acquisition process will be described. The preference information acquisition process is, for example, a process of presenting a plurality of pre-prepared options to a user and acquiring preference information indicating an option selected by the user from the presented options.

[0094] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the preference information acquisition process. As shown in Fig. 7, in the preference information acquisition process, the control unit 250 causes the display unit 210 to display, for example, a message such as "Please tell us your preferred smoking style," along with options Op1 "I want to smoke slowly for a long time" and Op2 "I want to smoke hard in a short time."

[0095] 7, when option Op1 is selected (e.g., tapped) by the user, the control unit 250 acquires, as preference information, information indicating that option Op1 has been selected. On the other hand, when option Op2 is selected by the user, the control unit 250 acquires, as preference information, information indicating that option Op2 has been selected.

[0096] 6-2. Reference suction information acquisition process and reference suction information> Next, an example of the reference suction information acquisition process and the reference suction information acquired by the reference suction information acquisition process will be described. The reference suction information acquisition process is a process for acquiring, from the server 300, reference suction information that indicates a reference suction mode that matches the user's preference (in other words, a reference suction mode that corresponds to an option selected by the user) by, for example, transmitting a delivery request including preference information acquired by the preference information acquisition process to the server 300.

[0097] 8A is a diagram showing an example of first reference suction information indicating a first reference suction mode corresponding to option Op1. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing an example of second reference suction information indicating a second reference suction mode corresponding to option Op2.

[0098] As described above, the reference inhalation mode is, for example, an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100. More specifically, the reference inhalation mode includes, for example, a reference suction intensity as a reference value of the suction intensity and a reference inhalation timing as a reference value of the inhalation timing that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100.

[0099] 8A, the reference suction intensity corresponding to each of the reference suction periods is set to Ip11.

[0100] Therefore, the first reference inhalation mode can be said to be an inhalation mode that indicates that puffs with a suction strength of Ip11 are performed when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is tm21 [sec], tm22 [sec], tm23 [sec], tm24 [sec], tm25 [sec], tm26 [sec], tm27 [sec], and tm28 [sec]. In other words, in the inhalation mode indicated by the first reference inhalation mode, the suction strength of the nth puff (where n is a natural number between 1 and 8) is Ip11, and the inhalation timing of the nth puff is when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is tm2n [sec].

[0101] Here, the reference suction intensity corresponding to each reference suction timing of the first reference suction mode is constant at Ip11, but this is not limitative and may be different depending on the reference suction timing, for example.

[0102] 8B , the reference suction times are defined as tm31 [sec], tm32 [sec], tm33 [sec], tm34 [sec], tm35 [sec], tm36 [sec], tm37 [sec], and tm38 [sec], respectively, where tm31<tm21, tm32<tm22, tm33<tm23, tm34<tm24, tm35<tm25, tm36<tm26, tm37<tm27, and tm38<tm28.

[0103] Furthermore, in the second reference suction mode, the reference suction intensity corresponding to each of the above-mentioned reference suction times is defined as Ip21. For example, here, Ip21>Ip11.

[0104] Therefore, the second reference inhalation mode can be said to be an inhalation mode that indicates that puffs with a suction strength of Ip21 are performed when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is tm31 [sec], tm32 [sec], tm33 [sec], tm34 [sec], tm35 [sec], tm36 [sec], tm37 [sec], and tm38 [sec]. In other words, in the inhalation mode indicated by the second reference inhalation mode, the suction strength of the nth puff (where n is a natural number between 1 and 8) is Ip21, and the inhalation timing of the nth puff is when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is tm3n [sec].

[0105] Here, the reference suction intensity corresponding to each reference suction time in the second reference suction mode is constant at Ip21, but this is not limitative and may be different depending on the reference suction time, for example.

[0106] 6-3. Deviation Rate Calculation Process Next, an example of the deviation rate calculation process will be described. As described above, the deviation rate calculation process is a process for calculating an average deviation rate, which is an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. Here, the average deviation rate is the average value of a first deviation rate, which is an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction strength from the reference suction strength, and a second deviation rate, which is an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction timing from the reference suction timing.

[0107] The first deviation rate can be, for example, the average value of the suction strength deviation rates of the puffs performed during the heating control. For example, if the suction strength deviation rate of the nth puff performed during the heating control is X(n), X(n) can be expressed by the following formula (1).

[0108] X(n) = (IpAn - IpBn) / IpBn x 100 [%] ... (1)

[0109] In the above formula (1), IpAn is the suction intensity of the nth puff (or the average value of the suction intensities of the nth puff) performed during heating control, and IpBn is the reference suction intensity of the nth puff defined in the reference inhalation mode.

[0110] As an example, assume that the suction information shown in FIG. 4B is acquired through the suction information acquisition process, and the first reference suction information shown in FIG. 8A is acquired through the reference suction information acquisition process. In this case, the suction intensity deviation rate X(n=1) for the first puff performed during heating control is X(n=1) = (Ip1 - Ip11) / Ip11 × 100. Similarly, the suction intensity deviation rate X(n=2) for the second puff, the suction intensity deviation rate X(n=3), ..., the suction intensity deviation rate X(n=8) for the third puff, ..., the suction intensity deviation rate X(n=8) for the eighth puff can also be calculated. In this case, the control unit 250 calculates the first deviation rate as (X(n=1) + X(n=2) + ... + X(n=8)) / 8.

[0111] The second deviation rate can be, for example, the average value of the deviation rates of the inhalation timing of each puff performed during heating control. For example, if the deviation rate of the inhalation timing of the nth puff performed during heating control is Y(n), Y(n) can be expressed by the following formula (2).

[0112] Y(n)=(tmCn-tmDn) / tmDn×100[%]...(2)

[0113] In the above formula (2), tmCn is the inhalation timing of the nth puff (or the average value of the inhalation timings of the nth puff) performed during heating control, and tmDn is the reference inhalation timing of the nth puff defined in the reference inhalation mode.

[0114] As an example, assume that the suction information shown in FIG. 4B is acquired through the suction information acquisition process, and the first reference suction information shown in FIG. 8A is acquired through the reference suction information acquisition process. In this case, the suction timing deviation rate Y(n=1) for the first puff performed during heating control is Y(n=1) = (tm11 - tm21) / tm21 × 100. Similarly, the suction timing deviation rate Y(n=2) for the second puff, the suction timing deviation rate Y(n=3), ..., the suction timing deviation rate Y(n=8) for the third puff, ..., the suction timing deviation rate Y(n=8) for the eighth puff can also be calculated. In this case, the control unit 250 calculates the second deviation rate as (Y(n=1) + Y(n=2) + ... + Y(n=8)) / 8.

[0115] In this way, after calculating the first deviation rate and the second deviation rate, the control unit 250 further obtains the average value of these calculated deviation rates, that is, (first deviation rate+second deviation rate) / 2, as the average deviation rate.

[0116] <6-4. Comparison Information Generation Process and Comparison Information> Next, an example of the comparison information generation process and the comparison information generated by the comparison information generation process will be described. In the comparison information generation process, for example, the control unit 250 generates comparison information based on the reference suction information acquired by the reference suction information acquisition process, the suction information acquired by the suction information acquisition process, and the average deviation rate calculated by the deviation rate calculation process. The comparison information generated in this way is presented to the user by being displayed on the display unit 210 by the process of step S6, for example.

[0117] 9 is a diagram showing an example of comparison information 900. As shown in FIG. 9, comparison information 900 includes, for example, a comparison image 910 and deviation rate information 920.

[0118] The comparison image 910 visually compares the actual suction behavior with the reference suction behavior, and may be, for example, an image in which a first image 911 representing the actual suction behavior is superimposed on a second image 912 representing the reference suction behavior. Here, the first image 911 may be, for example, an image configured by arranging an image (e.g., a rectangular image) having a vertical length corresponding to the suction intensity of each puff at a position corresponding to the suction time of the puff during heating control. The second image 912 may be, for example, an image configured by arranging an image (e.g., a rectangular image) having a vertical length corresponding to the reference suction intensity at a position corresponding to each reference suction time. Such a comparison image 910 allows the user to intuitively and easily understand the degree of deviation between the actual suction behavior and the reference suction behavior.

[0119] 9, the deviation rate information 920 is information that represents, for example, the calculated average deviation rate and a comment corresponding to the average deviation rate. The comment corresponding to the average deviation rate may be, for example, "There is room for improvement in your smoking technique" when the average deviation rate is 20% or more, or "Your smoking technique is close to ideal" when the average deviation rate is less than 20%.

[0120] 9, the calculated average deviation rate is 40% and the deviation rate information 920 is, for example, "Average deviation rate: 40% Comment: There is room for improvement in the inhalation technique." Such deviation rate information 920 makes it possible to accurately and easily indicate to the user the degree of deviation of the actual inhalation pattern from the reference inhalation pattern.

[0121] 6-5. Process for Executing Suction Assist Control Next, an example of suction assist control will be described. As described above, when the average deviation rate is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, control unit 250 transmits the reference suction information acquired by the reference suction information acquisition process to suction device 100 via communication unit 240, thereby causing suction device 100 to execute suction assist control that assists suction in the reference suction mode represented by the reference suction information. Here, the suction assist control is, for example, control that, when the reference suction time arrives, causes notification unit 113 of suction device 100 to notify the user that the reference suction time has arrived.

[0122] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of suction assist control, in which control unit 250 transmits first reference suction information to suction device 100 to instruct suction device 100 to execute suction assist control that assists suction in the first reference suction mode.

[0123] In this example, suction device 100 issues a predetermined notification to the user via notification unit 113 when the elapsed time from the start of heating control reaches tm21 [sec], tm22 [sec], tm23 [sec], tm24 [sec], tm25 [sec], tm26 [sec], tm27 [sec], and tm28 [sec], i.e., when the reference suction time in the first reference suction mode is reached. This notification may be any notification that indicates to the user that the reference suction time has arrived, such as vibration by a vibration device included in notification unit 113 or light emission by a light-emitting device included in notification unit 113. This notification may also be a notification that displays a predetermined image on a display device included in notification unit 113 or that outputs a predetermined sound from a sound output device included in notification unit 113.

[0124] Such inhalation assistance control can notify the user that the reference inhalation time has arrived and assist the user in inhaling at the reference inhalation time, which allows the user to inhale at an appropriate time in terms of the flavor and taste of the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100, thereby providing the user with a higher quality smoking experience.

[0125] Furthermore, in the inhalation assistance control, inhalation device 100 may also notify the user of the reference inhalation intensity in the reference inhalation mode, for example, by the strength of vibrations from the vibration device of notification unit 113 or the color of light emitted from the light-emitting device. This allows the user to inhale at an appropriate inhalation intensity in terms of the flavor and taste of the aerosol generated by inhalation device 100, thereby providing the user with a higher quality smoking experience.

[0126] As described above, the control unit 250 performs processing to acquire suction information representing the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100, generate comparison information that compares the actual suction mode with a predetermined reference suction mode based on the acquired suction information, and present the generated comparison information to the user. This allows the comparison information to indicate to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode, thereby providing the user with a new form of enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience, thereby improving the marketability of the suction device 100.

[0127] The reference inhalation mode is, for example, an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor that a user experiences when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100. This makes it possible to provide a higher quality smoking experience to a user who inhales in an inhalation mode close to the reference inhalation mode.

[0128] Furthermore, the comparison information generated by the control unit 250 includes an image representing the actual suction mode (for example, the first image 911 shown in FIG. 9 ) and an image representing the reference suction mode (for example, the second image 912 shown in FIG. 9 ), which allows the user to intuitively and easily grasp the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode.

[0129] Furthermore, the comparison information generated by the control unit 250 includes information indicating an average deviation rate (e.g., deviation rate information 920 shown in FIG. 9 ), which is an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. This allows the user to accurately grasp the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode.

[0130] The average deviation rate is calculated based on the deviation of the actual suction strength from the reference suction strength included in the reference suction mode (for example, the first deviation rate described above), which makes it possible to present to the user the average deviation rate, which is an evaluation value that takes into account the deviation of the actual suction strength from the reference suction strength.

[0131] The average deviation rate is calculated based on the deviation of the actual suction time from the reference suction time included in the reference suction mode (for example, the second deviation rate described above). This makes it possible to present to the user the average deviation rate, which is an evaluation value that takes into account the deviation of the actual suction time from the reference suction time.

[0132] In the above description, information representing the average deviation rate calculated from the first deviation rate and the second deviation rate is presented to the user, but this is not limiting. For example, information representing the first deviation rate or the second deviation rate may be presented to the user instead of or in addition to the information representing the average deviation rate.

[0133] Furthermore, when the average deviation rate is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 250 further performs processing to transmit reference inhalation information representing the reference inhalation mode to the inhalation device 100 and cause the inhalation device 100 to execute inhalation assist control to assist inhalation in the reference inhalation mode. As a result, when the degree of deviation between the actual inhalation mode and the reference inhalation mode is large, the control unit 250 causes the inhalation device 100 to execute inhalation assist control to assist the user in inhaling in the reference inhalation mode. This makes it possible to provide the user with a high-quality smoking experience.

[0134] Furthermore, the suction assistance control can be, for example, control in which, when the reference suction time arrives, the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100 notifies the user that the reference suction time has arrived. This notifies the user that the reference suction time has arrived, and assists the user in performing suction at the reference suction time.

[0135] The reference suction mode may also be set to vary depending on the user's input, thereby making it possible to indicate to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode that reflects the user's preferences.

[0136] Furthermore, in the suction system 10, the suction device 100 transmits suction information to the terminal device 200 at a predetermined timing. The terminal device 200 is equipped with a display unit 210 capable of displaying information, generates comparison information based on the suction information received from the suction device 100, and presents the generated comparison information to the user by displaying it on the display unit 210. As a result, even if the suction device 100 does not have a display unit such as the display unit 210, the display unit 210 of the terminal device 200 can display the comparison information to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. Therefore, compared to when a display unit such as the display unit 210 is provided in the suction device 100, the configuration of the suction device 100 can be simplified, and the suction device 100 can be made smaller and less expensive.

[0137] In the above description, heating control is performed based on heating profile Pr1 regardless of the user's input (e.g., the preference information described above), but this is not limiting. For example, heating unit 121 of inhalation device 100 may heat the aerosol source in a heating mode based on the user's input.

[0138] More specifically, the control unit 250 may acquire from the server 300 a heating profile that matches the user's preferences and reference suction information that represents the reference suction mode corresponding to that heating profile, based on the preference information acquired by the preference information acquisition process.

[0139] For example, when option Op1 is selected by the user in the preference information acquisition process, control unit 250 may transmit a delivery request including preference information indicating that option Op1 has been selected to server 300, thereby acquiring heating profile Pr1, which is a heating mode corresponding to option Op1, and reference suction information (e.g., the first reference suction information shown in FIG. 8A ), which represents a reference suction mode corresponding to heating profile Pr1, from server 300. In this case, control unit 250 may transmit heating profile Pr1 acquired from server 300 to suction device 100, thereby causing control unit 116 of suction device 100 to perform heating control based on heating profile Pr1.

[0140] On the other hand, when option Op2 is selected by the user in the preference information acquisition process, control unit 250 may transmit a delivery request including preference information indicating that option Op2 has been selected to server 300, thereby acquiring heating profile Pr2, which is a heating mode corresponding to option Op2 and is different from heating profile Pr1, and reference suction information indicating a reference suction mode corresponding to heating profile Pr2, from server 300. In this case, control unit 250 may transmit heating profile Pr2 acquired from server 300 to suction device 100, thereby causing control unit 116 of suction device 100 to perform heating control based on heating profile Pr2.

[0141] 11 is a diagram showing an example of heating profile Pr2 and a reference suction mode corresponding to heating profile Pr2. In heating profile Pr2, when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is equal to or greater than 0 [sec] and less than tm1b [sec] (where tm1b > 0, e.g., tm1b < tm1), the target temperature is set to T11 [°C] (e.g., T11 > T1). Also, when the elapsed time from the start of heating control is equal to or greater than tm1b [sec] and less than tm2 [sec] (where tm2b > tm1b, e.g., tm2b < tm2), the target temperature is set to T12 [°C] (where T2 < T1, e.g., T12 > T2). When the elapsed time from the start of heating control is greater than tm2b [sec] and less than tm3b [sec] (where tm3b > tm2b, e.g., tm3b < tm3), the target temperature is set to T13 [°C] (where T12 < T13 < T11, e.g., T13 > T3).

[0142] 11 , heating profile Pr2 allows heating unit 121 (e.g., heating unit 121B) to be heated to T11 [°C] upon initiation of heating control, then to be temporarily cooled to T12 [°C], and then to be heated again to T13 [°C]. Heating control can then be terminated when the elapsed time from the initiation of heating control reaches tm3b [s]. In other words, heating profile Pr2 allows the aerosol source (e.g., stick-shaped substrate 150) to be heated in a manner different from that of heating profile Pr1.

[0143] 11, in the reference suction mode corresponding to the heating profile Pr2, the reference suction periods are defined as tm41 [sec], tm42 [sec], tm43 [sec], tm44 [sec], tm45 [sec], tm46 [sec], tm47 [sec], and tm48 [sec], respectively, after the start of heating control. Furthermore, in the reference suction mode corresponding to the heating profile Pr2, the reference suction intensity corresponding to each of these reference suction periods is defined as Ip31.

[0144] As described above, the control unit 250 may, for example, transmit a heating profile based on a user's input to the inhalation device 100, thereby instructing the inhalation device 100 to perform heating control based on the heating profile. Furthermore, in response to this instruction, the inhalation device 100 may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol source according to the heating mode represented by the heating profile based on the user's input. The reference inhalation mode may differ depending on the heating mode (i.e., the heating profile). This makes it possible to generate an aerosol according to a heating mode that reflects the user's preferences, and also makes it possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual inhalation mode from the appropriate reference inhalation mode corresponding to the heating mode.

[0145] In the above description, the control unit 250 presents the comparison information to the user by displaying it on the display unit 210 of the terminal device 200, but this is not limiting. For example, the control unit 250 may transmit the comparison information to the suction device 100, thereby presenting the comparison information to the user via the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100.

[0146] Furthermore, although the above describes an example in which the information processing device of the present disclosure is realized by the terminal device 200 capable of communicating with the suction device 100, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device of the present disclosure may be realized by the suction device 100. In this case, for example, the control unit 116 of the suction device 100 may execute each of the processes executed by the control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 described above, and the comparison information may be presented to the user via the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100.

[0147] Furthermore, the information processing device of the present disclosure may be realized by, for example, a server (e.g., server 300) that can communicate with suction device 100 via a predetermined network such as the Internet. In this case, for example, the processes executed by control unit 250 of terminal device 200 described above may be executed by a control unit (e.g., CPU) of the server, and the processing results may be transmitted to suction device 100, whereby comparison information may be presented to the user via notification unit 113 of suction device 100.

[0148] The information presentation method described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a pre-prepared program (information presentation program) on a computer. The information presentation program is stored in, for example, a computer-readable storage medium and executed by being read from the storage medium. The information presentation program may be provided in a form stored in a non-volatile (non-transient) storage medium such as a flash memory, or may be provided via a network such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the computer executing the information presentation program is the terminal device 200 (e.g., the CPU constituting the control unit 250), but this is not limited thereto. For example, the computer executing the information presentation program may be included in the suction device 100 (e.g., the CPU constituting the control unit 116), or may be included in a server device capable of communicating with the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200.

[0149] Although one embodiment of the information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0150] This specification etc. describes at least the following items. In parentheses, components etc. corresponding to the above-mentioned embodiment are shown as examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0151] (1) An information processing device (terminal device 200) including a control unit (control unit 250) that performs the following processing: (1) Acquires suction information representing the actual suction behavior performed using an suction device (suction device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3); Based on the suction information, generates comparison information (comparison information 900) that compares the actual suction behavior with a predetermined reference suction behavior (step S5); and presents the comparison information to the user (step S6).

[0152] According to (1), the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode can be suggested to the user by the comparison information, so that the user can be provided with a new enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation, thereby providing the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

[0153] (2) The information processing device according to (1), wherein the inhalation device generates the aerosol containing a flavor component, and the reference inhalation mode is an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when the user inhales the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.

[0154] According to (2), it is possible to provide a higher quality smoking experience to a user who inhales in an inhalation pattern close to the reference inhalation pattern.

[0155] (3) The information processing device according to (1) or (2), wherein the comparison information includes an image (first image 911) representing the actual suction mode and an image (second image 912) representing the reference suction mode.

[0156] According to (3), the user can intuitively and easily grasp the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode.

[0157] (4) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the comparison information includes information (deviation rate information 920) representing an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode.

[0158] According to (4), the user can accurately grasp the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode.

[0159] (5) An information processing device according to (4), wherein the actual inhalation mode includes a suction intensity related to the inhalation performed on the inhalation device, the reference inhalation mode includes a reference inhalation intensity as a reference value that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device, and the evaluation value is calculated based on the deviation of the suction intensity from the reference inhalation intensity.

[0160] According to (5), it is possible to present to the user an evaluation value that takes into account the deviation of the actual suction strength from the reference suction strength.

[0161] (6) An information processing device according to (4) or (5), wherein the actual inhalation pattern includes an inhalation time related to the inhalation performed on the inhalation device, the reference inhalation pattern includes a reference inhalation time as a reference value for optimizing the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device, and the evaluation value is calculated based on the deviation of the inhalation time from the reference inhalation time.

[0162] According to (6), it is possible to present to the user an evaluation value that takes into account the deviation of the actual suction time from the reference suction time.

[0163] (7) The information processing device according to any one of (4) to (6), wherein the control unit further performs a process (step S8) of causing the suction device to execute suction assist control that assists suction in the reference suction mode when the evaluation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0164] According to (7), when the actual suction mode largely deviates from the reference suction mode, the suction assist control is executed to assist the user in performing suction in the reference suction mode.

[0165] (8) The information processing device according to (7), wherein the inhalation device includes a notification unit (notification unit 113, 113A, 113B) capable of notifying the user, and the inhalation assistance control is a control that causes the notification unit to notify the user when a reference inhalation time has arrived, the reference inhalation time being a reference value for optimizing the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.

[0166] According to (8), the user can be notified that the standard suction time has arrived, thereby assisting the user in performing suction at the standard suction time.

[0167] (9) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the reference suction mode varies depending on an input result from the user.

[0168] According to (9), it is possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode that reflects the user's preferences.

[0169] (10) The information processing device according to (9), wherein the suction device generates the aerosol by heating an aerosol source using a heating unit (heating unit 121, 121B), the heating unit heats the aerosol source in a heating mode (heating profiles Pr1, Pr2) based on the input result of the user, and the reference suction mode differs depending on the heating mode.

[0170] According to (10), it is possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the appropriate reference suction mode corresponding to the heating mode of the heating unit.

[0171] (11) A suction system (suction system 10) including an information processing device described in any one of (1) to (10) and a suction device capable of communicating with the information processing device, wherein the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing device at a predetermined timing, and the information processing device is a terminal device used by the user and equipped with a display unit (display unit 210) capable of displaying information, and generates comparison information based on the suction information received from the suction device, and presents the comparison information to the user by displaying it on the display unit.

[0172] According to (11), even if the suction device does not have a display unit, by displaying the comparison information on the display unit of the terminal device, it is possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. Therefore, compared to when the display unit is provided on the suction device, the configuration of the suction device can be simplified, and the suction device can be made smaller and less expensive.

[0173] (12) An information presentation method in which a computer (terminal device 200, control unit 250) acquires suction information representing an actual suction pattern performed on an suction device (suction device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3), generates comparison information (comparison information 900) that compares the actual suction pattern with a predetermined reference suction pattern based on the suction information (step S5), and presents the comparison information to the user (step S6).

[0174] According to (12), the degree of deviation of the actual attraction mode from the reference attraction mode can be suggested to the user by the comparison information, so that the user can be provided with a new enjoyment, such as searching for an attraction mode that is closer to the reference attraction mode while referring to the degree of deviation, thereby providing the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

[0175] (13) An information presentation program that causes a computer (terminal device 200, control unit 250) to execute the following processing: acquire suction information representing the actual suction mode performed using an suction device (suction device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3); generate comparison information (comparison information 900) that compares the actual suction mode with a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information (step S5); and present the comparison information to the user (step S6).

[0176] According to (13), the degree of deviation of the actual attraction mode from the reference attraction mode can be suggested to the user by the comparison information, so that the user can be provided with a new enjoyment, such as searching for an attraction mode closer to the reference attraction mode while referring to the degree of deviation, thereby providing the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

[0177] (14) A computer-readable storage medium storing the information presentation program according to (13).

[0178] According to (14), it is possible to make a computer execute the information presentation program according to (13).

[0179] 10 Suction system 100, 100A, 100B Suction device 200 Terminal device (information processing device) 250 Control unit 900 Comparison information

Claims

1. Obtain suction information representing an actual suction mode performed on a suction device that delivers an aerosol so that a user can inhale it, Based on the suction information, generate comparison information comparing the actual suction mode with a predetermined reference suction mode, Present the comparison information to the user, An information processing apparatus comprising a control unit that performs processing. Information processing apparatus.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The suction device generates the aerosol containing a fragrance component, The reference suction mode is a suction mode in which the fragrance experienced when the user inhales the aerosol generated by the suction device is optimized. Information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The comparison information includes an image representing the actual suction mode and an image representing the reference suction mode. Information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, The comparison information includes information representing an evaluation value of the degree of deviation of the actual suction mode from the reference suction mode. Information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, The actual suction mode includes a suction intensity related to the suction performed on the suction device, The reference suction mode includes a reference suction intensity as a reference value at which the fragrance experienced when the user inhales the aerosol generated by the suction device is optimized, The evaluation value is calculated based on the deviation of the suction intensity from the reference suction intensity. Information processing apparatus.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, The actual suction mode includes a suction timing related to the suction performed on the suction device, The reference suction mode includes a reference suction timing as a reference value at which the fragrance experienced when the user inhales the aerosol generated by the suction device is optimized, The evaluation value is calculated based on the deviation of the suction timing from the reference suction timing. Information processing apparatus.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, When the evaluation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit further performs a process of causing the suction device to execute suction support control for supporting suction in the reference suction mode. Information processing apparatus.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, The suction device includes a notification unit capable of notifying the user. The suction support control is a control for causing the notification unit to notify the user that the reference suction timing, which is a reference value for optimizing the fragrance experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the suction device, has been reached. Information processing apparatus.

9. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reference suction mode varies depending on the input result of the user. Information processing apparatus.

10. An information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the suction device generates the aerosol by heating an aerosol source with a heating unit, the heating unit heats the aerosol source in a heating mode based on the input result of the user, and the reference suction mode varies depending on the heating mode. Information processing apparatus.

11. A suction system including the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 and the suction device capable of communicating with the information processing apparatus, wherein the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing apparatus at a predetermined timing, and the information processing apparatus is a terminal device provided with a display unit capable of displaying information and used by the user, generates the comparison information based on the suction information received from the suction device, and presents the comparison information to the user by displaying the comparison information on the display unit. Suction system.

12. A computer acquires suction information representing an actual suction mode performed on a suction device that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it, generates comparison information by comparing the actual suction mode with a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information, and presents the comparison information to the user. executes the processing. Information presentation method.