Aerosol generation system, control method, and non-transitory storage medium

Abstract

Provided is a mechanism with which it is possible to further reduce the size of an inhalation device. An aerosol generation system comprising a power supply unit that accumulates and supplies electric power, an accommodation unit that accommodates a base material in which an aerosol source is contained, a heating unit that heats the base material accommodated in the accommodation unit using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit, and a control unit that controls the supply of power to the heating unit. The control unit determines the state of the accommodation unit on the basis of the speed of change in a parameter that corresponds to the temperature of the heating unit.

Description

Aerosol generating system, control method, and non-transitory storage medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating system, a control method, and a non-transitory storage medium.

[0002] Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that generate substances to be inhaled by users are widely used. For example, inhalation devices generate aerosols containing flavor components using a substrate containing an aerosol source for generating aerosols and a flavor source for imparting flavor components to the generated aerosol. Users can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the flavor-imparted aerosol generated by the inhalation device. The action of a user inhaling an aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as a puff or a puffing action.

[0003] Various technologies have been developed with the aim of further improving the quality of the user experience when using such suction devices. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology for detecting the insertion of a substrate into a suction device based on a change in capacitance detected by a capacitance sensor mounted on the suction device.

[0004] Special table 2017-510270 publication

[0005] However, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the size of the suction device increases by the amount of the capacitance sensor that is installed.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism that enables further miniaturization of suction devices.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generation system is provided, comprising: a power supply unit that stores and supplies power; a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using power supplied from the power supply unit; and a control unit that controls the power supply to the heating unit, wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on the rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit.

[0008] The control unit may control the operation of the heating unit based on the determination result of the state of the storage unit.

[0009] The control unit may continue heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter satisfies a first condition, and may stop heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter does not satisfy the first condition.

[0010] The control unit may determine the state of the storage unit based on the rate of change of the parameter during a period from when a first time has elapsed since the heating unit started heating to generate an aerosol to when a second time has elapsed.

[0011] The control unit may be configured to maintain the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during the period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the parameter satisfies a second condition, and to change the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit when the parameter satisfies the second condition, and the first time and the second time may be set to arrive before the second condition is satisfied.

[0012] The control unit may maintain a duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the second time period has elapsed.

[0013] The first period of time may be at least 1 second.

[0014] The control unit may determine the state of the storage unit based on the time series progression of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit, and may start heating to generate an aerosol by the heating unit based on the determination result.

[0015] The aerosol generating system may further comprise the substrate.

[0016] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, wherein the aerosol generation system has a power supply unit that stores and supplies electric power, a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit, and the control method includes controlling the supply of electric power to the heating unit, and controlling the supply of electric power to the heating unit includes determining the state of the storage unit based on the rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit.

[0017] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, the aerosol generation system having a power supply unit that stores and supplies electric power, a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit, the program causing the computer to function as a control unit that controls the supply of power to the heating unit, and the control unit determining the state of the storage unit based on the rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit.

[0018] As described above, the present disclosure provides a mechanism that enables further miniaturization of the suction device.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a suction device; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a first process executed by a suction device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a first process executed by a suction device according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a graph schematically illustrating an example of a heating profile; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining power supply control based on a heating profile; FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining experimental results related to the suction device according to the embodiment; FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a process executed by a suction device according to the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a second process executed by a suction device according to the embodiment; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the second process executed by a suction device according to the embodiment;

[0020] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0021] Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by assigning an index including different letters or numbers after the same reference numeral. For example, multiple elements having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished as necessary, such as devices 1A, 1B, and 1C. However, if there is no need to particularly distinguish between multiple elements having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numeral may be assigned. For example, if there is no need to particularly distinguish between devices 1A, 1B, and 1C, they may also be simply referred to as device 1.

[0022] 1. Configuration Example of Inhalation Device The inhalation device 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.

[0023] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 1, a suction device 100 according to this example configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a memory unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0024] The power supply unit 111 stores electric power and supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100 under the control of the control unit 116. The power supply unit 111 may be configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0025] The sensor unit 112 acquires various types of information related to the suction device 100. As one example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, or the like, and acquires values ​​associated with suction by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with an input device such as a button or a switch that accepts information input from the user.

[0026] The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 is configured by, for example, 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.

[0027] The storage unit 114 stores various types of information for the operation of the suction device 100. The storage unit 114 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example.

[0028] The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to 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).

[0029] The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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 100 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.

[0032] The heating unit 121 generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the heating unit 121 is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the storage unit 140. When the heating unit 121 generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111. As an example, power may be supplied when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Power supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input.

[0033] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121 to other components. For example, the heat insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

[0034] The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100 is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0035] As one example, the heating unit 121 may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the storage unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140.

[0036] As another example, the storage 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 storage unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to hold and store the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141. In this case, the heating unit 121 may be provided at the holding location in the storage unit 140, and may heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0037] An exemplary configuration of the inhalation device 100 has been described above. The heating unit 121 generates an aerosol by using power supplied from the power supply unit 111 to heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 (more specifically, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150) contained in the storage unit 140. The control unit 116 then controls the power supply to the heating unit 121. The inhalation device 100 is an example of an aerosol generation system that generates an aerosol. The combination of the inhalation device 100 and the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be considered as an aerosol generation system.

[0038] <2. Technical Features> <2.1. Heating with Insertion Detection> The control unit 116 determines the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, the parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121 is assumed to be the electrical resistance (hereinafter also simply referred to as resistance) of the heating unit 121 (more accurately, the heating resistor that constitutes the heating unit 121). The control unit 116 obtains the resistance of the heating unit 121 by applying a voltage to the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases, and that the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 decreases. That is, in the following description, the terms resistance and temperature may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0039] First, the control unit 116 executes a first process. The first process includes acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121 and determining the state of the storage unit 140 based on the acquired resistance of the heating unit 121. In particular, in the first process, the control unit 116 determines whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0040] If it is determined in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, the control unit 116 ends the first process and executes the second process. The second process includes heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on a heating profile. The heating profile is control information for generating an aerosol. The inhalation device 100 can generate an aerosol by heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. The heating profile will be described in detail later.

[0041] Here, in the first process, it may be erroneously determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, even though the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140. Such an erroneous determination can occur when an item other than the stick-shaped substrate 150, such as a cleaning swab, is inserted into the storage unit 140, or when outside air is blown into the storage unit 140. This is because the resistance of the heating unit 121 can change in these cases, just as in the case when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0042] Therefore, the control unit 116 acquires the resistance of the heating unit 121 during heating based on the heating profile, and determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the acquired resistance of the heating unit 121. In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the determination in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 was an erroneous determination.

[0043] If the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, that is, if it determines that the determination in the first process is correct, it continues heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. On the other hand, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140, that is, if it determines that the determination in the first process is incorrect, it stops heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile.

[0044] According to this configuration, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, heating of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be automatically started and continued. On the other hand, when nothing is inserted into the storage unit 140, or when an item other than the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, heating can be stopped. In this way, by simply inserting the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage unit 140, the user can start heating and inhale the aerosol without having to give a separate command to start / stop heating, thereby improving usability.

[0045] Furthermore, with this configuration, the heating unit 121 for heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be used to detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In other words, there is no need to install another sensor such as a capacitance sensor to detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. This allows the suction device 100 to be further miniaturized.

[0046] In the first process, the temperature of the heating unit 121 may rise because a voltage is applied to the heating unit 121 to obtain the resistance of the heating unit 121. In other words, the first process may be considered as a process of heating the stick-shaped substrate 150. However, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, heating refers to heating based on the heating profile in the second process.

[0047] The first process and the second process will be described in detail below.

[0048] (1) First Process FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams for explaining the first process executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Graph 30 shown in FIG. 2 shows an example of the time series progression of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 in the first process. The vertical axis of graph 30 represents voltage in volts. The horizontal axis of graph 30 represents time in seconds. Graph 35 shown in FIG. 3 shows an example of the time series progression of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the voltage shown in FIG. 2 is applied. The vertical axis of graph 35 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 35 represents time in seconds. Graph 35 illustrates the case where the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 at the timing indicated by arrow 39, i.e., five seconds after the start of the first process.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a group of detection pulses 34, including one first detection pulse 31, to the heating unit 121. Here, a pulse refers to a wave having a predetermined voltage. In particular, the first detection pulse 31 is a pulse for increasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 while acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, the period during which one group of detection pulses 34 is applied will also be referred to as a detection cycle. The period during which the first detection pulse 31 is applied will also be referred to as a temperature rise period. On the other hand, the period during which the first detection pulse 31 is not applied will also be referred to as a temperature fall period. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the duration of the detection cycle is 0.5 seconds, with the first 0.1 seconds of the detection cycle being the temperature rise period and the remaining 0.4 seconds being the temperature fall period.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 3 , during the temperature rise period, a voltage is applied to the heating unit 121, causing the temperature of the heating unit 121 to rise, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 to increase accordingly. On the other hand, during the temperature fall period, application of a voltage to the heating unit 121 is stopped, causing the temperature of the heating unit 121 to drop, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 to drop accordingly. That is, the resistance of the heating unit 121 fluctuates up and down during one detection cycle. As shown in Fig. 3 , the resistance of the heating unit 121 repeatedly rises and falls while gradually increasing as the application of the detection pulse group 34 is repeated. Here, the voltage and width of the first detection pulse 31 are adjusted so that the resistance of the heating unit 121 gradually increases or is maintained at a constant value as the application of the detection pulse group 34 is repeated.

[0051] The control unit 116 determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121. More specifically, when the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. On the other hand, when the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0052] The time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period when the detection pulse group 34 is applied to the heating unit 121 differs depending on whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 during the period from the start of the first process until 5 seconds have elapsed. During this period, the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 is on line 37, and the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 is on line 38. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 3 , the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 during the period after 5 seconds have elapsed from the start of the first process. During this period, the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 is below line 37, and the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 is below line 38. Therefore, when a change such as that illustrated in Fig. 3 occurs in the time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the process of repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. With this configuration, it is possible to determine with a simple configuration whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 2 , the first process may initially include applying a third detection pulse 33 to the heating unit 121. The third detection pulse 33 is a pulse for increasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 while acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121. The duration of the third detection pulse 33 is longer than the duration of the first detection pulse 31. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the duration of the first detection pulse 31 is 0.1 seconds, and the duration of the third detection pulse 33 is 0.5 seconds. This configuration allows the resistance of the heating unit 121 to increase to a certain extent immediately after the start of the first process. Unless the resistance of the heating unit 121 is already increased to a certain extent, the resistance of the heating unit 121 may not decrease appropriately during the temperature drop period of the detection cycle. In this regard, this configuration allows the resistance of the heating unit 121 to be appropriately increased or decreased during the detection cycle, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the state of the accommodation unit 140.

[0054] The detection pulse group 34 may include one or more second detection pulses in addition to one first detection pulse 31. The second detection pulse is a pulse for obtaining the resistance of the heating unit 121. The duration of the second detection pulse is shorter than the duration of the first detection pulse 31. In particular, it is desirable to set the duration of the second detection pulse to an extremely short time so that the temperature of the heating unit 121 does not change even when the second detection pulse is applied to the heating unit 121. This makes it possible to obtain the resistance of the heating unit 121 while decreasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 during the temperature drop period.

[0055] The resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by the second detection pulse can be used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140. With this configuration, the state of the accommodating unit 140 can be determined based on a larger number of samples, making it possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of determining the state of the accommodating unit 140 due to the influence of external disturbances, for example.

[0056] The control unit 116 may start the first process when a predetermined user action is detected. The predetermined user action may be any user action that is expected to result in the stick-shaped substrate 150 being inserted into the storage unit 140 immediately after the predetermined user action. One example of the predetermined user action is opening the lid that opens and closes the opening 142. Another example of the predetermined user action is lifting the suction device 100. Another example of the predetermined user action is canceling charging of the suction device 100. The presence or absence of these predetermined user actions can be detected by a sensor provided on the lid, a motion sensor, or the like. With this configuration, the first process can be executed only at times when the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be inserted. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption.

[0057] The control unit 116 terminates the first process if the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy a predetermined condition within a predetermined time period after the start of the first process. In other words, the control unit 116 terminates the first process if it does not determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 within a predetermined time period after the start of the first process. The predetermined time period may be set, for example, based on the expected time period typically required from the time a user performs a predetermined user operation that triggers the start of the first process until the time the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , the predetermined time period is 10 seconds, and the detection cycle is repeated a maximum of 18 times. This configuration makes it possible to reduce power consumption without degrading usability.

[0058] On the other hand, the control unit 116 starts the second process when it determines in the first process that the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition. In other words, the control unit 116 starts the second process when it determines in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. This configuration makes it possible to improve usability in that it is no longer necessary for the user to separately instruct the start of heating.

[0059] (2) Second Processing In the second processing, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile and determines the state of the accommodating unit 140. These processing steps will be described below in order.

[0060] Heating Based on a Heating Profile The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on a heating profile. Control of the operation of the heating unit 121 is achieved by controlling the power supply from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121. The heating unit 121 heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 using the power supplied from the power supply unit 111.

[0061] The heating profile is control information for controlling the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated. The heating profile specifies target values ​​of parameters corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated. An example of the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated is the temperature of the heating unit 121. An example of the target value of the parameter corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated is the target temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the target temperature). The temperature of the heating unit 121 may be controlled to change depending on the elapsed time from the start of heating. In this case, the heating profile includes information specifying the time series progression of the target temperature. As another example, the heating profile may include parameters (hereinafter also referred to as power supply parameters) specifying the method of supplying power to the heating unit 121. The power supply parameters include, for example, the voltage applied to the heating unit 121, ON / OFF of power supply to the heating unit 121, or the feedback control method to be adopted. The ON / OFF of power supply to the heating unit 121 may be regarded as ON / OFF of the heating unit 121.

[0062] The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 so that the temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the actual temperature) changes in the same manner as the target temperature defined in the heating profile. The heating profile is typically designed to optimize the flavor that the user experiences when inhaling the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, the flavor that the user experiences can be optimized.

[0063] The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. The feedback control may be, for example, a proportional-integral-differential (PID) control. The control unit 116 may supply power from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses generated by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116 may control the temperature of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulses in the feedback control. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may perform simple on / off control in the feedback control. For example, the control unit 116 may perform heating by the heating unit 121 until the actual temperature reaches a target temperature, interrupt heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and resume heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature falls below the target temperature.

[0064] The temperature of the heating unit 121 can be quantified, for example, by measuring or estimating the electrical resistance of the heating unit 121 (more precisely, the heating resistor that constitutes the heating unit 121). This is because the electrical resistance of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The electrical resistance of the heating resistor can be estimated, for example, by measuring the amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor. The amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor can be measured by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. In another example, the temperature of the heating unit 121 can be measured by a temperature sensor such as a thermistor installed near the heating unit 121.

[0065] The period from the start to the end of the process of generating aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150 is also referred to as a heating session below. In other words, a heating session is a period during which power supply to the heating unit 121 is controlled based on the heating profile. The start of a heating session is the timing when heating based on the heating profile starts. The end of a heating session is the timing when a sufficient amount of aerosol is no longer generated. A heating session includes a pre-heating period in the first half and a puffable period in the second half. The puffable period is a period during which a sufficient amount of aerosol is expected to be generated. The pre-heating period is the period from the start of heating to the start of the puffable period. Heating performed during the pre-heating period is also referred to as pre-heating.

[0066] The notification unit 113 may notify the user of information indicating the timing at which preheating will end. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information predicting the end of preheating before the end of preheating, or may notify the user of information indicating the end of preheating at the timing at which preheating ends. The notification to the user may be performed, for example, by lighting up an LED or vibrating. The user can refer to such a notification and start puffing immediately after the end of preheating.

[0067] Similarly, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information indicating the timing when the puffing period will end. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information predicting the end of the puffing period before the end of the puffing period, or may notify the user of information indicating the end of the puffing period at the timing when the puffing period ends. The notification to the user may be performed, for example, by lighting up an LED or vibrating. The user can refer to such a notification and continue puffing until the puffing period ends.

[0068] An example of a heating profile will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . FIG. 4 is a graph schematically illustrating an example of a heating profile. The horizontal axis of graph 20 represents time. The vertical axis of graph 20 represents temperature. Line 21 indicates the time series progression of the target temperature. As shown in FIG. 4 , a heating session may include, in order, an initial heating period, an intermediate temperature drop period, and a re-heating period. The initial heating period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 rapidly increases and is maintained at a high temperature after heating begins. The intermediate temperature drop period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 decreases after the initial heating period. The re-heating period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases again after the intermediate temperature drop period. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the target temperature rapidly increases to approximately 300°C during the initial heating period, then decreases to approximately 230°C during the intermediate temperature drop period, and then gradually increases to approximately 260°C during the re-heating period. During the intermediate temperature drop period, power supply to the heating unit 121 may be interrupted, and heating may be turned off. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the period from the start of heating to the middle of the initial temperature rise period is the pre-heating period, and the period from the middle of the initial temperature rise period to the end of the re-heating period is the puffable period.

[0069] Next, power supply control based on a heating profile will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining power supply control based on a heating profile. A graph 40 shown in Fig. 5 shows an example of a time series transition of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 during power supply control based on the heating profile. The vertical axis of the graph 40 represents voltage in volts. The horizontal axis of the graph 40 represents time in milliseconds.

[0070] 5 , the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a group of heating pulses 44 including a measurement pulse 41 to the heating unit 121. The measurement pulse 41 is a pulse applied to measure the resistance of the heating unit 121. The group of heating pulses 44 may include one or more heating pulses 42. The heating pulse 42 is a pulse applied to increase the temperature of the heating unit 121.

[0071] The period during which one heating pulse group 44 is applied is also referred to as a heating cycle hereinafter. The period during which the measurement pulses 41 are applied during the heating cycle is also referred to as a measurement period. On the other hand, the period during which the measurement pulses 41 are not applied during the heating cycle is also referred to as a non-measurement period. During the non-measurement period, the heating pulses 42 may be applied. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the duration of the heating cycle is 50 milliseconds, with the first 3 milliseconds of the heating cycle being the measurement period and the remaining 47 milliseconds being the non-measurement period.

[0072] The control unit 116 controls the configuration of the heating pulses 42 during the non-measurement period. The configuration here refers to whether or not the heating pulses 42 are applied and the duration of the heating pulses 42. As shown in FIG. 5 , the duration of the heating pulses 42 can be set to any time equal to or less than 47 milliseconds. In addition, the number and start timing of the heating pulses 42 during the non-measurement period can also be set to any time.

[0073] In particular, the control unit 116 acquires the resistance of the heating unit 121 when applying the measurement pulse 41 during the measurement period. Then, based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 acquired during the measurement period and the heating profile, the control unit 116 controls the configuration of the heating pulse 42 during the non-measurement period that belongs to the same heating cycle as the measurement period. In doing so, the control unit 116 controls the duty ratio of the heating pulse 42 during the non-measurement period based on the temperature of the heating unit 121 calculated from the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the target temperature specified in the heating profile.

[0074] The above-described heating pulse group 44 is applied to the heating unit 121 during the initial temperature rise period and the re-heating period of the heating session. On the other hand, the heating pulse group 44 does not have to be applied to the heating unit 121 during the intermediate temperature drop period of the heating session. In that case, whether the temperature of the heating unit 121 has dropped to the target temperature during the intermediate temperature drop period may be determined by a separately provided temperature sensor such as a thermistor, or may be simply determined based on the elapsed time since power supply to the heating unit 121 was stopped.

[0075] - Determining the State of the Container 140 The control unit 116 determines the state of the container 140 based on the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121. More specifically, when the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the container 140. On the other hand, when the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the container 140.

[0076] The time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period in which the heating pulse group 44 is applied to the heating unit 121 differs depending on whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. As an example, when no stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, the resistance (i.e., the temperature) of the heating unit 121 rises more rapidly than when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. Therefore, for example, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted in the storage unit 140 when the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 falls within the range of the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 that is expected when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. This configuration makes it possible to determine whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 with a simple configuration.

[0077] It is desirable to judge the state of the storage unit 140 early in the preheating period of the heating session, in order to prevent empty heating or heating of items other than the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the case where insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage unit 140 is mistakenly judged in the first process.

[0078] (3) Experimental Results The experimental results obtained when the first and second processes were performed will be described with reference to FIG.

[0079] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating experimental results for the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Graph 50 shown in FIG. 6 shows the time series of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the suction device 100 performs the first process and the second process. The vertical axis of graph 50 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 50 represents time in seconds. The resistance of the heating unit 121 measured at each time point is plotted on graph 50, and consecutive plots are connected by lines. Graph 50 shows the time series of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted at the timing indicated by arrow 59, i.e., 4.5 seconds after the start of the first process.

[0080] Referring to graph 50, the resistance of the heating unit 121 repeatedly rises and falls, gradually increasing until the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. Then, immediately after the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases from plot 51A to plot 51B and from plot 52A to plot 52B. Plots 51A and 51B correspond to the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31. Plots 52A and 52B correspond to the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31. Based on this decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140. Therefore, the first process ends and the second process begins, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 rises rapidly.

[0081] (4) Processing Flow Next, the processing flow will be described with reference to FIG.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0083] 7 , first, the control unit 116 determines whether or not a predetermined user operation has been detected (step S102). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the sensor unit 112 has detected a user operation to open a cover that opens or closes the opening 142, a user operation to lift the suction device 100, or a user operation to cancel charging of the suction device 100.

[0084] If it is determined that the predetermined user operation has not been detected (step S102: NO), the control unit 116 waits until the predetermined user operation is detected.

[0085] If it is determined that a predetermined user operation has been detected (step S102: YES), the control unit 116 starts a first process (step S104). For example, the control unit 116 first applies the third detection pulse 33 to the heating unit 121, and then repeatedly applies the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121.

[0086] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S106). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 based on whether or not the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121, obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121, satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0087] If it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S106: YES), the control unit 116 ends the first process and starts the second process (step S108). For example, the storage unit 140 repeatedly applies the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile.

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S106: NO), the control unit 116 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether 10 seconds have elapsed since the start of the first process.

[0089] If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110: NO), the process returns to step S106.

[0090] On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110: YES), the control unit 116 ends the first process (step S112).

[0091] After the second process is started in step S108, the control unit 116 determines whether the determination result in the first process is correct (step S114). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 based on whether the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0092] If the determination result in the first process is determined to be correct, that is, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S114: YES), the control unit 116 continues heating based on the heating profile (step S116). When heating based on the heating profile ends, the process ends.

[0093] On the other hand, if the determination result in the first process is determined to be incorrect, that is, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S114: NO), the control unit 116 ends heating based on the heating profile (step S118), and then the process ends.

[0094] The above describes an example of the flow of processes executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. The notification unit 113 may appropriately notify information indicating the progress of the above-described processes. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify that a first process has started, the determination result of the first process, that a second process has started, and the determination result of the second process.

[0095] <2.2. Determination Criteria in the Second Process> (1) Determination Criteria The following describes in detail the determination criteria used in the second process to determine the state of the container 140. The determination criteria are set by the control unit 116.

[0096] In the second process, the control unit 116 determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121. In particular, in the second process, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during heating based on the heating profile. Note that the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 may be regarded as the amount of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 over a predetermined period of time. With this configuration, it becomes possible to determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 with a simple configuration.

[0097] The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the determination result of the state of the storage unit 140. More specifically, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, it continues heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. On the other hand, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140, it stops heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. This configuration makes it possible to improve usability in that it is not necessary to give a separate instruction to continue / stop heating.

[0098] The control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 when the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a first condition. In this case, the control unit 116 continues heating by the heating unit 121. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 when the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy the first condition. In this case, the control unit 116 stops heating by the heating unit 121.

[0099] The first condition may be that the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 is less than a predetermined threshold value. This is because the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 tends to be lower when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the housing unit 140 than when it is not.

[0100] Here, heating by the heating unit 121 may be performed continuously. For example, so-called chain smoking may be performed, in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is continuously heated while being replaced and the aerosol is inhaled. When such continuous heating is performed, the resistance (i.e., temperature) of the heating unit 121 at the start of heating based on the heating profile becomes higher than when not. Hereinafter, non-continuous heating, i.e., heating that is started when a long time has passed since the previous heating ended and the heating unit 121 is sufficiently cooled, will also be referred to as the first heating. On the other hand, continuous heating, i.e., heating that is started when a long time has not passed since the previous heating ended and the heating unit 121 is still warm, will also be referred to as the second heating.

[0101] The first condition will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0102] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the second process executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. A graph 60 shown in FIG. 8 shows the results of an experiment observing the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 after heating based on the heating profile is started. The vertical axis of the graph 60 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of the graph 60 represents time in seconds. The time shown on the horizontal axis of the graph 60 indicates the time elapsed since heating based on the heating profile was started. Hereinafter, the time elapsed since heating based on the heating profile was started will also be referred to as the heating time.

[0103] Line 61 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the first heating is started with the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 62 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the first heating is started with nothing inserted in the storage unit 140. Comparing lines 61 and 62, the slope of line 61 is smaller than the slope of line 62 during the heating time period from 0 seconds to 1.5 seconds. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 based on the first condition.

[0104] Line 63 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the second heating is started with the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 64 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the second heating is started with nothing inserted in the storage unit 140. Comparing lines 63 and 64, the slope of line 63 is smaller than the slope of line 64 during the heating time period from 0 seconds to 1.5 seconds. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 based on the first condition.

[0105] Thus, in both the first and second heating cases, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 is slower than when nothing is inserted into the storage unit 140. Therefore, regardless of whether continuous heating is performed or not, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 using the first condition described above.

[0106] Here, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the storage unit 140 based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during a period from the elapse of a first time to the elapse of a second time after the heating unit 121 starts heating to generate an aerosol. That is, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the storage unit 140 based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during a period from the elapse of a first time to the elapse of a second time after the heating based on the heating profile starts. As an example, the first time may be 1 second, and the second time may be 1.5 seconds. That is, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the storage unit 140 based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during a heating time period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds. With this configuration, it becomes possible to more appropriately determine whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, as will be described in detail below.

[0107] 9 is a diagram for explaining the second process executed by the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. Graph 70 shown in FIG. 9 shows the results of an experiment in which the time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 was observed after heating based on the heating profile was started. The vertical axis of graph 60 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 60 represents time, more specifically, heating time in seconds.

[0108] Line 71 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the first heating is initiated with the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 72 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the first heating is initiated with a dry cotton swab inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 73 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the first heating is initiated with a wet cotton swab inserted in the storage unit 140. A dry cotton swab is a cleaning swab with a cleaning part made of absorbent cotton or the like located at its end, and the cleaning part located at the end is dry. A wet cotton swab is a cleaning swab with the cleaning part located at the end soaked in a liquid such as alcohol and in a moist state.

[0109] Comparing line 71 and line 72, the slope of line 71 is smaller than the slope of line 72 when the heating time is between 0 and 1.5 seconds. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage section 140 based on the first condition.

[0110] On the other hand, looking at the portion of line 73 included in range 79, the resistance of the heating element 121 rises once and then falls. This is due to heat being lost from the heating element 121 as the wetted parts of the wet cotton swab dry. Thus, when a wet cotton swab is inserted into the storage unit 140, a temporary drop in the resistance of the heating element 121 occurs. As a result, comparing line 71 and line 73, it is found that the slope of line 73 includes a section where the slope of line 73 is even smaller than the slope of line 71 during the heating time period from 0 to 1 second. Therefore, a determination based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating element 121 during the heating time period from 0 to 1 second may erroneously determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, even when a wet cotton swab has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0111] Tables 1 and 2 below show detailed experimental results of observing the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121. In particular, Table 1 shows the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 for a period of 0 to 1 second from the start of heating when a stick-shaped substrate 150, a dry cotton swab, or a wet cotton swab is inserted into the storage unit 140. Table 2 shows the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 for a period of 1 to 1.5 seconds from the start of heating when a stick-shaped substrate 150, a dry cotton swab, or a wet cotton swab is inserted into the storage unit 140. Furthermore, "1st" refers to the first heating. "2nd (4 minutes)" refers to a case where the second heating started 4 minutes after the previous heating ended. "2nd (2 minutes)" refers to a case where the second heating started 2 minutes after the previous heating ended. "2nd (1 minute)" refers to a case where the second heating started 1 minute after the previous heating ended. "2nd (30 seconds)" refers to the case where the second heating was started 30 seconds after the previous heating was finished.

[0112]

[0113]

[0114] Referring to Table 1, it can be seen that when the inserted article is a stick-type substrate 150, the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 is lower in all cases than when the inserted article is a dry cotton swab. That is, in the period from 0 to 1 second after the start of heating, it can be determined based on the first condition that the stick-type substrate 150 is not inserted when a dry cotton swab is inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0115] On the other hand, referring to Table 1, it can be seen that there are cases in which the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the inserted article is the stick-type substrate 150 is faster than the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the inserted article is a wet cotton swab. In other words, if a determination is made based on the first condition during the period from 0 to 1 second after the start of heating, there is a risk that it will be erroneously determined that the stick-type substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, even though a wet cotton swab is actually inserted.

[0116] Referring to Table 2, it can be seen that when the inserted article is a stick-type substrate 150, the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 is lower in all cases than when the inserted article is a dry cotton swab or a wet cotton swab. In other words, by performing the determination based on the first condition in a period of 1 to 1.5 seconds from the start of heating, it is possible to appropriately determine that the stick-type substrate 150 is not inserted, regardless of whether a wet cotton swab or a dry cotton swab is inserted in the storage unit 140. In this way, even when an inserted article containing a liquid such as alcohol or moisture from the atmosphere is inserted, the accuracy of the determination can be improved by performing the determination based on the first condition in a period of a predetermined time, preferably 1 second or more, after the start of heating, taking into account the time it takes for the liquid to evaporate.

[0117] For example, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 if the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 during a heating time period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds is less than 50 mΩ / s. In this case, in any of the cases shown in Table 2, it is possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 if the inserted article is a stick-shaped substrate 150. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140 if the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 during a heating time period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds is 50 mΩ / s or greater. In this case, it is possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140 if the inserted article is a dry cotton swab or a wet cotton swab in any of the cases shown in Table 2.

[0118] Here, the control unit 116 maintains the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 at a predetermined value during the period from when the heating unit 121 starts heating to generate an aerosol until the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies the second condition. For example, the control unit 116 maintains the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 at 100% during the period from when the heating unit 121 starts heating based on the heating profile until the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches 99.8% of the resistance corresponding to the highest target temperature. This is because there is a large temperature difference between the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 and the target temperature (e.g., 300°C) immediately after the start of heating. This makes it possible to minimize the length of the preheating period. The highest target temperature here may be the highest target temperature among the target temperatures specified in the heating profile, and in particular, the highest target temperature during the preheating period.

[0119] Then, when the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies the second condition, the control unit 116 changes the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121. For example, when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches 99.8% of the resistance corresponding to the highest target temperature, the control unit 116 reduces the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 to less than 100%. This makes it possible to prevent the temperature of the heating unit 121 from exceeding the highest target temperature.

[0120] The first time and the second time are preferably set so as to be satisfied before the second condition is satisfied. With this configuration, whether the first condition is satisfied is determined during a period in which the duty ratio is fixed at 100%. Therefore, the influence of changes in the duty ratio can be eliminated from the determination of whether the first condition is satisfied, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the state of the storage section 140. The second condition can be determined from a coefficient in PID control.

[0121] More simply, control unit 116 may maintain the duty ratio of the voltage applied to heating unit 121 at a predetermined value for a period from when heating unit 121 starts heating to generate an aerosol until a second time period has elapsed. For example, control unit 116 may maintain the duty ratio at 100% until the heating time has elapsed the second time period and the resistance of heating unit 121 satisfies a second condition, and then reduce the duty ratio to less than 100%. With this configuration, as described above, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining the state of storage unit 140.

[0122] (2) Comparison with Comparative Example The following describes the judgment criteria according to this embodiment while describing a comparative example for the judgment criteria according to this embodiment described above.

[0123] A possible criterion for the comparative example is to determine the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on the heating time at the timing when the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition. For example, if the heating time at the timing when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches 99.5% of the resistance corresponding to the highest target temperature is longer than a predetermined threshold, it can be determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140. This is because when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the accommodation unit 140, the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 tends to be slower, i.e., the heating time required for the resistance of the heating unit 121 to increase tends to be longer, compared to when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted.

[0124] However, the criteria for the comparative example may result in lower accuracy of the determination during the second heating compared to the criteria for the present embodiment. In other words, the criteria for the present embodiment can maintain high accuracy of the determination even during the second heating compared to the criteria for the comparative example. This point will be explained in detail with reference to Table 3.

[0125] Table 3 below shows detailed experimental results of observing the heating time when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches 99.5% of the resistance corresponding to the highest target temperature. In particular, Table 3 shows experimental results for each case similar to Tables 1 and 2, when the stick-shaped substrate 150, a dry cotton swab, or a wet cotton swab is inserted into the receiving unit 140.

[0126]

[0127] Referring to Table 3, for the first heating and the second heating that began 4, 2, or 1 minute after the end of the previous heating, there was a difference of 1.1 seconds or more between the case where the inserted article was the stick-type substrate 150 and the case where the inserted article was a dry cotton swab or a wet cotton swab. On the other hand, for the second heating that began 30 seconds after the end of the previous heating, there was a difference of only 0.3 seconds between the case where the inserted article was the stick-type substrate 150 and the case where the inserted article was a wet cotton swab. Considering that such a small difference may occur, the evaluation criteria according to the comparative example may result in an erroneous evaluation.

[0128] As explained above, the judgment criteria according to the comparative example may result in a decrease in judgment accuracy when the second heating is started 30 seconds after the end of the previous heating. In contrast, as explained with reference to Tables 1 and 2, the judgment based on the first condition can appropriately judge whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in any case.

[0129] (3) Experimental Results The experimental results of the suction device 100 employing the above criteria will be described with reference to FIG.

[0130] 10 is a diagram illustrating experimental results for the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. A graph 80 shown in FIG. 10 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the suction device 100 performs the first process and the second process. The vertical axis of the graph 80 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of the graph 80 represents time in seconds. In this experiment, the state of the accommodation unit 140 is determined based on the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during a heating time period (the elapsed time from the start of heating based on the heating profile) from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

[0131] Line 81 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted and the first heating based on the heating profile is started at the timing indicated by arrow 88, i.e., 3.7 seconds after the start of the first process. On line 81, the increase in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after the start of heating based on the heating profile is less than 25 mΩ (i.e., the rate of change is less than 50 mΩ / s). Therefore, it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the accommodation unit 140, and heating based on the heating profile continues.

[0132] Line 82 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when, at the timing indicated by arrow 89, i.e., 3.2 seconds after the start of the first process, it is erroneously determined that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, even though nothing has been inserted, and the first heating based on the heating profile is started. On line 82, the increase in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after heating based on the heating profile started is 25 mΩ or more (i.e., the rate of change is 50 mΩ / s or more). Therefore, it is determined that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the storage unit 140, and heating based on the heating profile is stopped.

[0133] Line 83 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted and the second heating based on the heating profile is started at the timing indicated by arrow 88, i.e., 3.7 seconds after the start of the first process. On line 83, the increase in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after the start of heating based on the heating profile is less than 25 mΩ (i.e., the rate of change is less than 50 mΩ / s). Therefore, it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, and heating based on the heating profile continues.

[0134] Line 84 shows the time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when, at the timing indicated by arrow 89, i.e., 3.2 seconds after the start of the first process, it is erroneously determined that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, even though nothing has been inserted, and a second heating process based on the heating profile is started. On line 84, the increase in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after heating based on the heating profile started is 25 mΩ or more (i.e., the rate of change is 50 mΩ / s or more). Therefore, it is determined that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the storage unit 140, and heating based on the heating profile is stopped.

[0135] (4) Processing Flow Next, the processing flow will be described with reference to FIG.

[0136] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the second process executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 11, first, the control unit 116 starts heating based on the heating profile (step S202).

[0138] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after the start of heating based on the heating profile is less than 50 mΩ / s.

[0139] If it is determined that the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after the start of heating based on the heating profile is less than 50 mΩ / s (step S104: YES), the control unit 116 continues heating based on the heating profile (step S208). After that, when the heating based on the heating profile ends, the process ends.

[0140] On the other hand, if it is determined that the rate of change in resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period from 1 second to 1.5 seconds after the start of heating based on the heating profile is 50 mΩ / s or more (step S104: NO), the control unit 116 stops the heating based on the heating profile (step S208).Then, the process ends.

[0141] 3. Supplementary Information Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0142] Although the above describes an example in which the state of the storage unit 140 is determined based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 in the first process, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, in the first process, a capacitance sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor, or the like may be used to detect the state of the storage unit 140, i.e., whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. Alternatively, the first process may be omitted, and the second process may be started based on a user operation such as pressing a button.

[0143] Although the example has been described above in which the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases and the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 decreases, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The resistance of the heating unit 121 may decrease as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 may increase as the temperature of the heating unit 121 decreases.

[0144] Although the above describes an example in which the parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121 used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140 is the resistance of the heating unit 121, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121 used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140 may be the temperature of the heating unit 121 calculated based on the resistance of the heating unit 121.

[0145] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the parameter related to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated, which is defined in the heating profile, is the target value of the temperature of the heating unit 121. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The heating profile may define a target value of the resistance of the heating unit 121.

[0146] The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The software programs may be stored in advance, for example, on a recording medium (more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) internal or external to each device. Each program is then loaded into RAM and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU when executed by a computer controlling each device described herein. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. The computer program may also be distributed, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium. The computer may be, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose processor that executes functions by loading a software program, or a computer on a server used in cloud computing. The series of processes performed by each device described herein may also be distributed among multiple computers.

[0147] Furthermore, the processes described herein using flowcharts and sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. Some process steps may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, additional process steps may be employed, and some process steps may be omitted.

[0148] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) An aerosol generation system comprising: a power supply unit that accumulates and supplies power; a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using power supplied from the power supply unit; and a control unit that controls power supply to the heating unit, wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit. (2) The aerosol generation system described in (1), wherein the control unit controls the operation of the heating unit based on the determination result of the state of the storage unit. (3) The aerosol generation system described in (2), wherein the control unit continues heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter satisfies a first condition, and stops heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter does not satisfy the first condition. (4) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of the parameter during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until a first time has elapsed until a second time has elapsed. (5) The aerosol generation system according to (4), wherein the control unit maintains a duty ratio of a voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the parameter satisfies a second condition, and changes the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit when the parameter satisfies the second condition, and wherein the first time and the second time are set to arrive before the second condition is satisfied. (6) The aerosol generation system according to (5), wherein the control unit maintains a duty ratio of a voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the second time has elapsed. (7) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (4) to (6), wherein the first time period is at least 1 second.(8) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a time series transition of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit, and starts heating by the heating unit to generate an aerosol based on the determination result. (9) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the aerosol generation system further includes the substrate. (10) A control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, wherein the aerosol generation system has: a power supply unit that accumulates and supplies electric power; a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source; and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit, wherein the control method includes controlling power supply to the heating unit, and wherein controlling the power supply to the heating unit includes determining the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit. (11) A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, the aerosol generation system having: a power supply unit that accumulates and supplies electric power; a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source; and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit using the electric power supplied from the power supply unit; the program causes the computer to function as a control unit that controls the supply of electric power to the heating unit; and the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on the rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit.

[0149] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Suction device 111 Power supply unit 112 Sensor unit 113 Notification unit 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 116 Control unit 121 Heating unit 140 Storage unit 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Suction nozzle 31 First detection pulse 33 Third detection pulse 34 Detection pulse group 41 Measurement pulse 42 Heating pulse 44 Heating pulse group

Claims

1. a power supply unit that stores and supplies power; a container for containing a substrate containing an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the substrate accommodated in the accommodation unit using the power supplied from the power supply unit; a control unit that controls power supply to the heating unit; Equipped with the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit. Aerosol generation systems.

2. The control unit controls the operation of the heating unit based on the determination result of the state of the storage unit.

10. The aerosol generating system of claim 1.

3. the control unit continues heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter satisfies a first condition, and stops heating by the heating unit when the rate of change of the parameter does not satisfy the first condition.

3. The aerosol generating system according to claim 2.

4. the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of the parameter during a period from when a first time has elapsed since the heating unit started heating to generate the aerosol to when a second time has elapsed.

4. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1.

5. the control unit maintains a duty ratio of a voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the parameter satisfies a second condition, and changes the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit when the parameter satisfies the second condition; the first time and the second time are set to occur before the second condition is satisfied; 5. The aerosol generating system according to claim 4.

6. the control unit maintains a duty ratio of a voltage applied to the heating unit at a predetermined value during a period from when the heating unit starts heating to generate an aerosol until the second time period has elapsed.

6. The aerosol generating system according to claim 5.

7. the first time period is at least 1 second; 5. The aerosol generating system according to claim 4.

8. the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a time series transition of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit, and starts heating by the heating unit to generate an aerosol based on the determination result.

4. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1.

9. The aerosol generating system further comprises the substrate.

4. The aerosol generating system according to claim 1.

10. 1. A computer-implemented control method for controlling an aerosol generating system, comprising: The aerosol generating system comprises: a power supply unit that stores and supplies power; a container for containing a substrate containing an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the substrate accommodated in the accommodation unit using the power supplied from the power supply unit; and The control method includes: controlling power supply to the heating unit; controlling the power supply to the heating unit includes determining a state of the accommodation unit based on a rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit; Control method.

11. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generating system, The aerosol generating system comprises: a power supply unit that stores and supplies power; a container for containing a substrate containing an aerosol source; a heating unit that heats the substrate accommodated in the accommodation unit using the power supplied from the power supply unit; and the program causes the computer to function as a control unit that controls power supply to the heating unit, the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on a rate of change of a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit. A non-transitory storage medium that stores a program.