Aerosol generation device

Abstract

This aerosol generation device is provided with: a heating unit that heats an aerosol source; a notification unit that notifies a user of information related to the heating of the aerosol source; a control unit that controls an operation of the notification unit; a control element that is controlled by the control unit to open and close an electrical connection of the notification unit; a first power source that supplies electric power to the control unit; a second power source that supplies electric power to the notification unit; and a first switch that uses electric power supplied from the first power source for an enable signal to control the supply of power from the second power source to the notification unit.

Description

Aerosol Generator

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

[0002] An aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source is equipped with user interface circuits (hereinafter referred to as "notification units") such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) and vibrators. The operation of these notification units is controlled by an MCU (Micro Controller Unit).

[0003] Special table 2021-526007 publication Special table 2021-528084 publication

[0004] The MCU (hereinafter referred to as the "controller") has a minimum operating voltage limit, and as long as a driving power supply equal to or higher than the minimum operating voltage is supplied to the MCU, the control of the notification unit by the controller will be executed normally. However, the driving power supplied to the controller may fall below the minimum operating voltage limit. For example, this occurs when the aerosol generating device is reset. In this case, the controller stops control, but because the threshold voltage of the transistor is lower than the minimum operating voltage limit, unintended operations may be executed.

[0005] In view of the above-described problems, the present disclosure provides a technique for preventing unintended operation of a notification unit when the drive power supplied to a control unit falls below a lower limit operating voltage.

[0006] As one form of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device is provided that has a heating unit that heats an aerosol source, a notification unit that notifies a user of information related to the heating of the aerosol source, a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit, a control element controlled by the control unit that opens and closes an electrical connection of the notification unit, a first power supply that supplies power to the control unit, a second power supply that supplies power to the notification unit, and a first switch that uses power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal to control the power supply from the second power supply to the notification unit.

[0007] The notification unit may include a light-emitting element.

[0008] The aerosol generating device may further include a voltage dividing circuit that divides the potential of the first power supply, and the voltage divided by the voltage dividing circuit may be used as the enable signal.

[0009] The first switch here may be configured to be turned off when the enable signal has a voltage higher than the lower limit operating voltage of the control unit.

[0010] The threshold voltage of the control element is lower than the lower limit operating voltage of the control unit.

[0011] The aerosol generating device may include a third power supply different from the second power supply, which supplies power to the heating unit.

[0012] The supply of power from the third power source to the heating unit may be controlled by a second control element, and a switch that uses the power supplied from the first power source as an enable signal to control the supply of power from the third power source to the heating unit may not be included between the third power source and the heating unit.

[0013] The heating section may be supplied with power from a second power source.

[0014] A switch that uses the power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal to control the power supply from the second power supply to the heating unit may not be included between the second power supply and the heating unit.

[0015] The aerosol source may be a solid.

[0016] The aerosol source may be a liquid.

[0017] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent an unintended operation of a notification unit when the drive power supplied to a control unit becomes lower than the lower limit operating voltage.

[0018] 1 is a diagram of the front side of the aerosol generation device observed from diagonally above. FIG. 2 is a diagram of the front side of the aerosol generation device observed from diagonally below. FIG. 3 is a diagram of the main device observed from the front with the front panel removed. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the main device. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an electronic circuit used in embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram explaining an example of the internal configuration of a load switch used in embodiment 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram explaining power supply to an LED when a reset operation is performed in the electronic circuit used in embodiment 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram explaining power supply to an LED when a reset operation is performed in an electronic circuit not provided with a load switch. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an electronic circuit used in embodiment 2. FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram explaining an example of the internal configuration of a load switch used in embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a diagram explaining power supply to an LED when a reset operation is performed in the electronic circuit used in embodiment 2.

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0020] <Terminology> The aerosol generating device according to each embodiment is a form of electronic cigarette. In the following description, the substance generated by the aerosol generating device is referred to as aerosol. Aerosol refers to a mixture of tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in a gas and air or other gases. In each embodiment, an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol without combustion is described. Note that inhaling aerosol generated by an aerosol generating device is also called "puffing." In each embodiment, an aerosol generating device to which a solid aerosol source can be attached is described. Note that the container that stores the solid aerosol source is referred to as either a "capsule" or a "stick-type substrate" depending on the product form. Capsules and stick-type substrates are consumables. For this reason, guidelines for replacement are set for capsules and stick-type substrates.

[0021] <Embodiment 1> <External Appearance Example> First, an external appearance example of the aerosol generation device used in embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 1 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from diagonally above. Fig. 2 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from diagonally below. Fig. 3 is a view of the main device 20 observed from the front with the front panel 10 removed.

[0022] The aerosol generation device 1 used in this embodiment has a size that allows the user to hold it in one hand. The aerosol generation device 1 has a main body device 20, a front panel 10 attached to the front of the main body device 20, and a shutter 30 that is arranged on the top surface of the main body device 20 and can be slid along the top surface. The front panel 10 is a member that can be attached to and detached from the main body device 20. The front panel 10 is attached and detached by the user.

[0023] 1 and 2, the front panel 10 attached to the main device 20 covers the front portion of the main device 20. In other words, even after the front panel 10 is attached, the main device 20 can be observed from the outside except for the front portion. For example, the side, back, top, and bottom surfaces of the main device 20 can be observed from the outside even after the front panel 10 is attached.

[0024] A window 10A is provided on the front panel 10. The window 10A is provided in a position facing the light-emitting element on the main device 20 side. In the case of embodiment 1, the light-emitting element is an LED (=Light Emitting Diode) 20A shown in FIG. 3. In the case of embodiment 1, eight LEDs 20A are provided on the main device 20. The LEDs 20A are an example of a "notification unit" that notifies information related to heating of the aerosol source. The window 10A in embodiment 1 is made of a light-transmitting material. However, the window 10A may also be a slit that penetrates from the front surface to the back surface.

[0025] The lighting and blinking patterns of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate the operating status of the aerosol generating device. For example, lighting and blinking of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate a status related to the heating of the aerosol source. Status related to the heating of the aerosol source include, for example, the completion of preparation for heating the aerosol source, the start of heating, the completion or end of heating, the number of aerosol sources available for inhalation, the remaining time available for inhalation, and an abnormality in the main body temperature. In addition, lighting and blinking of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate a malfunction or failure of the main body device 20, the remaining battery level, charging or completion of charging, the pairing status, and the like. Malfunctions here include abnormalities related to the ambient temperature. The lighting and blinking of the light-emitting element are controlled by the control unit 206 (see FIG. 4 ), which will be described later.

[0026] The front panel 10 also serves to buffer the propagation of heat emitted from the main device 20. In this embodiment, aerosol generation is permitted only when the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20. The front panel 10 used in this embodiment deforms when a user presses a position below the window 10A with their fingertip, and returns to its original shape when the user stops pressing. This deformation makes it possible to operate the power button 20B provided on the main device 20 while the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20.

[0027] A Type C USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 21 is provided on the bottom side of the main device 20. The shape and type of the USB connector 21 are merely examples. In the case of the first embodiment, the USB connector 21 is used to charge a power supply unit 201 (see FIG. 4 ) built into the main device 20.

[0028] A hole (not shown) for inserting a stick-shaped substrate 40 (see FIG. 4) containing an aerosol source is provided on the top surface of the main device 20. The hole is exposed by sliding the shutter 30 to the open position and is concealed by sliding the shutter 30 to the closed position. The stick-shaped substrate 40 used in this embodiment has a structure in which a solid aerosol source is stored in a substantially cylindrical paper tube.

[0029] A magnet, for example, is attached to the back surface of the shutter 30. Meanwhile, a Hall IC is attached to the main device 20 within the movable range of the shutter 30. The Hall IC is a magnetic sensor comprised of a Hall element and an operational amplifier, etc., and outputs a voltage according to the strength of the magnetic field that crosses the Hall element. In this embodiment, the opening and closing of the shutter 30 is detected from the change in voltage output from the Hall IC as the shutter 30 slides. In other words, it is detected whether the shutter 30 is in the open or closed position.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3 , a power button 20B is located approximately in the center of the front of the main device 20. As described above, the power button 20B can be operated with the front panel 10 attached. The power button 20B is used, for example, to turn the power of the main device on and off, turn on and off the power supply to the heating unit 207 (see FIG. 4 ) that heats the aerosol source, and issue a Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing command. Note that if the power button 20B is pressed and held (for example, for 5 seconds or more) with the front panel 10 detached from the main device 20, a reset function is activated. In this embodiment, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is used as Bluetooth.

[0031] 3, magnets 20C used to attach the front panel 10 are disposed at the top and bottom of the front of the main unit 20. The magnets 20C are disposed in positions facing a magnet (not shown) disposed inside the front panel 10. For example, if the magnet on the front panel 10 has a north pole, the magnet 20C on the main unit 20 side has a south pole. The front panel 10 is detachably attached to the main unit 20 by the attractive force between the magnets.

[0032] Either the magnet on the front panel 10 side or the magnet 20C on the main device 20 side may be a piece of iron or other magnetic metal. Attachment of the front panel 10 to the main device 20 is detected by a Hall IC provided on the main device 20 side. The main device 20 also incorporates various electronic components necessary for generating aerosol. In the first embodiment, the device configuration in which the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20 is referred to as the aerosol generation device 1, but in a narrower sense, the main device 20 is referred to as the aerosol generation device.

[0033] <Internal Configuration> Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the internal configuration of the main device 20. Fig. 4 shows the state in which the stick-shaped substrate 40 is attached to the main device 20. The internal configuration shown in Fig. 4 is intended to explain the components provided in the main device 20 and their positional relationships. For this reason, the appearance of the components, etc. shown in Fig. 4 does not necessarily match the appearance diagram described above.

[0034] The main device 20 is composed of a power supply unit 201, a sensor unit 202, a notification unit 203, a memory unit 204, a communication unit 205, a control unit 206, a heating unit 207, a heat insulating unit 208, and a holding unit 209. As mentioned above, Fig. 4 shows a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 40 is held by the holding unit 209. In this state, the user inhales the aerosol.

[0035] The power supply unit 201 is a unit that supplies power to each component. The power supply unit 201 uses a secondary battery to store the power required by the main unit 20. In the first embodiment, a lithium-ion secondary battery, for example, is used as the secondary battery. The secondary battery can be charged from an external power source. In the first embodiment, the external power source is supplied via the USB connector 21 (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the power source supplied from the secondary battery will be referred to as "VBAT," and the power source supplied via the USB connector 21 will be referred to as "VBUS." The power source VBUS is a 5V power source. The 5V power source can also be generated from VBAT.

[0036] The sensor unit 202 is an electronic component that detects various types of information related to the main device 20. The sensor unit 202 includes, for example, a pressure sensor such as a microphone capacitor and a flow rate sensor. The sensor unit 202 outputs the detected information to the control unit 206. For example, when the sensor unit 202 detects a change in air pressure or air flow associated with inhalation, it outputs a numerical value indicating the inhalation of aerosol by the user to the control unit 206.

[0037] The sensor unit 202 is provided in correspondence with, for example, a button or switch used to receive an operation from a user. The button here is the power button 20B (see FIG. 3) described above. The switch is the shutter 30 (see FIG. 1) described above. When the sensor unit 202 detects a user operation, it outputs the detection of the operation to the control unit 206.

[0038] In addition, the sensor unit 202 has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heating unit 207. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the heating unit 207 based on, for example, changes in the electrical resistance value of the conductive track of the heating unit 207. The temperature sensor outputs a voltage corresponding to the current electrical resistance value. The control unit 206 calculates the temperature of the heating unit 207 from the output voltage of the temperature sensor. The calculated temperature can also be considered as the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 40 held in the holding unit 209. Other temperature sensors include a temperature sensor that detects the ambient temperature of the heating unit 207 and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature near the surface of the main device 20.

[0039] The notification unit 203 is an electronic component that notifies the user of various information related to the main device 20. The notification unit 203 includes, for example, an LED 20A (see FIG. 3). The light emission and blinking of the LED 20A are controlled in a pattern corresponding to the content of the notification. When multiple LEDs 20A with different light emission colors are provided, the light emission and blinking may be performed in a combination of different light emission colors. For example, red may be used to notify that the device is in a state where it needs to be stopped from use or repaired, and white, green, blue, etc. may be used to notify that the device is in a normal use state.

[0040] The notification unit 203 may include other devices used together with the LED 20A or used in place of the LED 20A. The other devices include a display device that displays text, images, and other information, a sound output device that outputs sound, and a vibration device that vibrates the main body device 20. The light-emitting device, the display device, the sound output device, the vibration device, etc. are also examples of a "notification unit" that notifies the operating status of the aerosol generation device 1.

[0041] The storage unit 204 is an electronic component that stores various information related to the operation of the main device 20. The storage unit 204 is configured, for example, with a non-volatile semiconductor storage medium such as a flash memory. The information stored in the storage unit 204 includes, for example, an OS (Operating System), FW (Firmware), and other programs. The information stored in the storage unit 204 also includes, for example, information related to the control of the electronic components. The control information includes information related to user inhalation, such as the remaining charge of the secondary battery, SOH (State of Health), the number of suctions, the time of suction, and the cumulative suction time.

[0042] The communication unit 205 is a communication interface for enabling communication between the main device 20 and other devices. The communication unit 205 communicates with other devices in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards include wireless LAN (Local Area Network), USB, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark). For example, the communication unit 205 transmits information about the user's inhalation to a smartphone. The communication unit 205 also downloads update programs and a heating profile that defines the temperature change of the heating unit 207 in heating mode from a server.

[0043] The control unit 206 functions as an arithmetic processing unit or control device, and controls the operation of each unit constituting the main unit 20 in accordance with various programs. Control signals are transmitted via a signal line different from the power supply line. For example, communication within the main unit 20 uses a serial communication method such as the I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication method, the SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication method, or the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) communication method.

[0044] The control unit 206 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MCU (Micro Controller Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), etc. The control unit 206 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate.

[0045] The control unit 206 executes various processes and controls through the execution of programs. The processes and controls here include, for example, power supply by the power supply unit 201, charging of the power supply unit 201, detection of information by the sensor unit 202, notification of information using the notification unit 203, writing of information to the storage unit 204 or reading of information from the storage unit 204, and transmission and reception of information using the communication unit 205. In addition, the control unit 206 also controls input of information to electronic components, processing based on information output from electronic components, and the like.

[0046] The holding part 209 is a roughly cylindrical container. In this embodiment, the space inside the holding part 209, defined by the inner wall and the bottom surface, is referred to as the internal space 209A. The internal space 209A is roughly columnar. The holding part 209 here corresponds to the hole exposed by sliding the shutter 30. The holding part 209 is provided with an opening 209B that connects the internal space 209A to the outside. The stick-shaped substrate 40 is inserted into the internal space 209A through this opening 209B. The stick-shaped substrate 40 is inserted until its tip hits the bottom 209C. Only a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 40 is accommodated in the internal space 209A. A state in which the stick-shaped substrate 40 is accommodated in the internal space 209A is referred to as the stick-shaped substrate 40 being held in the internal space 209A.

[0047] The holding part 209 is formed so that the inner diameter of at least a portion of its axial direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 40. For this reason, the outer peripheral surface of the stick-shaped substrate 40 inserted into the internal space 209A is compressed by the inner wall of the holding part 209. This compression causes the stick-shaped substrate 40 to deform and be held in the internal space 209A. The holding part 209 also has the function of defining the flow path of air passing through the stick-shaped substrate 40. An air inlet, which is the entrance of air to the flow path, is located, for example, in the bottom part 209C. Note that the opening 209B corresponds to an air outlet, which is the air outlet.

[0048] In the present embodiment, only a portion of the stick-type substrate 40 is held in the holding portion 209, with the remainder protruding from the housing. Hereinafter, the portion of the stick-type substrate 40 held in the holding portion 209 will be referred to as the substrate portion 40A, and the portion protruding from the housing will be referred to as the mouthpiece portion 40B. At least the substrate portion 40A contains an aerosol source. The aerosol source is a substance that is atomized by heating to generate an aerosol. Aerosol sources include shredded tobacco, as well as processed products in which tobacco raw materials are formed into granules, sheets, or powder, and other tobacco-derived substances.

[0049] Furthermore, the aerosol source may include non-tobacco-derived substances made from plants other than tobacco, such as mint or herbs. For example, the aerosol source may include a flavoring component such as menthol. If the main device 20 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may include a medication for inhalation by the patient. Note that the aerosol source is not limited to solids and may be, for example, a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water.

[0050] At least a portion of the suction mouth portion 40B is held in the user's mouth when inhaling. When the user holds the suction mouth portion 40B in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 209A through the air inlet hole. The inflowing air passes through the internal space 209A and the base portion 40A and reaches the user's mouth. The air that reaches the user's mouth contains aerosol generated in the base portion 40A.

[0051] The heating unit 207 is composed of a heater or other heat generating element. The heating unit 207 is composed of any material such as metal or polyimide. The heating unit 207 is, for example, in the form of a film, and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the holding unit 209. The aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 40 is heated and atomized by the heat generated by the heating unit 207. The atomized aerosol source is mixed with air or the like to generate an aerosol. In the case of FIG. 4 , the area near the periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 40 is heated first, and the heated range gradually moves toward the center.

[0052] For this reason, atomization of the aerosol source begins near the periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 40 and gradually moves toward the center. The heating unit 207 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 201. For example, when a predetermined user operation is detected by the sensor unit 202, power supply to the heating unit 207 is permitted. The predetermined user operation here includes operation of the shutter 30 (see FIG. 1) or the power button 20B (see FIG. 3).

[0053] When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 40 heated by the heating unit 207 reaches a predetermined temperature, the user can inhale the substrate. The change in the target temperature over time from the start of heating to the end of heating is stored in the storage unit 204 as a heating profile. The heating profile is an example of a control sequence. The inhalation of the aerosol by the user is detected by a flow rate sensor or the like of the sensor unit 202 and stored in the storage unit 204. When a predetermined time has passed since the start of heating, or when a predetermined operation by the user is detected, power supply to the heating unit 207 is stopped. The predetermined operation is, for example, removing the stick-shaped substrate 40.

[0054] In the example of FIG. 4 , the heating unit 207 is disposed on the outer periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 40, but the heating unit 207 may be a blade-shaped metal piece inserted into the stick-shaped substrate 40. Alternatively, an induction heating method, for example, may be used to atomize the aerosol source. In this type of heating method, the heating unit 207 has at least an electromagnetic induction source, such as a coil that generates a magnetic field. In this case, a susceptor is disposed at a position overlapping with the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic induction source. The susceptor generates heat in response to the generation of the magnetic field and heats the aerosol source. The susceptor may be a metal piece embedded in the stick-shaped substrate 40. When a metal piece acting as the heating unit 207 is embedded in the stick-shaped substrate 40, a coil that induction heats the metal piece is disposed around the holder 209. Alternatively, a susceptor may be disposed on the outer periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 40 inside the main device 20, and a coil serving as an electromagnetic induction source may be wound around the outer periphery.

[0055] The heat insulating section 208 is a member that reduces the propagation of heat generated in the heating section 207 to the surrounding area. For this reason, the heat insulating section 208 is arranged so as to cover at least the outer peripheral surface of the heating section 207. The heat insulating section 208 is made of, for example, a vacuum insulation material, an aerogel insulation material, or the like. A vacuum insulation material is an insulation material in which, for example, glass wool and silica (silicon powder) are wrapped in a resin film and placed in a high vacuum state, thereby reducing the thermal conduction of gases to as close to zero as possible.

[0056] <Configuration of Electronic Circuit> FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically illustrating the electronic circuit used in embodiment 1. The connection relationships between representative components will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . Note that in FIG. 5 , wiring used for supplying power (hereinafter referred to as "power lines") is indicated by thick lines, and wiring used for control (hereinafter referred to as "control lines") is indicated by thin lines. The electronic circuit shown in FIG. 5 is composed of a charging IC 211, a step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212, an MCU 213, a step-up DC / DC circuit 214, a heater switch 215, a heater unit 216, a load switch 217, a voltage divider circuit 218, and an LED 20A.

[0057] The charging IC 211 switches the power supply path. For example, when a USB cable is connected to the USB connector 21 (see FIG. 2 ), the charging IC 211 connects the power supply VBUS to the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 and the step-up DC / DC circuit 214. On the other hand, when a USB cable is not connected to the USB connector 21, the charging IC 211 connects the power supply VBAT to the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212. The MCU 213 detects whether a USB cable is connected and instructs the charging IC 211 to switch the power supply path via a control line (not shown). When the charging IC 211 lights up the LED 20A while the USB cable is not connected, it generates a 5V power supply by OTG (= On-The-Go) and applies it to the power line for the LED 20A.

[0058] The step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 is a circuit that converts the power supply VBUS or power supply VBAT supplied from the charging IC 211 into a constant voltage system power supply Vsys. In the present embodiment, the system power supply Vsys is 3.3 V. In the case of FIG. 5 , the system power supply Vsys is supplied to the MCU 213 and the voltage divider circuit 218. The system power supply Vsys here is an example of a first power supply that supplies power to the MCU 213. The 5 V power supply (or power supply VBUS) described above is an example of a second power supply.

[0059] For example, when a power supply VBAT is supplied, the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 generates the system power supply Vsys by stepping up or stepping down the power supply VBAT. The power supply VBAT fluctuates depending on the remaining capacity and degree of deterioration of the secondary battery, but is converted to a constant voltage by the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212. On the other hand, when a power supply VBUS is supplied, the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 steps down the power supply VBUS to generate the system power supply Vsys.

[0060] The MCU 213 is an example of the control unit 206 (see FIG. 4) that controls the operation of each component of the aerosol generation device 1 (see FIG. 1), and is operated by the system power supply Vsys. For example, the MCU 213 controls the turning on and off of the LED 20A. In the case of FIG. 5, the MCU 213 controls the turning on and off of the LED 20A through the opening and closing control of a field effect transistor (FET) 213A, which is a switching element. In other words, the FET 213A is an example of a control element that opens and closes the electrical connection of the LED 20A. The FET 213A is connected in series with the wiring that connects the LED 20A to ground (GND).

[0061] The MCU 213 controls the FET 213A to be in an on state or an off state by switching the voltage applied to the gate terminal (so-called control terminal) of the FET 213A. In Fig. 5, the gate voltage Vg applied to the gate terminal is called a control signal. When the gate voltage Vg is higher than the gate threshold voltage Vth, the FET 213A is in a closed state, and the LED 20A is turned on. On the other hand, when the gate voltage Vg is lower than the gate threshold voltage Vth, the FET 213A is in an open state, and the LED 20A is turned off.

[0062] The gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 213A shown in Figure 5 is approximately 1 V or less. The gate threshold voltage Vth here is lower than the lower limit operating voltage at which normal operation of the MCU 213 is guaranteed. In other words, the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 is higher than the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 213A. Therefore, there is a possibility that the FET 213A will be unintentionally closed while the MCU 213 is not controlling the operation of the FET 213A.

[0063] In the first embodiment, eight FETs 213A are provided for eight LEDs 20A. One LED 20A and one FET 213A form a series circuit. Therefore, the eight series circuits are connected in parallel to a 5V power supply. The turning on and off of each LED 20A is individually controlled by the FET 213A. Note that in the electronic circuit shown in FIG. 5, the FET 213A is built into the MCU 213, but the FET 213A can also be provided outside the MCU 213.

[0064] The step-up DC / DC circuit 214 is a circuit that converts a power supply VBAT supplied from a secondary battery (not shown) into a constant voltage boost power supply Vboost. The boost power supply Vboost has a higher potential than the system power supply, for example, 5 V. The boost power supply Vboost is an example of a third power supply different from the 5 V power supply. In the case of the first embodiment, the 5 V power supply and the boost power supply Vboost are wired separately for the purpose of distributing the load.

[0065] The heater switch (SW) 215 controls the application of the boost power supply Vboost to the heater unit 216. The heater switch 215 is a switch element connected in series to a power supply line connecting the step-up DC / DC circuit 214 and the heater unit 216. In the case of FIG. 5 , the heater switch 215 is configured by a field effect transistor. The opening and closing of the heater switch 215 as a switch element is controlled by the MCU 213.

[0066] When the heater switch 215 is closed, the boost power Vboost is supplied to the heater unit 216. On the other hand, when the heater switch 215 is open, the boost power Vboost is not supplied to the heater unit 216. By controlling the supply of this boost power Vboost, the temperature of the heater unit 216 transitions in accordance with a predetermined heating profile. Note that the opening and closing control of the heater switch 215 may be initiated by detecting a predetermined user input, for example, an input from the power button 20B (see FIG. 3). The heater switch 215 is an example of a second control element.

[0067] The heater unit 216 is a component that generates heat when energized and heats the stick-shaped substrate 40 inserted in the holder 209. The heater unit 216 is an example of the heating section 207. The temperature of the heater unit 216 can be calculated based on the potential difference that appears between both ends of the heater unit 216 (i.e., between the power supply side and the ground side). Incidentally, the calculation of the temperature based on the measured potential difference is performed by the MCU 213.

[0068] The load switch 217 is a switch that controls the supply of 5V power to the LED 20A. In the case of FIG. 5 , the 5V power is applied to the VIN terminal of the load switch 217, and a potential obtained by dividing the system power supply Vsys (3.3V in FIG. 5 ) is applied to the enable terminal EN. A voltage divider circuit 218 is used to divide the system power supply Vsys. The voltage divider circuit 218 shown in FIG. 5 is composed of a series circuit of resistors R1 and R2, and the midpoint of connection between the resistors R1 and R2 is connected to the enable terminal EN of the load switch 217.

[0069] Incidentally, the resistance value of resistor R1 is preferably set to a value greater than the resistance value of resistor R2. For example, the resistance value of resistor R1 is set to 500 kΩ, and the resistance value of resistor R2 is set to 300 kΩ. In this numerical example, a voltage of approximately 40% of the system power supply Vsys is applied to the enable terminal EN. For example, when a reset operation is performed, the system power supply Vsys output from the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 gradually decreases and eventually reaches 0 V. At this time, the voltage-divider circuit 218 serves to lower the potential applied to the enable terminal EN below the potential of the system power supply Vsys. By setting the resistance value of resistor R1 to a value greater than the resistance value of resistor R2, the difference between the potential applied to the enable terminal EN and the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 can be set to a larger value than when the resistance value of resistor R1 is set to a value smaller than the resistance value of resistor R2.

[0070] For example, when the system power supply Vsys drops to 2.5 V, the voltage divider circuit 218 outputs 1 V, and when the system power supply Vsys drops to 2 V, the voltage divider circuit 218 outputs 0.8 V. In this way, the output voltage of the voltage divider circuit 218 can be made lower than the actual system power supply Vsys. Therefore, the load switch 217, which uses the output of this voltage divider circuit 218 as an enable signal, can stop the supply of 5 V power to the LED 20A at an earlier timing than when the system power supply Vsys is used as an enable signal. In this way, the load switch 217, which controls the supply of power to the LED 20A, is an example of a first switch.

[0071] Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the load switch 217 used in the first embodiment. The load switch 217 shown in Fig. 6 has an N-channel FET 217A connected in series to a 5V power supply. In the case of Fig. 6, the 5V power supply is applied to the drain terminal D of the FET 217A via the VIN terminal. The source terminal S of the FET 217A is connected to the anode terminal of the LED 20A via the VOUT terminal. An enable signal is applied to the gate terminal G of the FET 217A via the enable terminal EN.

[0072] The gate threshold voltage Vth of FET 217A is designed to be higher than the lower limit operating voltage of MCU 213 and lower than the potential of the enable signal when the system power supply Vsys is applied in a normal state (here, 3.3 V × (R2 / (R1+R2))). Hereinafter, this magnitude relationship will be referred to as "relationship 1." Note that the normal state is a state in which the system power supply Vsys is supplied stably and does not include transient states such as the rise and fall of the system power supply Vsys. Note that the lower limit operating voltage of MCU 213 is determined as a characteristic of MCU 213, so the gate threshold voltage Vth of FET 217A and the resistance values ​​of resistors R1 and R2 are designed to satisfy relationship 1.

[0073] By satisfying Relationship 1, the FET 217A of the load switch 217 remains on during normal operation, and in situations where the potential of the system power supply Vsys drops, such as during a reset operation, the FET 217A switches from on to off at a potential higher than the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213. In other words, during normal operation when the potential of the enable signal is higher than the gate threshold voltage Vth, the FET 217A operates on and outputs 5 V power to the VOUT terminal.

[0074] On the other hand, during reset, while the system power supply Vsys is higher than the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213, the potential of the enable signal falls below the gate threshold voltage Vth, and the FET 217A switches from on to off. As a result, even if a 5V power supply is applied to the VIN terminal, the 5V power supply no longer appears at the VOUT terminal of the load switch 217. In other words, the power required to operate the LED 20A is no longer supplied to the LED 20A. As a result, even if the FET 213A, which controls the on / off of the LED 20A, is unintentionally turned on, the LED 20A will not light up.

[0075] <Other Structural Features> In this embodiment, the load switch 217 for the LED 20A is not provided on the wiring to which the boost power supply Voost that supplies power to the heater unit 216 is applied. Therefore, if the gate threshold voltage Vth of the heater switch 215 is lower than the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213, there is a possibility that the heater switch 215 will be unintentionally turned on during a period when the MCU 213 is out of control. However, even if the heater switch 215 is unintentionally turned on during the reset period, the period is only about 0.4 seconds. Therefore, even if unintentional power supply occurs, the temperature rise of the heater unit 216 is limited and does not affect user use.

[0076] Furthermore, unlike the LED 20A, the occurrence of unintended power supply to the heater unit 216 is not noticeable to the user. Therefore, unlike the light emission of the LED 20A, it does not affect the user's behavior. Furthermore, to achieve high heating efficiency, the fewer resistive elements there are on the wiring to which the boost power supply Vost is applied, the better. For this reason, in the first embodiment, no load switch is provided on the wiring to which the boost power supply Vost is applied.

[0077] <Measures to Prevent Unintended Illumination of LED During Reset Operation> Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the power supply to the LED 20A when a reset operation is performed in the electronic circuit used in embodiment 1. First, when a reset operation is detected, the supply of the system power Vsys output by the step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit 212 to the MCU 213 and other devices is stopped. This supply is stopped by a load switch (not shown). Incidentally, the off control of the load switch (not shown) is performed by a power driver. For example, when the power driver detects pressing of the power button 20B when the front panel 10 is detached from the main unit 20, it controls the load switch to off. The power driver operates independently of the MCU 213.

[0078] Upon detection of the reset operation, a waveform 301 of the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 and the voltage divider circuit 218 starts to drop from 3.3 V. Note that a waveform 302 of the enable signal output from the voltage divider circuit 218 starts to drop from a voltage lower than 3.3 V. As a result, the potential of the enable signal drops below the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217A in the load switch 217 before the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 drops to the lower operating voltage limit.

[0079] Therefore, as shown in waveform 303, FET 217A in load switch 217 turns off before the system power supply Vsys supplied to MCU 213 drops to the lower operating voltage limit. That is, FET 217A switches from the on state to the off state before the uncontrollable period of MCU 213 begins. Furthermore, after the uncontrollable period of MCU 213 ends, FET 217A switches from the off state to the on state. As a result, even if the supply of 5V power (waveform 304) continues, the potential applied to the anode terminal of LED 20A (hereinafter referred to as the "anode potential") drops to near 0V as shown in waveform 305 when the uncontrollable period begins.

[0080] Therefore, even if the FET 213A is turned on for some reason during the period when the MCU 213 is unable to control the FET 213A (the pulse of the waveform 306), the anode potential of the LED 20A is insufficient for light emission. Therefore, the LED 20A does not emit light, as shown by the waveform 307. In other words, light emission by the LED 20A that is not under the control of the MCU 213 (i.e., unintentional light emission) is prevented.

[0081] <Comparative Example> Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the power supply to LED 20A when a reset operation is performed in an electronic circuit that does not include load switch 217. In Fig. 8, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 7 are assigned the same reference numerals. In the case of Fig. 8, since load switch 217 is not provided, even if the potential of the system power supply Vsys (waveform 301) supplied to MCU 213 falls below the lower limit operating voltage of MCU 213 as a result of the reset operation, the supply of 5V power (waveform 305) to the anode terminal of LED 20A continues.

[0082] As a result, if FET 213A is turned on for some reason during the period when MCU 213 is out of control (pulse of waveform 306), the light emission condition is met and LED 20A emits light, as shown in waveform 307. This light emission of LED 20A is undesirable because it may be perceived by the user as a presentation of some kind of information.

[0083] <Effects> In the aerosol generating device 1 (see FIG. 1) according to this embodiment, a load switch 217 is provided on the power supply line that supplies power to the LED 20A (see FIG. 1), and a mechanism is adopted that stops the supply of power during a period in which the potential of the system power supply Vsys drops below the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5). Specifically, the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 is used as an enable signal, and control is performed so that operating power is not supplied to the LED 20A during a period in which the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5) is out of control.

[0084] As a result, even if the FET 213A is turned on for some reason while the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5) is below the lower limit voltage, unintended light emission of the LED 20A (see FIG. 5) can be prevented. In other words, unintended operation of the notification unit 203 (see FIG. 4) can be prevented while the control unit 206 (see FIG. 4) is out of control.

[0085] Furthermore, the aerosol generating device 1 according to this embodiment employs a mechanism in which the system power supply Vsys is divided by the voltage divider circuit 218, and the divided potential is applied as an enable signal to the load switch 217. This allows the load switch 217 to be switched to the off state before the system power supply Vsys drops to the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 due to a reset. In other words, it becomes possible to stop the supply of operating power to the LED 20A earlier than the drop in the system power supply Vsys.

[0086] <Embodiment 2> In this embodiment, another electronic circuit that can be employed in the aerosol generation device 1 (see FIG. 1) will be described. The external configuration and functional configuration of the aerosol generation device 1 are the same as those in embodiment 1. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an electronic circuit used in embodiment 2. In FIG. 9, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 5 are assigned the same reference numerals. The electronic circuit shown in FIG. 9 differs from embodiment 1 in that the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 is supplied to the load switch 217.

[0087] Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of the load switch 217 used in the second embodiment. In Fig. 10, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 6 are assigned the same reference numerals. In the case of the load switch 217 shown in Fig. 10, the condition required for the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217B that switches the supply of 5V power to the LED 20A is different from that of the FET 217A described in Fig. 6.

[0088] In the case of Figure 10, the maximum value of the potential applied to the enable terminal EN is 3.3 V, the same as the system power supply Vsys. For this reason, the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217B is designed to be higher than the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 and lower than the potential of the enable signal when the system power supply Vsys is applied in a normal state (3.3 V in this case). Hereinafter, this magnitude relationship will be referred to as "relationship 2." Note that the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213 is determined as a characteristic of the MCU 213, so the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217B is designed to satisfy relationship 2.

[0089] <Measures to prevent unintended lighting of LED during reset operation> Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the power supply to LED 20A when a reset operation is performed in the electronic circuit used in embodiment 2. In Figure 11, parts corresponding to those in Figure 7 are assigned the same reference numerals. Figure 11 differs from Figure 7 in that the system power supply Vsys coincides with the enable signal. For this reason, Figure 11 does not depict the waveform 302 described in Figure 7.

[0090] As described above, the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217B is designed to be an intermediate potential between 3.3 V and the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213. Therefore, when the system power supply Vsys falls below the gate threshold voltage Vth of the FET 217B due to the reset operation, the FET 217B switches from the ON state to the OFF state (waveform 303). From this point on, the potential applied to the anode terminal of the LED 20A (waveform 305) begins to decrease.

[0091] As a result, the anode potential of LED 20A drops to near 0 V by the time the system power supply Vsys drops to the lower limit voltage for operation of the MCU 213. Therefore, even if FET 213A turns on for some reason during an uncontrollable period of the MCU 213 (pulse of waveform 306), the anode potential of LED 20A is insufficient for light emission. Therefore, as shown in waveform 307, LED 20A does not light up. In other words, lighting of LED 20A without the control of the MCU 213 (i.e., unintentional lighting) is prevented.

[0092] <Effects> In the case of the aerosol generation device 1 according to this embodiment, a load switch 217 is provided on the power supply line supplying power to the LED 20A (see FIG. 1), and a mechanism is adopted that stops the supply of power during a period in which the potential of the system power supply Vsys falls below the lower limit voltage of the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5). As a result, even if the FET 213A is turned on for some reason during a period in which the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5) falls below the lower limit voltage, unintended lighting of the LED 20A (see FIG. 5) can be prevented. In other words, unintended operation of the notification unit 203 (see FIG. 4) can be prevented during a period in which the control unit 206 (see FIG. 4) is unable to be controlled.

[0093] <Embodiment 3> In this embodiment, another electronic circuit that can be employed in the aerosol generation device 1 (see FIG. 1) will be described. The external configuration and functional configuration of the aerosol generation device 1 are the same as those in Embodiment 1. Fig. 12 is a diagram schematically showing an electronic circuit used in Embodiment 3. In Fig. 12, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 5 are assigned the same reference numerals.

[0094] The electronic circuit shown in Fig. 12 differs from the first embodiment in that there is no step-up DC / DC circuit 214 (see Fig. 5) and that the power supply VBUS is supplied to the heater unit 216 via the heater switch 215. In the case of Fig. 12, the wiring supplying the 5V power supply (or the power supply VBUS) branches into two, one connected to the load switch 217 and the other connected to the heater switch 215. Therefore, both the 5V power supply (or the power supply VBUS) supplied to the load switch 217 and the 5V power supply (or the power supply VBUS) supplied to the heater switch 215 are examples of the second power supply.

[0095] <Other Structural Features> In this embodiment, too, the load switch 217 for the LED 20A is not provided on the wiring to which the boost power supply Vboost that supplies power to the heater unit 216 is applied. Therefore, if the gate threshold voltage Vth of the heater switch 215 is lower than the lower limit operating voltage of the MCU 213, there is a possibility that the heater switch 215 will be unintentionally turned on during a period when the MCU 213 is out of control. However, even if the heater switch 215 is unintentionally turned on during the reset period, this period will last only about 0.4 seconds. Therefore, even if unintentional power supply occurs, the temperature rise of the heater unit 216 is limited and does not affect user use.

[0096] Furthermore, unlike the LED 20A, the occurrence of unintended power supply to the heater unit 216 is not noticeable to the user. Therefore, unlike the lighting of the LED 20A, it does not affect the user's behavior. Furthermore, to achieve high heating efficiency, the fewer resistive elements there are on the wiring to which the boost power supply Vboost is applied, the better. Taking this into consideration, in the first embodiment, a load switch is not provided on the wiring to which the boost power supply Vboost is applied.

[0097] <Effects> In the case of the aerosol generation device 1 according to this embodiment, a load switch 217 is provided on the power supply line supplying power to the LED 20A (see FIG. 1), and a mechanism is adopted that stops the supply of power during a period in which the potential of the system power supply Vsys falls below the lower limit voltage of the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5). As a result, even if the FET 213A is turned on for some reason during a period in which the system power supply Vsys supplied to the MCU 213 (see FIG. 5) falls below the lower limit voltage, unintended lighting of the LED 20A (see FIG. 5) can be prevented. In other words, unintended operation of the notification unit 203 (see FIG. 4) can be prevented during a period in which the control unit 206 (see FIG. 4) is unable to be controlled.

[0098] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the system power supply Vsys is divided by the voltage divider circuit 218, and the divided potential is applied to the enable terminal EN of the load switch 217, so that it is possible to stop the supply of operating power to the LED 20A earlier than the decrease in the system power supply Vsys. Note that, in the case of this embodiment as well, a circuit configuration without the voltage divider circuit 218 may be used, as in the second embodiment.

[0099] <Other Embodiments> (1) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope of the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0100] (2) In the above embodiment, the load switch 217 is used to prevent the LED 20A from turning on unintentionally, but the load switch 217 may also be used to prevent the unintentional operation of a display device, a sound output device, or a vibration device. Note that the load switch 217 may be provided on all or some of the LED 20A or other light-emitting devices, the display device, the sound output device, and the vibration device.

[0101] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the system power supply Vsys or a voltage obtained by dividing the system power supply Vsys is used as the enable signal, but other circuit configurations may be used to control the supply of 5V power to LED 20A by load switch 217. For example, the system power supply Vsys or the system power supply Vsys may be compared with a reference voltage, and FET 217A in load switch 217 may be switched based on the H-level output and L-level output that are the comparison result.

[0102] (4) In the above embodiment, the aerosol source is described as being solid, but the aerosol source may also be liquid. When the aerosol source is liquid, a method is adopted in which the aerosol source is guided into a thin tube called a wick using capillary action, and the aerosol source is evaporated by heating a coil wrapped around the wick. Note that when the aerosol source is liquid, the aerosol source is heated in conjunction with the user's inhalation.

[0103] That is, when the sensor unit 202 (see FIG. 4 ) detects inhalation by the user, the liquid aerosol source is heated. However, an upper limit (e.g., 2.5 seconds) is set for the heating time per inhalation, and even if inhalation continues beyond the upper limit, heating of the aerosol source is stopped when the upper limit is reached. Furthermore, the amount of power required for heating is less for a liquid aerosol source than for a solid aerosol source. Therefore, in the case of a liquid aerosol source, it is easier to employ the electronic circuit described in embodiment 3 than in the case of a solid aerosol source.

[0104] (5) In the above embodiment, the aerosol generator generates an aerosol by heating a solid aerosol source. However, the aerosol generator may generate an aerosol by separately heating a solid aerosol source and a liquid aerosol source. This type of aerosol generator is also called a hybrid aerosol generator.

[0105] <Summary> The present disclosure includes the following configurations: (1) An aerosol generating device having a heating unit that heats an aerosol source, a notification unit that notifies a user of information related to heating of the aerosol source, a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit, a control element controlled by the control unit that opens and closes an electrical connection of the notification unit, a first power supply that supplies power to the control unit, a second power supply that supplies power to the notification unit, and a first switch that uses power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal to control power supply from the second power supply to the notification unit. (2) The aerosol generating device described in (1), in which the notification unit includes a light-emitting element. (3) The aerosol generating device described in (1) or (2), further having a voltage divider circuit that divides the first power supply, and using the voltage divided by the voltage divider circuit as the enable signal. (4) The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (3), in which the first switch is configured to turn off when the enable signal is a voltage higher than the lower limit operating voltage of the control unit. (5) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the threshold voltage of the control element is lower than the lower limit operating voltage of the control unit. (6) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (5), comprising a third power supply different from the second power supply, which supplies power to the heating unit. (7) The aerosol generating device according to (6), wherein the supply of power from the third power supply to the heating unit is controlled by a second control element, and wherein no switch is provided between the third power supply and the heating unit, which uses power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal to control the power supply from the third power supply to the heating unit. (8) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein power is supplied to the heating unit from a second power supply. (9) The aerosol generating device according to (8), wherein no switch is provided between the second power supply and the heating unit, which uses power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal to control the power supply from the second power supply to the heating unit. (10) The aerosol generating device according to (6) or (8), wherein the aerosol source is solid. (11) The aerosol generating device according to (6) or (8), wherein the aerosol source is a liquid.

[0106] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Aerosol generating device, 10...Front panel, 10A...Window, 20...Main body device, 20A...LED, 20B...Power button, 20C...Magnet, 21...USB connector, 30...Shutter, 40...Stick-shaped substrate, 40A...Substrate part, 40B...Suction mouth part, 201...Power supply part, 202...Sensor part, 203...Notification part, 204...Memory part, 205...Communication part, 206...Control part, 2 07...heating section, 208...heat insulation section, 209...holding section, 209A...internal space, 209B...opening, 209C...bottom, 211...charging IC, 212...step-up / step-down DC / DC circuit, 213...MCU, 213A, 217A, 217B...FET, 214...step-up DC / DC circuit, 215...heater switch, 216...heater unit, 217...load switch, 218...voltage divider circuit

Claims

1. a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a notification unit that notifies a user of information related to heating of the aerosol source; a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit; a control element that is controlled by the control unit and opens and closes an electrical connection of the notification unit; a first power source that supplies power to the control unit; a second power source that supplies power to the notification unit; a first switch that controls power supply from the second power supply to the notification unit by using power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal; An aerosol generating device having:

2. The notification unit includes a light-emitting element. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .

3. further comprising a voltage divider circuit that divides the first power supply; the voltage divided by the voltage divider circuit is used as the enable signal; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the first switch is configured to be turned off when the enable signal has a voltage higher than a lower limit operating voltage of the control unit; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The threshold voltage of the control element is lower than the lower limit operating voltage of the control unit. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a third power source different from the second power source, which supplies power to the heating unit; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .

7. supply of power from the third power supply to the heating unit is controlled by a second control element; a switch for controlling power supply from the third power supply to the heating unit by using power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal is not provided between the third power supply and the heating unit; The aerosol generating device according to claim 6.

8. The heating unit is supplied with power from the second power source. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

9. a switch for controlling power supply from the second power supply to the heating unit by using power supplied from the first power supply as an enable signal is not provided between the second power supply and the heating unit; The aerosol generating device according to claim 8.

10. the aerosol source is a solid; The aerosol generating device according to claim 6.

11. the aerosol source is a liquid; The aerosol generating device according to claim 6.