Aerosol generation device

Abstract

An inhalation device (100) comprises: a first voltage system (10) that is configured to be able to supply a first voltage generated on the basis of the output voltage of a power supply unit (111) to a resistor (Rheat) as a heating unit; a second voltage system (20) that is configured to be able to supply a second voltage generated on the basis of the output voltage of the power supply unit (111) to the resistor (Rheat); and an MCU (50) as a control unit. The first voltage is lower than the second voltage. The MCU (50) acquires the temperature of the resistor (Rheat) on the basis of the electrical resistance of the resistor (Rheat) acquired by supplying the first voltage to the resistor (Rheat) and controls the supply of the second voltage to the resistor (Rheat) depending on the temperature.

Description

Aerosol Generator

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

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols containing, for example, flavor components and allow a user to inhale the generated aerosol. Typically, such aerosol generating devices generate the aerosol by heating a substrate including an aerosol source with a heating section (also referred to as a “heating element”) that is an electric resistance heater or an induction heater.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technique in which, in the step of controlling the temperature of a heating element, the resistivity of the heating element is measured, the actual operating temperature value of the heating element is derived from the measured resistivity value, and the electrical energy supplied to the heating element is adjusted to maintain the actual operating temperature of the heating element at or below a predetermined maximum operating temperature.

[0004] Japan Special Table Publication No. 2011-515093

[0005] However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of reducing power consumption when obtaining the temperature of the heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an aerosol generating device that can reduce power consumption when acquiring the temperature of a heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is an aerosol generating device comprising: a power source; a heating unit having a heating resistor having a correlation between electrical resistance and temperature, and configured to be able to heat an aerosol source by receiving power; a first voltage system provided between the power source and the heating unit, and configured to be able to supply a first voltage generated based on the output voltage of the power source to the heating unit; a second voltage system provided between the power source and the heating unit, and configured to be able to supply a second voltage generated based on the output voltage of the power source to the heating unit; and a control unit configured to be able to control the supply of the first voltage to the heating unit by the first voltage system and the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit by the second voltage system, wherein the first voltage is lower than the second voltage, and the control unit obtains the temperature of the heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit obtained by supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and controls the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit based on the temperature.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an aerosol generating device that can reduce power consumption when acquiring the temperature of a heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit.

[0009] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a first configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing a second configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during temperature detection control. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during heating control. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a third example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100.

[0010] An embodiment of the aerosol generating device of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an example in which the aerosol generating device of the present disclosure is applied to an inhalation device. The drawings should be viewed in the direction indicated by the reference numerals. In the following description, identical or similar elements will be denoted by identical or similar reference numerals, and their description may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] [1. Configuration Example of Inhalation Device] An inhalation device, which is an example of an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure, is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas.

[0012] <1-1. First Configuration Example of Inhalation Device> Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a first configuration example of an inhalation device. As shown in Fig. 1A, an inhalation device 100A of this configuration 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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 inhalation device 100A 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.

[0016] Furthermore, the sensor unit 112A may be configured to further include an input device that accepts information input from a user, such as an operation button or a switch. As an example, the sensor unit 112A may include an operation button as an input device that accepts a heating start operation, which will be described later.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0020] 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 memory unit 114A, etc. The control unit 116A is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor. As an example, the control unit 116A can be realized by an MCU 50 (Micro Controller Unit) described below.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] The heating unit 121A is configured with a heating resistor having a correlation between electrical resistance and temperature. As an example, the heating unit 121A uses a heating resistor having a PTC characteristic (Positive Temperature Coefficient), in which the electrical resistance increases as the temperature increases. A heating resistor having a PTC characteristic can be made of, for example, nichrome (NiCr), stainless steel, or tungsten. Alternatively, the heating unit 121A may use a heating resistor having an NTC characteristic (Negative Temperature Coefficient), in which the electrical resistance decreases as the temperature increases.

[0024] The heating unit 121A generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in Fig. 1A, the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil with a heating resistor wound around it, and is wound around the liquid guiding unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guiding unit 122 is heated and atomized, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A.

[0025] As an example, power supply to heating unit 121A may be performed when sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Then, power supply to heating unit 121A may be stopped when sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 1B is a schematic diagram showing a second configuration example of the suction device. As shown in FIG. 1B, the suction device 100B of this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a memory unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 1B, the heating unit 121B is configured as a film heater with conductive tracks made of heating resistors whose electrical resistance value correlates with temperature, and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the housing 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, generating an aerosol. Note that the heating resistor of the heating unit 121B can be the same as the heating resistor of the heating unit 121A described above.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] In the following, unless otherwise specified, the suction device 100 of this embodiment will be described as being the suction device 100B shown in Figure 1B, but this is not limited to this, and the same applies when the suction device 100 of this embodiment is the suction device 100A shown in Figure 1A.

[0045] [2. Circuit Configuration of Suction Device] Next, a description will be given of the circuit configuration of suction device 100. Note that, in the following, for the sake of brevity, the description will focus on the parts of the circuit provided in suction device 100 that are involved in supplying power to heating unit 121 (e.g., heating unit 121B), and illustrations and descriptions of other parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0046] 2 is a diagram showing a first example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. In FIG. 2, the wiring indicated by the symbol Ln is a wiring having a reference potential in the circuit of the suction device 100. Hereinafter, the wiring Ln will also be referred to as a "ground line Ln," and the potential of the ground line Ln will be set to 0 [V]. Unless otherwise specified, each voltage below will refer to the potential difference from the potential of the ground line Ln (i.e., 0 [V]).

[0047] 2, suction device 100 includes power supply unit 111 (e.g., power supply unit 111B) which is a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery, resistor Rheat as a heat generating resistor of heating unit 121 (e.g., heating unit 121B), and MCU 50 as a microprocessor that realizes control unit 116 (e.g., control unit 116B). Suction device 100 also includes first voltage system 10, second voltage system 20, and temperature detection circuit 30.

[0048] The power supply unit 111 is configured to be able to output, for example, approximately 4 V as a terminal-to-terminal voltage between its positive and negative terminals. Hereinafter, the output voltage of the power supply unit 111 will also be referred to as the "power supply voltage Vbat." The positive terminal of the power supply unit 111 is connected to a power supply voltage line Lbat. The negative terminal of the power supply unit 111 is connected to a ground line Ln.

[0049] <2-1. First Voltage System> The first voltage system 10 is provided between the power supply unit 111 and the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121), and is configured to be able to supply a first voltage generated based on the power supply voltage Vbat to the resistor Rheat.

[0050] 2 , the first voltage system 10 includes a first DC / DC converter 11 and a first switch circuit 12. The first voltage system 10 can supply a system voltage Vcc (described later) generated by the first DC / DC converter 11 to a resistor Rheat via the first switch circuit 12 and a resistor Rref. Here, the resistor Rref has a predetermined electrical resistance value and is connected in series with the resistor Rheat.

[0051] The first DC / DC converter 11 is an integrated circuit (IC) that is used in combination with a first inductor L1 that functions as a power inductor and functions as a switching regulator that converts an input DC voltage into a predetermined DC voltage.

[0052] For example, the first DC / DC converter 11 includes a VIN terminal, a GND terminal, a VOUT terminal, an LX1 terminal, and an LX2 terminal as terminals that electrically connect the inside and outside of the first DC / DC converter 11.

[0053] The VIN terminal of the first DC / DC converter 11 is a high-potential power supply terminal of the first DC / DC converter 11 and is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 111 via a power supply voltage line Lbat. The GND terminal is a ground terminal (in other words, a low-potential power supply terminal) of the first DC / DC converter 11 and is connected to a ground line Ln. The VOUT terminal is an output terminal from which a system voltage Vcc generated by the first DC / DC converter 11 is output and is connected to a VBAT terminal, which is a high-potential power supply terminal of the MCU 50, via a system voltage line Lsys1. The LX1 terminal and LX2 terminal are used to connect the first DC / DC converter 11 and a first inductor L1.

[0054] For example, when a power supply voltage Vbat is input via the VIN terminal, the first DC / DC converter 11 generates a system voltage Vcc and outputs it from the VOUT terminal. The system voltage Vcc output from the first DC / DC converter 11 can be supplied to the MCU 50 and the resistor Rheat via a system voltage line Lsys1. In other words, the system voltage line Lsys1 is a power line through which the system voltage Vcc is supplied from the first DC / DC converter 11.

[0055] The system voltage Vcc is a voltage necessary for proper operation of the MCU 50, and can be set to, for example, 3.3 V. In the following description, the system voltage Vcc is assumed to be 3.3 V, but is not limited to this. However, the system voltage Vcc is assumed to be lower than a heating voltage Vheat, which will be described later.

[0056] The first switch circuit 12 is a circuit that operates under the control of the MCU 50 and functions as a switch that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system 10 and the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121). When the first switch circuit 12 is in the on state, the first voltage system 10 and the resistor Rheat are electrically connected, and when the first switch circuit 12 is in the off state, the first voltage system 10 and the resistor Rheat are electrically disconnected.

[0057] 2, the first switch circuit 12 includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) 12a, a field effect transistor (FET) 12b, a field effect transistor (FET) 12c, and a resistor Ra. The BJT 12a is an NPN bipolar transistor. The FETs 12b and 12c are P-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). The resistor Ra has a predetermined electrical resistance.

[0058] The base of the BJT 12a is connected to a predetermined output terminal (e.g., terminal F9) of the MCU 50. The emitter of the BJT 12a is connected to the ground line Ln. The collector of the BJT 12a is connected to the gates of the FETs 12b and 12c. A base resistor may be provided between the base of the BJT 12a and the predetermined output terminal of the MCU 50, or a collector resistor may be provided between the collector of the BJT 12a and the gates of the FETs 12b and 12c, or other appropriate elements may be inserted. The BJT 12a is an example of a switch (first switch) for adjusting the gate potentials of the FETs 12b and 12c, and this switch is not limited to an NPN bipolar transistor like the BJT 12a. For example, the switches for adjusting the gate potentials of the FETs 12b and 12c may be N-channel MOSFETs. In this case, the gate of the N-channel MOSFET is connected to a predetermined output terminal (for example, F9 terminal) of the MCU 50, the source is connected to the ground line Ln, and the drain is connected to the gates of FET 12b and FET 12c.

[0059] The sources of FET 12b and FET 12c are connected to each other and also to the gates of FET 12b and FET 12c via a resistor Ra. The drain of FET 12b is connected to a connection point Cp1 provided on the system voltage line Lsys1. The drain of FET 12c is connected to one end of a resistor Rheat via a resistor Rref.

[0060] The other end of the resistor Rheat is connected to the ground line Ln via, for example, an FET 60 that functions as a low-side switch that turns on or off the power supply to the resistor Rheat.

[0061] For example, the FET 60 is an N-channel MOSFET. The gate of the FET 60 is connected to a predetermined output terminal (for example, the K9 terminal here) of the MCU 50. The drain of the FET 60 is connected to the other end of the resistor Rheat. The source of the FET 60 is connected to the ground line Ln.

[0062] <2-2. Second voltage system> The second voltage system 20 is provided between the power supply unit 111 and the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121), and is configured to be able to supply a second voltage generated based on the power supply voltage Vbat (i.e., the output voltage of the power supply unit 111) to the resistor Rheat.

[0063] 2 , the second voltage system 20 includes a second DC / DC converter 21 and a second switch circuit 22. The second voltage system 20 can supply a heating voltage Vheat (described later) generated by the second DC / DC converter 21 to a resistor Rheat via the second switch circuit 22.

[0064] The second DC / DC converter 21 is an IC that is used in combination with a second inductor L2 that functions as a power inductor, and functions as a switching regulator that converts an input DC voltage into a predetermined DC voltage.

[0065] For example, the second DC / DC converter 21 has a VIN terminal, a GND terminal, a VOUT terminal, a SW terminal, a BST terminal, and an EN terminal as terminals that electrically connect the inside and outside of the second DC / DC converter 21.

[0066] The VIN terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21 is a high-potential power supply terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21 and is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply unit 111 via the power supply voltage line Lbat. The GND terminal is a ground terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21 and is connected to the ground line Ln. The VOUT terminal is an output terminal from which the heating voltage Vheat generated by the second DC / DC converter 21 is output and is connected to a connection point Cp2 provided between the resistors Rref and Rheat via the heating voltage line Lheat. The SW terminal and the BST terminal are used to connect the second DC / DC converter 21 and the second inductor L2. The EN terminal is connected to a predetermined output terminal (here, the K9 terminal is used as an example) of the MCU 50.

[0067] For example, when a power supply voltage Vbat is input via the VIN terminal while a high-level voltage is input to the EN terminal, the second DC / DC converter 21 generates a heating voltage Vheat by boosting the power supply voltage Vbat and outputs the heating voltage Vheat from the VOUT terminal. The heating voltage Vheat output from the second DC / DC converter 21 can be supplied to the resistor Rheat via a heating voltage line Lheat. In other words, the heating voltage line Lheat is a power line through which the heating voltage Vheat is supplied from the second DC / DC converter 21.

[0068] In this embodiment, the heating voltage Vheat is set to a voltage higher than the system voltage Vcc (i.e., 3.3 V), for example, 5 V, so that the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) can generate heat efficiently and quickly. In the following description, the heating voltage Vheat is set to 5 V, but is not limited to this.

[0069] The second switch circuit 22 is a circuit that operates under the control of the MCU 50 and functions as a switch that controls the power supply from the second voltage system 20 to the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121). In this embodiment, power is supplied to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses obtained by pulse width modulation (PWM), for example. The second switch circuit 22 is used to adjust the duty ratio of the power pulses supplied to the heating unit 121.

[0070] 2, the second switch circuit 22 includes a BJT 22a and an FET 22b. The BJT 22a is an NPN-type bipolar transistor. The FET 22b is a P-channel MOSFET.

[0071] The base of the BJT 22a is connected to a predetermined output terminal (terminal L9, as an example) of the MCU 50. The emitter of the BJT 22a is connected to the ground line Ln. The collector of the BJT 22a is connected to the gate of the FET 22b. A base resistor may be provided between the base of the BJT 22a and the predetermined output terminal of the MCU 50, or a collector resistor may be provided between the collector of the BJT 22a and the gate of the FET 22b, or other appropriate elements may be inserted. The BJT 22a is an example of a switch for adjusting the gate potential of the FET 22b, and this switch is not limited to an NPN bipolar transistor like the BJT 22a. For example, the switch for adjusting the gate potential of the FET 22b may be an N-channel MOSFET. In this case, the gate of the N-channel MOSFET is connected to a predetermined output terminal (for example, the L9 terminal) of the MCU 50, the source is connected to the ground line Ln, and the drain is connected to the gate of the FET 22b.

[0072] The FET 22b is provided on the heating voltage line Lheat. The drain of the FET 22b is connected to the connection point Cp2. The source of the FET 22b is connected to the VOUT terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21.

[0073] <2-3. Temperature Measurement Circuit> The temperature detection circuit 30 is configured so that the MCU 50 can acquire the amount of voltage drop caused by the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121). If the MCU 50 can acquire the amount of voltage drop caused by the resistor Rheat, for example, it can acquire the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat from that amount of voltage drop. If the MCU 50 can acquire the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat, it can acquire the temperature of the resistor Rheat from that electrical resistance value.

[0074] In the example shown in FIG. 2, the temperature detection circuit 30 includes a first voltage dividing circuit 31, an operational amplifier 32, and a second voltage dividing circuit 33.

[0075] The first voltage-dividing circuit 31 is configured by connecting resistors Rh and Rl in series, each having a predetermined electrical resistance. One end of the first voltage-dividing circuit 31 on the resistor Rh side is connected to a connection point Cp3 provided between the drain of the FET 12b and the resistor Rref. The other end of the first voltage-dividing circuit 31 on the resistor Rl side is connected to the ground line Ln. Furthermore, a connection point Cp4 provided between the resistors Rh and Rl in the first voltage-dividing circuit 31 is connected to a predetermined input terminal (here, the F1 terminal is used as an example) of the MCU 50.

[0076] The operational amplifier 32 is an amplifier that includes, for example, an IN+ terminal that is a non-inverting input terminal, an IN- terminal that is an inverting input terminal, and an OUT terminal that is an output terminal, and outputs the amplified potential difference between the IN+ terminal and the IN- terminal at a predetermined amplification factor (differential gain) from the OUT terminal. In this embodiment, the operational amplifier 32 is configured as an IC, and in addition to the above terminals, further includes a VS terminal, a GND terminal, and an EN terminal.

[0077] The VS terminal of the operational amplifier 32 is a high-potential power supply terminal of the operational amplifier 32 and is connected to the system voltage line Lsys1. The GND terminal is a ground terminal of the operational amplifier 32 and is connected to the ground line Ln. The IN+ terminal is connected to the connection point Cp2 described above. The IN- terminal is connected to a connection point Cp5 provided between the other end of the resistor Rheat and the drain of the FET 60. The OUT terminal is connected to one end of the resistor Rhh side of the second voltage divider circuit 33 described later. The EN terminal is connected to a predetermined output terminal (here, the K9 terminal is used as an example) provided in the MCU 50.

[0078] For example, when a predetermined power supply voltage is supplied via the VS terminal and the GND terminal and a high-level voltage is input to the EN terminal, the operational amplifier 32 amplifies the potential difference between the IN+ terminal and the IN- terminal and outputs it from the OUT terminal. In the example shown in Figure 2, the operational amplifier 32 is supplied with the system voltage Vcc as the power supply voltage.

[0079] The second voltage-dividing circuit 33 is configured by connecting resistors Rhh and Rhl in series, each having a predetermined electrical resistance. One end of the second voltage-dividing circuit 33 on the resistor Rhh side is connected to the OUT terminal of the operational amplifier 32. The other end of the second voltage-dividing circuit 33 on the resistor Rhl side is connected to the ground line Ln. A connection point Cp6 provided between the resistors Rhh and Rhl in the second voltage-dividing circuit 33 is connected to a predetermined input terminal (here, the D1 terminal is used as an example) of the MCU 50.

[0080] <2-4. MCU> The MCU 50 is mainly composed of a processor that performs various calculations, and controls the operation of predetermined control objects provided in the circuit of the suction device 100. Control objects controlled by the MCU 50 include the above-mentioned BJT 12a, second DC / DC converter 21, BJT 22a (i.e., FET 22b), operational amplifier 32, FET 60, etc.

[0081] For example, the MCU 50 includes a VBAT terminal, a GND terminal, an F9 terminal, an L9 terminal, a K9 terminal, an F1 terminal, and a D1 terminal as terminals that electrically connect the inside and outside of the MCU 50.

[0082] The VBAT terminal of the MCU 50 is a high-potential power supply terminal of the MCU 50 and is connected to the system voltage line Lsys1. The GND terminal is a ground terminal of the MCU 50 and is connected to the ground line Ln. The F9 terminal, L9 terminal, and K9 terminal are output terminals from which a predetermined electrical signal (in other words, a voltage) is output. The F1 terminal and D1 terminal are input terminals to which a predetermined electrical signal is input.

[0083] For example, the MCU 50 can control the operation of the control target using the output from the F9 terminal, the L9 terminal, or the K9 terminal. More specifically, the MCU 50 can control the BJT 12a using the output from the F9 terminal, the BJT 22a (i.e., the FET 22b) using the output from the L9 terminal, and the second DC / DC converter 21, the operational amplifier 32, and the FET 60 using the output from the K9 terminal. The MCU 50 can also obtain the amount of voltage drop across the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) based on inputs from the F1 terminal and the D1 terminal.

[0084] The MCU 50 may further include a storage device (for example, a flash memory) that realizes the storage unit 114, a communication module that realizes the communication unit 115, and the like.

[0085] [3. Example of Operation of Inhalation Device] Next, a description will be given of an example of operation of the inhalation device 100. For example, in response to a request for aerosol generation from a user, the MCU 50 serving as the control unit 116 of the inhalation device 100 supplies power to the heating unit 121 (more specifically, resistor Rheat), thereby causing the heating unit 121 to generate aerosol.

[0086] The aerosol generation request can be, for example, an operation to instruct the start of heating (hereinafter also referred to as a "heating start operation"). As one example, the heating start operation can be pressing a predetermined operation button (not shown) provided on the suction device 100. As another example, the heating start operation can be inserting the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the suction device 100 or suctioning the substrate into the suction device 100. Furthermore, the aerosol generation request is not limited to a direct operation on the suction device 100, and can also be, for example, reception of predetermined information from another device capable of communicating with the suction device 100, such as a smartphone. The MCU 50 can detect the aerosol generation request based on, for example, information acquired by the sensor unit 112 or the communication unit 115.

[0087] Then, for example, during the period from when a request for aerosol generation is detected until a predetermined time (e.g., 300 s) has elapsed or a predetermined number of suctions (e.g., 15 times) have been performed, the MCU 50 repeatedly executes temperature detection control to acquire the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the "actual temperature") and heating control to control the temperature of the heating unit 121 so that the actual temperature acquired by the temperature detection control approaches a predetermined target temperature at a predetermined cycle (e.g., every 50 ms).

[0088] The period from when a request for aerosol generation is detected until a predetermined time has elapsed or a predetermined number of inhalations have been performed, i.e., the period during which temperature detection control and heating control are repeatedly executed, is hereinafter also referred to as a “smoking session.” In the inhalation device 100, aerosol is generated during a smoking session, allowing the user to inhale the aerosol (in other words, smoke).

[0089] In the temperature detection control, the MCU 50, for example, obtains the amount of voltage drop caused by the heating unit 121 (more specifically, resistor Rheat) when a predetermined voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121, and obtains the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 based on the amount of voltage drop. The MCU 50 then obtains the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121. As an example, the MCU 50 can obtain the temperature from the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 by using a map or a formula that defines the relationship between the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 and the temperature.

[0090] Heating control can be achieved by known feedback control. For example, the MCU 50 supplies power to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses using pulse width modulation (PWM). In this case, the MCU 50 can control heating by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulses supplied to the heating unit 121.

[0091] More specifically, the MCU 50 may control the power supplied to the heating unit 121, for example, the duty ratio, based on the difference between the actual temperature and the target temperature. Furthermore, the feedback control may be a proportional-integral-differential controller (PID) control. Alternatively, the MCU 50 may perform simple on-off control. In this case, the MCU 50 may supply power to the heating unit 121 until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, stop supplying power to the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and resume supplying power to the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature falls below the target temperature.

[0092] <3-1. Temperature Detection Control> Next, an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during temperature detection control will be described. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during temperature detection control. Note that the following description will focus on points that differ from the description of Fig. 2, and descriptions of points that are common to the description of Fig. 2 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In addition, the following description is based on the premise that power is supplied from the power supply unit 111 to the first DC / DC converter 11 and the second DC / DC converter 21.

[0093] 3, during temperature detection control, the MCU 50 sets the output from the K9 terminal to high level. As a result, a high-level voltage is supplied to the EN terminals of the second DC / DC converter 21 and the operational amplifier 32. Therefore, the second DC / DC converter 21 and the operational amplifier 32 are each placed in an operable state. The high-level voltage output from the K9 terminal of the MCU 50 is also supplied to the gate of the FET 60, which is the low-side switch of the resistor Rheat. As a result, the FET 60 is placed in an on state.

[0094] Furthermore, in the temperature detection control, the MCU 50 sets the output from the F9 terminal to high level. This causes a drive current to be supplied to the base of the BJT 12a, turning the BJT 12a on. When the BJT 12a turns on, 0 V from the ground line Ln is supplied to the gates of the FETs 12b and 12c connected to the collector of the BJT 12a.

[0095] Meanwhile, current flows from the system voltage line Lsys1 through the body diode D1 of FET 12b to the sources of FET 12b and FET 12c, so that a voltage obtained by subtracting the forward voltage of the body diode D1 from the system voltage Vcc (i.e., 3.3 V) is supplied to the sources of FET 12b and FET 12c, generating a potential difference between the sources and gates of FET 12b and FET 12c. Therefore, FET 12b and FET 12c are both turned on. When FET 12b and FET 12c are turned on, the first switch circuit 12 is turned on. In other words, the on state of the first switch circuit 12 means that both FET 12b and FET 12c are turned on.

[0096] When the first switch circuit 12 is turned on, the system voltage Vcc is supplied to the series circuit of the resistors Rref and Rheat. Hereinafter, the voltage supplied to the series circuit of the resistors Rref and Rheat when the first switch circuit 12 is turned on will also be referred to as the "reference voltage Vtemp."

[0097] When a reference voltage Vtemp is supplied to the series circuit of resistors Rref and Rheat, a measurement voltage Vheat_temp, which is the reference voltage Vtemp divided by resistors Rref and Rheat, is input to the IN+ terminal of the operational amplifier 32. Meanwhile, because the FET 60 is on, 0 V from the ground line Ln is supplied to the IN- terminal of the operational amplifier 32.

[0098] Therefore, the operational amplifier 32 outputs a voltage obtained by amplifying the measurement voltage Vheat_temp by a predetermined amplification factor from the OUT terminal. The voltage output from the OUT terminal of the operational amplifier 32 is divided by the second voltage divider circuit 33 and then input to the D1 terminal of the MCU 50. The MCU 50 obtains the voltage value of the measurement voltage Vheat_temp based on the voltage input to the D1 terminal in this manner.

[0099] Furthermore, when the first switch circuit 12 is turned on, a voltage obtained by dividing the reference voltage Vtemp (i.e., the system voltage Vcc) by the first voltage divider circuit 31 is input to the F1 terminal of the MCU 50. The MCU 50 obtains the voltage value of the reference voltage Vtemp based on the voltage input to the F1 terminal in this manner.

[0100] The MCU 50 then calculates the amount of voltage drop caused by the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) from the respective voltage values ​​of the reference voltage Vtemp and the measured voltage Vheat_temp, obtains the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat from the amount of voltage drop, and obtains the temperature of the resistor Rheat (in other words, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121) from the electrical resistance value. Note that, when obtaining the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat, it is not essential to obtain the reference voltage Vtemp; it is also possible to calculate the amount of voltage drop caused by the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) from the voltage value of the measured voltage Vheat_temp, and obtain the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat from the amount of voltage drop.

[0101] In addition, in the temperature detection control, the MCU 50, for example, maintains the output from the L9 terminal at a low level to turn off the BJT 22a (i.e., the second switch circuit 22) and set the duty ratio of the power pulse of the heating voltage Vheat supplied to the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) to 0%.

[0102] During temperature detection control, the MCU 50 may set the input to the EN terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21 to low level, thereby pausing the operation of the second DC / DC converter 21. For example, the EN terminal of the second DC / DC converter 21 may be connected to an output terminal of the MCU 50 that outputs low level during temperature detection control. In this way, it is possible to reduce power consumption due to unnecessary operation of the second DC / DC converter 21.

[0103] <3-2. Heating Control> Next, an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during heating control will be described. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of control of each control object by the MCU 50 during heating control. Note that the following description will focus on points that differ from the description of Figure 2 or Figure 3, and descriptions of points that are common to the description of Figure 2 or Figure 3 will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0104] 4, in the heating control, the MCU 50 controls the on / off of the BJT 22a (i.e., the second switch circuit 22) using the output from the L9 terminal, thereby adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse of the heating voltage Vheat supplied to the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121). In this way, the MCU 50 brings the actual temperature closer to the target temperature.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 4 , during heating control, the MCU 50 sets the output from the F9 terminal to a low level. This turns off the BJT 12a and disconnects the gates of FETs 12b and 12c from the ground line Ln. During heating control, current may flow from the heating voltage line Lheat to the sources of FETs 12b and 12c through the body diode D2 of FET 12c. However, because the gates of FETs 12b and 12c are disconnected from the ground line Ln, the potential difference between the source and gate of FETs 12b and 12c is maintained below the threshold at which these FETs are driven (e.g., approximately 0 V). Therefore, FETs 12b and 12c are both turned off, and the first switch circuit 12 is turned off. This makes it possible to prevent current caused by the potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 from flowing into the first voltage system 10 when the heating voltage Vheat is supplied to the heating section 121.

[0106] As described above, the MCU 50 serving as the control unit 116 of the suction device 100 is configured to be able to control the supply of a first voltage (e.g., system voltage Vcc) to the heating unit 121 (more specifically, resistor Rheat) by the first voltage system 10, and the supply of a second voltage (e.g., heating voltage Vheat) to the heating unit 121 by the second voltage system.

[0107] More specifically, the MCU 50 controls the first switch circuit 12 of the first voltage system 10 to control the supply of the first voltage to the heating unit 121 by the first voltage system 10. Furthermore, the MCU 50 controls the second switch circuit 22 of the second voltage system 20 to control the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit 121 by the second voltage system 20.

[0108] Then, MCU 50 acquires the temperature of heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of heating unit 121 (more specifically, resistor Rheat) acquired by supplying the first voltage to heating unit 121, and controls the supply of the second voltage to heating unit 121 based on the acquired temperature. This allows the power supply to heating unit 121 to be controlled taking into account the actual temperature of heating unit 121, making it possible for heating unit 121 to appropriately heat the aerosol source.

[0109] The first voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 is lower than the second voltage. This allows the voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 to be lower than when the second voltage is used. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0110] Furthermore, the first voltage system 10 includes a first DC / DC converter 11 that generates a system voltage Vcc from a power supply voltage Vbat, which is the output voltage of the power supply unit 111. The MCU 50 operates when the system voltage Vcc is supplied to it. The first voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 is generated based on the system voltage Vcc. This makes it possible to acquire the temperature of the heating unit 121 using the first voltage obtained by utilizing the system voltage Vcc required to operate the MCU 50. Therefore, compared to when the voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 is a dedicated voltage unrelated to the system voltage Vcc, a DC / DC converter or the like for generating the dedicated voltage is not required, and the configuration of the suction device 100 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0111] The second voltage system 20 includes a second DC / DC converter 21 that generates a heating voltage Vheat by boosting a power supply voltage Vbat, which is the output voltage of the power supply unit 111. The second voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 for heating the aerosol source is generated based on the heating voltage Vheat. This makes it possible to supply a voltage higher than the power supply voltage Vbat as the second voltage to the heating unit 121. This allows the heating unit 121 to efficiently heat the aerosol source.

[0112] The first voltage system 10 further includes a first switch circuit 12 that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system 10 and the heating unit 121, and the first switch circuit 12 operates under the control of the MCU 50. The MCU 50 turns on the first switch circuit 12 when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit 121, and turns off the first switch circuit 12 when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit 121. This makes it possible to prevent a current caused by a potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 from flowing into the first voltage system 10 when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121. Therefore, it is possible to protect the MCU 50 and other components connected to the first voltage system 10 from a current caused by a potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20.

[0113] The first switch circuit 12 includes a BJT 12a and two P-channel MOSFETs, FETs 12b and 12c. The BJT 12a has a base connected to the MCU 50, an emitter connected to the ground line Ln, and a collector connected to the gates of the FETs 12b and 12c. The sources of the FETs 12b and 12c are connected to each other and also to the gates of the FETs 12b and 12c via a resistor Ra having a predetermined electrical resistance. The drain of the FET 12b is connected to a system voltage line Lsys1 to which the system voltage Vcc is supplied from the first DC / DC converter 11, and the drain of the FET 12c is connected to the heating unit 121.

[0114] By configuring the first switch circuit 12 in this manner, the number of resistors required for the first switch circuit 12 can be reduced compared to when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as shown in Figure 6 described below, and it is possible to prevent the configuration of the suction device 100 from becoming complicated.

[0115] When the first switch circuit 12 is configured as described above, the MCU 50 only needs to turn on the BJT 12a when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit 121. By turning on the BJT 12a, both the FETs 12b and 12c are turned on, and the first switch circuit 12 can be turned on. On the other hand, when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit 121, the MCU 50 only needs to turn off the BJT 12a. By turning off the BJT 12a, both the FETs 12b and 12c are turned off, and the first switch circuit 12 can be turned off.

[0116] Incidentally, when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as described above, the body diode D1 of FET 12b and the body diode D2 of FET 12c are oriented toward the inside of the first switch circuit 12, and therefore, after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121 (i.e., after heating control), charge may accumulate between FET 12b and FET 12c.

[0117] Therefore, it is preferable that the MCU 50 temporarily turns on the BJT 12a at a predetermined timing after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121. This allows the charge accumulated between the FETs 12b and 12c to be released to the ground line Ln after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of failures or the like caused by the charge accumulated between the FETs 12b and 12c. Note that the predetermined timing may be, for example, the end of one smoking session (i.e., when it is expected that a certain amount of time will pass until the next smoking session).

[0118] The suction device 100 further includes an operational amplifier 32. The operational amplifier 32 has an IN+ terminal (non-inverting input terminal) connected to one end of the heating unit 121, an IN- terminal (inverting input terminal) connected to the other end of the heating unit 121, and an output terminal connected to the MCU 50, and operates using the system voltage Vcc as its power supply voltage. The MCU 50 obtains the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 based on the output of the operational amplifier 32, and obtains the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on this electrical resistance value. This makes it possible to reduce the power consumption of the operational amplifier 32 while further stabilizing the operation of the operational amplifier 32, compared to when the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier 32 is set to a voltage higher than the system voltage Vcc (for example, the heating voltage Vheat).

[0119] More specifically, by setting the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier 32 to the system voltage Vcc, the power supply voltage can be supplied to the operational amplifier 32 before the heating voltage Vheat is applied. Therefore, when the MCU 50 supplies a high-level voltage to the EN terminal of the operational amplifier 32, the operational amplifier 32 can be operated immediately, and the operation of the operational amplifier 32 can be further stabilized.

[0120] [4. Other Examples of Circuit Configuration of Suction Device] Next, other examples of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the following description will focus on differences from the first example shown in Figure 2, and descriptions and illustrations of parts common to the first example will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0121] <4-1. Second Example of Circuit Configuration of Suction Device> First, a description will be given of a second example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. The second example described below is an example in which the suction device 100 is further provided with an LDO regulator (LDO: Low Drop Out) that steps down the system voltage Vcc to generate a step-down voltage, and a first voltage based on the step-down voltage generated by the LDO regulator is supplied to the heating unit 121 when the temperature of the heating unit 121 is acquired.

[0122] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a second example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. As shown in Fig. 5, the first voltage system 10 of this example further includes an LDO regulator 15 that steps down the system voltage Vcc generated by the first DC / DC converter 11 to generate a stepped-down voltage Vccl.

[0123] LDO regulator 15 is provided, for example, in MCU 50, which is an IC constituting control unit 116 of suction device 100. LDO regulator 15 generates a stepped-down voltage Vccl by stepping down a system voltage Vcc input via a VBAT terminal of MCU 50, and outputs the generated stepped-down voltage Vccl to the outside of MCU 50.

[0124] The step-down voltage Vccl is a voltage lower than the system voltage Vcc, and can be set to, for example, 1.8 V. In the following description, the step-down voltage Vccl is assumed to be 1.8 V, but is not limited to this.

[0125] The step-down voltage Vccl generated by the LDO regulator 15 is supplied to a step-down voltage line Lsys2 via, for example, an output terminal (not shown) of the MCU 50. In this example, a connection point Cp1 to which the drain of the FET 12b is connected is provided on the step-down voltage line Lsys2.

[0126] Therefore, in this example, when the MCU 50 turns on the first switch circuit 12 during temperature detection control, the step-down voltage Vccl is supplied to the series circuit of the resistors Rref and Rheat. That is, the reference voltage Vtemp in this example becomes the step-down voltage Vccl. Then, a measurement voltage Vheat_temp, which is the reference voltage Vtemp (i.e., the step-down voltage Vccl) divided by the resistors Rref and Rheat, is input to the IN+ terminal of the operational amplifier 32.

[0127] In this example, it is preferable to connect the VS terminal of the operational amplifier 32 to the step-down voltage line Lsys2 so that the step-down voltage Vccl is supplied as the power supply voltage to the operational amplifier 32. This reduces the power consumption of the operational amplifier 32 compared to when the power supply voltage to the operational amplifier 32 is set to a voltage higher than the step-down voltage Vccl (e.g., the heating voltage Vheat). Furthermore, because the power supply voltage can be supplied to the operational amplifier 32 before the heating voltage Vheat is applied, the operational amplifier 32 can be activated immediately when the MCU 50 supplies a high-level voltage to the EN terminal of the operational amplifier 32, thereby further stabilizing the operation of the operational amplifier 32.

[0128] As described above, the first voltage system 10 may further include the LDO regulator 15 that steps down the system voltage Vcc to generate the stepped-down voltage Vccl. The first voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 may be generated based on the stepped-down voltage Vccl. This makes it possible to further reduce the voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121, and further reduce the power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121.

[0129] Furthermore, by making the first voltage supplied to the heating unit 121 when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the step-down voltage Vccl generated by the LDO regulator 15, it is possible to acquire the temperature of the heating unit 121 more accurately.

[0130] More specifically, strictly speaking, the system voltage Vcc generated by the first DC / DC converter 11 has a sawtooth waveform. If such a system voltage Vcc is used as the reference voltage Vtemp, the quality of the input to the operational amplifier 32 will be low, and as a result, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the output from the operational amplifier 32 may become low.

[0131] In contrast, the step-down voltage Vccl generated by the LDO regulator 15 has a more stable value than the system voltage Vcc generated by the first DC / DC converter 11. Therefore, by using such a step-down voltage Vccl as the reference voltage Vtemp, the SNR of the output from the operational amplifier 32 can be improved, and the accuracy of the temperature of the heating unit 121 obtained based on the output of the operational amplifier 32 can be improved.

[0132] Furthermore, the LDO regulator 15 may be provided in, for example, the MCU 50, which is an IC that constitutes the control unit 116 of the suction device 100. This makes it possible to generate the step-down voltage Vccl with fewer parts than in a configuration in which an LDO regulator is provided separately from the MCU 50. This makes it possible to prevent the configuration of the suction device 100 from becoming complicated.

[0133] <4-2. Third Example of Circuit Configuration of Suction Device> Next, we will explain a third example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. The third example explained below is an example in which the configuration of the first switch circuit 12 is changed from the first or second example described above.

[0134] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a third example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. As shown in Fig. 6, the first switch circuit 12 of this example includes a BJT 12a, an FET 12b, an FET 12c, and two resistors Ra (resistor Ra1 and resistor Ra2).

[0135] In this example, the drains of FET 12b and FET 12c are connected to each other. The source of FET 12b is connected to one end of resistor Rheat (i.e., heating unit 121) via resistor Rref and also to the gate of FET 12b via resistor Ra1. The source of FET 12c is connected to connection point Cp1 on the system voltage line Lsys1 or the step-down voltage line Lsys2 and also to the gate of FET 12c via resistor Ra2. Although not shown and described in detail, the connection relationship of BJT 12a in this example is the same as in the first or second example. Furthermore, in this example, as in the first or second example, an N-channel MOSFET may be provided instead of BJT 12a (bipolar transistor).

[0136] Even when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as in this example, in temperature detection control, when the MCU 50 sets the output from the F9 terminal to a high level to turn on the BJT 12a, it can turn on the FETs 12b and 12c, i.e., turn on the first switch circuit 12. Therefore, as in the first or second example described above, it is possible to supply the reference voltage Vtemp to the series circuit of the resistors Rref and Rheat.

[0137] Furthermore, even when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as in this example, during heating control, the MCU 50 can turn the BJT 12a off by setting the output from the F9 terminal to a low level, thereby turning the first switch circuit 12 off. This makes it possible to prevent a current caused by a potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 from flowing into the first voltage system 10 when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121. Therefore, it is possible to protect the MCU 50 and other components connected to the first voltage system 10 from a current caused by a potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20. Note that the potential difference between the source and gate of the FET 12b can be calculated from the potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 and the electrical resistance values ​​of the two resistors Ra. However, the gate threshold voltage of the FET 12b is set to be higher than the voltage drop across the resistor Ra1 when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121 during heating control.

[0138] Furthermore, since the connection point Cp3 provided between the source of the FET 12b and the resistor Rref and the connection point Cp1 provided on the system voltage line Lsys1 or the step-down voltage line Lsys2 are connected across the resistors Ra1 and Ra2, a minute current flows to the first voltage system 10 when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121. In consideration of this, when configuring the first switch circuit 12 as in this example, it is preferable to select the first DC / DC converter 11 and the LDO regulator 15 that generate the first voltage to be able to tolerate the inflow of this minute current.

[0139] Furthermore, when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as in this example, no charge accumulates between the FETs 12b and 12c after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121 (i.e., after heating control). This is because the body diode D1 of the FET 12b and the body diode D2 of the FET 12c act to release the charge between the FETs 12b and 12c to the outside. Therefore, when the first switch circuit 12 is configured as in this example, it is not necessary to turn the BJT 12a on once after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit 121, and this makes it possible to simplify the control of the first switch circuit 12 by the MCU 50.

[0140] <4-3. Fourth Example of Circuit Configuration of Suction Device> Next, we will explain a fourth example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. The fourth example explained below is an example in which the first switch circuit 12 of the first, second, or third example described above is configured by an IC that functions as a load switch.

[0141] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a fourth example of the circuit configuration of the suction device 100. As shown in Fig. 7, the first switch circuit 12 of this example is composed of a load switch 12A. The load switch 12A is an IC that operates under the control of the MCU 50 and functions as a switch that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system 10 and the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121).

[0142] For example, the load switch 12A includes a VIN terminal, a GND terminal, a VOUT terminal, and an ON terminal as terminals that electrically connect the inside and outside of the load switch 12A.

[0143] The VIN terminal of the load switch 12A is an input terminal of the load switch 12A and is connected to a connection point Cp1 provided on the system voltage line Lsys1 or the step-down voltage line Lsys2. The GND terminal is a ground terminal of the load switch 12A and is connected to the ground line Ln. The VOUT terminal is an output terminal of the load switch 12A and is connected to one end of a resistor Rheat via a resistor Rref. The ON terminal is connected to, for example, the F9 terminal of the MCU 50.

[0144] The load switch 12A outputs the voltage supplied to the VIN terminal from the VOUT terminal only when, for example, a high-level voltage is input to the ON terminal.

[0145] Even if the first switch circuit 12 is configured using the load switch 12A as in this example, in temperature detection control, the MCU 50 sets the output from the F9 terminal to a high level, thereby causing the load switch 12A to output the system voltage Vcc or the step-down voltage Vcc1, and as in the first, second, or third example described above, the reference voltage Vtemp can be supplied to the series circuit of the resistor Rref and the resistor Rheat.

[0146] By providing the above-mentioned first switch circuit 12 between the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal inside the load switch 12A, for example, when a low-level voltage is input to the ON terminal, a current backflow prevention function between the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal works, and when the heating voltage Vheat is supplied to the heating unit 121, it becomes possible to suppress current caused by the potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 from flowing into the first voltage system 10.

[0147] Furthermore, when the first switch circuit 12 is configured using the load switch 12A as in this example, the number of required electronic components can be reduced compared to when the first switch circuit 12 is configured using individual electronic components, and it is possible to prevent the configuration of the suction device 100 from becoming complicated. Furthermore, it is possible to simplify the installation work of the first switch circuit 12.

[0148] Furthermore, it is preferable that the load switch 12A does not have an output discharge function. If the load switch 12A is configured to have a discharge resistor for the output discharge function, the voltage applied to the VOUT terminal side when the heating voltage Vheat is supplied to the heating unit 121 by the second voltage system 20 is applied to the discharge resistor, which increases power consumption. Therefore, by configuring the load switch 12A not to have an output discharge function, it is possible to prevent an increase in power consumption when the heating voltage Vheat is supplied to the heating unit 121 by the second voltage system 20.

[0149] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the suction device 100 that can reduce the power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 121 .

[0150] The MCU 50 only requires the output of the operational amplifier 32 during temperature detection control. However, in this embodiment, the MCU 50 supplies a high-level voltage to the EN terminal of the operational amplifier 32 so that the operational amplifier 32 operates not only during temperature detection control but also during heating control. This is because it may take a certain amount of time from the start of operation of the operational amplifier 32 until the operation of the operational amplifier 32 (in other words, the output of the operational amplifier 32) stabilizes.

[0151] If the operational amplifier 32 were operated only during temperature detection control, the MCU 50 would acquire the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the output of the operational amplifier 32 before it stabilized, which could reduce the accuracy of the acquired temperature. To prevent this from happening, in this embodiment, the operational amplifier 32 is operated not only during temperature detection control but also during heating control. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the temperature of the heating unit 121 acquired based on the output of the operational amplifier 32.

[0152] In other words, if the operational amplifier 32 has the characteristic of quickly stabilizing, the MCU 50 may operate the operational amplifier 32 only during temperature detection control. As an example, if the EN terminal of the operational amplifier 32 is connected to the F9 terminal of the MCU 50, the MCU 50 can operate the operational amplifier 32 only during temperature detection control. In this way, by operating the operational amplifier 32 only during temperature detection control, the MCU 50 can operate the operational amplifier 32 only when it requires the output of the operational amplifier 32, thereby reducing power consumption due to unnecessary operation of the operational amplifier 32.

[0153] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 is reduced by lowering the voltage supplied to the heating unit 121. Alternatively, for example, a method can be considered in which the voltage when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit 121 is set to the heating voltage Vheat and the current value thereof is reduced to reduce the power consumption.

[0154] However, the second DC / DC converter 21 that generates the heating voltage Vheat generally has characteristics specialized for outputting a large current so that the heating unit 121 (resistor Rheat) can generate heat efficiently and quickly, and is unable to efficiently perform operations such as outputting a minute current. Therefore, if the voltage used to acquire the temperature of the heating unit 121 is the heating voltage Vheat, even if the current value is reduced, the effect of reducing power consumption is limited.

[0155] Furthermore, it is preferable that the switching frequency of the first DC / DC converter 11 is higher than the switching frequency of the second DC / DC converter 21. That is, as described above, the voltages output from the first DC / DC converter 11 and the second DC / DC converter 21 may fluctuate in a sawtooth waveform. The fluctuations become larger as the switching frequency becomes smaller.

[0156] Therefore, if the switching frequency of the first DC / DC converter 11 that generates the system voltage Vcc that is the source of the voltage input to the operational amplifier 32 is lowered, the quality of the input to the operational amplifier 32 will be lowered, and as a result, the SNR of the output from the operational amplifier 32 may also be lowered. Therefore, there is a risk that the accuracy of the temperature of the heating unit 121 obtained based on the output of the operational amplifier 32 will be deteriorated.

[0157] Therefore, it is preferable that the switching frequency of the first DC / DC converter 11 is a relatively high frequency. On the other hand, even if the switching frequency of the second DC / DC converter 21 that generates the heating voltage Vheat solely for heating the heating unit 121 is relatively low, the heating unit 121 can be sufficiently heated, and therefore no problems are likely to occur.

[0158] Although one embodiment of the aerosol generating device of the present disclosure has been described above, it goes without saying that the present disclosure 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 disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0159] As a modified example, a diode that allows current to flow only from the first voltage system 10 to the second voltage system 20 may be provided instead of the FET 12b. Providing such a diode instead of the FET 12b also makes it possible to prevent current caused by the potential difference between the first voltage system 10 and the second voltage system 20 from flowing into the first voltage system 10. When a diode is provided instead of the FET 12b, as described above, it is preferable to calculate the voltage drop across the resistor Rheat (i.e., the heating unit 121) from the voltage values ​​of the reference voltage Vtemp and the measurement voltage Vheat_temp, obtain the electrical resistance value of the resistor Rheat from the voltage drop, and obtain the temperature of the resistor Rheat (in other words, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121) from the electrical resistance value. During temperature detection control, a voltage obtained by subtracting the forward voltage of the diode from the first voltage is applied as the reference voltage Vtemp to the series circuit of the resistors Rref and Rheat. When acquiring the temperature of resistor Rheat (in other words, the actual temperature of heating section 121), MCU 50 acquires the voltage value of reference voltage Vtemp based on the voltage input to terminal F1. Therefore, even if a diode is provided instead of FET 12b, temperature detection control can be performed in the same way as FET 12b.

[0160] Alternatively, for example, the power supply voltage Vbat may be directly supplied to the LDO regulator 15, and the LDO regulator 15 may generate the step-down voltage Vccl from the power supply voltage Vbat.

[0161] 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.

[0162] (1) A power source (power source unit 111, 111A, 111B); a heating unit (heating unit 121, 121A, 121B) including a heating resistor (resistor Rheat) having a correlation between an electrical resistance value and a temperature, and configured to be able to heat an aerosol source by being supplied with power; a first voltage system (first voltage system 10) provided between the power source and the heating unit, configured to be able to supply a first voltage generated based on an output voltage of the power source to the heating unit; a second voltage system (second voltage system 20) provided between the power source and the heating unit, configured to be able to supply a second voltage generated based on the output voltage of the power source to the heating unit; and a control unit (control unit 116, 116A, 116B, MCU 50) configured to be able to control the supply of the first voltage to the heating unit by the first voltage system and the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit by the second voltage system, wherein the first voltage is a voltage lower than the second voltage, The control unit acquires the temperature of the heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit acquired by supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and controls the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit based on the temperature.

[0163] According to (1), the temperature of the heating unit is acquired based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit acquired by supplying a first voltage to the heating unit, and the supply of a second voltage to the heating unit is controlled based on the acquired temperature. This makes it possible to control the power supply to the heating unit in consideration of the actual temperature of the heating unit, and enables the heating unit to appropriately heat the aerosol source. Furthermore, because the first voltage supplied to the heating unit when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit is lower than the second voltage, it is possible to reduce power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit compared to when the second voltage is supplied when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit.

[0164] (2) The aerosol generating device according to (1), wherein the first voltage system includes a first DC / DC converter (first DC / DC converter 11) that generates a predetermined system voltage from the output voltage of the power supply, the control unit operates when the system voltage is supplied, and the first voltage is generated based on the system voltage.

[0165] According to (2), it is possible to obtain the temperature of the heating unit using a first voltage obtained by utilizing the system voltage required to operate the control unit. This eliminates the need for a DC / DC converter or the like to generate the dedicated voltage, compared to when the voltage supplied to the heating unit when obtaining the temperature of the heating unit is a dedicated voltage unrelated to the system voltage, and makes it possible to prevent the configuration of the aerosol generation device from becoming complicated.

[0166] (3) The aerosol generating device according to (2), wherein the second voltage system includes a second DC / DC converter (second DC / DC converter 21) that boosts the output voltage of the power supply to generate a heating voltage, and the second voltage is generated based on the heating voltage.

[0167] According to (3), it is possible to supply a voltage higher than the output voltage of the power supply as the second voltage to the heating unit, thereby enabling the heating unit to efficiently heat the aerosol source.

[0168] (4) The aerosol generating device according to (2) or (3), wherein the first voltage system further includes a switch circuit (first switch circuit 12) that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system and the heating unit, the switch circuit operates according to control by the control unit, and the control unit turns on the switch circuit when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and turns off the switch circuit when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit.

[0169] According to (4), when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, it is possible to prevent a current caused by a potential difference between the first and second voltage systems from flowing into the first voltage system, thereby protecting electronic components and the like connected to the first voltage system from a current caused by the potential difference between the first and second voltage systems.

[0170] (5) The aerosol generation device according to (4), wherein the switch circuit includes a first switch (BJT12a) and a first FET (FET12b) and a second FET (FET12c), each of which is a P-channel MOSFET; the first switch is connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET, and the potential of the gate is adjusted by opening and closing the first switch; the sources of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other and also to the gates of the first FET and the second FET via a resistor (resistor Ra) having a predetermined electrical resistance; the drain of the first FET is connected to a power line (system voltage line Lsys1) through which the system voltage is supplied from the first DC / DC converter; and the drain of the second FET is connected to the heating unit.

[0171] According to (5), the number of resistors required in the switch circuit can be reduced, and the configuration of the aerosol generation device can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0172] (6) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (2) to (5), further comprising an operational amplifier (operational amplifier 32), wherein the operational amplifier has a non-inverting input terminal connected to one end of the heating unit, an inverting input terminal connected to the other end of the heating unit, and an output terminal connected to the control unit, and operates using the system voltage as a power supply voltage, and the control unit acquires the electrical resistance value based on the output of the operational amplifier.

[0173] According to (6), it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the operational amplifier while avoiding a decrease in the accuracy of the temperature of the heating section obtained based on the output of the operational amplifier, compared to when the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier is set to a voltage higher than the system voltage (e.g., a heating voltage).

[0174] (7) The aerosol generating device according to (2) or (3), wherein the first voltage system further includes an LDO regulator (LDO regulator 15) that reduces the system voltage to generate a step-down voltage, and the first voltage is generated based on the step-down voltage.

[0175] According to (7), it is possible to further reduce the voltage supplied to the heating unit when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit, thereby further reducing the power consumption when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit. In addition, by making the first voltage supplied to the heating unit when acquiring the temperature of the heating unit based on the step-down voltage generated by the LDO regulator, it is possible to acquire the temperature of the heating unit with higher accuracy.

[0176] (8) The aerosol generating device according to (7), wherein the LDO regulator is provided in an IC (MCU 50) that constitutes the control unit.

[0177] According to (8), it is possible to generate a step-down voltage without adding any electronic components other than the IC constituting the control unit, which makes it possible to prevent the configuration of the aerosol generation device from becoming complicated.

[0178] (9) The aerosol generating device according to (7) or (8), wherein the first voltage system further includes a switch circuit (first switch circuit 12) that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system and the heating unit, the switch circuit operates under control of the control unit, and the control unit turns on the switch circuit when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and turns off the switch circuit when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit.

[0179] According to (9), when the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, it is possible to prevent a current caused by a potential difference between the first and second voltage systems from flowing into the first voltage system, thereby protecting electronic components and the like connected to the first voltage system from a current caused by the potential difference between the first and second voltage systems.

[0180] (10) The aerosol generation device according to (9), wherein the switch circuit includes a first switch (BJT12a) and a first FET (FET12b) and a second FET (FET12c), each of which is a P-channel MOSFET; the first switch is connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET, and the potential of the gates is adjusted by opening and closing the first switch; the sources of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other and also to the gates of the first FET and the second FET via resistors having a predetermined electrical resistance; the drain of the first FET is connected to a power line (step-down voltage line Lsys2) to which the step-down voltage is supplied from the LDO regulator; and the drain of the second FET is connected to the heating unit.

[0181] According to (10), the number of resistors required in the switch circuit can be reduced, and the configuration of the aerosol generating device can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0182] (11) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (7) to (10), further comprising an operational amplifier (operational amplifier 32), wherein the operational amplifier has a non-inverting input terminal connected to one end of the heating unit, an inverting input terminal connected to the other end of the heating unit, and an output terminal connected to the control unit, and operates using the stepped-down voltage as a power supply voltage, and the control unit acquires the electrical resistance value based on the output of the operational amplifier.

[0183] According to (11), it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the operational amplifier while avoiding a decrease in the accuracy of the temperature of the heating part obtained based on the output of the operational amplifier, compared to when the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier is set to a voltage higher than the step-down voltage (e.g., a heating voltage).

[0184] (12) The aerosol generating device according to (5) or (10), wherein the first switch is a bipolar transistor, and the bipolar transistor has a base connected to the control unit, an emitter connected to ground, and a collector connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET.

[0185] According to (12), the potential of the gates of the first FET and the second FET can be adjusted by turning on and off (that is, opening and closing) the bipolar transistor as the first switch.

[0186] (13) The aerosol generating device according to (5) or (10), wherein the first switch is an N-channel MOSFET, and the N-channel MOSFET has a gate connected to the control unit, a source connected to ground, and a drain connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET.

[0187] According to (13), the potential of the gates of the first FET and the second FET can be adjusted by turning on and off (that is, opening and closing) the MOSFET as the first switch.

[0188] (14) The aerosol generating device according to (5) or (11), wherein the control unit further turns on the first switch at a predetermined timing after supplying the second voltage to the heating unit.

[0189] According to (14), after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, the charge accumulated between the first FET and the second FET can be released to the ground, thereby making it possible to suppress the occurrence of a fault or the like caused by the charge accumulated between the first FET and the second FET.

[0190] (15) The aerosol generating device according to (4) or (9), wherein the switch circuit is configured by a load switch (load switch 12A).

[0191] According to (15), compared to when the switch circuit is configured with individual electronic components, the number of required electronic components can be reduced, making it possible to prevent the configuration of the aerosol generating device from becoming complicated. Furthermore, it is possible to simplify the installation work of the switch circuit.

[0192] (16) The aerosol generation device according to (4), wherein the switch circuit includes a bipolar transistor (BJT12a) and a first FET (FET12b) and a second FET (FET12c), each of which is a P-channel MOSFET; the bipolar transistor has a base connected to the control unit, an emitter connected to ground, and a collector connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET; the drains of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other; the source of the first FET is connected to the heating unit and is also connected to the gate of the first FET via a first resistor (resistor Ra1) having a predetermined electrical resistance value; and the source of the second FET is connected to a power line (system voltage line Lsys1) through which the system voltage is supplied from the first DC / DC converter and is also connected to the gate of the second FET via a second resistor (resistor Ra2) having a predetermined electrical resistance value.

[0193] According to (16), since it is possible to prevent charge from accumulating between the first FET and the second FET after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, for example, it is not necessary to turn on the bipolar transistor once after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, and it is possible to simplify the control of the switch circuit by the control unit.

[0194] (17) The aerosol generation device according to (9), wherein the switch circuit includes a bipolar transistor (BJT12a), and a first FET (FET12b) and a second FET (FET12c), each of which is a P-channel MOSFET; the bipolar transistor has a base connected to the control unit, an emitter connected to ground, and a collector connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET; the drains of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other; the source of the first FET is connected to the heating unit and is also connected to the gate of the first FET via a first resistor (resistor Ra1) having a predetermined electrical resistance value; and the source of the second FET is connected to a power line (step-down voltage line Lsys2) to which the step-down voltage is supplied from the LDO regulator and is also connected to the gate of the second FET via a second resistor (resistor Ra2) having a predetermined electrical resistance value.

[0195] According to (17), since it is possible to prevent charge from accumulating between the first FET and the second FET after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, for example, it is not necessary to turn on the bipolar transistor once after the second voltage is supplied to the heating unit, and it is possible to simplify the control of the switch circuit by the control unit.

[0196] 100, 100A, 100B Inhalation device (aerosol generating device) 111, 111A, 111B Power supply unit (power supply) 116, 116A, 116B Control unit 121, 121A, 121B Heating unit 11 First DC / DC converter 12 First switch circuit (switch circuit) 12a BJT (bipolar transistor) 12b FET (first FET) 12c FET (second FET) 15 LDO regulator 21 Second DC / DC converter 50 MCU (control unit) Rheat Resistor (heating resistor) Lsys1 System voltage line (power line) Lsys2 Step-down voltage line (power line)

Claims

1. A power source, a heating unit including a heating resistor having a correlation with an electrical resistance value and a temperature, configured to heat an aerosol source when powered, a first voltage system provided between the power source and the heating unit, configured to supply a first voltage generated based on the output voltage of the power source to the heating unit, a second voltage system provided between the power source and the heating unit, configured to supply a second voltage generated based on the output voltage of the power source to the heating unit, a control unit configured to control the supply of the first voltage to the heating unit by the first voltage system and the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit by the second voltage system, comprising: the first voltage is a voltage lower than the second voltage, the control unit acquires the temperature of the heating unit based on the electrical resistance value of the heating unit obtained by supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and controls the supply of the second voltage to the heating unit based on the temperature, an aerosol generating device.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage system includes a first DC / DC converter that generates a predetermined system voltage from the output voltage of the power source, the control unit operates when the system voltage is supplied, and the first voltage is generated based on the system voltage. an aerosol generating device.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the second voltage system includes a second DC / DC converter that boosts the output voltage of the power source to generate a heating voltage, and the second voltage is generated based on the heating voltage. an aerosol generating device.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the first voltage system further includes a switch circuit that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system and the heating unit, the switch circuit operates according to the control by the control unit, and the control unit turns on the switch circuit when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit and turns off the switch circuit when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit. an aerosol generating device.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the switch circuit includes a first switch, a first FET, and a second FET, each of which is a P-channel type MOSFET. The first switch is connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET respectively, and the potential of the gates is adjusted by opening and closing the first switch. The sources of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other and are also connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET respectively via a resistor having a predetermined electrical resistance value. The drain of the first FET is connected to a power line to which the system voltage is supplied from the first DC / DC converter. The drain of the second FET is connected to the heating unit. Aerosol generating device.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the aerosol generating device further comprises an operational amplifier. The operational amplifier has its non-inverting input terminal connected to one end of the heating unit, its inverting input terminal connected to the other end of the heating unit, and its output terminal connected to the control unit respectively, and operates with the system voltage as the power supply voltage. The control unit acquires the electrical resistance value based on the output of the operational amplifier. Aerosol generating device.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the first voltage system is further configured to include an LDO regulator that steps down the system voltage to generate a stepped-down voltage. The first voltage is generated based on the stepped-down voltage. Aerosol generating device.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein the LDO regulator is provided in an IC constituting the control unit. Aerosol generating device.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein the first voltage system is further configured to include a switch circuit that turns on or off the connection between the first voltage system and the heating unit. The switch circuit operates according to the control by the control unit. The control unit turns on the switch circuit when supplying the first voltage to the heating unit, and turns off the switch circuit when supplying the second voltage to the heating unit. Aerosol generating device.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9, wherein the switch circuit includes a first switch, a first FET and a second FET, each of which is a P-channel type MOSFET. The first switch is connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET respectively, and the potential of the gates is adjusted by opening and closing the first switch. The sources of the first FET and the second FET are connected to each other and are also connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET via a resistor having a predetermined electrical resistance value. The drain of the first FET is connected to a power line to which the step-down voltage is supplied from the LDO regulator. The drain of the second FET is connected to the heating unit. Aerosol generating device.

11. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the aerosol generating device further comprises an operational amplifier. The operational amplifier has a non-inverting input terminal connected to one end of the heating unit, an inverting input terminal connected to the other end of the heating unit, and an output terminal connected to the control unit, and operates using the step-down voltage as a power supply voltage. The control unit acquires the electrical resistance value based on the output of the operational amplifier. Aerosol generating device.

12. An aerosol generating device according to claim 5 or 10, wherein the first switch is a bipolar transistor. The bipolar transistor has a base connected to the control unit, an emitter connected to ground, and a collector connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET. Aerosol generating device.

13. An aerosol generating device according to claim 5 or 10, wherein the first switch is an N-channel MOSFET. The N-channel MOSFET has a gate connected to the control unit, a source connected to ground, and a drain connected to the gates of the first FET and the second FET. Aerosol generating device.

14. An aerosol generating device according to claim 5 or 10, wherein the control unit further turns on the first switch at a predetermined timing after supplying the second voltage to the heating unit. Aerosol generating device.

15. An aerosol generating device according to claim 4 or 9, wherein the switch circuit is constituted by a load switch. Aerosol generating device.