Aerosol generation device

Abstract

The present invention comprises: an accommodation unit that is capable of accommodating at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol source; an oscillation unit that generates electromagnetic waves through oscillation; a radiation unit that radiates, to the accommodation unit, the electromagnetic waves generated through oscillation by the oscillation unit; a reflected wave detection unit that detects reflected waves returning from the radiation unit; and a control unit that controls the oscillation unit. According to the detection result of electromagnetic waves detected by the reflected wave detection unit, the control unit identifies the type of the aerosol-generating article and / or the state of the aerosol-generating article, and controls the oscillation unit according to the identified type and / or state of the aerosol-generating article.

Description

Aerosol Generator

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

[0002] In recent years, in aerosol generating devices such as heated tobacco, a heating method has been attracting attention in which an aerosol generating article (such as a capsule or stick) containing an aerosol source is heated by irradiating the aerosol generating article with microwaves (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2021 / 013477

[0004] Here, depending on the aerosol-generating product, a heating method such as a temperature suitable for generating the aerosol may be determined.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an aerosol generating device capable of heating an aerosol-generating article in accordance with the type of the article.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage section capable of storing at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article including an aerosol source; an oscillator section that emits electromagnetic waves; a radiation section that radiates the electromagnetic waves oscillated by the oscillator section toward the storage section; a reflected wave detection section that detects reflected waves returning from the radiation section; and a control section that controls the oscillator section, wherein the control section determines at least one of the type and state of the aerosol-generating article based on the detection result of the electromagnetic waves detected by the reflected wave detection section, and controls the oscillator section based on at least one of the determined type and state of the aerosol-generating article.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aerosol generating device that can heat an aerosol-generating article in accordance with the type of the article.

[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0009] The accompanying drawings are included in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the present invention, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present invention. A diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an aerosol generating device A diagram showing the overall aerosol generation process A diagram showing details of S202 in FIG. 2 A diagram showing an example of frequency characteristics for each tobacco stick A diagram showing an example of a heating profile A diagram showing details of S204 in FIG. 2 A diagram showing the correspondence between target temperatures and heating patterns A diagram showing the correspondence between target temperatures and heating patterns A diagram showing an example of time change in frequency characteristics of a tobacco stick A diagram showing an example of a heating profile A diagram showing details of S204 in FIG. 2

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same reference numerals are used for the same or similar components, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0011] <Hardware Configuration of Aerosol Generating Device> An aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the aerosol generating device 10 of this embodiment. Fig. 1 is a diagram of the aerosol generating device 10 after an aerosol-generating article 40 and a mouthpiece 50 have been attached to the aerosol generating device 10. The mouthpiece 50 is detachable from the aerosol generating device 10. Fig. 1 shows directions in an XYZ coordinate system, with the insertion direction of the tobacco stick 40 into the aerosol generating device 10 being the -Z direction.

[0012] The aerosol generating device 10 is configured to heat the aerosol-generating article 40 in response to an action (also called an atomization request) by a user that requests atomization of the aerosol source, such as inhalation, and provide the user with a gas containing an aerosol or a gas containing an aerosol and a flavoring substance. The aerosol generating device 10 is sometimes called an inhaler (atomizer), and in the following description, the aerosol generating device 10 may be referred to as the "inhaler 10."

[0013] The aerosol-generating article 40 is an article including an aerosol source that generates an aerosol upon heating, and is detachably (insertable) attached to the inhaler 10. The aerosol-generating article 40 may include, in addition to the aerosol source, a flavor source that generates a flavor substance upon heating. The flavor source may be a plant other than tobacco, such as mint, Chinese medicine, or herbs. In this embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 40 is configured as a tobacco stick having a substantially cylindrical rod shape, but it does not need to be stick-shaped and may be capsule-shaped or cartridge-shaped. The aerosol-generating article 40 may also be configured in a form in which a liquid (aerosol source, tobacco extract) is impregnated into a porous body such as a nonwoven fabric. Hereinafter, the aerosol-generating article 40 may be referred to as a "tobacco stick 40."

[0014] The tobacco stick 40 may include, for example, an aerosol-source-filled portion 41, a mouthpiece portion 42, and tipping paper 43 that connects them together. An aerosol-generation source including an aerosol source and a flavor source is disposed in the aerosol-source-filled portion 41. In this embodiment, a tobacco filler containing tobacco leaves, tobacco leaf extracts, or processed products thereof is used as the aerosol-generation source. Hereinafter, the aerosol-source-filled portion 41 may be referred to as the "tobacco-filled portion 41." The mouthpiece portion 42 and the tobacco-filled portion 41 are wrapped together with tipping paper 43, thereby being coaxially connected to the tobacco-filled portion 41. The aerosol-generating article 40 may be provided with a filter at the end upstream of the tobacco-filled portion 41 to prevent the tobacco filler from falling out.

[0015] In this embodiment, the tobacco filler is configured to include tobacco shreds. In another example, the tobacco filler may be a liquid containing a tobacco leaf extract, as described below. The material of the tobacco shreds contained in the tobacco filler is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina or backbone can be used. Alternatively, the tobacco filler may be made by crushing dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to obtain tobacco grounds, homogenizing the resulting grounds, and then shredding the resulting sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet). In another example, the tobacco filler may be made by gas pressing (GP), extrusion, or tableting tobacco leaves. Furthermore, the tobacco filler may be a so-called strand type, in which a homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod is shredded approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod and then filled into a tobacco rod. Furthermore, the tobacco filler may be a so-called strand type, in which a homogenized sheet having a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod is shredded approximately horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod and then filled into a tobacco rod. The width of the tobacco shreds is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less when filling the tobacco filling section 41. The content of dried tobacco leaves contained in the tobacco filling section 41 is not particularly limited, but may be 200 mg or more and 800 mg or less per rod, and preferably 250 mg or more and 600 mg or less per rod. This range is particularly suitable for a tobacco filling section 41 having a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm.

[0016] Various types of tobacco can be used for the production of shredded tobacco and homogenized sheets. Examples include flue-cured tobacco, burley, oriental tobacco, native tobacco, other Nicotiana tabacum varieties, Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures thereof. Mixtures can be created by appropriately blending the aforementioned varieties to achieve the desired flavor. Details of the tobacco varieties are disclosed in the "Encyclopedia of Tobacco," published by the Tobacco Research Center on March 31, 2009. There are several conventional methods for producing homogenized sheets, i.e., grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into homogenized sheets. The first method is to produce a paper-making sheet using a papermaking process. The second method involves mixing a suitable solvent, such as water, with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, then thinly casting the homogenized mixture onto a metal plate or metal belt and drying it to produce a cast sheet. The third method involves mixing a suitable solvent, such as water, with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and extruding the mixture into a sheet to produce a rolled sheet. The types of the homogenizing sheets are disclosed in detail in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009."

[0017] The moisture content of the tobacco filler can be 10% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less, and preferably 11% by weight or more and 13% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the tobacco filler. This moisture content suppresses the occurrence of stains on the tobacco filler and improves the suitability for wrapping during the production of the tobacco filler 41. There are no particular restrictions on the size or preparation method of the tobacco shreds contained in the tobacco filler. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less may be used. Furthermore, when using a pulverized homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be pulverized to an average particle size of approximately 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, and then shredded to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less.

[0018] The tobacco filler includes an aerosol base that generates aerosol smoke. The type of aerosol base is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and / or their constituent components can be selected depending on the application. Examples of aerosol bases include water, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol base in the tobacco filler 41 is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoints of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is typically 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and typically 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the tobacco filler.

[0019] The tobacco filler may contain a flavoring. The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, the following may be used: acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, balsam of Peru oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellal, Nerol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, konjac oil, coriander oil, cumin aldehyde, davana oil, delta-decalactone, gamma-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-dimethylpyrazine, 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, eucalyptol, fenugreek absolute, gene absolute, gentian root infusion, geraniol, geranyl acetate, grape juice, guaiacol, guava extract, gamma-heptalactone, gamma-hexalactone, hexanoic acid, cis-3-hexen-1-ol, hexyl acetate, hexyl alcohol, phenylhexyl acetate, honey, 4-hydroxy-3-pentenoic acid, lauryl methylpropional Ingredients: methicone, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, sodium 4-hydroxyundecanoate, immortelle absolute, beta-ionone, isoamyl acetate, isoamyl butyrate, isoamyl phenylacetate, isobutyl acetate, isobutyl phenylacetate, jasmine absolute, cola nut tincture, labdanum oil, lemon terpeneless oil, licorice extract, linalool, linalyl acetate, robertia jasmine Orris root oil, maltol, maple syrup, menthol, menthone, L-menthyl acetate, para-methoxybenzaldehyde, methyl 2-pyrrolyl ketone, methyl anthranilate, methyl phenylacetate, methyl salicylate, 4'-methylacetophenone, methylcyclopentenolone, 3-methylvaleric acid, mimosa absolute, honey, myristic acid, nerol, nerolidol, gamma-nonalactone, nutmeg oil, delta-octalactone, octanal, octanoic acid, orange flower oil, orange oil, orris root oil, palmitic acid, omega-pentadeca Calactone, peppermint oil, petitgrain Paraguay oil, phenethyl alcohol, phenethyl phenylacetate, phenylacetic acid, piperonal, plum extract, propenylguaethol, propyl acetate, 3-propylidenephthalide, prune juice, pyruvic acid, raisin extract, rose oil, rum, sage oil, sandalwood oil, spearmint oil, styrax absolute, marigold oil, tea distillate, α-terpineol, terpinyl acetate, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexene) Examples of the fragrance include 2-(2-(2-oxadienyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), and ethyl-2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamide) acetate (WS-5), with menthol being particularly preferred. These fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0020] The content of the flavoring in the tobacco filler is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, it is usually 10,000 ppm or more, preferably 20,000 ppm or more, more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, and is usually 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and even more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.

[0021] The inhaler 10 includes a case 11 in which various components, described below, are mounted. The case 11 is provided with a storage section 12 capable of storing a portion of a tobacco stick 40 inserted through an opening 12a, a guide section 13 for guiding the insertion of the tobacco stick 40 through the opening 12a of the storage section 12, and an air flow path 14 that communicates with the storage section 12 and allows air to be introduced into the storage section 12. The storage section 12 may have an inner surface made of metal or the like to confine microwaves within the storage section 12. The air flow path 14 has an air intake 14a provided on the exterior of the case 11 and is configured to introduce air into the storage section 12 through the air intake 14a. The air flow path 14 may be provided with a microwave shield 14b that allows air to pass through but blocks microwaves. The air flow path 14 is not limited to being provided on the side surface of the storage section 12 as shown in FIG. 1 , but may also be provided on the bottom or top surface of the storage section 12.

[0022] The aerosol generating device 10 further includes a high-frequency oscillator 20, a first waveguide 21, a circulator 22, a second waveguide 23, an electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24, a third waveguide 25, a reflected wave detecting unit 26, a control unit 30, a power supply unit 31, a notification unit 32, a communication unit 33, an article detecting unit 34, and a mouthpiece detecting unit 35. These components 20 to 26 and 30 to 34 are mounted in a case 11.

[0023] The high-frequency oscillator 20 includes, for example, a semiconductor (solid-state) oscillator and is an example of an electromagnetic wave oscillator that generates high-frequency electromagnetic waves of a predetermined frequency. The semiconductor oscillator is an oscillator configured with semiconductor elements such as an LDMOS transistor, a GaAs FET, a SiC MESFET, or a GaN HFET. High-frequency electromagnetic waves refer to high-frequency electromagnetic waves between 3 Hz and 3 THz. Microwaves refer to high-frequency electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. In the following description, the high-frequency oscillator 20 is described as generating microwaves, but this is not limited thereto and any configuration that generates a desired electromagnetic wave is sufficient. The high-frequency oscillator 20 can generate microwaves with a frequency (e.g., 2.40 to 2.50 GHz) suitable for heating the tobacco stick 40 (aerosol source). In this embodiment, the high-frequency oscillator 20 generates microwaves with a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The high-frequency oscillator 20 may also include an amplifier for amplifying the high-frequency electromagnetic field. The RF oscillator 20 may have an amplifier function in its own semiconductor oscillator, or may include an amplifier configured as a separate electronic component. In one example, the RF oscillator 20 outputs microwaves in the ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) band. In one example, the RF oscillator 20 outputs microwaves in the ranges of 902 MHz to 926 MHz (900 MHz band), 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz (2.45 GHz band), 5.725 GHz to 5.875 GHz (5.8 GHz band), and 24 GHz to 24.25 GHz (24.125 GHz band). The frequency and bandwidth of the microwaves output by the RF oscillator 20 are controlled by the control unit 30, and the RF oscillator 20 may generate a signal including multiple frequency bands, such as the 2.45 GHz band and the 5.8 GHz band. The signal strength output by the RF oscillator 20 is also controlled by the control unit 30.

[0024] Although magnetron oscillators are also used as devices for generating high-frequency electromagnetic fields, when a semiconductor oscillator is used as the high-frequency oscillator 20, the main body can be made smaller than when a magnetron oscillator is used. Furthermore, semiconductor oscillators can operate at lower voltages than magnetron oscillators, and therefore can improve frequency stability and output stability. However, the high-frequency oscillator 20 of this embodiment may be a magnetron oscillator as long as it is capable of generating a high-frequency electromagnetic field of a predetermined frequency.

[0025] The first waveguide 21 connects the high-frequency oscillator 20 and the circulator 22, the second waveguide 23 connects the circulator 22 and the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24, and the third waveguide 25 connects the circulator 22 and the reflected wave detecting unit 26. The circulator 22 is a directional coupler that transmits microwaves incident from a port on the first waveguide 21 side to the second waveguide 23 and transmits microwaves incident from a port on the second waveguide 23 side to the third waveguide 25. This allows the microwaves output from the high-frequency oscillator 20 to propagate to the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24, and also allows the microwaves propagating from the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24 in the direction of the circulator 22 to propagate to the reflected wave detecting unit 26.

[0026] The microwaves generated by the high-frequency oscillator 20 are guided to the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24 through the first waveguide 21, the circulator 22, and the second waveguide 23. The first to third waveguides 21, 23, and 25 may be, for example, waveguides or coaxial cables. When the circulator 22 is directly connected to at least one of the high-frequency oscillator 20, the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24, and the reflected wave detecting unit 26, any of the first to third waveguides 21, 23, and 25 may be omitted. The electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24 transmits (radiates) the microwaves guided through the second waveguide 23 into the storage unit 12. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24 is provided on the side surface of the storage unit 12, but this is not limiting and the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24 may be provided on the bottom or top surface of the storage unit 12 or inside the tobacco stick 40. In one example, a plurality of electromagnetic wave radiating units 24 may be provided. For example, when the electromagnetic wave radiating section 24 is provided inside the tobacco stick 40, power may be supplied to the electromagnetic wave radiating section 24 by inserting a power supply line into the tobacco stick 40. Alternatively, power may be supplied to the electromagnetic wave radiating section 24 inside the tobacco stick 40 by electrostatic capacitive coupling.

[0027] The reflected wave detection unit 26 includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and converts the input microwave into a digital electrical signal. The reflected wave detection unit 26 is equipped with a local oscillator for performing homodyne detection and heterodyne detection and demodulates the microwave signal. However, in one example, demodulation may be performed using a high frequency output from an oscillator common to the high frequency oscillation unit 20. The reflected wave detection unit 26 also acquires the signal strength of the detected microwave and transmits the detection result including the signal strength to the control unit 30. In another example, the reflected wave detection unit 26 may also include the detection result other than signal strength, such as the phase or frequency of the detected electromagnetic wave.

[0028] In order to protect the high-frequency oscillator 20, the first waveguide 21 may be provided with an isolator for absorbing reflected waves propagating from the circulator 22 toward the high-frequency oscillator 20. Similarly, the third waveguide 25 may be provided with an isolator for absorbing reflected waves propagating from the reflected wave detection unit 26 toward the circulator 22. Furthermore, at least one of the first waveguide 21, the second waveguide 23, and the third waveguide 25 may be provided with an impedance matching unit that matches the impedance on the high-frequency oscillator 20 side with the impedance on the tobacco stick 40 side to reduce the power of the reflected waves.

[0029] The control unit 30 includes a processor and memory, functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the inhaler 10 in accordance with various programs. Specifically, the control unit 30 can control the high-frequency oscillator 20 so that microwaves are emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24 to heat the tobacco stick 40 in response to an atomization request from the user. The control unit 30 may also control the high-frequency oscillator 20 so that the tobacco stick 40 is heated in accordance with a desired heating profile that has been set in advance. The control unit 30 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 10 by having a processor realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor execute programs stored in memory.

[0030] The power supply unit 31 supplies power to the high-frequency oscillator unit 20 under the control of the control unit 30. The power supply unit 31 is configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. By providing such a power supply unit 31, the inhaler 10 can be configured to be portable.

[0031] The notification unit 32 notifies the user of information based on control by the control unit 30. Examples of information notified to the user include information indicating the detection of insertion of the tobacco stick 40 into the storage unit 12, information indicating the start of heating of the tobacco stick 40 by microwaves, information indicating transition of the aerosol to a state where it can be inhaled, error information, and remaining charge information (remaining battery charge information) of the power supply unit 31. The notification unit 32 may be composed of a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a vibration element such as a vibration motor, or a sound output element. The notification unit 32 may be composed of a display element (display) such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The notification unit 32 may be a combination of two or more elements selected from a light-emitting element, a vibration element, a sound output element, and a display element.

[0032] The communication unit 33 is an interface for acquiring information about the usage state of the inhalator 10 and transmitting the information to an external data server or a user's mobile terminal device, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a data server, etc.), and for receiving data from a data server, etc. The communication unit 33 can communicate with the data server, etc., for example, via Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is short-range wireless communication, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), which is long-range wireless communication. Note that the communication between the communication unit 33 and the data server, etc., is not limited to the above-described wireless communication, and may be another form of wireless communication or wired communication.

[0033] The object detection unit 34 detects the presence or absence of a tobacco stick 40 in the storage unit 12. This allows the control unit 30 to determine whether a tobacco stick 40 is stored (inserted) in the storage unit 12 based on the detection result of the object detection unit 34, and to control the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24 according to the determination result. For example, when the control unit 30 determines based on the detection result of the object detection unit 34 that a tobacco stick 40 is not stored in the storage unit 12, it prohibits the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. On the other hand, when the control unit 30 determines based on the detection result of the object detection unit 34 that a tobacco stick 40 is stored (inserted) in the storage unit 12, it enables the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. The object detection unit 34 may be configured, for example, as a capacitance-type proximity sensor, but is not limited to this and may also be configured as a contact-type sensor (for example, a pressure sensor) or a photoelectric sensor. In the example of Figure 1, the item detection unit 34 is provided on the bottom surface (inner surface on the -Z direction side) of the storage unit 12, but it may also be provided on the side or top surface of the storage unit 12, or on the guide unit 13.

[0034] 1 shows that only one article detection unit 34 is provided, but two or more article detection units may be provided. Furthermore, the article detection unit 34 may detect the type of tobacco stick 40 in addition to the presence or absence of the tobacco stick 40. For example, the article detection unit 34 may be equipped with two electrodes, and by applying a voltage while in contact with the tobacco stick 40 and detecting the electrical conductivity, such as the amount of current flowing between the electrodes, it may be possible to detect the type of tobacco stick 40 and the electrical characteristics of the tobacco stick 40. For example, the tobacco stick 40 may be equipped with a circuit element, such as a predetermined resistor element, for detection by the article detection unit 34, and the type of tobacco stick 40 may be identified based on the electrical resistance value detected by the article detection unit 34.

[0035] 1, the inhaler 10 of this embodiment may be equipped with a mouthpiece 50 that the user holds in their mouth to inhale gas (gas containing aerosol) from the storage unit 12. The mouthpiece 50 may be attached to the guide part 13 of the inhaler 10 so as to cover the portion (mouthpiece part 42) of the tobacco stick 40 that protrudes from the inhaler 10 (storage unit 12). The mouthpiece 50 is provided with a microwave shield 51 that blocks microwaves leaking out from the storage unit 12 to the outside via the opening 12a and the guide part 13. The microwave shield 51 may be made of a metal mesh or the like so as to allow gas to pass through while blocking microwaves.

[0036] When using a mouthpiece 50 equipped with a microwave shield 51, the inhaler 10 may be provided with a mouthpiece detection unit 35 that detects whether the mouthpiece 50 is attached. This allows the control unit 30 to control the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24 based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 35. For example, when the control unit 30 determines that the mouthpiece 50 is not attached based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 35, it prohibits the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. On the other hand, when the control unit 30 determines that the mouthpiece 50 is attached based on the detection result of the mouthpiece detection unit 35, it enables the emission of microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. The inhaler 10 may also be configured so that the user holds the mouthpiece portion 42 of the tobacco stick 40 directly in their mouth, without using the mouthpiece 50. In this case, a microwave shield made of a metal mesh or the like may be provided on the mouthpiece portion 42 of the tobacco stick 40 to block microwaves.

[0037] Here, the tobacco stick 40 may be configured with different types of aerosol sources or different types of flavor sources. In such cases, the microwave frequency with high absorption efficiency may differ depending on the type of aerosol source and flavor source. Therefore, the absorption efficiency of the tobacco filling section 41 can be increased by varying the frequency of the microwaves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting section 24. Furthermore, varying the temperature and temperature change pattern of the tobacco stick 40 can provide the user with a different aerosol inhalation experience. Furthermore, even with the same type of aerosol source, differences in the degree of dryness may require different frequencies with high absorption efficiency or different temperatures and temperature change patterns. Therefore, when the aerosol generating device 10 according to this embodiment receives an instruction to heat the tobacco stick 40, it determines the type of the tobacco stick 40 and heats it using a heating pattern corresponding to the determined type.

[0038] <Aerosol Generation Process> Fig. 2 shows the aerosol generation process. The process shown in Fig. 2 is realized by the processor of the control unit 30 executing a program stored in memory when the aerosol generation device 10 receives a heating instruction.

[0039] In S201, the control unit 30 determines whether microwaves can be emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. For example, the control unit 30 determines that microwaves can be emitted if it determines from the output of the mouthpiece detection unit 35 that the mouthpiece 50 is attached. In another example, the control unit 30 may determine that microwaves can be emitted if it determines from the output of the article detection unit 34 that a tobacco stick 40 is contained in the storage unit 12 and from the output of the mouthpiece detection unit 35 that the mouthpiece 50 is attached, and may determine that microwaves cannot be emitted if these conditions are not met. If the control unit 30 determines that microwaves can be emitted (Yes in S201), the process proceeds to S202. If the control unit 30 determines that microwaves cannot be emitted (No in S201), the process shown in FIG. 2 ends. Note that if the control unit 30 determines that microwaves cannot be emitted (No in S201), the control unit 30 may notify the user via the notification unit 32 that heating will not be performed before ending the process shown in FIG. 2.

[0040] In S202, the control unit 30 determines the type of tobacco stick 40 contained in the container 12. Details of S202 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0041] In S203, the control unit 30 acquires from the memory of the control unit 30 a heating profile that has been created in advance in association with the type of tobacco stick 40 determined in S202. The heating profile will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0042] In S204, the control unit 30 radiates microwaves into the storage unit 12 in accordance with the heating profile acquired in S203 to heat the tobacco sticks 40. Details of S204 will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0043] <Tobacco Stick Type Determination Process> Next, the tobacco stick 40 type determination process executed by the control unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The process flow shown in FIG. 3 is executed in S202 of FIG. 2. In this embodiment, as an example, a case will be described in which two types of tobacco sticks 40 are determined and a heating process is performed using a heating profile corresponding to the determined type. However, embodiments to which the invention is applicable are not limited to cases in which two types of tobacco sticks 40 are determined, and a configuration in which three or more types of tobacco sticks 40 can be determined is also possible. Furthermore, different heating profiles may be prepared for the number of determined types, or a common heating profile may be prepared for two or more types of tobacco sticks 40. Furthermore, the types of tobacco sticks 40 and the heating profiles corresponding to those types may be configured to be able to be added later to the memory of the control unit 30.

[0044] First, in S301, the control unit 30 starts transmitting microwaves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 24. The microwaves transmitted in S301 may, for example, be frequency swept, which changes the frequency of the microwaves transmitted at predetermined time intervals, or may be transmitted as broadband signals. The output intensity of the microwaves transmitted in S301 may be lower than the output intensity of the microwaves transmitted in S204. In other words, the microwaves transmitted in S301 are microwaves for determining the type and condition of the tobacco stick 40, and may be of lower intensity than the microwaves transmitted in S204 for heating, and may also have a different transmission pattern, including a transmission interval, frequency, and bandwidth.

[0045] Next, in S302, the control unit 30 detects the signal strength (detected strength) of the microwave detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26. Here, if the control unit 30 detects signal strength at multiple frequencies, it controls the reflected wave detection unit 26 to associate the frequency band of the detected microwave with the detected strength and store it in the memory unit of the control unit 30. If the control unit 30 detects only the detected strength of one frequency in S302, it may detect and store only the detected strength. Furthermore, the control unit 30 may determine a reflection coefficient that indicates the detected strength of the reflected wave relative to the output strength of the microwave from the detected strength of the microwave detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26.

[0046] Next, in S303, the control unit 30 stops the transmission of microwaves from the high-frequency oscillator 20, and in S304, the control unit 30 determines the type of tobacco stick 40 set in the storage unit 12 based on the detection intensity detected in S302.

[0047] 4, an example of the characteristics of the reflected wave detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26 when the frequency of the microwave emitted from the antenna 22 into the housing unit 12 is swept within a specified frequency range will be described. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 represents the frequency of the reflected wave, and the vertical axis represents the reflection coefficient.

[0048] The line 401 of the graph shows the reflection coefficient of the reflected wave detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26 for each frequency when a first type of tobacco stick 40 (hereinafter referred to as stick A) is set in the storage unit 12, and the line 402 shows the reflection coefficient for each frequency when a second type of tobacco stick 40 (hereinafter referred to as stick B) is set in the storage unit 12. The line 403 shows the reflection coefficient for each frequency when no tobacco stick 40 is set in the storage unit.

[0049] When a tobacco stick 40 is contained in the storage unit 12, a peak of the reflection coefficient, at which the reflection coefficient is minimum, occurs within a predetermined frequency range, as shown by lines 401 and 402 in Fig. 4. On the other hand, when a tobacco stick 40 is not contained in the storage unit 12, a peak of the reflected wave occurs outside the predetermined frequency range, as shown by line 403 in Fig. 4. Therefore, the control unit 30 can detect the presence or absence of a tobacco stick in the storage unit 12, based on the peak frequency of the reflected wave detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26.

[0050] As described above, the tobacco stick 40 may have different absorption efficiencies for the same frequency depending on the materials of the aerosol source and flavor source, the ratio of the amounts of each material, etc. Therefore, it may exhibit different frequency characteristics as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, the control unit 30 can determine the type of tobacco stick 40 set in the storage unit 12 based on the detection intensity acquired in S302. Note that the frequency characteristics may be made different for each type of tobacco stick 40 by including one or more of the aerosol base material and flavoring agent described above in the tobacco stick 40 as a marker.

[0051] For example, if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is smaller than threshold value Th1 (YES in S304), the control unit 30 may determine that stick A is set in the storage unit 12, and determine to perform heating treatment in S204 using heating profile A corresponding to stick A. Note that in Fig. 4, the description has been given assuming that the type of tobacco stick 40 is identified depending on whether or not the reflection coefficient at a predetermined frequency is less than a predetermined threshold value. In one example, the type of tobacco stick 40 may be identified depending on whether or not the frequency (peak frequency) at which the reflection coefficient is minimum is within a predetermined frequency range in the sweep frequency band.

[0052] Furthermore, if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is greater than or equal to threshold value Th1 (No in S304), the control unit 30 proceeds to S306, and if the reflection coefficient at frequency f2 is less than threshold value Th1 (Yes in S306), it may determine that stick B is set in the storage unit 12 and determine that heating processing should be performed in S204 using heating profile B corresponding to stick B.

[0053] If the reflection coefficient at frequency f2 is equal to or greater than threshold value Th1 (Yes in S306), the control unit 30 proceeds to S308, notifies the user that identification of the type of tobacco stick 40 has failed, and terminates the processing in Fig. 3. In one example, it may be determined in S308 that a default heating profile will be used. Alternatively, the control unit 30 may notify the user that a predetermined type of tobacco stick 40 has not been set in the storage unit 12, or that identification of the type of tobacco stick 40 has failed, and terminate the aerosol generation processing shown in Fig. 2 with an error.

[0054] In addition, in S304 to S307, the control unit 30 may determine that stick A is set in the storage unit 12 if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is less than threshold value Th1 and the reflection coefficient at frequency f2 is equal to or greater than threshold value Th1. The control unit 30 may also determine that stick B is set in the storage unit 12 if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is equal to or greater than threshold value Th1 and the reflection coefficient at frequency f2 is equal to or greater than threshold value Th1. The control unit 30 may also determine that another tobacco stick 40 is set in the storage unit 12 if the reflection coefficients at frequencies f1 and f2 are both equal to or greater than Th1, or are both less than Th1. That is, the control unit 30 may determine the type of tobacco stick 40 set in the storage unit 12 based on conditions related to a plurality of reflection coefficients at a plurality of frequencies.

[0055] Furthermore, there may be cases where the frequencies at which the reflection coefficients are smallest are close for multiple types of tobacco sticks 40, and it is not possible to identify the type of tobacco stick 40 by the peak frequency alone. For this reason, in one example, if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is less than threshold value Th2 which is smaller than threshold value Th1, it may be determined that stick A is set in the storage unit 12, and if the reflection coefficient at frequency f1 is less than threshold value Th1 and equal to or greater than threshold value Th2, it may be determined that a third type of tobacco stick (hereinafter, stick C) is set in the storage unit 12.

[0056] In another example, if the reflection coefficient at a predetermined frequency f3 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value Th3, it may be determined that no tobacco stick 40 has been set, or that a non-compliant tobacco stick has been set. Also, if the reflection coefficient at a predetermined frequency f4 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value Th4, it may be determined that a foreign object such as metal is present in the storage section 12. In one example, f3<f1 and f3<f2, and f1<f4 and f2<f4.

[0057] In another example, the control unit 30 may determine the type of tobacco stick 40 set in the storage unit 12 based on a predetermined statistical value, such as the average or median of reflection coefficients at a plurality of frequencies.

[0058] As a modified example, the tobacco stick 40 may have a structure for processing to determine the type of refill. Modified examples of the structure for determining the type of tobacco stick 40 are shown below.

[0059] (Variation 1) Although most microwaves irradiated onto a metal (conductor) are reflected, a portion of the microwaves is converted into electric current on the metal by induction heating or the like, and energy is consumed. The amount of energy consumed and the frequency of the microwaves converted into electric current depend on the type of metal. For this reason, different metal thin films are disposed in accordance with the type of tobacco stick 40. This makes it possible to make each tobacco stick 40 exhibit different conductor frequency characteristics. Note that while this variation has been described assuming that the tobacco stick 40 is made of metal, a different type of dielectric may also be disposed on the tobacco stick 40. That is, in this variation, the tobacco stick 40 is provided with an electromagnetic wave absorbing member that is different from the aerosol source and flavor source, thereby making the frequency characteristics of each tobacco stick 40 different.

[0060] (Variation 2) The tobacco stick 40 according to this variation has a metal thin film with a slit at a predetermined angle disposed on its outermost surface. Because microwaves are attenuated depending on the relationship between their polarization and the angle of the slit, providing the metal thin film on the tobacco stick 40 so that the slit is positioned opposite the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24 allows the tobacco stick 40 to absorb the microwaves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24. The angle of the slit can be determined based on the polarization characteristics, such as horizontal polarization, vertical polarization, or elliptically polarization, of the microwaves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24. In one example, the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24 emits elliptically polarized microwaves, and one type of tobacco stick 40 is oriented vertically (Z direction) so that the slit blocks horizontally polarized light, while another type is oriented horizontally (X or Y direction) so that the slit blocks horizontally polarized light. In this way, by varying the polarization characteristics of each tobacco stick 40, the signal strength of the reflected wave detected by the reflected wave detecting unit 26 can be varied for each tobacco stick 40.

[0061] (Variation 3) The tobacco stick 40 according to this variation has a metal thin film with a slit of a predetermined length disposed on the outermost surface. When the slit length is equal to or less than half the wavelength of the microwave, the electromagnetic wave shielding effect of the slit becomes stronger. For example, when the irradiated frequencies are 2450 MHz and 5800 MHz, the respective wavelengths are approximately 122 mm and approximately 51 mm. Therefore, by varying the slit length depending on the type of tobacco stick 40, it is possible to vary the microwave frequency to be shielded.

[0062] For example, a metal thin film having a slit with a slit length of less than 25 mm is disposed in a first tobacco stick 40 containing a first type of aerosol source. A metal thin film having a slit with a slit length of 25 mm or more and less than 60 mm is disposed in a second tobacco stick 40 containing a second type of aerosol source. A metal thin film having a slit with a slit length of 60 mm or more is disposed in a third tobacco stick 40 containing a third type of aerosol source. In this case, the first tobacco stick 40 attenuates microwaves of 2450 MHz and 5800 MHz relatively greatly. The second tobacco stick 40 attenuates microwaves of 2450 MHz relatively greatly, but attenuates microwaves of 5800 MHz relatively little. The third tobacco stick 40 attenuates microwaves of 2450 MHz and 5800 MHz relatively little. Therefore, by detecting the amount of attenuation of the microwaves of 2450 MHz and 5800 MHz based on the signal strength detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26, the type of tobacco stick 40 can be determined.

[0063] <Structure of Heating Profile> Next, the heating profile of the tobacco stick 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. In Fig. 5, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time t from the start of heating, and the vertical axis represents the target temperature Temp.

[0064] For example, heating profile A for stick A, as shown by line 501, indicates that heating is performed at target temperature Temp1 until time T1, then changes to target temperature Temp2 after time T1 but before T2, and maintains Temp2 until time T3. In other words, the heating profile is associated with the type of tobacco stick 40, and only needs to be able to specify the target temperature of the tobacco stick 40 depending on the time elapsed after heating begins. Similarly, heating profile B for stick B, as shown by line 502, indicates that heating is performed at target temperature Temp3 until time T4, then changes to target temperature Temp2 after time T4 but before T5, and then changes to target temperature Temp3 after time T2 but before T6.

[0065] In this way, a heating profile is set in advance for each tobacco stick 40, and the heating profile is acquired according to the type of tobacco stick 40 identified in S302 of FIG. 3, and heating is performed using the heating profile, thereby making it possible to apply a heating method suitable for each tobacco stick 40.

[0066] <Heat Treatment> Next, the heat treatment of the tobacco stick 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 explains in detail the process of S204 in Fig. 2.

[0067] In S601, the control unit 30 starts a timer, and in S602, obtains the target temperature at time t that has elapsed since the start of the heating process.

[0068] Then, in S603, the control unit 30 determines an output pattern for transmitting microwaves based on the heating profile. For example, the control unit 30 may store the target temperature of the heating profile in association with the transmission power and duty ratio, and determine the transmission power and duty ratio based on the current target temperature. In the example of FIG. 5, since the target temperature at time T1 is Temp1, microwaves may be transmitted at a transmission power Y [W] corresponding to Temp1. Alternatively, when the target temperature is Temp1, the microwave may be output at a duty ratio of 50% and maximum power Y [W]. The control unit 30 may store the target temperature and the output pattern in association with each other, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, and read out the output pattern based on the target temperature. FIG. 7A shows the target temperature [°C] associated with the transmission power [W], and FIG. 7B shows the target temperature [°C] associated with the transmission power [W] and the duty ratio [%]. The control unit 30 may specify the transmission power and the duty ratio from the target temperature. That is, the output pattern is a microwave output parameter including the transmission power.

[0069] In another example, the control unit 30 determines the microwave output pattern based on the target temperature of the heating profile and the detected microwave intensity detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26. Figure 8 shows changes in frequency characteristics (horizontal axis: frequency, vertical axis: signal intensity) over time for the same tobacco stick 40. When a single tobacco stick 40 is heated, the frequency characteristics of the tobacco stick 40 may change due to evaporation of the water contained in the tobacco stick 40, evaporation of the flavor source, and deterioration of the aerosol source.

[0070] For example, line 801 in Fig. 8 shows the frequency characteristics of the reflection coefficient immediately after the start of the heating process (for example, time T1 in Fig. 5) when stick A is set, and line 802 shows the frequency characteristics of the reflection coefficient after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the heating process (for example, time T2 in Fig. 5) when stick A is set. Furthermore, line 803 shows the reflection coefficient detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26 when no tobacco stick 40 is placed.

[0071] From line 801, the reflection coefficient of the microwaves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitter 24 at frequency f1 is ΔP1 [dB]. That is, the presence or absence of the tobacco stick 40 causes a difference of ΔP1 in the detection intensity of the reflected wave detector 26, and therefore it can be determined that the microwaves have been absorbed by the tobacco stick 40. Over time, the frequency at which the reflection coefficient is minimized shifts to frequency f1', and the reflection coefficient changes to ΔP2 [dB]. For example, such a change in frequency characteristics can occur due to a change in state, such as evaporation of moisture. Immediately after the start of the heating process, however, the tobacco stick 40 absorbs power corresponding to ΔP1. However, over time, only power corresponding to ΔP2, which is smaller than ΔP1, is absorbed by the tobacco stick 40, resulting in a decrease in the amount of microwave absorption by the tobacco stick 40. For this reason, the controller 30 may increase the microwave output power over time. In one example, the control unit 30 may determine the microwave output power based on a preset signal strength, the type of tobacco stick 40 determined in S302 of FIG. 3 , and the state of the tobacco stick 40 detected in S606. Alternatively, the control unit 30 may detect the detected microwave intensities at multiple frequencies in S302 and S605, compare them with the detected intensities of the reflected wave detection unit 26 when no tobacco stick 40 is set, and determine to perform heating using a frequency with greater attenuation. This allows heating to be performed by selecting a frequency at which microwaves are absorbed by the tobacco stick 40. Therefore, the control unit 30 can perform heating in response to changes in the state of the tobacco stick 40 by controlling an impedance matching circuit (not shown) connected to the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24 or by controlling the output frequency of the high-frequency oscillation unit 20. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8 , even if the frequency characteristics of the tobacco stick 40 change, heating can be performed by adaptively selecting a frequency with good microwave absorption efficiency.

[0072] The aerosol generating device 10 may also include a fluorescent fiber thermometer or an infrared sensor (not shown). In this case, the intensity of the microwave output from the high-frequency oscillator 20 can be changed in accordance with the target temperature.

[0073] Next, the control unit 30 proceeds to S604, where it transmits microwaves using the determined output pattern until a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereafter, the control unit 30 detects the detected intensity (S605). Then, in S606, the control unit 30 determines the state of the tobacco stick 40 based on the detected intensity of the microwaves detected in S605. In S605, as described with reference to FIG. 8 , the control unit 30 may determine the amount of attenuation of the transmission signal as the state of the tobacco stick 40 based on the detected intensity at a predetermined frequency f1. Alternatively, if detected intensities at multiple frequencies are detected in S605, the control unit 30 may determine the detected intensities at the multiple frequencies as the state of the tobacco stick 40, as described with reference to lines 801 to 803 in FIG. 8 . Then, the control unit 30 proceeds to S607, where it determines whether or not to terminate heating. In one example, it determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of heating. If the predetermined time has not elapsed (No in S607), the control unit 30 returns to S602. If it determines that the predetermined time has elapsed (Yes in S607), the control unit 30 terminates the processing shown in FIG. 6. Here, the time to end heating may differ for each heating profile, or may be determinable from the heating profile.

[0074] In another example, the control unit 30 may determine whether or not to end heating in S607 based on the state of the tobacco stick 40 determined in S606. For example, it may determine to end heating when the detected intensity of a specific frequency is equal to or greater than a threshold. This makes it possible to end heating when, for example, the amount of moisture contained in the tobacco stick 40 falls below a predetermined amount.

[0075] Alternatively, the control unit 30 may store changes in the frequency of the microwaves output by the high-frequency oscillator 20, and determine that heating should be terminated when the microwaves output by the high-frequency oscillator 20 reach a predetermined frequency. For example, the control unit 30 may store in its memory, for each type of tobacco stick 40, the peak frequency of the reflection coefficient when a tobacco stick 40 from which the ingredients in the refill have been removed is placed in the storage unit 12 and reflected waves are detected. This makes it possible to determine the termination of heating based on the presence or absence of ingredients in the refill, regardless of the aerosol inhalation pace or number of inhalations. This allows the first user to inhale approximately the same number of times as the second user, even if the first user inhales at relatively long intervals (slower pace) compared to the second user.

[0076] In S603, the output pattern may be determined based on the state of the tobacco stick 40 determined in S606. For example, the control unit 30 may determine to emit microwaves at a frequency that increases the difference from the detected intensity when the tobacco stick 40 is not set, based on the frequency characteristics of the tobacco stick 40 shown in Fig. 8. This allows the heating process to be performed at a frequency at which the microwaves are efficiently absorbed by the tobacco stick 40.

[0077] <Modification of Heating Profile> An example of a heating profile according to this modification is shown in Fig. 9. In the graph shown in Fig. 9, the horizontal axis represents elapsed time, and the vertical axis represents the target temperature [°C].

[0078] 9, the heating profile includes information regarding the frequency band of the microwaves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24. As a result, even if the frequency characteristics change as the tobacco stick 40 undergoes heat treatment, by specifying a frequency with high absorption efficiency in the heating profile, the tobacco stick 40 can be heated efficiently.

[0079] Note that the information regarding the frequency band shown in FIG. 9 is illustrated as the channel number of the frequency band transmitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 24, but any information that can determine the frequency of the microwaves output from the high frequency oscillator unit 20 may be used, and may be a combination of a center frequency and a bandwidth.

[0080] 9, the heating profile is described as being associated with one frequency for each elapsed time, but it may be associated with two or more frequencies for each elapsed time. For example, the heating profile may be associated with a frequency sweep range, such as sweeping the 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz bands of the ISM band from the start of heating until time T1, and then sweeping the 2.45 GHz, 5.8 GHz, and 24.125 GHz bands from time T2 to T3. Furthermore, when the heating profile is associated with a frequency sweep range, the heating profile may further be associated with a frequency switching period.

[0081] <Process for determining the state of the tobacco stick during heating treatment> In the heating treatment described with reference to Fig. 6, a signal is detected by the reflected wave detection unit 26 during microwave heating, and the state of the tobacco stick 40 is determined based on the detected signal intensity. In one example, the period for transmitting microwaves for heating and the period for transmitting microwaves for determining the state of the tobacco stick 40 may be set separately.

[0082] An example of a process for determining the state of a tobacco stick during a heating process is shown in Fig. 10. Like Fig. 6, the process shown in Fig. 10 provides a detailed explanation of the process of S204 in Fig. 2.

[0083] The processing of S601 to S603 is the same as that described with reference to Fig. 6, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In S1001, the control unit 30 transmits microwaves in the output pattern determined in S603 until a predetermined time has elapsed. At least one of the transmission intensity and frequency of the microwaves transmitted in S1001 is determined based on the output pattern determined in S603.

[0084] Next, in S1002, the control unit 30 advances the process to S1002 and determines whether it is time to measure the state of the tobacco stick 40. For example, the control unit 30 may be configured to preset the measurement timing so that the state of the tobacco stick is measured at a predetermined time interval, such as once every 10 seconds, once heating of the tobacco stick 40 begins. Alternatively, the control unit 30 may be configured to preset the measurement timing so that the state of the tobacco stick is measured in accordance with a predetermined number of puffs by the user, such as once every three puffs.

[0085] If it is determined that it is time to measure the state of the tobacco stick 40 (Yes in S1002), the control unit 30 proceeds to S1003 and temporarily suspends the emission of microwaves for heating. If it is determined that it is not time to measure the state of the tobacco stick 40 (No in S1002), the control unit 30 proceeds to S606. The process of S606 is the same as S606 in Figure 6, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] In S1003, the control unit 30 transmits microwaves for status determination for a predetermined period of time. In one example, the frequency and transmission intensity of the microwaves for status determination transmitted in S1003 are determined without reference to the heating profile. For example, in S1003, the control unit 30 transmits microwaves with a transmission intensity weaker than that of the microwaves for heating. Also, in one example, in S1003, the control unit 30 switches the frequency and transmits the microwaves. Here, the control unit 30 may transmit the microwaves by switching between multiple frequency bands.

[0087] Next, the process proceeds to S1004, where the reflected wave detection unit 26 detects microwaves for state determination, and the control unit 30 determines the state of the tobacco stick in S1005. The processes of S1004 and S1005 are similar to the processes of S605 and S606, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Then, in S607, it is determined whether or not to end heating. The process of S607 is similar to S607 in Figure 6, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0088] As described above, according to the processing of this embodiment, the state of the tobacco stick 40 is determined using microwaves that differ from the heating microwaves in at least one of frequency and transmission intensity. By determining the state of the tobacco stick 40 using microwaves that differ from the heating microwaves, it is possible to determine the frequency of the heating microwaves to be switched to during heating. Furthermore, by determining the state of the tobacco stick 40 using microwaves with a constant transmission intensity, there is no need to correct the detection intensity according to the transmission signal intensity, and therefore the amount of calculation required when determining the state of the tobacco stick 40 can be reduced. Furthermore, by determining the state of the tobacco stick 40 using microwaves with a transmission intensity lower than that of the heating microwaves, it is not necessary for the reflected wave detection unit 26 to handle relatively large amounts of power. Therefore, for example, a circuit element for communication can be applied to the reflected wave detection unit 26, allowing the reflected wave detection unit 26 to be miniaturized.

[0089] <Other Embodiments> In one example, it is possible to determine the type of tobacco stick 40, the state of the tobacco stick 40, and the presence or absence of the tobacco stick 40 based on the ratio (S11) of the reflected wave to the transmitted wave within a predetermined frequency range. For example, the type of tobacco stick 40 may be determined based on the frequency at which the absolute value |S11| of S11 is minimum within a predetermined frequency range, for example, from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz.

[0090] Furthermore, for example, in the range from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz, the state of the tobacco stick 40 may be determined based on the minimum value of the absolute value of S11, |S11|. For example, if the minimum value of |S11| is less than -15 dB, the tobacco stick 40 may be determined to be before heating; if the minimum value of |S11| is less than -12 dB and not less than -15 dB, the tobacco stick 40 may be determined to be in a first state immediately after heating; and if the minimum value of |S11| is less than -6 dB and not less than -12 dB, the tobacco stick 40 may be determined to be in a second state in which the aerosol source has been heated more than in the first state. In this case, since the power of the microwaves transmitted to the storage section 12 is smaller in the second state than in the first state, the output intensity of the transmitted waves can be increased in the second state compared to the first state, thereby maintaining the power applied to the tobacco stick 40.

[0091] Alternatively, it may be determined that the tobacco stick 40 is not inserted on the condition that |S11| is not less than a predetermined value, for example, less than −6 dB, at any frequency in the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz.

[0092] The high-frequency oscillator 20 may also have a reflected wave detection circuit that detects reflected waves. In such a case, the high-frequency oscillator 20 can operate as a detector, so that the first waveguide 21 connects the high-frequency oscillator 20 to the electromagnetic wave radiating unit 24, and the circulator 22, the second waveguide 23, the third waveguide 25, and the reflected wave detector 26 can be omitted. In such a case, the controller 30 can execute the process of S202 in FIG. 3 based on the detected intensity of the reflected wave obtained from the high-frequency oscillator 20.

[0093] The type of tobacco stick according to this embodiment may be determined according to the state of the tobacco stick, including the amount of moisture. For example, a tobacco stick A stored in a humid environment with a high moisture content and a tobacco stick A stored in a dry environment with a low moisture content may be determined to be different types of tobacco sticks, so that they are heated using different heating profiles. This allows the tobacco stick 40 to be heated using an appropriate heating profile according to its dryness state.

[0094] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which the aerosol generation device 10 determines the type of tobacco stick in order to specify the heating profile to be used. However, if the aerosol generation device 10 has a user interface that accepts user operations, the tobacco stick may be heated using a heating profile designated by the user. In such a case, the aerosol generation device 10 does not need to determine the type of tobacco stick based on the detection intensity as shown in FIG. 3 . Furthermore, if the aerosol generation device 10 has a user interface that accepts input from the user, the aerosol generation device 10 may accept designation of the type of tobacco stick 40 from the user and heat the tobacco stick 40 using a heating profile corresponding to the accepted type.

[0095] In addition, in the present embodiment, the determination of the type of tobacco stick based on the detection intensity has been described as being performed to identify the heating profile to be used. However, the type of tobacco stick based on the detection intensity may also be determined for other purposes, such as determining whether the tobacco stick 40 is a target that can be heated by the aerosol generation device 10.

[0096] Furthermore, the heating profiles shown in Figures 5 and 9, the heating patterns corresponding to the target temperatures shown in Figures 7A and 7B, and the threshold values ​​and frequencies for determining the type of tobacco stick 40 shown in Figure 3 may be updated based on data received by the control unit 30 from an external device via the communication unit 33. This makes it possible to detect and heat new types of tobacco sticks 40 using the updated parameters.

[0097] In one example, the control unit 30 may transmit information about the type or state of the tobacco stick 40 determined in S202 to an external device via the communication unit 33. Then, the control unit 30 may acquire a heating profile from the external device via the communication unit 33. In this case, the control unit 30 may transmit a heating profile request signal, including information about the type or state of the tobacco stick 40, to the external device via the communication unit 33. For example, when the control unit 30 determines, based on the type or state of the tobacco stick determined in S202 or S606, that a heating profile corresponding to the type or state of the tobacco stick 40 is not stored in the memory, it may transmit information about the type or state of the tobacco stick 40 to the external device in order to acquire a heating profile from the external device. This makes it possible to acquire a heating profile corresponding to a new tobacco stick 40 or to update an already acquired heating profile.

[0098] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a housing portion capable of accommodating at least a part of an aerosol generating article containing an aerosol source; an oscillation portion that oscillates electromagnetic waves; a radiation portion that radiates the electromagnetic waves oscillated by the oscillation portion to the housing portion; a reflected wave detection portion that detects a reflected wave returning from the radiation portion; and a control portion that controls the oscillation portion, wherein the control portion determines at least one of the type of the aerosol generating article and the state of the aerosol generating article according to a detection result of the electromagnetic waves detected by the reflected wave detection portion, and controls the oscillation portion according to at least one of the determined type and state of the aerosol generating article.

2. The oscillation portion is capable of switching the frequency of the oscillated electromagnetic waves. The control portion causes the electromagnetic waves to be radiated to the housing portion while switching the frequency transmitted by the oscillation portion within a predetermined frequency range, determines a reflection coefficient of the radiated electromagnetic waves based on a detection result of the reflected wave detection portion, and the control portion determines the type of the aerosol generating article based on the frequency at which the reflection coefficient becomes the smallest within the predetermined frequency range. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1.

3. The control portion determines the type of the aerosol generating article based on the value of the smallest reflection coefficient within the predetermined frequency range. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2.

4. The control portion determines the state of the aerosol generating article based on a first detection intensity of the electromagnetic waves detected by the reflected wave detection portion in a first period and a second detection intensity of the electromagnetic waves detected by the reflected wave detection portion in a second period after the first period. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The control portion selects a heating profile according to at least one of the determined type and state of the aerosol generating article, and controls the oscillation portion according to the heating profile. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The heating profile has a target temperature and time associated therewith, and the control portion controls at least one of the intensity and frequency of the electromagnetic waves output by the oscillation portion according to the target temperature. The aerosol generating device according to claim 5.

7. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising an article detection unit that detects an aerosol generating article disposed in the housing unit, wherein the control unit determines at least one of the type of the aerosol generating article and the state of the aerosol generating article according to the detection result of the article detection unit.

8. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a user operation reception unit that receives a user operation, wherein the control unit determines at least one of the type of the aerosol generating article and the state of the aerosol generating article according to the user operation received by the user operation reception unit.

9. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the oscillation unit includes a solid state oscillator.

10. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the electromagnetic wave is a microwave.

11. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the oscillation unit has an isolator for absorbing a reflected wave.

12. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the oscillation unit has an impedance matching unit.

13. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a communication unit, wherein the control unit transmits a signal requesting a heating profile corresponding to the determined type and state of the aerosol generating article or transmits a signal regarding the determined type and state of the aerosol generating article through the communication unit.

14. The aerosol generating device according to claim 5, wherein the control of the oscillation unit according to the heating profile is performed by adjusting the transmission power and the duty ratio.

15. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the control unit determines the stop of the electromagnetic wave output from the oscillation unit according to the detection intensity of the reflected wave detected by the reflected wave detection unit.