Aerosol generation system, control method, and program

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism capable of further improving the quality of user experience. [Solution] An aerosol generation system comprising: a notification unit for notifying a user of information; an accommodating portion having an internal space and an opening for communicating the internal space with the outside and capable of storing an aerosol source-containing base material inserted from the opening; a lid portion for opening and closing the opening of the accommodating portion; a heating unit for heating the base material accommodated in the accommodating portion; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, wherein the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit on the basis of an initial parameter which is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and acquired triggered by the lid portion opening the opening.

Description

Aerosol generation system, control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating system, a control method, and a program.

[0002] Inhalation devices that generate substances to be inhaled by users are widely used. For example, inhalation devices generate aerosols imparted with flavor components using a substrate containing an aerosol source for generating aerosols and a flavor source for imparting flavor components to the generated aerosol. Users can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the aerosols imparted with flavor components generated by the inhalation device. The action of a user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as a puff or puffing action. An example of a device classified as an inhalation device is a heated tobacco product, which is used instead of a so-called cigarette. Note that a heated tobacco product is a type of inhalation device that generates an aerosol by heating a solid containing an aerosol source.

[0003] Various technologies have been developed to further improve the quality of the user experience when using such suction devices. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology that uses light to notify the user that a substrate has been inserted into a suction device.

[0004] International Publication No. 2021 / 259949

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has only recently been developed, and there is still room for improvement in various respects.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the user experience.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol generation system is provided, comprising: a notification unit that notifies a user of information; a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening; a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit; a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, wherein the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

[0008] The control unit may, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below a predetermined temperature, monitor whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a first judgment criterion, and control the notification unit to notify first information while monitoring whether the first judgment criterion is satisfied, and, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature, monitor whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a second judgment criterion different from the first judgment criterion, and control the notification unit to notify the first information while monitoring whether the second judgment criterion is satisfied.

[0009] The control unit may monitor whether a time series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit satisfies the first judgment criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, and may monitor whether a time series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying to the heating unit a group of detection pulses consisting of one or more second detection pulses having a shorter duration than the first detection pulse satisfies the second judgment criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature.

[0010] When the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, the control unit may determine whether the pattern of oscillation of the parameter corresponding to the repetition of a temperature increase of the heating unit due to application of the first detection pulse and a temperature decrease of the heating unit due to cessation of application of the first detection pulse satisfies the first judgment criterion, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature, the control unit may determine whether the pattern of change of the parameter corresponding to a temperature decrease of the heating unit satisfies the second judgment criterion.

[0011] The control unit may, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature and the first judgment criterion is satisfied, notify second information and start heating by the heating unit based on control information that specifies the time series progression of the target value of the parameter, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature and the second judgment criterion is satisfied, notify the second information and start heating by the heating unit based on the control information.

[0012] The control unit may notify third information and transition to standby mode if the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature and the first judgment criterion is not met, and may notify the third information and transition to standby mode if the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature and the second judgment criterion is not met.

[0013] When the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature, the control unit may monitor whether a third judgment criterion is met while heating by the heating unit based on the control information is being performed, and if the third judgment criterion is met, continue heating by the heating unit based on the control information, and if the third judgment criterion is not met, notify fourth information, stop heating by the heating unit based on the control information, and transition to the standby mode.

[0014] The third judgment criterion may be that the rate of change of the parameter indicated by the relationship between the elapsed time since heating by the heating unit based on the control information started and the parameter corresponds to less than a predetermined threshold value.

[0015] The third information and the fourth information may be notified in the same manner.

[0016] In the standby mode, the control unit may control the operation of the heating unit to start heating based on the control information when a specified user operation is detected, control the notification unit to notify the second information, and continue heating by the heating unit based on the control information regardless of whether the third judgment criterion is satisfied or not.

[0017] The control unit may cancel the standby mode when the lid unit closes the opening in the standby mode.

[0018] The control unit may determine the state of the storage unit based on the parameters, and may control the notification unit to notify information indicating the progress of the process of determining the state of the storage unit during a period in which the progress continues.

[0019] The aerosol generating system may further comprise the substrate.

[0020] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, wherein the aerosol generation system has a notification unit that notifies a user of information, a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening, a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, and the control method includes controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit includes operating the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

[0021] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, the aerosol generation system having a notification unit that notifies a user of information, a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening, a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, the program causing the computer to function as a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

[0022] As described above, the present disclosure provides a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the user experience.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a suction device. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of a suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of a suction device according to the present embodiment in a state in which a stick-shaped substrate is accommodated. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a first process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the first process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a graph schematically showing an example of temperature transition of a heating unit when heating is performed based on a heating profile. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining power supply control based on a heating profile. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining experimental results related to the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining criteria for determining the state of the accommodation unit in the first process. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a second process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining experimental results related to the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining information notified in a modified example.

[0024] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0025] <1. Configuration Example of Inhalation Device> - Internal Configuration Example The inhalation device is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas.

[0026] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 1, a suction device 100 according to this example configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a memory unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0027] The power supply unit 111 stores electric power and supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100 under the control of the control unit 116. The power supply unit 111 may be configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0028] The sensor unit 112 acquires various types of information related to the suction device 100. As one example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, or the like, and acquires values ​​associated with suction by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with an input device such as a button or a switch that accepts information input from the user.

[0029] The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 is configured by, for example, a light emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

[0030] The storage unit 114 stores various types of information for the operation of the suction device 100. The storage unit 114 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example.

[0031] The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0032] The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

[0033] The storage unit 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The storage unit 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside and accommodates the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage unit 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and a bottom 143 as its bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path that supplies air to the internal space 141 is connected to the storage unit 140. An air inlet, which is an air inlet to the air flow path, is arranged, for example, on a side surface of the suction device 100. An air outlet, which is an air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is arranged, for example, on the bottom 143.

[0034] The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicament. The aerosol source may be, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water, containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component, or a solid containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is housed in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When a user holds the mouthpiece portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth along with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

[0035] The heating unit 121 generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the heating unit 121 is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the storage unit 140. When the heating unit 121 generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111. As an example, power may be supplied when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Power supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input.

[0036] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121 to other components. For example, the heat insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

[0037] The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100 is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0038] As one example, the heating unit 121 may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the storage unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140.

[0039] As another example, the storage unit 140 may include an opening / closing mechanism such as a hinge that opens and closes a portion of the outer shell that forms the internal space 141. The storage unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to hold and store the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141. In this case, the heating unit 121 may be provided at the holding location in the storage unit 140, and may heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0040] An exemplary configuration of the inhalation device 100 has been described above. The heating unit 121 generates an aerosol by using power supplied from the power supply unit 111 to heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 (more specifically, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150) contained in the storage unit 140. The control unit 116 then controls the power supply to the heating unit 121. The inhalation device 100 is an example of an aerosol generation system that generates an aerosol. The combination of the inhalation device 100 and the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be considered as an aerosol generation system.

[0041] - Example of external configuration Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is an overall perspective view of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment in a state in which a stick-shaped substrate 150 is housed.

[0042] 2 and 3 , the inhalation device 100 includes a top housing 11A, a bottom housing 11B, a cover 12, a switch 13, a lid portion 14, a vent 15, and a cap 16. The top housing 11A and the bottom housing 11B are connected to each other to form the outermost housing 11 of the inhalation device 100. The outer housing 11 is sized to fit in a user's hand. When using the inhalation device 100, the user can hold the inhalation device 100 in their hand and inhale the flavor.

[0043] The top housing 11A has an opening (not shown), and the cover 12 is coupled to the top housing 11A to close the opening. As shown in FIG. 3 , the cover 12 has an opening 142 through which the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be inserted. The lid portion 14 is configured to open and close the opening 142 of the cover 12. Specifically, the lid portion 14 is attached to the cover 12 and configured to be movable along the surface of the cover 12 between a first position that closes the opening 142 and a second position that opens the opening 142. In this way, the lid portion 14 can permit or restrict access of the stick-shaped substrate 150 to the interior of the suction device 100 (the internal space 141 shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0044] The switch 13 receives a user operation of pressing the switch 13. When the switch 13 is pressed, the suction device 100 is triggered to be powered on or to start heating by the heating unit 121.

[0045] The vent 15 is a vent for introducing air into the internal space 141. The air taken into the interior of the suction device 100 through the vent 15 is introduced into the internal space 141, for example, from the bottom 143 of the storage section 140. The cap 16 is configured to be detachable from the bottom housing 11B. By attaching the cap 16 to the bottom housing 11B, the vent 15 is formed between the bottom housing 11B and the cap 16. The cap 16 may have, for example, a through-hole or a notch (not shown).

[0046] <2. Technical Features> <2.1. Heating with Insertion Detection> The control unit 116 determines the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, the parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121 is assumed to be the electrical resistance (hereinafter also simply referred to as resistance) of the heating unit 121 (more accurately, the heating resistor that constitutes the heating unit 121). The control unit 116 obtains the resistance of the heating unit 121 by applying a voltage to the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases, and that the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 decreases. That is, in the following description, the terms resistance and temperature may be interpreted interchangeably.

[0047] First, the control unit 116 executes a first process. The first process includes acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121 and determining the state of the storage unit 140 based on the acquired resistance of the heating unit 121. In particular, in the first process, the control unit 116 determines whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0048] If it is determined in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, the control unit 116 ends the first process and executes the second process. The second process includes heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on a heating profile. The heating profile is control information for generating an aerosol. The inhalation device 100 can generate an aerosol by heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. The heating profile will be described in detail later.

[0049] Here, in the first process, it may be erroneously determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, even though the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140. Such an erroneous determination can occur when an item other than the stick-shaped substrate 150, such as a cleaning swab, is inserted into the storage unit 140, or when outside air is blown into the storage unit 140. This is because the resistance of the heating unit 121 can change in these cases, just as in the case when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0050] Therefore, the control unit 116 acquires the resistance of the heating unit 121 during heating based on the heating profile, and determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the acquired resistance of the heating unit 121. In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the determination in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 was an erroneous determination.

[0051] If the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, that is, if it determines that the determination in the first process is correct, it continues heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile. On the other hand, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140, that is, if it determines that the determination in the first process is incorrect, it stops heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile.

[0052] According to this configuration, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, heating of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be automatically started and continued. On the other hand, when nothing is inserted into the storage unit 140, or when an item other than the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, heating can be stopped. In this way, by simply inserting the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage unit 140, the user can start heating and inhale the aerosol without having to give a separate command to start / stop heating, thereby improving usability.

[0053] Furthermore, with this configuration, the heating unit 121 for heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be used to detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In other words, there is no need to install another sensor such as a capacitance sensor to detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. This allows the suction device 100 to be further miniaturized.

[0054] In the first process, the temperature of the heating unit 121 may rise because a voltage is applied to the heating unit 121 to obtain the resistance of the heating unit 121. In other words, the first process may be considered as a process of heating the stick-shaped substrate 150. However, hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, heating refers to heating based on the heating profile in the second process.

[0055] The first process and the second process will be described in detail below.

[0056] (1) First Process FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the first process executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Graph 30 shown in FIG. 4 shows an example of the time series progression of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 in the first process. The vertical axis of graph 30 represents voltage in volts. The horizontal axis of graph 30 represents time in seconds. Graph 35 shown in FIG. 5 shows an example of the time series progression of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the voltage shown in FIG. 4 is applied. The vertical axis of graph 35 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 35 represents time in seconds. Graph 35 illustrates the case where the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 at the timing indicated by arrow 39, i.e., five seconds after the start of the first process.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4 , the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a group of detection pulses 34, including one first detection pulse 31, to the heating unit 121. Here, a pulse refers to a wave having a predetermined voltage. In particular, the first detection pulse 31 is a pulse for increasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 while acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121. Hereinafter, the period during which one group of detection pulses 34 is applied will also be referred to as a detection cycle. The period during which the first detection pulse 31 is applied will also be referred to as a temperature rise period. On the other hand, the period during which the first detection pulse 31 is not applied will also be referred to as a temperature fall period. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the duration of the detection cycle is 0.5 seconds, with the first 0.1 seconds of the detection cycle being the temperature rise period and the remaining 0.4 seconds being the temperature fall period.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 5 , during the temperature rise period, a voltage is applied to the heating unit 121, causing the temperature of the heating unit 121 to rise, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 to increase accordingly. On the other hand, during the temperature fall period, application of a voltage to the heating unit 121 is stopped, causing the temperature of the heating unit 121 to decrease, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 to decrease accordingly. That is, the resistance of the heating unit 121 fluctuates up and down during one detection cycle. As shown in Fig. 5 , the resistance of the heating unit 121 repeatedly rises and falls while gradually increasing as the application of the detection pulse group 34 is repeated. Here, the voltage and width of the first detection pulse 31 are adjusted so that the resistance of the heating unit 121 gradually increases or is maintained at a constant value as the application of the detection pulse group 34 is repeated.

[0059] The control unit 116 determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121. More specifically, when the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. On the other hand, when the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0060] The time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period when the detection pulse group 34 is applied to the heating unit 121 differs depending on whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. In the example shown in FIG. 5 , the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 during the period from the start of the first process until 5 seconds have elapsed. During this period, the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 is on line 37, and the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 is on line 38. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 5 , the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 during the period after 5 seconds have elapsed from the start of the first process. During this period, the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 is below line 37, and the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 is below line 38. Therefore, when a change such as that illustrated in Fig. 5 occurs in the time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the process of repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. With this configuration, it is possible to determine with a simple configuration whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4 , the first process may initially include applying a third detection pulse 33 to the heating unit 121. The third detection pulse 33 is a pulse for increasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 while acquiring the resistance of the heating unit 121. The duration of the third detection pulse 33 is longer than the duration of the first detection pulse 31. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the duration of the first detection pulse 31 is 0.1 seconds, and the duration of the third detection pulse 33 is 0.5 seconds. This configuration allows the resistance of the heating unit 121 to increase to a certain extent immediately after the start of the first process. Unless the resistance of the heating unit 121 has increased to a certain extent, the resistance of the heating unit 121 may not decrease appropriately during the temperature drop period of the detection cycle. In this regard, this configuration allows the resistance of the heating unit 121 to be appropriately increased or decreased during the detection cycle, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the state of the accommodation unit 140.

[0062] The detection pulse group 34 may include one or more second detection pulses in addition to one first detection pulse 31. The second detection pulse is a pulse for obtaining the resistance of the heating unit 121. The duration of the second detection pulse is shorter than the duration of the first detection pulse 31. In particular, it is desirable to set the duration of the second detection pulse to an extremely short time so that the temperature of the heating unit 121 does not change even when the second detection pulse is applied to the heating unit 121. This makes it possible to obtain the resistance of the heating unit 121 while decreasing the temperature of the heating unit 121 during the temperature drop period.

[0063] The resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by the second detection pulse can be used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140. With this configuration, the state of the accommodating unit 140 can be determined based on a larger number of samples, making it possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of determining the state of the accommodating unit 140 due to the influence of external disturbances, for example.

[0064] The control unit 116 may start the first process when a predetermined user action is detected. The predetermined user action may be any user action that is expected to result in the stick-shaped substrate 150 being inserted into the storage unit 140 immediately after the predetermined user action. One example of the predetermined user action is opening the lid unit 14 that opens and closes the opening 142. Another example of the predetermined user action is lifting the suction device 100. Another example of the predetermined user action is canceling charging of the suction device 100. The presence or absence of these predetermined user actions can be detected by a sensor provided in the lid unit 14, a motion sensor, or the like. With this configuration, the first process can be executed only at times when the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be inserted. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption.

[0065] The control unit 116 terminates the first process if the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy a predetermined condition within a predetermined time period after the start of the first process. In other words, the control unit 116 terminates the first process if it does not determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 within a predetermined time period after the start of the first process. The predetermined time period may be set, for example, based on the expected time normally required from the time a user performs a predetermined user operation that triggers the start of the first process until the time the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , the predetermined time period is 10 seconds, and the detection cycle is repeated a maximum of 18 times. This configuration makes it possible to reduce power consumption without degrading usability.

[0066] On the other hand, the control unit 116 starts the second process when it determines in the first process that the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition. In other words, the control unit 116 starts the second process when it determines in the first process that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. This configuration makes it possible to improve usability in that it is no longer necessary for the user to separately instruct the start of heating.

[0067] (2) Second Processing In the second processing, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile and determines the state of the accommodating unit 140. These processing steps will be described below in order.

[0068] Heating Based on a Heating Profile The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on a heating profile. Control of the operation of the heating unit 121 is achieved by controlling the power supply from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121. The heating unit 121 heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 using the power supplied from the power supply unit 111.

[0069] A heating profile is control information for controlling the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated. The heating profile specifies target values ​​of parameters corresponding to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated. An example of the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated is the temperature of the heating unit 121. An example of the target value of the parameter corresponding to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated is the target value of the resistance of the heating unit 121, which will be referred to as the target resistance hereinafter. The temperature of the heating unit 121 when the resistance of the heating unit 121 is the target resistance, i.e., the temperature corresponding to the target resistance, will be referred to as the target temperature hereinafter. The temperature of the heating unit 121 may be controlled to change depending on the elapsed time from the start of heating. In this case, the heating profile includes information specifying the time series progression of the target resistance. As another example, the heating profile may include parameters (hereinafter also referred to as power supply parameters) specifying the method of supplying power to the heating unit 121. The power supply parameters include, for example, the voltage applied to the heating unit 121, the ON / OFF state of power supply to the heating unit 121, the feedback control method to be adopted, etc. The power supply to the heating unit 121 may be turned on / off as the heating unit 121 itself.

[0070] The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 so that the resistance of the heating unit 121 changes in a manner similar to the target resistance defined in the heating profile. The heating profile is typically designed to optimize the flavor that the user tastes when the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, the flavor that the user tastes can be optimized.

[0071] The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. The feedback control may be, for example, a proportional-integral-differential (PID) control. The control unit 116 may supply power from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses modulated by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116 may control the temperature of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulses in the feedback control. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may perform simple on / off control in the feedback control. For example, the control unit 116 may supply power pulses to the heating unit 121 until the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches a target resistance, and stop supplying the power pulses when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches the target resistance.

[0072] The period from the start to the end of the process of generating aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150 is also referred to as a heating session below. In other words, a heating session is a period during which power supply to the heating unit 121 is controlled based on a heating profile. The start of a heating session is the timing when heating based on the heating profile starts. The end of a heating session is the timing when a sufficient amount of aerosol is no longer generated. A heating session includes a pre-heating period and a puffable period following the pre-heating period. The puffable period is a period during which a sufficient amount of aerosol is expected to be generated. The pre-heating period is the period from the start of heating to the start of the puffable period. Heating performed in the pre-heating period is also referred to as pre-heating.

[0073] The notification unit 113 may notify the user of information indicating the timing at which preheating will end. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information predicting the end of preheating before the end of preheating, or may notify the user of information indicating the end of preheating at the timing at which preheating ends. The notification to the user may be performed, for example, by lighting an LED (light-emitting diode) or by vibrating. The user can refer to such a notification and start puffing immediately after the end of preheating.

[0074] Similarly, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information indicating the timing when the puffing period will end. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify the user of information predicting the end of the puffing period before the end of the puffing period, or may notify the user of information indicating the end of the puffing period at the timing when the puffing period ends. The notification to the user may be performed, for example, by lighting up an LED or vibrating. The user can refer to such a notification and continue puffing until the puffing period ends.

[0075] An example of a heating profile will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . FIG. 6 is a graph schematically illustrating an example of the temperature transition of the heating unit 121 when heating is performed based on the heating profile. The horizontal axis of graph 20 represents time. The vertical axis of graph 20 represents temperature. Line 21 indicates the time series transition of the temperature of the heating unit 121. As shown in FIG. 6 , a heating session may include, in order, an initial heating period, an intermediate temperature drop period, and a re-heating period. The initial heating period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 rapidly rises and is maintained at a high temperature after heating begins. The intermediate temperature drop period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 drops after the initial heating period. The re-heating period is a period during which the temperature of the heating unit 121 rises again after the intermediate temperature drop period. In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the temperature of the heating unit 121 rapidly rises to around 300°C during the initial heating period, then drops to around 230°C during the intermediate temperature drop period, and then gradually rises to around 260°C during the re-heating period. During the intermediate temperature drop period, power supply to the heating unit 121 may be interrupted, and heating may be turned off. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the period from the start of heating to the middle of the initial temperature rise period is the pre-heating period, and the period from the middle of the initial temperature rise period to the end of the re-heating period is the puffable period.

[0076] Next, power supply control based on a heating profile will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining power supply control based on a heating profile. A graph 40 shown in Fig. 7 shows an example of a time series transition of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 during power supply control based on the heating profile. The vertical axis of the graph 40 represents voltage in volts. The horizontal axis of the graph 40 represents time in milliseconds.

[0077] 7 , the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a group of heating pulses 44 including a measurement pulse 41 to the heating unit 121. The measurement pulse 41 is a pulse applied to measure the resistance of the heating unit 121. The group of heating pulses 44 may include one or more heating pulses 42. The heating pulse 42 is a pulse applied to increase the temperature of the heating unit 121.

[0078] The period during which one heating pulse group 44 is applied is also referred to as a heating cycle. The period during which the measurement pulses 41 are applied in the heating cycle is also referred to as a measurement period. On the other hand, the period during which the measurement pulses 41 are not applied in the heating cycle is also referred to as a non-measurement period. During the non-measurement period, the heating pulses 42 can be applied. In the example shown in Figure 7, the duration of the heating cycle is 50 milliseconds, with the first 3 milliseconds of the heating cycle being the measurement period and the remaining 47 milliseconds being the non-measurement period.

[0079] The control unit 116 controls the configuration of the heating pulses 42 during the non-measurement period. The configuration here refers to whether or not the heating pulses 42 are applied and the duration of the heating pulses 42. As shown in FIG. 7 , the duration of the heating pulses 42 can be set to any time equal to or less than 47 milliseconds. In addition, the number and start timing of the heating pulses 42 during the non-measurement period can also be set to any time.

[0080] In particular, the control unit 116 acquires the resistance of the heating unit 121 when applying the measurement pulse 41 during the measurement period. Then, based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 acquired during the measurement period and the heating profile, the control unit 116 controls the configuration of the heating pulse 42 during the non-measurement period that belongs to the same heating cycle as the measurement period. In this case, the control unit 116 controls the duty ratio of the heating pulse 42 during the non-measurement period based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the target resistance specified in the heating profile.

[0081] The above-described heating pulse group 44 is applied to the heating unit 121 during the initial temperature rise period and the re-heating period of the heating session. On the other hand, the heating pulse group 44 does not have to be applied to the heating unit 121 during the intermediate temperature drop period of the heating session. In this case, whether the temperature of the heating unit 121 has dropped to a temperature corresponding to the target resistance during the intermediate temperature drop period may be determined by a separately provided temperature sensor such as a thermistor, or may be simply determined based on the elapsed time since power supply to the heating unit 121 was stopped.

[0082] - Determining the State of the Container 140 The control unit 116 determines the state of the container 140 based on the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121. More specifically, when the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the container 140. On the other hand, when the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the container 140.

[0083] The time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 during the period in which the heating pulse group 44 is applied to the heating unit 121 differs depending on whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. As an example, when no stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, the resistance (i.e., the temperature) of the heating unit 121 rises more rapidly than when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. Therefore, for example, the control unit 116 determines that a stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted in the storage unit 140 when the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 falls within the range of the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 that is expected when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. This configuration makes it possible to determine whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 with a simple configuration.

[0084] It is desirable to judge the state of the storage unit 140 early in the pre-heating period of the heating session, in order to stop empty heating or heating of items other than the stick-shaped substrates 150 as soon as possible if the insertion of the stick-shaped substrates 150 into the storage unit 140 is erroneously judged in the first process.

[0085] (3) Experimental Results The experimental results obtained when the first and second processes were performed will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating experimental results for the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Graph 50 shown in FIG. 8 shows the time series of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the suction device 100 performs the first process and the second process. The vertical axis of graph 50 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 50 represents time in seconds. The resistance of the heating unit 121 measured at each time point is plotted on graph 50, and consecutive plots are connected by lines. Graph 50 shows the time series of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted at the timing indicated by arrow 59, i.e., 4.5 seconds after the start of the first process.

[0087] Referring to graph 50, the resistance of the heating unit 121 repeatedly rises and falls, gradually increasing until the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. Then, immediately after the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases from plot 51A to plot 51B and from plot 52A to plot 52B. Plots 51A and 51B correspond to the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31. Plots 52A and 52B correspond to the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31. Based on this decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121, the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140. Therefore, the first process ends and the second process begins, and the resistance of the heating unit 121 rises rapidly.

[0088] (4) Processing Flow Next, the processing flow will be described with reference to FIG.

[0089] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0090] 9 , first, the control unit 116 determines whether a predetermined user operation has been detected (step S102). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the sensor unit 112 has detected a user operation to open the cover unit 14 to open or close the opening 142, a user operation to lift the suction device 100, or a user operation to cancel charging of the suction device 100.

[0091] If it is determined that the predetermined user operation has not been detected (step S102: NO), the control unit 116 waits until the predetermined user operation is detected.

[0092] If it is determined that a predetermined user operation has been detected (step S102: YES), the control unit 116 starts a first process (step S104). For example, the control unit 116 first applies the third detection pulse 33 to the heating unit 121, and then repeatedly applies the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121.

[0093] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S106). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 based on whether or not the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121, obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121, satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0094] If it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S106: YES), the control unit 116 ends the first process and starts the second process (step S108). For example, the storage unit 140 repeatedly applies the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile.

[0095] On the other hand, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S106: NO), the control unit 116 determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether 10 seconds have elapsed since the start of the first process.

[0096] If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110: NO), the process returns to step S106.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the first process (step S110: YES), the control unit 116 ends the first process (step S112).

[0098] After the second process is started in step S108, the control unit 116 determines whether the determination result in the first process is correct (step S114). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 based on whether the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the heating pulse group 44 to the heating unit 121 satisfies a predetermined condition.

[0099] If the determination result in the first process is determined to be correct, that is, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S114: YES), the control unit 116 continues heating based on the heating profile (step S116). When heating based on the heating profile ends, the process ends.

[0100] On the other hand, if the determination result in the first process is determined to be incorrect, that is, if it is determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 (step S114: NO), the control unit 116 ends heating based on the heating profile (step S118), and then the process ends.

[0101] The above describes an example of the flow of processes executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. The notification unit 113 may appropriately notify information indicating the progress of the above-described processes. For example, the notification unit 113 may notify that a first process has started, the determination result of the first process, that a second process has started, and the determination result of the second process.

[0102] <2.2. Criteria for Determination in the First Process> An example of criteria for determining the state of the accommodating section 140 in the first process will be described below. Such criteria will also be referred to as the first criteria hereinafter.

[0103] Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining the criteria for determining the state of the accommodation unit 140 in the first process. A graph 60 shown in Fig. 10 shows an example of the time series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 in the first process. The vertical axis of the graph 60 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of the graph 60 represents time in seconds.

[0104] The resistances in plots 61A and 61B in graph 60 are the resistances of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detecting pulse 31. The resistances in plots 62A and 62B are the resistances of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detecting pulse 31.

[0105] The control unit 116 determines the state of the accommodating unit 140 based on the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 when the two detection pulse groups 34 are applied to the heating unit 121. The two detection pulse groups 34 used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140 are two detection pulse groups 34 that are consecutive in time. In particular, the two detection pulse groups 34 used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140 are the two detection pulse groups 34 that are consecutive in time that were applied to the heating unit 121 most recently. The control unit 116 repeatedly performs state determination of the accommodating unit 140 while switching between the two detection pulse groups 34 used to determine the state of the accommodating unit 140 each time it applies a detection pulse group 34. Of the two detection pulse groups 34 that are consecutive in time, the first detection pulse group 34 will also be referred to as the first detection pulse group 34, and the detection pulse group 34 next to the first detection pulse group 34 will also be referred to as the second detection pulse group 34.

[0106] First Condition As an example, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34 and the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34. In more detail, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted when the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34 is less than the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34. This condition is also referred to as the first condition hereinafter.

[0107] 10 , the resistance in plot 61A may correspond to the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34. In that case, the resistance in plot 61B corresponds to the resistance at the start of application of the first detection pulse 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34. The control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 when the resistance in plot 61B is less than the resistance in plot 61A. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 when the resistance in plot 61B is equal to or greater than the resistance in plot 61A.

[0108] Second Condition As another example, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34 and the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34. In more detail, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted when the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34 is less than the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the end of application of the first detection pulses 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34. This condition is also referred to as the second condition hereinafter.

[0109] 10 , the resistance in plot 62A may correspond to the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 included in the first detection pulse group 34. In that case, the resistance in plot 62B corresponds to the resistance at the end of application of the first detection pulse 31 included in the second detection pulse group 34. The control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 when the resistance in plot 62B is less than the resistance in plot 62A. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the accommodation unit 140 when the resistance in plot 62B is equal to or greater than the resistance in plot 62A.

[0110] - Supplementary Note: When either the first condition or the second condition is satisfied, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140. Alternatively, when both the first condition and the second condition are satisfied, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140.

[0111] <2.3. Determination Criteria in the Second Process> The following describes in detail the determination criteria used in the second process to determine the state of the accommodating section 140. Such determination criteria will also be referred to as third determination criteria hereinafter.

[0112] 11 is a diagram for explaining the second process executed by the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. A graph 70 shown in FIG. 11 shows an example of the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 after heating based on the heating profile is started. The vertical axis of the graph 70 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of the graph 70 represents time, more specifically, the elapsed time since heating based on the heating profile is started in seconds. The elapsed time since heating based on the heating profile is started is also referred to as the heating time hereinafter.

[0113] Line 71 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when heating is started with the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 72 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when heating is started with nothing inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 73 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when heating is started with a dry cotton swab inserted in the storage unit 140. Line 74 shows the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 when heating is started with a wet cotton swab inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0114] 11 , it can be seen that there is a large difference in the rate at which the resistance (i.e., temperature) of the heating unit 121 increases between when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 and when it is not. That is, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, the rate at which the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases is significantly slower than when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0115] Therefore, when the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 (particularly the rate of increase), which is indicated by the relationship between the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the heating time, is less than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. On the other hand, when the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121, which is indicated by the relationship between the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the heating time, is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0116] As an example, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 if the heating time when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches the first resistance threshold is equal to or greater than the first time threshold. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 if the heating time when the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches the first resistance threshold is less than the first time threshold. For example, the first resistance threshold may be a resistance corresponding to a temperature that is 99.5% of the maximum target temperature. The maximum target temperature here may be the highest target temperature among the target temperatures specified in the heating profile, and in particular, may be the highest target temperature in the pre-heating period. It is desirable to set the first time threshold based on the heating time required for the resistance of the heating unit 121 to reach the first resistance threshold when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0117] In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the first resistance threshold may be 1.5 Ω. The first time threshold may be set to 3.5 seconds. Referring to line 71, when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, the heating time required for the resistance of the heating unit 121 to reach 1.5 Ω is approximately 4.2 seconds. This makes it possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140. On the other hand, referring to lines 72 to 74, when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140, the heating time required for the resistance of the heating unit 121 to reach 1.5 Ω is less than 3 seconds. This makes it possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately determine whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140. Note that these values ​​for the first resistance threshold and the first time threshold are merely examples, and any other values ​​may be used.

[0118] As another example, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140 if the resistance of the heating unit 121 is less than the second resistance threshold when the heating time reaches the second time threshold. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 if the resistance of the heating unit 121 is equal to or greater than the second resistance threshold when the heating time reaches the second time threshold. For example, the second resistance threshold may be 99.5% of the resistance corresponding to the highest target temperature. The highest target temperature here is the highest target temperature among the target temperatures specified in the heating profile, and in particular, may be the highest target temperature in the pre-heating period. It is desirable to set the second time threshold based on the heating time required for the resistance of the heating unit 121 to reach the second resistance threshold when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140.

[0119] In the example shown in FIG. 11 , the second resistance threshold may be 1.5 Ω. The second time threshold may be set to 3.5 seconds. Referring to line 71, when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the heating time of 3.5 seconds is less than 1.5 Ω. This makes it possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140. On the other hand, referring to lines 72 to 74, when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140, the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the heating time of 3.5 seconds is greater than 1.5 Ω. This makes it possible to determine that a stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140. In this way, it becomes possible to appropriately determine whether or not a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140. Note that these values ​​for the second time threshold and the second resistance threshold are merely examples, and any other values ​​may be used.

[0120] It is desirable that the control unit 116 maintain the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 at a predetermined value during the period until it determines whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140. As one example, it is desirable that the control unit 116 maintain the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 at a predetermined value during the period from when the heating unit 121 starts heating based on the heating profile until the resistance of the heating unit 121 reaches a first resistance threshold. As another example, it is desirable that the control unit 116 maintain the duty ratio of the voltage applied to the heating unit 121 at a predetermined value during the period until the heating time reaches a second threshold. This configuration can eliminate the influence of changes in the duty ratio from the determination of whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted in the storage unit 140, thereby improving the accuracy of determining the state of the storage unit 140. The predetermined value here may be 100%. In this case, it is possible to shorten the preheating period.

[0121] 2.4. Criteria for Determining Continuous Heating There are cases where heating is performed continuously by the heating unit 121. For example, there are cases where so-called chain smoking is performed, in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is continuously heated while being replaced and the aerosol is inhaled. When such continuous heating is performed, the resistance (i.e., temperature) of the heating unit 121 at the start of heating based on the heating profile becomes higher than when not performing such continuous heating.

[0122] If the same judgment criteria as above are used during continuous heating, the accuracy of judging the state of the storage unit 140 may decrease. Therefore, the control unit 116 uses judgment criteria different from the above to judge the state of the storage unit 140 during continuous heating. This configuration makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the accuracy of judging the state of the storage unit 140 during continuous heating. The judgment criteria during continuous heating (hereinafter also referred to as the second judgment criteria) will be described below.

[0123] The control unit 116 may determine that continuous heating is occurring when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a predetermined temperature or higher, i.e., when the temperature corresponding to the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 is equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature. The initial resistance is the resistance of the heating unit 121 in an initial state, for example, the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the start of the first process. The predetermined temperature is set according to the temperature of the heating unit 121 expected when continuous heating is initiated. If the control unit 116 determines that continuous heating is occurring, it may apply a detection pulse group 34 including only the second detection pulse to the heating unit 121 in the first process. In this case, the temperature and resistance of the heating unit 121 continue to decrease, but the manner of decrease varies depending on the state of the accommodation unit 140. Therefore, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the accommodation unit 140 based on the manner of decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121. Experimental results regarding the manner of decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121 are described with reference to FIG. 12 .

[0124] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating experimental results for the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Graph 90 shows experimental results of the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 immediately after the heating by the heating unit 121 is stopped after the heating unit 121 has sufficiently increased in temperature. The vertical axis of graph 90 represents resistance in ohms. The horizontal axis of graph 90 represents time in seconds, indicating the elapsed time since the end of heating. Plot 91 shows experimental results when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the housing unit 140. Plot 92 shows experimental results when nothing is inserted into the housing unit 140 and breathing is continued. Plot 93 shows experimental results when a cleaning cotton swab is inserted into the housing unit 140. As shown by plots 91 to 93, when a stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the housing unit 140, the resistance of the heating unit 121 may decrease more rapidly than in other cases. Therefore, the control unit 116 may apply a detection pulse group 34 including only the second detection pulse to the heating unit 121 in the first process, and determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 when the rate at which the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases exceeds a predetermined threshold. More simply, for example, the control unit 116 may determine that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140 when the difference between the resistance of the heating unit 121 at the current time and the resistance of the heating unit 121 one second ago exceeds a predetermined threshold. Note that, as shown in plot 91, the higher the resistance of the heating unit 121, the faster the rate at which the resistance of the heating unit 121 decreases. Therefore, the control unit 116 may increase the predetermined threshold as the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of the determination.

[0125] If the control unit 116 determines that continuous heating is being performed, it may omit determining the state of the accommodating unit 140 in the second process. That is, the control unit 116 may start heating based on the heating profile, but may omit determining the state of the accommodating unit 140 while heating based on the heating profile is being performed. This is because, during continuous heating, heating based on the heating profile is started when the resistance of the heating unit 121 is relatively high, which may reduce the accuracy of determining the state of the accommodating unit 140 based on the third determination criterion. This configuration makes it possible to prevent a situation in which, despite the stick-shaped substrate 150 being inserted, it is erroneously determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted, resulting in heating being stopped.

[0126] 2.5. Information Notification The control unit 116 may acquire the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 when triggered by the lid unit 14 opening the opening 142. The initial resistance is an example of an initial parameter. The control unit 116 may then operate the heating unit 121 and the notification unit 113 based on the initial resistance of the heating unit 121. As described above, the determination criteria used to determine the state of the storage unit 140 and whether or not to perform the second process are switched depending on the initial resistance of the heating unit 121. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to notify the user of information corresponding to the process being performed inside the suction device 100, thereby improving usability.

[0127] (1) Control of the Heating Unit 121 Depending on the Initial Resistance The operation of the heating unit 121 depending on the initial resistance is as described above.

[0128] When the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature, that is, when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 monitors whether the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies the first determination criterion in the first process. Specifically, the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a group of detection pulses 34 including one first detection pulse 31 to the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 then monitors whether the time-series transition of the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the group of detection pulses 34 to the heating unit 121 satisfies the first determination criterion. In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether the oscillation pattern of the resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponding to the repetition of the temperature increase of the heating unit 121 due to the application of the first detection pulse 31 and the temperature decrease of the heating unit 121 due to the cessation of the application of the first detection pulse 31 satisfies the first determination criterion. The details are as described above with respect to the first determination criterion.

[0129] The control unit 116 starts the second process when the first criterion is satisfied. That is, the control unit 116 starts heating by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, and monitors whether the third criterion is satisfied while the heating unit 121 is performing heating based on the heating profile. In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121, which is indicated by the relationship between the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the heating time, satisfies the third criterion. Then, the control unit 116 continues heating by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile when the third criterion is satisfied. On the other hand, the control unit 116 stops heating by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile when the third criterion is not satisfied.

[0130] On the other hand, if the first criterion is not satisfied, the control unit 116 does not start heating by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile.

[0131] When the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature: When the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 monitors whether the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies the second judgment criterion. Specifically, when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 repeatedly applies a detection pulse group 34 consisting of second detection pulses to the heating unit. The control unit 116 then monitors whether the time series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 to the heating unit 121 satisfies the second judgment criterion. In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether the change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponding to a decrease in the temperature of the heating unit 121 satisfies the second judgment criterion. Details of the second judgment criterion are as described above.

[0132] When the second criterion is satisfied, the control unit 116 starts heating based on the heating profile by the heating unit 121. On the other hand, when the second criterion is not satisfied, the control unit 116 does not start heating based on the heating profile by the heating unit 121.

[0133] (2) Control of the Notification Unit 113 According to the Initial Resistance The control unit 116 controls the operation of the notification unit 113 in parallel with controlling the operation of the heating unit 121 according to the initial resistance.

[0134] Specifically, when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the first information while monitoring whether the first criterion is satisfied. On the other hand, when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the first information while monitoring whether the second criterion is satisfied. The first information is information indicating that the state of the housing unit 140 is being monitored. This configuration makes it possible to notify the user that the state of the housing unit 140 is being monitored. For example, the first information may be notified by vibration according to a predetermined vibration pattern or by LED illumination according to a predetermined light-emitting pattern. The vibration pattern here is defined by the intensity of the vibration, the length of time the vibration occurs, the number of vibrations, the interval between multiple vibrations, etc. The light-emitting pattern is defined by the intensity of the light emission, the length of time the light is emitted, the light color, the number of times the light is emitted, the interval between multiple light emissions, etc. The notification of the first information may also be notified by LED illumination, which also serves as information indicating the remaining battery level. For example, the area that emits light may be larger as the remaining battery charge increases, and may be smaller as the remaining battery charge decreases. As another example, the LED may emit light or not and / or change its color depending on the remaining battery charge. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user of the remaining battery charge while notifying them that the status of the storage unit 140 is being monitored.

[0135] When the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify the second information when the first determination criterion is met. That is, the suction device 100 may start heating based on the heating profile and notify the second information. On the other hand, when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature higher than or equal to a predetermined temperature, the control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify the second information when the second determination criterion is met. That is, the suction device 100 may start heating based on the heating profile and notify the second information. The second information is information indicating that heating based on the heating profile has started. For example, the second information may be notified by vibration according to a predetermined vibration pattern or LED illumination according to a predetermined light emission pattern. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that the suction device 100 has recognized that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 and has started heating based on the heating profile.

[0136] The control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify the third information when the first criterion is not met, if the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature. That is, the suction device 100 may notify the third information instead of not starting heating based on the heating profile. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify the third information when the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature higher than a predetermined temperature, if the second criterion is not met. That is, the suction device 100 may notify the third information instead of not starting heating based on the heating profile. The third information is information indicating that it has been determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted and that heating based on the heating profile will not be started. The third information may be notified by vibration using a predetermined vibration pattern or LED illumination using a predetermined light-emitting pattern. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that the suction device 100 has recognized that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted in the storage unit 140 and has not started heating based on the heating profile.

[0137] Here, it is desirable that the first to third information be notified in different ways. That is, it is desirable that the first to third information be notified using different vibration patterns and / or light emission patterns. With this configuration, it is possible to make the user more aware of the differences in the notified information.

[0138] The control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 not to notify any information when the third determination criterion is met. That is, the suction device 100 may continue heating based on the heating profile without notifying any information. With this configuration, it is possible to implicitly notify the user that there is no particular problem with heating by not notifying the user of explicit information. On the other hand, the control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify the fourth information when the third determination criterion is not met. That is, the suction device 100 may stop heating based on the heating profile and notify the fourth information. The fourth information is information indicating that it has been determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted and that heating based on the heating profile has been stopped. The fourth information may be notified by vibration using a predetermined vibration pattern or LED illumination using a predetermined light-emitting pattern. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user that the suction device 100 has determined that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted in the storage unit 140 and that heating based on the heating profile has been stopped.

[0139] - Standby Mode Here, if the first, second, or third determination criterion is not met, the control unit 116 may transition to standby mode. Standby mode is an operating mode in which the state of the storage unit 140 is not determined even if the lid unit 14 has the opening 142 open. With this configuration, if the user opens the lid unit 14 but does not insert the stick-shaped substrate 150, the state determination of the storage unit 140 is paused, making it possible to reduce power consumption of the suction device 100.

[0140] When a predetermined user operation is detected in standby mode, the control unit 116 may control the operation of the heating unit 121 to start heating based on the heating profile and may control the notification unit 113 to notify the second information. An example of the predetermined user operation is pressing the switch 13. In this case, the control unit 116 may omit determining the state of the storage unit 140. That is, the control unit 116 may start and continue heating by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile regardless of whether the first to third determination criteria are satisfied. With this configuration, even if time has passed since the lid unit 14 opened the opening 142 and the state determination of the storage unit 140 is paused, the user can manually start heating of the stick-shaped substrate 150. Furthermore, by notifying the second information, the suction device 100 can notify the user that heating based on the heating profile has started.

[0141] The control unit 116 cancels the standby mode when the lid unit 14 closes the opening 142. That is, when the lid unit 14 reopens the opening 142, the control unit 116 acquires the initial resistance of the heating unit 121, determines the state of the storage unit 140 based on the first to third criteria, and controls the operation of the heating unit 121 and the notification unit 113. With this configuration, the user can start the heating and a series of notification processes that involve the detection of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 by temporarily closing and reopening the lid unit 14.

[0142] The third information and the fourth information described above may be notified in the same manner. For example, the light emission pattern and vibration pattern when notifying the third information may be the same as the light emission pattern and vibration pattern when notifying the fourth information. This is because the device transitions to standby mode regardless of whether the third information or the fourth information is notified, i.e., regardless of whether the first, second, or third determination criterion is satisfied. This configuration allows the user to more easily recognize that the device has transitioned to standby mode. In other words, the third information and the fourth information may be considered as information indicating that the device will transition to standby mode.

[0143] (3) Process Flow FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 13, first, the sensor unit 112 detects that the opening 142 has opened the cover unit 14 (step S202).

[0145] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature below a predetermined temperature (step S204). For example, the control unit 116 acquires the resistance of the heating unit 121 measured by applying a voltage to the heating unit 121 for a short period of time as the initial resistance of the heating unit 121. Then, the control unit 116 determines whether the temperature corresponding to the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 is below the predetermined temperature.

[0146] If it is determined that the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature (step S204: YES), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the first information and starts monitoring based on the first criterion (step S206). For example, the control unit 116 first applies the third detection pulse 33, and then repeatedly applies a detection pulse group 34 including at least the first detection pulse 31. The control unit 116 monitors whether the time-series change in the resistance of the heating unit 121 satisfies the first criterion. The monitoring based on the first criterion may continue for a maximum of 10 seconds. For example, the first information may be notified by lighting up an LED indicating the remaining battery charge at the same time that monitoring based on the first criterion is started.

[0147] The control unit 116 determines whether the first criterion is satisfied in the monitoring based on the first criterion (step S208). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the oscillation pattern of the resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponding to the repetition of the temperature increase of the heating unit 121 caused by the application of the first detecting pulse 31 and the temperature decrease of the heating unit 121 caused by the cessation of the application of the first detecting pulse 31 satisfies the first criterion.

[0148] If it is determined that the first criterion is satisfied (step S208: YES), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the second information and controls the operation of the heating unit 121 to start heating based on the heating profile (step S210). For example, the second information can be notified as a short-time vibration simultaneously with the start of heating based on the heating profile.

[0149] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether a third criterion is satisfied (step S212). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the rate of change in the resistance of the heating unit 121, which is indicated by the relationship between the resistance of the heating unit 121 and the heating time, satisfies the third criterion.

[0150] If it is determined that the third criterion is satisfied (step S212: YES), the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 so as to continue heating based on the heating profile (step S214).

[0151] When heating based on the heating profile is completed, the control unit 116 transitions to standby mode (step S216). Heating based on the heating profile can be completed when the heating time reaches a predetermined time or when the number of puffs reaches a predetermined number. Then, the process ends.

[0152] If it is determined in step S204 that the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature (step S204: NO), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the first information and starts monitoring based on the second criterion (step S218). For example, the control unit 116 repeatedly applies the detection pulse group 34 consisting only of the second detection pulse. Monitoring based on the second criterion may continue for a maximum of 10 seconds. The first information may be notified, for example, by briefly emitting light from an LED, simultaneously with the start of monitoring based on the second criterion.

[0153] The control unit 116 determines whether the second criterion is satisfied in the monitoring based on the second criterion (step S220). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the pattern of the decrease in resistance of the heating unit 121 obtained by repeatedly applying the detection pulse group 34 consisting only of the second detection pulse satisfies the second criterion.

[0154] If it is determined that the second criterion is satisfied (step S220: YES), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the second information and controls the operation of the heating unit 121 to start heating based on the heating profile (step S222). For example, the second information can be notified as a short-time vibration simultaneously with the start of heating based on the heating profile.

[0155] When the heating based on the heating profile is completed, the control unit 116 transitions to a standby mode (step S224), and the process then ends.

[0156] If it is determined that the first criterion is not satisfied (step S208: NO), or if it is determined that the second criterion is not satisfied (step S220: NO), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the third information and transitions to standby mode (step S226). For example, the third information may be notified as a long-term vibration.

[0157] If it is determined that the third criterion is not satisfied (step S212: NO), the control unit 116 controls the notification unit 113 to notify the fourth information and transitions to standby mode (step S226). For example, the fourth information may be notified as a long-term vibration, similar to the third information. Then, the process ends.

[0158] 3. Supplementary Information Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0159] (1) Modifications For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which information was notified when there was a change in the progress of the state determination process for the storage unit 140, such as when it was determined whether the first to third determination criteria were satisfied. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The control unit 116 may control the notification unit 113 to notify information indicating the state of the suction device 100 while the state continues. One example of the state of the suction device 100 is the progress state of the state determination process for the storage unit 140. Another example of the state of the suction device 100 is the progress state of heating based on the heating profile. This configuration further improves usability. Below, with reference to FIG. 14 , notification of information indicating the state of the suction device 100 will be specifically described.

[0160] Fig. 14 is a diagram for explaining information notified in this modified example, in which the information notified in this modified example is added to the flowchart shown in Fig. 13.

[0161] First, a case where the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature will be described below. The notification unit 113 may notify the fifth information during the period in which monitoring based on the first criterion is being performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 14 , the notification unit 113 may notify the fifth information during the period from the start of step S206 to the start of step S210. The fifth information is information indicating that monitoring based on the first criterion is being performed.

[0162] Furthermore, the notification unit 113 may notify the sixth information during the period in which monitoring based on the third criterion is being performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 14 , the notification unit 113 may notify the sixth information during the period from the start of step S210 to the start of step S214. The sixth information is information indicating that monitoring based on the third criterion is being performed. The sixth information may also serve as information indicating that the temperature of the heating unit 121 has not yet reached 99.5% of the maximum target temperature.

[0163] Furthermore, the notification unit 113 may notify the seventh information during a period in which monitoring of the state of the accommodating unit 140 has ended. That is, as shown in Fig. 14 , the notification unit 113 may notify the seventh information during a period from the start of step S214 to the start of step S216. The seventh information is information indicating that monitoring of the state of the accommodating unit 140 has ended. The seventh information may also serve as information indicating that the temperature of the heating unit 121 has reached 99.5% of the maximum target temperature.

[0164] Here, it is desirable that the fifth to seventh information be notified in different ways. As one example, the fifth information may be notified by a red LED, the sixth information may be notified by a yellow LED, and the seventh information may be notified by a blue LED. As another example, the fifth information may be notified by one LED, the sixth information may be notified by two LEDs, and the seventh information may be notified by three LEDs.

[0165] Next, a case where the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature will be described below. The notification unit 113 may notify the eighth information during the period in which monitoring based on the second criterion is being performed. That is, as shown in FIG. 14 , the notification unit 113 may notify the eighth information during the period from after the start of step S218 to before the start of step S222. The eighth information is information indicating that monitoring based on the second criterion is being performed.

[0166] The notification unit 113 may also notify the ninth information during a period in which monitoring of the state of the accommodating unit 140 has ended. That is, as shown in FIG. 14 , the notification unit 113 may notify the ninth information during a period after the start of step S222. The ninth information is information indicating that monitoring of the state of the accommodating unit 140 has ended. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14 , the notification unit 113 may switch the information to be notified from the ninth information to the tenth information at a timing corresponding to the timing at which step S214 is executed. This timing may be determined based on the resistance of the heating unit 121. Like the ninth information, the tenth information is information indicating that monitoring of the state of the accommodating unit 140 has ended. The ninth information may also serve as information indicating that the temperature of the heating unit 121 has not yet reached 99.5% of the maximum target temperature. On the other hand, the tenth information may also serve as information indicating that the temperature of the heating unit 121 has reached 99.5% of the maximum target temperature.

[0167] Here, it is desirable that the eighth to tenth information be notified in different ways. As one example, the eighth information may be notified by a red LED, the ninth information may be notified by a yellow LED, and the tenth information may be notified by a blue LED. As another example, the eighth information may be notified by one LED, the ninth information may be notified by two LEDs, and the tenth information may be notified by three LEDs.

[0168] Furthermore, it is desirable that the fifth information and the eighth information are notified in the same manner. Similarly, it is desirable that the sixth information and the ninth information are notified in the same manner. Furthermore, it is desirable that the seventh information and the tenth information are notified in the same manner. With this configuration, it is possible to make the information notified by the notifying unit 113 change in the same manner whether the initial resistance of the heating unit 121 corresponds to a temperature below a predetermined temperature or a temperature equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

[0169] By notifying the fifth to tenth pieces of information in addition to the first to fourth pieces of information in combination, it is possible to notify the user of more information. As one example, by notifying the fifth piece of information and the third piece of information, it is possible to notify the user that insertion detection failed before the start of heating based on the heating profile. As another example, by notifying the sixth piece of information and the fourth piece of information, it is possible to notify the user that insertion detection failed after heating based on the heating profile has progressed to a certain extent. In this way, even when the third piece of information and the fourth piece of information are notified in the same manner, it is possible to notify the user of differences in the progress of heating based on the heating profile.

[0170] (2) Other Supplementary Information In the above embodiment, whether or not the second determination criterion is satisfied is determined based on the rate of decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121 per second, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, whether or not the second determination criterion is satisfied may be determined based on the rate of decrease in the resistance of the heating unit 121 over a period of time, such as 10 seconds, after the first process is started.

[0171] Although the above describes an example in which the third information and the fourth information are notified in the same manner, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The third information and the fourth information may be notified in different manners. Considering that the fourth information is notified after heating based on the heating profile has progressed to a certain extent, notifying the user of the fourth information in a manner different from the third information makes it possible to notify the user that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been consumed.

[0172] Although the above describes an example in which notification of the first to tenth pieces of information is realized by LED illumination or vibration, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, notification of the first to tenth pieces of information may be realized by the communication unit 115 transmitting information to another device such as a smartphone. In this case, the communication unit 115 may be considered to be included in the notification unit 113.

[0173] The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The software programs may be stored in advance on a recording medium (more specifically, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) internal or external to each device. Each program is then loaded into RAM and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU when executed by a computer controlling each device described herein. The recording medium may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. The computer program may also be distributed over a network without using a recording medium. The computer may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose processor that executes functions by loading a software program, or a computer on a server used in cloud computing. The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be centrally processed by a single computer or distributed across multiple computers. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, two or more communication means present in a single device may be physically implemented on a single medium.

[0174] Furthermore, the processes described herein using flowcharts or sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. Some process steps may be performed in parallel. Furthermore, additional process steps may be employed, and some process steps may be omitted.

[0175] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure: (1) An aerosol generation system comprising: a notification unit that notifies a user of information, a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening, a lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit, a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, and a control unit that controls operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, wherein the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired when the lid unit opens the opening. (2) The control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below a predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a first judgment criterion, and controls the notification unit to notify first information while monitoring whether the first judgment criterion is satisfied; and, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a second judgment criterion different from the first judgment criterion, and controls the notification unit to notify the first information while monitoring whether the second judgment criterion is satisfied, in the aerosol generation system described in (1). (3) The control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit satisfies the first judgment criterion, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series transition of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying to the heating unit a group of detection pulses consisting of one or more second detection pulses having a shorter duration than the first detection pulse satisfies the second judgment criterion.(4) The aerosol generation system according to (3), wherein the control unit determines whether or not a pattern of oscillation of the parameter corresponding to a repetition of a temperature increase of the heating unit caused by application of the first detecting pulse and a temperature decrease of the heating unit caused by stopping application of the first detecting pulse satisfies the first criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, and determines whether or not a pattern of change of the parameter corresponding to a temperature decrease of the heating unit satisfies the second criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature. (5) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, notifies second information if the first criterion is satisfied and starts heating by the heating unit based on control information that defines a time series transition of a target value of the parameter, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, notifies the second information and starts heating by the heating unit based on the control information when the second criterion is satisfied. (6) The aerosol generation system according to (5), wherein the control unit: when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, if the first criterion is not satisfied, notifies third information and transitions to a standby mode; when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, notifies the third information and transitions to the standby mode if the second criterion is not satisfied; (7) The aerosol generation system according to (6), wherein the control unit: when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the predetermined temperature, monitors whether a third criterion is satisfied while heating by the heating unit based on the control information is being performed, if the third criterion is satisfied, continues heating by the heating unit based on the control information; and when the third criterion is not satisfied, notifies fourth information, stops heating by the heating unit based on the control information, and transitions to the standby mode.(8) The aerosol generation system according to (7), wherein the third criterion is that the rate of change of the parameter, indicated by the relationship between the elapsed time since heating by the heating unit based on the control information and the parameter, corresponds to less than a predetermined threshold. (9) The aerosol generation system according to (7) or (8), wherein the third information and the fourth information are notified in the same manner. (10) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (7) to (9), wherein the control unit, in the standby mode, controls the operation of the heating unit to start heating based on the control information when a predetermined user operation is detected, controls the notification unit to notify the second information, and continues heating by the heating unit based on the control information regardless of whether the third criterion is satisfied. (11) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (6) to (10), wherein the control unit cancels the standby mode when the lid unit closes the opening in the standby mode. (12) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on the parameters, and controls the notification unit to notify information indicating a progress state of the process of determining the state of the storage unit during a period in which the progress state continues. (13) The aerosol generation system according to any one of (1) to (12), further comprising the base material.(14) A control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, wherein the aerosol generation system has: a notification unit that notifies a user of information; a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening; a lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit; and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, wherein the control method includes controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit includes operating the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening. (15) A program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation system, the aerosol generation system having: a notification unit that notifies a user of information; a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening; a lid that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit; and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, the program causing the computer to function as a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is acquired as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

[0176] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Suction device 111 Power supply unit 112 Sensor unit 113 Notification unit 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 116 Control unit 121 Heating unit 140 Storage unit 142 Opening 143 Bottom unit 144 Heat insulation unit 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Suction nozzle unit 11 Outer housing 12 Cover 13 Switch 14 Lid unit 15 Vent 16 Cap 31 First detection pulse 33 Third detection pulse 34 Detection pulse group 41 Measurement pulse 42 Heating pulse 44 Heating pulse group

Claims

1. An aerosol generation system comprising: a notification unit that notifies a user of information; a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening; a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit; a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, wherein the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is obtained as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

2. The aerosol generation system described in claim 1, wherein the control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below a predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a first judgment criterion, and controls the notification unit to notify first information while monitoring whether the first judgment criterion is satisfied, and, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the predetermined temperature, monitors whether the time series progression of the parameter satisfies a second judgment criterion different from the first judgment criterion, and controls the notification unit to notify the first information while monitoring whether the second judgment criterion is satisfied.

3. The aerosol generation system described in claim 2, wherein the control unit monitors whether or not a time series progression of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying a group of detection pulses including one first detection pulse to the heating unit satisfies the first judgment criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature below the specified temperature, and monitors whether or not a time series progression of the parameter obtained by repeatedly applying to the heating unit a group of detection pulses consisting of one or more second detection pulses having a shorter duration than the first detection pulse satisfies the second judgment criterion when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature above the specified temperature.

4. The control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature lower than the specified temperature, determines whether the pattern of oscillation of the parameter corresponding to the repetition of a temperature increase of the heating unit due to application of the first detection pulse and a temperature decrease of the heating unit due to cessation of application of the first detection pulse satisfies the first judgment criterion, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature higher than the specified temperature, determines whether the pattern of change of the parameter corresponding to a temperature decrease of the heating unit satisfies the second judgment criterion. The aerosol generation system described in claim 3.

5. The control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature lower than the specified temperature, notifies second information when the first judgment criterion is satisfied, and starts heating by the heating unit based on control information that specifies the time series progression of the target value of the parameter, and when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature equal to or higher than the specified temperature, notifies the second information when the second judgment criterion is satisfied, and starts heating by the heating unit based on the control information. An aerosol generation system as described in any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. The control unit of the aerosol generation system described in claim 5, wherein if the initial parameters correspond to a temperature lower than the specified temperature and the first judgment criterion is not satisfied, notifies third information and transitions to a standby mode, and if the initial parameters correspond to a temperature equal to or higher than the specified temperature and the second judgment criterion is not satisfied, notifies the third information and transitions to the standby mode.

7. The aerosol generation system described in claim 6, wherein the control unit, when the initial parameter corresponds to a temperature lower than the specified temperature, monitors whether a third judgment criterion is satisfied while heating by the heating unit based on the control information is being performed, and when the third judgment criterion is satisfied, continues heating by the heating unit based on the control information, and when the third judgment criterion is not satisfied, notifies fourth information, stops heating by the heating unit based on the control information, and transitions to the standby mode.

8. The aerosol generation system described in claim 7, wherein the third judgment criterion is that the rate of change of the parameter indicated by the relationship between the elapsed time since heating by the heating unit based on the control information was started and the parameter corresponds to less than a predetermined threshold value.

9. An aerosol generation system as described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the third information and the fourth information are notified in the same manner.

10. An aerosol generation system as described in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the control unit, in the standby mode, controls the operation of the heating unit to start heating based on the control information when a specified user operation is detected, controls the notification unit to notify the second information, and continues heating by the heating unit based on the control information regardless of whether the third judgment criterion is satisfied or not.

11. The aerosol generation system described in any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the control unit cancels the standby mode when the lid unit closes the opening in the standby mode.

12. An aerosol generation system as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit determines the state of the storage unit based on the parameters, and controls the notification unit to notify information indicating the progress of the process of determining the state of the storage unit during a period during which the progress continues.

13. The aerosol generation system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising the substrate.

14. A control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generating system, the aerosol generating system having a notification unit that notifies a user of information, a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening, a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, the control method including controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and controlling the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit includes operating the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is obtained as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

15. A program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generating system, the aerosol generating system having a notification unit that notifies a user of information, a storage unit that has an internal space and an opening that connects the internal space to the outside and is capable of storing a substrate containing an aerosol source inserted through the opening, a lid unit that opens and closes the opening of the storage unit, and a heating unit that heats the substrate stored in the storage unit, the program causing the computer to function as a control unit that controls the operation of the notification unit and the heating unit, and the control unit operates the heating unit and the notification unit based on an initial parameter that is a parameter corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit and is obtained as a trigger when the lid unit opens the opening.

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