Control method for aerosol generating apparatus, and aerosol generating apparatus

Abstract

A control method for an aerosol generating apparatus (100), and an aerosol generating apparatus (100). The aerosol generating apparatus (100) comprises a heating element (30) and a battery cell (10), wherein the battery cell (10) is used for providing power to the heating element (30), and the heating element (30) is used for heating an aerosol product (200) to generate an aerosol. The method comprises: acquiring a minimum voltage value which is output by a battery cell (10) within the current operating cycle; comparing the minimum voltage value with a preset threshold voltage; if the minimum voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, generating a warning sign, and storing same; and according to the warning sign, determining that an aerosol generating apparatus (100) does not start within the next operating cycle. By means of the control method, the problem of an aerosol generating apparatus (100) being prone to generating abnormalities within the next operating cycle when the electric quantity of a battery cell (10) of the aerosol generating apparatus (100) is insufficient can be avoided.

Description

Control method of aerosol generating device and aerosol generating device

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the Patent Office of China on June 13, 2023, with application number 202310702591.6, entitled “Control Method for Aerosol Generating Device and Aerosol Generating Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical field

[0003] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aerosol technology, and in particular to a control method of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device. [Background Technology]

[0004] Traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Products that release compounds through heating without combustion are already available in the prior art to replace these traditional tobacco products. Examples of such products are aerosol-generating devices, which typically include a heating element and an aerosol product. The aerosol product can be a solid tobacco or non-tobacco filler, or a liquid that can contain nicotine and / or flavoring agents and / or aerosol-generating substances (e.g., glycerin). The heating element heats the aerosol product, causing at least a portion of the active substance in the aerosol product to volatilize or atomize due to the heat, generating an aerosol.

[0005] Such devices are usually powered by rechargeable batteries. As the aerosol generating device is continuously used, the battery power will gradually be consumed. When the power consumption reaches a certain level, the battery is no longer sufficient to maintain the aerosol generating device to complete the next working cycle, thereby causing the aerosol generating device to malfunction in the next working cycle.

[0006] Application Contents

[0007] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method for an aerosol generating device to solve the technical problem that when the battery power is low, the aerosol generating device may easily cause abnormality in the next working cycle.

[0008] A method for controlling an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising a heating element and a battery cell, the battery cell being used to provide power to the heating element, the heating element being used to heat an aerosol article to generate an aerosol, the control method comprising:

[0009] Get the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle;

[0010] Comparing the minimum voltage value with a preset threshold voltage;

[0011] If the minimum voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored;

[0012] According to the warning sign, it is determined that the aerosol generating device does not start heating in the next working cycle.

[0013] In one embodiment, obtaining the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle includes:

[0014] Obtaining the voltage value output by the battery cell at the end of the preheating stage;

[0015] The voltage value is determined to be the lowest voltage value.

[0016] In one embodiment, obtaining the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle includes:

[0017] Obtaining the current output voltage value of the battery cell;

[0018] Comparing the current output voltage value with the previous output voltage value of the battery cell;

[0019] If the current output voltage value is less than the previous output voltage value of the battery cell, the current output voltage value is saved;

[0020] If the current output voltage value is greater than the previous output voltage value of the battery cell, the previous output voltage value is saved.

[0021] In one embodiment, the preset threshold voltage includes a system minimum operating voltage.

[0022] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a prompt unit, wherein the prompt unit is configured to generate a prompt message at the end of the preheating stage, and the threshold voltage comprises a minimum voltage required for the prompt unit to operate normally.

[0023] In one embodiment, obtaining the voltage value output by the battery cell at the end of the preheating stage includes:

[0024] Obtaining the current temperature of the heating element;

[0025] If the current temperature reaches the preset temperature in the preheating stage, the control obtains the voltage value output by the battery cell.

[0026] In one embodiment, the method further comprises:

[0027] obtaining a charging signal of the aerosol generating device;

[0028] The warning sign is removed according to the charging signal.

[0029] In one embodiment, removing the warning sign according to the charging signal further includes:

[0030] Recording the duration of the charging signal;

[0031] If the holding time reaches a preset time, controlling to remove the warning sign;

[0032] If the holding time is less than the preset time, the warning sign is kept.

[0033] In one embodiment, if the voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored, and the method further includes:

[0034] The heating element is controlled not to stop heating in the current working cycle.

[0035] The present application also provides a method for controlling an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device includes a heating element and a battery cell, wherein the battery cell is used to provide power to the heating element, and the heating element is used to heat an aerosol product to generate an aerosol. The control method includes:

[0036] Acquiring the output voltage value of the battery cell multiple times;

[0037] Comparing the output voltage value obtained each time with a preset threshold voltage;

[0038] If the output voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored;

[0039] According to the warning sign, it is determined that the aerosol generating device does not start heating in the next working cycle.

[0040] An embodiment of the present application further provides an aerosol generating device, comprising a controller, the controller comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor implementing the control method of the aerosol generating device described in the above embodiment when executing the computer program.

[0041] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes an LDO circuit electrically connected to the battery cell, and the threshold voltage includes a minimum input voltage of the LDO circuit.

[0042] The control method provided in the above embodiment obtains the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the middle of the current operation, compares the voltage value with the threshold voltage, and outputs a warning sign if the voltage value is less than the threshold voltage. The warning sign is saved, so that the aerosol generating device does not start heating according to the warning sign in the next working cycle, thereby avoiding the aerosol generating device from easily generating an abnormality when entering the next working cycle when the battery cell is low on power.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0043] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by corresponding drawings, which do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0044] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG3 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG4 is a heating curve diagram of the aerosol generating device during the first working cycle and the second working cycle;

[0048] FIG5 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG6 is a schematic flow chart of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG8 is a flow chart diagram of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application. [Specific implementation method]

[0052] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" / "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements can exist therebetween. When an element is described as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements can exist therebetween. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0054] In addition, the technical features involved in different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0055] In the embodiments of the present application, the "installation" includes fixing or restricting a component or device to a specific position or place by welding, screwing, clamping, bonding, etc. The component or device can remain stationary at a specific position or place or can move within a limited range. After the component or device is fixed or restricted to a specific position or place, it may or may not be disassembled, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0056] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0057] One embodiment of the present application provides an aerosol generating device 100. As shown in FIG1 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery cell 10, a mainboard 20, and a heating element 30. The mainboard 20 is provided with a controller for the aerosol generating device 100. The battery cell 10 and the heating element 30 are electrically connected to the controller, respectively, so that the controller can control the battery cell 10 to provide electrical energy to the heating element 30. The aerosol generating device 100 also includes a longitudinally extending chamber 40 for accommodating an aerosol generating product 200 for use with the aerosol generating device 100. The heating element 30 is attached to the outer wall of the chamber 40, thereby heating the aerosol generating product 200 in the chamber 40. When heated, a portion of the active material filled in the aerosol generating product 200 evaporates to generate an aerosol, which a user inhales by inhaling the aerosol generating product 200.

[0058] The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably comprises a tobacco-containing material that releases volatile compounds from the article upon heating; alternatively, it may comprise a non-tobacco material that is suitable for electrically heated smoking after heating. The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably comprises a solid substrate that may comprise one or more of powder, granules, shredded strips, ribbons, or flakes of one or more of herb leaves, tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco, and expanded tobacco; alternatively, the solid substrate may contain additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile flavor compounds that are released upon heating of the substrate.

[0059] In some embodiments, the heating element 30 may be a mesh-shaped resistive heating element coated on the outer wall of the chamber 40. The mesh-shaped resistive heating element 40 is electrically connected to the mainboard 20. When energized, the heating element 30 generates heat, which is transferred to the aerosol-generating article 200 in the chamber 40 through the walls of the chamber 40. The chamber 40 is made of a highly thermally conductive material to efficiently transfer the heat generated by the heating element 30 to the aerosol-generating article 200. The highly thermally conductive material may be a metal or a ceramic material, and the ceramic material may be any of oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, and the like.

[0060] In another embodiment, as shown in FIG2 , the aerosol-generating device 100 can also heat the aerosol-generating article 200 using electromagnetic induction heating. The heating element 30 extends at least partially into the chamber 40, and the end thereof extending into the chamber 40 is configured in a pin-like or sheet-like shape to facilitate smooth insertion of the heating element 30 into the aerosol-generating article 200 for heating. A coil 50 is wound around the outer wall of the chamber 40. A controller controls the battery cell 10 to pass an alternating current through the coil 50. Under the action of the alternating current, the coil 50 generates a varying magnetic field. This varying magnetic field penetrates the heating element 30, inducing eddy currents therein. The eddy currents and hysteresis effects generate heat in the heating element 30, thereby heating the aerosol-generating substrate 200.

[0061] Suitable materials for the heating element 30 may include graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, stainless steel, niobium, aluminum, nickel, iron, copper, nickel-containing compounds, titanium, and metal composites. In some embodiments, to better induce eddy currents and improve heating efficiency, the heating element 30 is preferably made of or composed of a ferromagnetic material, such as ferritic iron, a ferromagnetic alloy (e.g., ferromagnetic steel or stainless steel), ferromagnetic particles, and ferrite.

[0062] In some embodiments, the controller can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a single-chip microcomputer, an ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components. In addition, the controller can also be any traditional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The controller can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP, and / or any other such configuration. The controller 6 can also be a frequency converter board or main control board of a washing machine.

[0063] Based on the above-described aerosol generating device 100, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method for the aerosol generating device 100. When the battery cell 10 is low on power, the aerosol generating device 100 is prevented from starting heating in the next operating cycle, thereby preventing the aerosol generating device 100 from causing a major abnormality during the next operating cycle. As shown in FIG3 , the method includes:

[0064] S10, obtaining the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle;

[0065] A working cycle of the aerosol generating device 100 generally includes a preheating stage and a puffing stage. The preheating stage refers to the battery cell 10 supplying high power to the heating element 30, thereby quickly heating the heating element 30 to a preset temperature. The preset temperature can cause the aerosol generating product 200 to evaporate by heat to produce a suitable aerosol; and the puffing stage refers to the stage in which the user inserts the aerosol generating product 200 into the aerosol generating device 100 for inhalation. During the inhalation stage, the battery cell 10 uses a relatively small power to basically maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 at the preset temperature, ensuring that the user can generate a suitable aerosol when inhaling throughout the entire inhalation stage.

[0066] Because the heating element 20 is powered at a high power during the preheating phase, and this power is typically constant, the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is lowest during the current operating cycle at the end of the preheating phase, i.e., the moment the device switches from the preheating phase to the inhalation phase. Furthermore, the power and duration of the preheating phase of the aerosol generating device 100 are typically the same during each operating cycle. Therefore, if the aerosol generating device 100 is not charged, the output voltage of the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating phase during the current operating cycle of the aerosol generating device 100 is lower than the output voltage at the end of the preheating phase during the previous operating cycle.

[0067] As shown in the heating curves of the two working cycles in Figure 4, the output voltage of the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating phase in the second working cycle (the next working cycle) is lower than that in the first working cycle (the current working cycle). The period before t1 is the preheating phase, and the period after t1 is the inhalation phase. Furthermore, at the beginning of the preheating phase, the no-load voltage of the battery cell 10 in the second working cycle is lower than that in the first working cycle. Therefore, by obtaining the output voltage of the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating phase in the current working cycle, the minimum value that the output voltage of the battery cell 10 can currently reach when it is not being charged can be obtained.

[0068] Specifically, in order to accurately obtain the voltage value output by the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating stage, it can be obtained when the heating element 30 reaches a preset temperature. For example, a temperature measuring element can be set in the aerosol generating device 100, and the temperature measuring element and the controller are electrically connected. The temperature measuring element can be a thermocouple or an infrared temperature measurement method to monitor the temperature of the heating element 20. When the temperature of the heating element 30 reaches the preset temperature, the temperature measuring element will feed back the preset temperature to the controller, and the controller can obtain the output voltage value of the battery cell 10 according to the preset temperature control.

[0069] Alternatively, in some embodiments, according to the definition of TCR (temperature coefficient of resistance), it can be known that: TCR = (R2-R1) / R1*1 / (T2-T1)

[0070] The temperature of the heating element 30 can also be represented by the resistance value of the heating element 30, that is, the preheating temperature can be represented as a preset resistance value of the heating element 30. The actual resistance value of the heating element 30 can be obtained by measuring the voltage and current of the heating element 30. When the actual resistance value reaches the preset resistance value, it means that the heating element 30 has reached the preset temperature. At this time, the aerosol generating device 100 is switching from the preheating stage to the inhalation stage, and the controller can control the acquisition of the output voltage value of the battery cell 10, thereby obtaining the output voltage value of the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating stage.

[0071] In some embodiments, the following method may be used to obtain the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle, as shown in FIG5 :

[0072] S11, obtaining the current output voltage value of the battery cell;

[0073] S12, comparing the current output voltage value with the previous output voltage value of the battery cell;

[0074] S13, if the current output voltage value is less than the previous output voltage value of the battery cell, saving the current output voltage value;

[0075] If the current output voltage value is greater than the previous output voltage value of the battery cell, the previous output voltage value is saved.

[0076] Specifically, a voltage detection unit can be set in the aerosol generating device 100, and the voltage detection unit is electrically connected to the controller of the aerosol generating device. The controller is configured to control the voltage detection unit to detect the output voltage of the battery cell 10 in a timely manner, and compare the current output voltage value of the battery cell 10 with the voltage value output by the battery cell 10 last time. If the current voltage value is less than the voltage value output by the battery cell 10 last time, the current output voltage value is saved; if the current voltage value is greater than the last voltage value output by the battery cell, the last voltage value is saved.

[0077] For example, if the current output voltage of the battery cell 10 detected by the voltage detection unit is 3.9V, and the last output voltage of the battery cell 10 was 4.0V, the controller will save the current output of 3.9V; and if the last output voltage of the battery cell 10 was 3.8V, the controller will save the last voltage value of 3.8V. Therefore, through this successive comparison method, after the entire working cycle is completed, what is saved in the controller is the lowest output voltage value of the battery cell 10 in the entire working cycle.

[0078] S20, comparing the voltage value with the threshold voltage;

[0079] S30: If the voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is output and stored so that the aerosol generating device does not start heating according to the warning sign when it works next time.

[0080] After obtaining the output voltage value of the battery cell 10 at the end of the preheating stage in step S10, a threshold voltage can be preset in the aerosol generating device 100, and the voltage value is compared with the threshold voltage. The threshold voltage refers to the minimum voltage value required to basically meet the normal operation of the entire system of the aerosol generating device 100 in the current working cycle.

[0081] The threshold voltage can be, for example, the system's minimum operating voltage, which is the lowest operating voltage value that occurs at any point in the system at any time during normal system operation. Specifically, the threshold voltage can be the minimum input voltage of an LDO (Low Dropout Regulator). In addition to the controller, the mainboard 20 is typically also provided with an LDO circuit. The LDO is electrically connected between the battery cell 10 and the MCU or MCU's peripheral devices on the mainboard 20, stabilizes the output voltage of the battery cell 10, and then supplies the stabilized voltage to the MCU or MCU's peripheral devices. The input voltage of the LDO typically has a range, with a minimum input voltage. When the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is less than the minimum input voltage of the LDO, the LDO will not be able to properly stabilize the voltage, thereby affecting the power supply to the MCU or MCU's peripheral devices. As the power supply module after the battery cell 10, the LDO is a relatively critical voltage in the system's minimum operating voltage in the aerosol generating device 100. Therefore, it is more appropriate to use the minimum input voltage of the LDO as the threshold voltage.

[0082] When the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is less than the threshold voltage, the controller controls the output of a warning sign and stores the warning sign. When the aerosol generating device 100 is in a working cycle, the controller controls the aerosol generating device 100 to first detect whether the warning sign is present. If the warning sign is detected, it indicates that the battery cell 10 is insufficiently charged and cannot support the aerosol generating device 100 to complete this working cycle, or that the battery cell 10 is insufficiently charged and will cause an abnormality in the aerosol generating device 100 during this working cycle. The controller then controls the heating element 30 to not start according to the warning sign. In some embodiments, the controller can control the aerosol generating device 100 to perform other functions while controlling the heating element 30 to not start according to the warning sign, such as controlling the indicator light to operate normally to achieve an indication function; or, in some embodiments, the controller can control the entire aerosol generating device 100 to not start according to the warning sign, and of course, the heating element 30 will not start in this case.

[0083] It should be noted that after the controller outputs a warning sign during the current operation, the controller will not control the heating element 30 to stop working. That is to say, in the current working cycle, even if the warning sign is output, the heating element 30 will continue to work so that the user can complete the puff in the current working cycle, but this may result in a decrease in the puff taste.

[0084] In some embodiments, when the preheating stage is complete, the aerosol generating device 100 generates a prompt message via a prompt unit to inform the user that the preheating stage has ended. The prompt unit may be, for example, a vibration motor, an indicator light, etc. Therefore, the threshold voltage may also be the minimum voltage required for the prompt unit to operate normally. When the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is less than the minimum voltage of the prompt unit, that is, less than the threshold voltage, the prompt unit will not operate normally and will not be able to generate a prompt message at the end of the preheating stage. As a result, the user will not know when the aerosol generating device 100 has completed preheating. Therefore, it is reasonable to use the minimum voltage required for the prompt unit to operate normally as the threshold voltage.

[0085] In some embodiments, after the warning sign is generated, it is necessary to remove the warning sign so that the aerosol generating device 100 can be used normally after being recharged. As shown in FIG6 , the control method further includes:

[0086] S40, obtaining a charging signal of the aerosol generating device;

[0087] S50: canceling the warning sign according to the charging signal.

[0088] The aerosol generating device 100 usually also includes a charging and discharging unit, which is electrically connected to the controller and is used to control an external adapter or charging device such as a power bank to charge the battery cell 10. When the aerosol generating device 100 is charging, the controller can obtain a charging signal, and the controller can then remove the warning sign based on the charging signal. Since the battery cell 10 has its power replenished after charging, there is no need to set the warning sign on the aerosol generating device 100.

[0089] Furthermore, in some embodiments, to prevent the user from charging the aerosol generating device 100 too quickly, resulting in the battery cell 10 not being able to be fully replenished, step S50 may further include:

[0090] S51, recording the duration of the charging signal;

[0091] Specifically, a timer can be set in the aerosol generating device 100, and the timer is electrically connected to the controller. When the controller obtains the charging signal, the controller simultaneously controls the timer to start working to record the duration of the charging signal until the user no longer charges the aerosol generating device 100.

[0092] S52: If the holding time reaches the preset time, the warning sign is controlled to be released; if the holding time is less than the preset time, the warning sign is maintained.

[0093] Specifically, a preset duration can be pre-set in the aerosol generating device 100. When the hold time in step S51 reaches the preset duration, it indicates that the battery cell 10 has been sufficiently replenished, and the controller can remove the warning sign to resume normal use of the aerosol generating device 100. When the hold time is less than the preset duration, it indicates that the charging time is too short, the battery cell 10 has been replenished to a small amount, and cannot sustain the aerosol generating device 100 to complete the next full working cycle, so the warning sign needs to be maintained. At the same time, in order to inform the user that a too short charging time will cause the aerosol generating device 100 to not activate heating in the next working cycle, when the user cancels charging of the aerosol generating device 100, a prompt message can be set to inform the user that the charging time is too short and heating cannot be activated, thereby encouraging the user to continue charging until the charging time reaches the preset duration.

[0094] In some embodiments, the minimum voltage output by the battery cell 10 may not be compared with the threshold voltage. As shown in FIG8 , a flow chart of a control method of an aerosol generating device 100 according to another embodiment of the present application is provided. The method includes:

[0095] S60, obtaining the output voltage value of the battery cell;

[0096] S70, comparing the output voltage value with a preset threshold voltage;

[0097] S80, if the output voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, generating a warning sign and storing the warning sign;

[0098] S90: Determine, based on the warning sign, that the aerosol generating device does not start heating in the next working cycle.

[0099] Specifically, the aerosol generating device 100 is provided with a voltage detection unit for detecting the output voltage of the battery cell 10. The voltage detection unit is electrically connected to the controller and can transmit the detected current output voltage value of the battery cell 10 to the controller. The controller of the aerosol generating device 100 also pre-stores a threshold voltage, allowing the controller to compare the output voltage value of the battery cell 10 with the threshold voltage. The threshold voltage refers to the minimum voltage value required to basically meet the normal operation of the entire aerosol generating device 100 system during the current working cycle.

[0100] If the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is less than the threshold voltage, it indicates that the battery cell 10 has consumed a significant amount of power. If the battery cell 10 is not charged, the power in the battery cell 10 is insufficient to sustain the aerosol generating device 100 in the next operating cycle, that is, insufficient to complete the entire heating process in the next operating cycle. Therefore, the controller generates a warning flag and stores the warning flag. When the aerosol generating device 100 is activated in the next operating cycle, the aerosol generating device 100 may pre-check whether the warning flag is present. If the warning flag is detected, the controller may control the heating element 30 to not operate based on the warning flag, that is, control the aerosol generating device 100 to not start heating, thereby avoiding abnormalities in the aerosol generating device 100 due to insufficient power in the battery cell 10 in the next operating cycle.

[0101] If the output voltage of the battery cell 10 is greater than the threshold voltage, it indicates that the battery cell 10 is sufficiently charged. The controller then controls the aerosol generating device 100 to not generate the warning sign, and the aerosol generating device 100 can continue heating normally in the next operating cycle. The controller can control the aerosol generating device 100 to periodically obtain the output voltage of the battery cell 10 during the current operating cycle. The more frequently the aerosol generating device obtains the output voltage of the battery cell 10, the more timely it can determine whether the current output voltage of the battery cell 10 is less than the threshold voltage.

[0102] Therefore, the control method of the aerosol generating device 100 provided in this embodiment does not need to obtain the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell 10 in the current working cycle. It only needs to directly compare the output voltage of the battery cell 10 obtained each time with the threshold voltage. If the output voltage value of the battery cell 10 is less than the threshold voltage in a certain comparison, a warning sign is generated.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7 , the controller includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. Figure 7 uses one processor as an example. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the control method of the above-described embodiment. The processor and memory can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 7 uses a bus connection as an example.

[0104] The processor may be implemented by using at least one of the following: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processing device (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a processor, a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other electronic units that perform these functions.

[0105] The memory includes high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include a memory located remotely from the processor, and such remote memory may be connected to the aerosol-generating device via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0106] The memory is used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / units corresponding to the control methods / devices described herein. The processor executes the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and units stored in the memory to execute various functional applications and data processing of the aerosol generating device, thereby implementing the control methods described in the above embodiments.

[0107] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Based on the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations in different aspects of the present application as described above. For the sake of simplicity, they are not provided in detail. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A control method for an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device comprises a heating element and a battery core, wherein the battery core is used to provide power to the heating element, and the heating element is used to heat an aerosol product to generate an aerosol. It is characterized in that The control method comprises: Get the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle; Comparing the minimum voltage value with a preset threshold voltage; If the minimum voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored; According to the warning sign, it is determined that the aerosol generating device does not start heating in the next working cycle.

2. The control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The obtaining of the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle includes: Obtaining the voltage value output by the battery cell at the end of the preheating stage; The voltage value is determined to be the lowest voltage value.

3. The control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The obtaining of the lowest voltage value output by the battery cell in the current working cycle includes: Obtaining the current output voltage value of the battery cell; Compare the current output voltage value with the previous output voltage value of the battery cell; If the current output voltage value is less than the previous output voltage value of the battery cell, the current output voltage value is saved; If the current output voltage value is greater than the last output voltage value of the battery cell, the last output voltage value is saved.

4. The control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The preset threshold voltage includes the system minimum operating voltage.

5. The control method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The aerosol generating device further comprises a prompt unit, wherein the prompt unit is configured to generate a prompt message at the end of the preheating stage, and the threshold voltage comprises a minimum voltage required for the prompt unit to operate normally.

6. The control method according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The obtaining of the voltage value output by the battery cell at the end of the preheating stage includes: Obtaining the current temperature of the heating element; If the current temperature reaches the preset temperature of the preheating stage, the voltage value output by the battery cell is obtained.

7. The control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The method further comprises: obtaining a charging signal of the aerosol generating device; The warning sign is removed according to the charging signal.

8. The control method according to claim 7, It is characterized in that The method of removing the warning sign according to the charging signal further includes: Recording the duration of the charging signal; If the holding time reaches a preset time, controlling to remove the warning sign; If the holding time is shorter than the preset time, the warning sign is kept.

9. The control method according to claim 1, It is characterized in that If the voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored. The method further includes: The heating element is controlled not to stop heating in the current working cycle.

10. A control method for an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising a heating element and a battery core, the battery core being used to provide power to the heating element, the heating element being used to heat an aerosol product to generate an aerosol, It is characterized in that The control method comprises: Acquire the output voltage value of the battery cell multiple times; Comparing the output voltage value obtained each time with a preset threshold voltage; If the output voltage value is less than the threshold voltage, a warning sign is generated and the warning sign is stored; According to the warning sign, it is determined that the aerosol generating device does not start heating in the next working cycle.

11. An aerosol generating device comprising a controller, It is characterized in that The controller includes a processor and a memory, the memory stores a computer program, and the processor implements the control method of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 when executing the computer program.

12. The device according to claim 11, It is characterized in that The aerosol generating device includes an LDO circuit electrically connected to the battery cell, and the threshold voltage includes a minimum input voltage of the LDO circuit.

Images