Aerosol generation apparatus and method for authenticating aerosol generation apparatus

Abstract

[Problem] To further improve user convenience while securing accuracy of authentication by biological information. [Solution] An aerosol generation apparatus comprising: a biological sensor that acquires biological information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biological information to a server and receives, from the server, association information indicating that the transmitted biological information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by collating the biological information of the user authenticated by means of the association information with the biological information acquired by the biological sensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function when the authentication of the user is successful.

Description

Aerosol generating device and method for authenticating aerosol generating device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device and a method for authenticating an aerosol generating device.

[0002] Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, which generate substances to be inhaled by users, are widely used. Inhalation devices can generate aerosols by heating an aerosol source. This allows users to inhale the aerosols generated by the inhalation devices and enjoy the flavors of the aerosols.

[0003] In recent years, the inhalation device has been equipped with a biosensor capable of sensing biometric information. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses user authentication using a biosensor installed in an electronic cigarette device. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 below discloses acquiring biometric information using a wearable terminal wirelessly connected to an inhalation device that generates aerosol, and controlling the operation of the inhalation device based on biometric authentication using the acquired biometric information.

[0004] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 0175846 International Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 026473

[0005] However, in the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is not guaranteed that the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor is the biometric information of the user himself / herself, making it difficult to ensure the accuracy of user authentication using biometric information.

[0006] The invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 uses biometric information acquired by a wearable device worn by a user to ensure that the acquired biometric information is the biometric information of the user himself / herself. However, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires connection to an external device such as a wearable device when performing user authentication using biometric information.

[0007] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a new and improved aerosol generating device and authentication method for an aerosol generating device that can further improve user convenience while ensuring the accuracy of authentication using biometric information.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising: a biometric sensor that acquires biometric information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives correspondence information from the server indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with the user's personal information stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the correspondence information with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function if the user is successfully authenticated.

[0009] The device may further include a non-volatile memory unit that stores the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information, and the biometric information may be written to the memory unit only when connected to the server.

[0010] The storage unit may store the biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user, each authenticated by the correspondence information, and the authentication unit may perform the authentication of each of the multiple individuals using the biometric information of the multiple individuals stored in the storage unit.

[0011] The device control unit may unlock the aerosol generation function when each of the multiple individuals, including the user, is successfully authenticated.

[0012] When authentication of a predetermined individual different from the user is successful, the device control unit may output a notification to a terminal device carried by the user.

[0013] If new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor after successful authentication of the user, the authentication unit may consider the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual, and if authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit may unlock the aerosol generation function.

[0014] The authentication unit may consider the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined period of time starting from the time when the new biometric information was acquired.

[0015] The authentication unit may consider the new biometric information as the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined range centered on a position where the new biometric information was acquired.

[0016] The device control unit may lock the aerosol generation function if the aerosol generation function has not been used for a predetermined period of time.

[0017] The communication unit may directly transmit and receive data to and from the server.

[0018] The communication unit may transmit and receive data to and from the server via a terminal device carried by the user.

[0019] The biometric information may be information relating to a fingerprint.

[0020] In addition, according to the present disclosure, there is provided an authentication method for an aerosol generating device, including the steps of acquiring biometric information of a user using a biometric sensor, transmitting the biometric information to a server, receiving correspondence information from the server indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with the user's personal information stored in the server, authenticating the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the correspondence information with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, and unlocking the aerosol generation function if the user is successfully authenticated.

[0021] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to further improve user convenience while ensuring the accuracy of authentication using biometric information.

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operation of the system according to the same embodiment. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first example of a suction device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second example of a suction device according to the same embodiment. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a third example of a suction device according to the same embodiment. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a fourth example of a suction device according to the same embodiment.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 1. Configuration Example of Inhalation Device The inhalation device is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas.

[0025] (1) First Configuration Example Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a first configuration example of an inhalation device. As shown in Fig. 1A, an inhalation device 100A according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a flavor imparting cartridge 130. The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply unit 111A, a sensor unit 112A, a notification unit 113A, a memory unit 114A, a communication unit 115A, and a control unit 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating unit 121A, a liquid guiding unit 122, and a liquid storage unit 123. The flavor imparting cartridge 130 includes a flavor source 131 and a mouthpiece 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavor imparting cartridge 130.

[0026] The power supply unit 111A stores electric power. The power supply unit 111A supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100A under the control of the control unit 116A. The power supply unit 111A may be configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0027] The sensor unit 112A acquires various types of information related to the suction device 100A. As one example, the sensor unit 112A 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 112A is configured with an input device such as a button or switch that accepts information input from the user.

[0028] The notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113A 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.

[0029] The storage unit 114A stores various types of information for the operation of the suction device 100 A. The storage unit 114A is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example.

[0030] The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, mobile communication such as 4G or 5G, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area Network).

[0031] The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100A in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116A is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor, for example.

[0032] The liquid storage unit 123 stores an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source is a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may include a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler, such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a drug.

[0033] The liquid guide portion 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is a liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 123, from the liquid storage portion 123. The liquid guide portion 122 is, for example, a wick formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage portion 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

[0034] The heating unit 121A generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1A , the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil and is wound around the liquid guide unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. As an example, when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input, the heating unit 121A may be powered by the power supply unit 111A. Furthermore, when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input, the power supply to the heating unit 121A from the power supply unit 111A may be stopped.

[0035] The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may include tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components.

[0036] The air flow path 180 is a path for air inhaled by the user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inlet 181, which is an entrance for air into the air flow path 180, and an air outlet 182, which is an exit for air from the air flow path 180, at both ends. A liquid guide section 122 is disposed on the upstream side (closer to the air inlet 181) of the air flow path 180, and a flavor source 131 is disposed on the downstream side (closer to the air outlet 182). Air flowing in through the air inlet 181 as the user inhales is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating section 121A and, as shown by arrow 190, passes through the flavor source 131 and is transported to the air outlet 182. When the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol.

[0037] Mouthpiece 124 is a member that is held in the mouth by the user when inhaling. Air outlet holes 182 are arranged in mouthpiece 124. By holding mouthpiece 124 in the mouth and inhaling, the user can take in the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air into the oral cavity.

[0038] The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100A. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100A is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0039] As an example, the inhalation device 100A may not include the flavoring cartridge 130. In that case, the cartridge 120 is provided with the mouthpiece 124.

[0040] As another example, the inhalation device 100A may include multiple types of aerosol sources. Multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed in the air flow path 180 and undergo a chemical reaction to generate additional types of aerosols.

[0041] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121 A. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be vibration atomization or induction heating.

[0042] 1B is a schematic diagram showing a second configuration example of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 1B, a suction device 100B according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a memory unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a holding unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0043] Each of the power supply unit 111B, sensor unit 112B, notification unit 113B, memory unit 114B, communication unit 115B, and control unit 116B is substantially identical to the corresponding components included in the suction device 100A according to the first configuration example.

[0044] The holding part 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 holding part 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the holding part 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and a bottom 143 as its bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. The holding part 140 also has the function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the stick-shaped substrate 150. An air inlet, which is an air inlet to this flow path, is arranged in the bottom 143, for example. On the other hand, an air outlet, which is an air outlet from this flow path, is the opening 142.

[0045] Stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a suction mouth portion 152. Substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. Note that in this configuration example, the aerosol source is not limited to a liquid and may be a solid. When stick-shaped substrate 150 is held by holding portion 140, at least a portion of substrate portion 151 is contained in internal space 141, and at least a portion of suction mouth portion 152 protrudes from opening 142. When a user holds suction mouth portion 152 protruding from opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into internal space 141 through an air inlet hole (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from substrate portion 151.

[0046] The heating unit 121B has a configuration similar to that of the heating unit 121A according to the first configuration example. However, in the example shown in Fig. 1B, the heating unit 121B is configured in a film shape and is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the holding unit 140. When the heating unit 121B generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

[0047] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121B 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.

[0048] The above is a description of an example of the configuration of the suction device 100B. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0049] As one example, the heating unit 121B may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121B 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 121B may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121B may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the holding unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140.

[0050] As another example, the holding 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 holding unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to clamp the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141. In this case, the heating unit 121B may be provided at the clamping location in the holding unit 140, and may heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0051] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121B, and may be, for example, induction heating.

[0052] Furthermore, the suction device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air outlet hole 182 of the air flow path 180 may also serve as an air inlet hole to the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the heating unit 121A flows into the internal space 141 and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the oral cavity of the user.

[0053] 2. First Embodiment (2.1. Configuration Example) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 2, the system 1 according to this embodiment includes at least a suction device 100 and a server 300. The suction device 100 and the server 300 can communicate with each other directly or via a terminal device 200.

[0054] The inhalation device 100 is an aerosol generating device that can have any of the first and second configuration examples described above. The inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol using a substrate including at least one of an aerosol source, which is a source of aerosol generation, and a flavor source, which is a source of flavor imparted to the aerosol. For example, the cartridge 120, flavor imparting cartridge 130, and stick-type substrate 150 described above are examples of substrates in this embodiment. Note that in the first configuration example, the combination of the power supply unit 110, cartridge 120, and flavor imparting cartridge 130 can be considered as a single aerosol generating system, since the combination of the power supply unit 110, cartridge 120, and flavor imparting cartridge 130 can generate an aerosol. Similarly, in the second configuration example, the combination of the inhalation device 100 and stick-type substrate 150 can be considered as a single aerosol generating system, since the combination of the inhalation device 100 and stick-type substrate 150 can generate an aerosol. Furthermore, the entire system 1 may be considered as an aerosol generation system.

[0055] The server 300 stores a database in which personal information of users of the suction device 100 is registered. Examples of personal information of users registered in the database include user identification information (such as name, date of birth, age, sex, and address) that can identify individuals, and attribute information about individuals (information related to preferences).

[0056] The terminal device 200 is an information processing device carried by a user of the suction device 100. The terminal device 200 may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 200 can transmit and receive data to and from the suction device 100 and the server 300 via wireless communication.

[0057] The suction device 100 may transmit and receive data to and from the terminal device 200 via, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark), infrared communication, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), thereby transmitting and receiving data to and from the server 300 via the terminal device 200. Alternatively, the suction device 100 may transmit and receive data directly to and from the server 300 via mobile communication such as 4G or 5G, or wide area communication such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area Network).

[0058] The suction device 100 according to this embodiment can guarantee that the acquired biometric information of the user is the biometric information of the user by transmitting the acquired biometric information of the user to the server 300 and associating the user's biometric information with the user's personal information registered in the server 300. In this way, the suction device 100 can authenticate the user using the biometric information by comparing the biometric information that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information with newly acquired biometric information.

[0059] More specifically, the suction device 100 includes a biosensor 161, a communication unit 115, a storage unit 114, an authentication unit 162, and a device control unit 163. The authentication unit 162 and the device control unit 163 may be provided as a single authentication control unit. In such a case, the authentication control unit can execute both the processes of the authentication unit 162 and the device control unit 163 described below. Furthermore, when the suction device 100 is connected to a server 300 via the communication unit 115, the function of the authentication unit 162 may be executed by the server 300.

[0060] The biometric sensor 161 is a sensor capable of sensing biometric information of a user. For example, the biometric sensor 161 may be a sensor that senses biometric information such as a fingerprint that can identify an individual. The biometric sensor 161 may also be a sensor that senses biometric information such as a palm print, vein pattern, voice print, iris, or face shape.

[0061] The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal device 200 or the server 300. As an example, the communication unit 115 may be a communication interface such as a wired or wireless local area network (LAN), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (registered trademark), infrared communication, or wireless USB (WUSB), which is capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal device 200. As another example, the communication unit 115 may be a communication interface such as a mobile communication interface such as 4G or 5G, or a wide area communication interface such as a low power wide area network (LPWA), which is capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the server 300. The communication unit 115 transmits the user's biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 to the server 300, and receives association information from the server 300 indicating that the transmitted biometric information has been associated with the user's personal information.

[0062] The storage unit 114 stores biometric information that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information by being associated with the user's personal information by the server 300. The storage unit 114 may be, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory. The biometric information stored in the storage unit 114 is used to authenticate the user of the suction device 100. Therefore, it is desirable that the storage unit 114 be able to write biometric information only when the suction device 100 is connected to the server 300.

[0063] The authentication unit 162 authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 with the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114. Specifically, the authentication unit 162 compares the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 with the biometric information that has been associated with the user's personal information in the server 300 and stored in the storage unit 114, and determines that the user has been successfully authenticated if the two match. Note that the authentication of the biometric information by the authentication unit 162 can be performed using a known method appropriate for the biometric information. For example, if the biometric information is information about a fingerprint, the authentication unit 162 can determine whether the fingerprints match by comparing feature points present in the fingerprints.

[0064] The authentication unit 162 can perform highly accurate authentication by using biometric information that is associated with the user's personal information and that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information for matching. Furthermore, the authentication unit 162 can perform highly accurate authentication even when not connected to the server 300 by storing the biometric information associated with the user's personal information in the storage unit 114.

[0065] The device control unit 163 controls the operation of the suction device 100 based on the authentication result by the authentication unit 162. Specifically, the device control unit 163 locks the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100 if the aerosol generation function has not been used for a predetermined period of time, and unlocks the aerosol generation function if the authentication unit 162 successfully authenticates the user. In this manner, the suction device 100 can prevent others from using the aerosol generation function by locking the aerosol generation function when the user has finished inhaling the aerosol. On the other hand, the suction device 100 can unlock the aerosol generation function if the user has successfully been authenticated using biometric information, allowing the user to start inhaling the aerosol.

[0066] More specifically, the server 300 includes a communication unit 315 , a storage unit 314 , and an association unit 310 .

[0067] The communication unit 315 is a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200. The communication unit 315 may be, for example, a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200 via wireless communication. The communication unit 315 receives the user's biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 from the suction device 100, and transmits to the suction device 100 association information indicating that the received biometric information has been associated with the user's personal information.

[0068] The memory unit 314 is a data storage device in which a database in which personal information of the user is registered is constructed. That is, the personal information of the user is stored in the memory unit 314. Specifically, the database may register identification information capable of identifying the user (such as name, date of birth, age, gender, and address) and attribute information (information regarding preferences) of the user. The memory unit 314 may be configured, for example, by a magnetic storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device, or a magneto-optical storage device.

[0069] The associating unit 310 associates the biometric information of the user received from the suction device 100 with the personal information of the user stored in the storage unit 314. For example, the associating unit 310 may have the user transmit biometric information from the suction device 100 to the server 300 while logged in to the server 300, and associate the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the logged-in user. Alternatively, the associating unit 310 may have the user register identification information of the suction device 100 used by the user in a database as the user's personal information, and associate the biometric information transmitted from the suction device 100 of the registered identification information with the user's personal information.

[0070] When the associating unit 310 associates the user's personal information with the transmitted biometric information, the server 300 transmits association information indicating that the user's personal information has been associated with the transmitted biometric information to the suction device 100. The server 300 may also transmit the biometric information, which has been associated with the user's personal information, together with the association information to the suction device 100.

[0071] According to the above configuration, the system 1 according to the present embodiment can guarantee that the acquired biometric information is the user's biometric information by associating the biometric information acquired by the suction device 100 with the user's personal information stored in the server 300. Furthermore, the system 1 according to the present embodiment can perform user authentication using the biometric information without connecting to the server 300 by storing in the suction device 100 the biometric information that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information by associating it with the user's personal information.

[0072] (2.2. Operation Example) Fig. 3 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the system 1 according to this embodiment is executed by the suction device 100 and the server 300 working together.

[0073] 3, first, biometric information of the user U is sensed by the biometric sensor 161 of the suction device 100 (S101). The biometric information may be, for example, information related to the fingerprint of the user U. Next, the sensed biometric information is transmitted from the suction device 100 to the server 300 (S103).

[0074] Next, the associating unit 310 of the server 300 associates the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the user U stored in the storage unit 314 (S105). For example, the server 300 may have the user U log in, thereby associating the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the logged-in user U. Next, association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information has been associated with the stored personal information of the user U is transmitted from the server 300 to the suction device 100 (S107). As a result, the suction device 100 stores the biometric information, which is guaranteed to be the biometric information of the user U by the association information, in the storage unit 114 (S109).

[0075] When the suction device 100 subsequently authenticates the user U, the biometric sensor 161 of the suction device 100 first senses the biometric information of the user U (S111). Next, the authentication unit 162 of the suction device 100 compares the sensed biometric information with the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114 (S113). If the sensed biometric information matches the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114, the authentication unit 162 determines that authentication of the user U has been successful (S115). As a result, the device control unit 163 unlocks the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100 (S117). The suction device 100 notifies the user U of the unlocking (S119), allowing the user U to start inhaling the aerosol using the suction device 100 (S121).

[0076] According to the above operation example, the system 1 of this embodiment authenticates the user U's biometric information by correlating it with the user U's personal information stored in the server 300, so that the suction device 100 alone can authenticate the user U using the biometric information without connecting to the server 300.

[0077] (2.3. Modification) Next, a modification of the system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the modification of the system 1 according to the present embodiment, biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user, is stored in the storage unit 114 of the suction device 100. The suction device 100 is able to perform various operations described below by authenticating the biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user.

[0078] (First Modification) For example, the device control unit 163 may unlock the aerosol generation function when authentication of each of multiple individuals, including the user, is successful. Specifically, the storage unit 114 of the inhalation device 100 stores biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user, and the authentication unit 162 compares the stored biometric information of the multiple individuals, including the user, with the biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. As a result, when authentication of all of the multiple individuals, including the user, is successful, the device control unit 163 may unlock the aerosol generation function.

[0079] As an example, the biometric information of a plurality of individuals including the user stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with the personal information of each of the plurality of individuals stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of each of the plurality of individuals including the user is registered in a database constructed in storage unit 314 of server 300, and the biometric information of the plurality of individuals is associated with the registered personal information of each of the plurality of individuals.

[0080] As another example, the biometric information of multiple individuals including the user stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with the personal information of the user stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of the user is registered in a database constructed in storage unit 314 of server 300, and the biometric information of individuals other than the user (for example, the user's family members) is associated with the registered personal information of the user.

[0081] According to the first modification, when a user inhales an aerosol, it is necessary to successfully authenticate both the user and another person (e.g., the user's family member) whose biometric information is stored in the memory unit 114. In other words, when the user inhales an aerosol, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the other person. This allows the inhalation device 100 to control the frequency of the user's inhalation of an aerosol based on the consent of the other person.

[0082] (Second Variation) For example, if the device control unit 163 has successfully authenticated a specific individual different from the user, the device control unit 163 may output a notification to the terminal device 200 carried by the user informing the user that authentication of the specific individual has been completed. Specifically, the storage unit 114 of the inhalation device 100 stores biometric information of the specific individual different from the user in addition to the user's biometric information, and the authentication unit 162 compares the stored biometric information of the specific individual different from the user with the biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. As a result, if the authentication of the specific individual different from the user has been completed, the device control unit 163 may output a notification to the terminal device 200 carried by the user informing the user that authentication of the specific individual has been completed. At this time, the aerosol generation function of the inhalation device 100 remains locked.

[0083] As an example, biometric information of a specific individual different from the user stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with personal information of the specific individual stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of the specific individual is registered in the database stored in storage unit 314 of server 300, and the biometric information of the specific individual is associated with the registered personal information of the specific individual.

[0084] As another example, biometric information of a predetermined individual different from the user stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with personal information of the user stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of the user is registered in a database constructed in storage unit 314 of server 300, and biometric information of a predetermined individual different from the user (for example, a family member of the user) is associated with the registered personal information of the user.

[0085] According to the second modification, for example, if a family member or the like of the user touches the suction device 100, it is possible to output a notification to the user's terminal device 200 informing the user that authentication of the family member has been completed. In this way, the suction device 100 can warn the user that a family member or the like of the user has touched the suction device 100, thereby warning the user to review the storage and management status of the suction device 100. Therefore, the suction device 100 can further increase the safety of others around the user.

[0086] (Third Modification) For example, when new biometric information is sensed by the biometric sensor 161 after successful user authentication, the authentication unit 162 may temporarily consider the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the authenticated individual. The biometric information considered to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual is temporarily stored in the storage unit 114. The suction device 100 may consider the biometric information temporarily stored in the storage unit 114 to be biometric information that has the same effect as the biometric information associated with the user's personal information in the server 300, within at least one of a predetermined time period or a predetermined location range. According to this, the device control unit 163 can unlock the aerosol generation function when authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information temporarily stored in the storage unit 114 with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161.

[0087] That is, when the suction device 100 has successfully authenticated the user, it can temporarily grant rights equivalent to those of the user to another person who is the owner of new biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. This allows the user to temporarily lend the suction device 100 to another person within at least one of a predetermined time period or a predetermined location range under one or more conditions.

[0088] The "predetermined time" may be, for example, a predetermined time (e.g., 2 to 3 hours) starting from the time when new biometric information was acquired by the biometric sensor 161 after successful user authentication. Also, the "predetermined positional range" may be, for example, a predetermined range (e.g., a range with a diameter of several tens of meters) centered on the position where new biometric information was acquired after successful user authentication.

[0089] According to the third modification, the user can temporarily lend the suction device 100 to another person, so that the suction experience using the suction device 100 can be more easily shared with another person.

[0090] 3. Second Embodiment An example of the suction device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The suction device 100 according to this embodiment is capable of authenticating a user using biometric information and transmitting the authentication result to an external device.

[0091] 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first example of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the suction device 100 can communicate with a management server 300A via a terminal device 200 carried by a user of the suction device 100.

[0092] The management server 300A is a server that manages a heating profile of a substrate used to generate an aerosol. When the suction device 100 authenticates a user using biometric information and the suction device 100 is connected to the management server 300A, the management server 300A may change the heating profile of the substrate used by the suction device 100 in accordance with the authenticated user.

[0093] Specifically, the management server 300A may acquire information such as brand information of the substrate, suction experience history information, or charging history information of the suction device 100 from the suction device 100, and change the heating profile of the substrate based on the acquired user-specific information. The management server 300A may also change the heating profile of the substrate based on personal information of the user stored in the server 300.

[0094] The base material brand information may be obtained, for example, by sensing the base material with a sensor (such as a camera) mounted on the suction device 100. The base material brand information may be information about the brand of the base material most recently used, or may be information obtained by aggregating the brands of base materials used within a predetermined period in the past. The inhalation experience history information may be information about, for example, the interval between inhalation experiences, the interval between inhalations (puffs) in one inhalation experience, the timing of an inhalation experience within a day, or the time required for one inhalation experience. The charging history information of the suction device 100 may be information about, for example, the interval between charging, the time required for one charge, or the timing of charging within a day. The user's personal information may be user attribute information, for example, the user's gender or age.

[0095] By taking this information into consideration, the management server 300A can generate a substrate heating profile that is more suitable for the user who has been authenticated by biometric information. The management server 300A can provide the user with a more satisfying suction experience by having the suction device 100 use the generated heating profile to heat the substrate.

[0096] Second Example Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the suction device 100 may transmit brand information of the substrate sensed from the substrate to an external device. For example, the suction device 100 may transmit the brand information of the substrate to a fixture 410A or a vending machine 410B for selling the substrate.

[0097] Various brands of base materials are visibly displayed on the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B. When the suction device 100 authenticates a user using biometric information and connects to the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B, the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B may perform a process to purchase the base material of the most recently used brand.

[0098] For example, the suction device 100 includes a sensor capable of acquiring brand information of a substrate by sensing the substrate, and a payment function capable of purchasing a product or service. In this configuration, the suction device 100 transmits the brand information sensed from the most recently used substrate to the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B, and can purchase the substrate indicated by the transmitted brand information from the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B using the payment function.

[0099] Furthermore, the suction device 100 may be connected to a cash processing device such as a cash register to transmit brand information sensed from the most recently used substrate to the cash processing device. This allows the user to more efficiently convey brand information of the substrate they wish to purchase to the store clerk operating the cash processing device.

[0100] Furthermore, the suction device 100 may transmit brand information of the most recently used substrate to the terminal device 200 carried by the user. In such a case, the user can use the terminal device 200 to obtain, via the Internet, information on the stock of substrates at nearby stores or a list of brands of substrates being sold. This allows the user to easily know the brand of substrate they are using, and also to more easily know the stores that sell the brand of substrate they are using and the inventory status.

[0101] 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a third example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the suction device 100 can communicate with a storage case 420 that stores the substrate.

[0102] The storage case 420 is a container that stores the base material used in the suction device 100. The storage case 420 is provided to be lockable to prevent anyone other than the user from removing the base material. For example, the storage case 420 may be unlocked by communicating with the suction device 100 after the user has been authenticated using biometric information.

[0103] Alternatively, storage case 420 may be provided so as to be able to authenticate a user using biometric information using a biometric sensor, similar to suction device 100. In such a case, storage case 420 may be unlocked when storage case 420 has successfully authenticated a user using biometric information. In this case, storage case 420 may transmit to suction device 100 that it has successfully authenticated a user using biometric information, thereby allowing suction device 100 to omit authentication of a user using biometric information.

[0104] This allows the user to more safely store the base material used in suction device 100 in lockable storage case 420. Therefore, the user can more reliably prevent the base material used in suction device 100 from being handled by others or accidentally ingested, for example.

[0105] 7A and 7B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a fourth example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7A and 7B, the suction device 100 can communicate with an entry / exit management device of a controlled space 430 in which whether or not aerosols can be suctioned is controlled.

[0106] The managed space 430 is an indoor space such as a restaurant, store, rest area, cafeteria, or conference room, and whether or not aerosols can be inhaled inside is controlled based on the time of day, the attributes of the user entering the space, or settings by an administrator. In the managed space 430, user entry and exit are managed by authentication using a card key, for example. Furthermore, for users who possess suction devices 100, the managed space 430 can also manage user entry and exit through mutual communication with the suction devices 100 that have been authenticated using biometric information.

[0107] 7A , the inside of the managed space 430 is set to prohibit the inhalation of aerosols. In this case, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when entering the managed space 430, the entry / exit management device of the managed space 430 may lock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100. Furthermore, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when leaving the managed space 430, the entry / exit management device of the managed space 430 may unlock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100. As another example, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when entering the managed space 430, the entry / exit management device of the managed space 430 may deny entry to the suction person S, who is the user of the suction device 100.

[0108] According to this, the entrance / exit control device of the managed space 430 can physically prevent the suction of aerosols inside the managed space 430. Therefore, the entrance / exit control device of the managed space 430 can effectively set the suction of aerosols inside the managed space 430 to be impossible.

[0109] 7B , assume that the interior of managed space 430 is set to allow the inhalation of aerosols. In this case, when authentication is performed using suction device 100 to enter managed space 430, the access control device for managed space 430 may not lock the aerosol generation function of suction device 100 and may allow suction user S, who is the user of suction device 100, to enter. On the other hand, when a user who does not wish to inhale aerosols authenticates entry into managed space 430, the access control device for managed space 430 may notify the user that the interior of managed space 430 is set to allow the inhalation of aerosols. As another example, when a user who does not wish to inhale aerosols authenticates entry into managed space 430, the access control device for managed space 430 may deny entry of the user to managed space 430.

[0110] According to this, the entry / exit management device for the managed space 430 can appropriately manage the entry and exit of the inhaler S, who is the user of the inhalation device 100, when the permission of inhalation of aerosols inside the managed space 430 is controlled. Therefore, the entry / exit management device for the managed space 430 can prevent a person who does not want to inhale aerosols inside the managed space 430 from unintentionally and passively inhaling aerosols.

[0111] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art of the present disclosure can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0112] Furthermore, the series of processes performed by each device described in this specification may be realized using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, on a recording medium (non-transitory medium) provided inside or outside each device. The programs constituting the software are loaded into RAM when executed by a computer and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The recording medium on which the programs are stored may be, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a flash memory. Furthermore, the programs may not be stored on a recording medium, but may be distributed, for example, via a network.

[0113] The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure: (1) An aerosol generating device comprising: a biosensor that acquires biometric information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives from the server association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with the biometric information acquired by the biosensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function if the user authentication is successful. (2) The aerosol generating device according to (1), further comprising: a nonvolatile storage unit that stores the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information, wherein the biometric information is written to the storage unit only when connected to the server. (3) The aerosol generating device according to (2), wherein the storage unit stores the biometric information of a plurality of individuals including the user who are each authenticated by the association information, and the authentication unit performs the authentication of each of the plurality of individuals using the biometric information of the plurality of individuals stored in the storage unit. (4) The aerosol generating device according to (3), wherein the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function when authentication of each of the plurality of individuals including the user is successful. (5) The aerosol generating device according to (3) or (4), wherein the device control unit outputs a notification to a terminal device carried by the user when authentication of a predetermined individual different from the user is successful. (6) An aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (5), wherein, when new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor after successful authentication of the user, the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual, and when authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function.(7) The aerosol generating device according to (6), wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined time period starting from the time the new biometric information is acquired. (8) The aerosol generating device according to (6) or (7), wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined range centered on the position where the new biometric information is acquired. (9) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the device control unit locks the aerosol generating function if the aerosol generating function has not been used for a predetermined time period. (10) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the communication unit directly transmits and receives data to and from the server. (11) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the communication unit transmits and receives data to and from the server via a terminal device carried by the user. (12) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (11), wherein the biometric information is information relating to a fingerprint. (13) An authentication method for an aerosol generating device, comprising: acquiring biometric information of a user with a biometric sensor; transmitting the biometric information to a server; receiving, from the server, association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; authenticating the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor; and unlocking an aerosol generation function when the authentication of the user is successful.

[0114] 1 System 100 Suction device 114 Storage unit 115 Communication unit 161 Biometric sensor 162 Authentication unit 163 Device control unit 200 Terminal device 300 Server 310 Correspondence unit 314 Storage unit 315 Communication unit 300A Management server 410A Fixture 410B Vending machine 420 Storage case 430 Management space

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a biosensor that acquires biometric information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives from the server correspondence information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the correspondence information with the biometric information acquired by the biosensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful.

2. The aerosol generating device described in claim 1, further comprising a non-volatile memory unit for storing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the matching information, wherein the biometric information is written to the memory unit only when connected to the server.

3. The aerosol generating device described in claim 2, wherein the memory unit stores the biometric information of multiple individuals including the user who is each authenticated by the correspondence information, and the authentication unit performs the authentication of each of the multiple individuals using the biometric information of the multiple individuals stored in the memory unit.

4. The aerosol generating device of claim 3, wherein the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generating function when authentication of each of the multiple individuals, including the user, is successful.

5. An aerosol generating device as described in claim 3 or 4, wherein the device control unit outputs a notification to a terminal device carried by the user when authentication of a specific individual other than the user is successful.

6. An aerosol generating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor after successful authentication of the user, the authentication unit regards the new biometric information as the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual, and when authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function.

7. An aerosol generating device as described in claim 6, wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a specified period of time starting from the time the new biometric information was acquired.

8. An aerosol generating device as described in claim 6 or 7, wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a specified range centered on the position where the new biometric information was acquired.

9. An aerosol generating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device control unit locks the aerosol generating function if the aerosol generating function has not been used for a predetermined period of time.

10. An aerosol generating device described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the communication unit directly transmits and receives data with the server.

11. An aerosol generating device described in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the communication unit transmits and receives data with the server via a terminal device carried by the user.

12. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the biometric information is information relating to a fingerprint.

13. An authentication method for an aerosol generating device, comprising: a step of acquiring biometric information of a user using a biometric sensor; a step of transmitting the biometric information to a server; a step of receiving from the server correspondence information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; a step of authenticating the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the correspondence information with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor; and a step of unlocking an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful.

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