Aerosol generation device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism capable of further improving determination accuracy based on a sensor value. [Solution] Provided is an aerosol generation device provided with: a storage unit for storing an aerosol source-containing base material in the internal space thereof; a sensor unit for temporally and continuously measuring a sensor value; and a control unit for determining the condition of the aerosol generation device by comparing a difference between a first value and a second value with a threshold value, wherein the first value is obtained by applying a first smoothing processing to the sensor value and the second value is obtained by applying a second smoothing processing to the sensor value. The response speed of the first smoothing processing and the response speed of the second smoothing processing are different from each other.

Description

Aerosol generating device, information processing method and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device, an information processing method, and a program.

[0002] Aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols to be inhaled by users are widely used. For example, aerosol generating 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. A user can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the aerosol imparted with flavor components generated by the aerosol generating device. The action of a user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as a puff or puffing action. Examples of devices classified as aerosol generating devices include heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes, which are used as alternatives to cigarettes, as well as nebulizers used for medical purposes. Heat-not-burn tobacco products are a type of aerosol generating device that generates aerosols by heating an aerosol source. Electronic cigarettes are a type of aerosol generating device that generates aerosols by atomizing a liquid aerosol source.

[0003] Various technologies have been developed for determining the state of an aerosol generating device using a sensor mounted on the aerosol generating device. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology for detecting a puff based on a change in capacitance exceeding a certain threshold.

[0004] Special table 2019-511207 publication

[0005] However, the technique disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 and the like leaves room for improvement in the determination accuracy.

[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 accuracy of determination based on sensor values.

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device is provided, comprising: a storage section that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage section; a sensor section that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generating device over time; and a control section that determines the state of the aerosol generating device based on the sensor values ​​measured by the sensor section, wherein the control section determines the state of the aerosol generating device by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold, and an aerosol generating device is provided in which the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

[0008] Each of the first smoothing process and the second smoothing process may be any one of a moving average, an exponential moving average, a weighted moving average, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, and a band-pass filter.

[0009] The first smoothing process may be a long-term moving average, and the second smoothing process may be a short-term moving average that is calculated using a smaller number of samples than the first smoothing process.

[0010] The number of samples to be calculated in the first smoothing process may be twice the number of samples to be calculated in the second smoothing process.

[0011] The sensor unit may be a capacitance sensor, an air pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, or a power sensor.

[0012] The sensor unit may be a capacitance sensor, and the capacitance sensor may measure the capacitance of the internal space of the storage unit.

[0013] The sensor unit may be a sensor that measures a parameter corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated.

[0014] The control unit may determine whether or not the aerosol generated from the substrate has been inhaled.

[0015] The control unit may determine whether the substrate is inserted into the container.

[0016] The control unit may update the threshold value based on a variance or a standard deviation of the differences.

[0017] The control unit may update the threshold value based on a variance or a standard deviation of the sensor values.

[0018] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method executed by a computer, comprising: an aerosol generation device having a storage section that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space, a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage section, and a sensor section that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device over time; and determining a state of the aerosol generation device based on the sensor value measured by the sensor section; wherein determining the state of the aerosol generation device includes determining the state of the aerosol generation device by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and wherein the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

[0019] In addition, 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 generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a sensor unit that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generating device over time; the program causes the computer to function as a control unit that determines the state of the aerosol generating device based on the sensor value measured by the sensor unit; and the control unit determines the state of the aerosol generating device by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

[0020] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a mechanism is provided that can further improve the accuracy of determination based on sensor values.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an aerosol generation device. FIG. 2 is a graph for explaining a conventional puff detection method. FIG. 3 is a graph for explaining a conventional puff detection method. FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of time-series changes in sensor values ​​measured during a period in which the aerosol generation device according to the present embodiment heats a stick-shaped substrate. FIG. 5 is a graph showing experimental results of the puff detection method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of puff detection processing executed by the aerosol generation device according to the present embodiment.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 1. Configuration Example of Aerosol Generating Device The aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user.

[0024] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an aerosol generating device. As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 according to this example configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a storage unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

[0025] The power supply unit 111 stores electric power. Then, the power supply unit 111 supplies electric power to each component of the aerosol generating device 100 based on the control of the control unit 116. The power supply unit 111 can be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0026] The sensor unit 112 acquires various information related to the aerosol generating device 100. As an 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 inhalation 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] The storage unit 114 stores various types of information for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The storage unit 114 is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

[0029] 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).

[0030] The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation 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.

[0031] 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 aerosol generation 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.

[0032] 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 aerosol generating 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] The above describes an example of the configuration of the aerosol generation device 100. Of course, the configuration of the aerosol generation device 100 is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0036] 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.

[0037] 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.

[0038] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In that case, the aerosol generation device 100 has at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil that generates a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121. A susceptor that generates heat by induction heating may be provided in the aerosol generation device 100, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0039] The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile. The heating profile is control information for controlling the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated. The heating profile specifies target values ​​of parameters corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated. An example of the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated is the temperature of the heating unit 121. An example of the parameter corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated is the resistance of the heating unit 121. That is, the heating profile may specify a target value of the resistance of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as target resistance). The resistance of the heating unit 121 changes depending on the temperature of the heating unit 121 (more precisely, the heating resistor that constitutes the heating unit 121). In the following, as an example, it is assumed that the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases.

[0040] The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be achieved by, for example, known feedback control. The feedback control may be, for example, a proportional-integral-differential controller (PID) control. The control unit 116 can 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 can control the temperature of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulses in the feedback control.

[0041] Hereinafter, the period during which the power supply to the heating unit 121 is controlled based on the heating profile, in other words, the period during which heating is performed by the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, will also be referred to as a heating session.

[0042] 2. Technical Issues Technologies for detecting puffs using a sensor mounted on an aerosol generating device, including the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, have been developed. Conventional puff detection methods involve mounting a capacitance sensor, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, or the like on an aerosol generating device, and determining whether a puff has occurred by comparing sensor values ​​measured continuously over time by the sensor with a threshold value. However, simply comparing the sensor value with a threshold value can sometimes make it difficult to properly detect a puff. This point will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0043] 2 and 3 are graphs illustrating a conventional puff detection method. The horizontal axis of these graphs represents time, and the vertical axis represents the sensor value. In the examples shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the sensor value drops significantly at the timing of a puff.

[0044] Therefore, in a conventional puff detection method, when the sensor value falls below a threshold value, it is determined that a puff has occurred, as shown in Figure 2. However, the sensor value may contain an offset component due to the influence of factors such as the usage environment of the aerosol generating device, deterioration of the sensor over time, individual differences between sensors, the timing of measurement, the amount of aerosol remaining, wetting of the substrate by the aerosol, or noise contamination. Due to the influence of the offset component, as shown in Figure 3, there are cases where the sensor value does not fall below the threshold value even when a puff has occurred, making it difficult to detect the puff.

[0045] 2 and 3 may occur in a pressure sensor at high or low altitudes, for example. While it is possible to measure atmospheric pressure and then correct the sensor value, this would result in disadvantages such as increased cost, increased device size, and increased power consumption.

[0046] Although it is conceivable to apply a smoothing process to remove noise, the effect of this is limited because offset components can also be generated by factors other than noise.

[0047] Furthermore, the sensor value may change over time due to factors other than puffs. This will be explained with reference to FIG.

[0048] 4 is a graph showing an example of time-series changes in sensor values ​​measured during the period when the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment heats the stick-shaped substrate 150. The horizontal axis of this graph represents time, and the range from the beginning to the end of the heating session is shown. The vertical axis of this graph represents the capacitance of the internal space 141 of the storage section 140. During the heating session in which the sensor values ​​shown in FIG. 4 were measured, no sudden state changes, such as puffs, occurred.

[0049] 4, it can be seen that the capacitance changes over the long term as heating progresses, even in a steady state, i.e., a state in which no sudden state changes such as puffing occur. Factors that cause such long-term changes include the generation of aerosol from the stick-shaped substrate 150 as heating progresses, and the accompanying decrease in the amount of aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150. When the sensor value changes over the long term even in a steady state, it has been difficult for conventional puff detection methods to maintain high puff detection accuracy throughout the entire heating session.

[0050] Furthermore, the amount and distribution of the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150 varies from one stick to another, and such individual differences also cause fluctuations in the sensor value. Therefore, with conventional puff detection methods, there is a risk that the puff detection accuracy will vary from stick to stick.

[0051] In conventional puff detection methods, it is theoretically possible to variably set the threshold value for puff detection depending on long-term changes in the sensor value and individual differences in the stick-shaped substrate 150, but this has been difficult to achieve.

[0052] In order to solve the technical problems described above, the aerosol generation device 100 according to this embodiment has been developed. The aerosol generation device 100 according to this embodiment removes the offset component of the sensor value to determine the state of the aerosol generation device 100. This configuration makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of determination based on the sensor value.

[0053] 3. Technical Features The sensor unit 112 according to this embodiment continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device 100. In the following, as an example, the sensor unit 112 is assumed to have a capacitance sensor that continuously measures the capacitance of the internal space 141 of the storage unit 140. For example, two electrodes constituting the capacitance sensor may be arranged to sandwich the internal space 141 of the storage unit 140, and the capacitance of the space between the electrodes may be measured.

[0054] The control unit 116 determines the state of the aerosol generating device 100 based on the sensor value (i.e., capacitance) measured by the capacitance sensor. As an example, the control unit 116 determines whether or not the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inhaled, i.e., whether or not a puff has been performed.

[0055] In particular, the control unit 116 determines whether a puff has occurred by comparing the difference between the long-term moving average of the sensor value and the short-term moving average of the sensor value with a threshold value. For example, the control unit 116 determines that a puff has occurred when the absolute value of the difference between the long-term moving average of the sensor value and the short-term moving average of the sensor value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, and determines that a puff has not occurred otherwise.

[0056] A moving average is an example of a smoothing process that smooths time series data, where the average value for each specified interval of time series data is calculated by shifting the interval. A long-term moving average is a smoothing process that uses a larger number of samples for calculation than a short-term moving average, i.e., a longer interval for calculation. A short-term moving average is a smoothing process that uses a smaller number of samples for calculation than a long-term moving average, i.e., a shorter interval for calculation.

[0057] Here, the response speed (i.e., time constant) differs between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average. The response speed of the moving average depends on the number of samples to be calculated, and the response speed becomes slower as the number of samples to be calculated increases. This is because the larger the number of samples to be calculated, the greater the dependence on past data, resulting in a delayed response to data fluctuations. Therefore, it can be said that the response speed of the long-term moving average is slower than that of the short-term moving average.

[0058] By taking the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average, the offset component can be removed. Then, by comparing the difference after removing the offset component with a threshold, it becomes possible to accurately determine whether or not a puff has occurred. This point will be described in detail below.

[0059] The long-term moving average is expressed by the following equation (1).

[0060] X_long_ave = (Xm + Xm-1 +…+X0) / m…(1)

[0061] Here, m is the number of samples. Xm is the sensor value at sample m. Furthermore, X0 is the most recent sensor value, and the larger the m in Xm, the older the sensor value. X_long_ave is the long-term moving average. The sensor value Xm is expressed by equation (2) using the true value Ym and the offset component Yoffset.

[0062] Xm = Ym + Yoffset…(2)

[0063] By converting Equation (1) using Equation (2), the long-term moving average is expressed by Equation (3).

[0064] X_long_ave = (Ym + Ym-1 +…+Y0) / m + Yoffset = Y_long_ave + Yoffset…(3)

[0065] Here, Y_long_ave is the long-term moving average of the true value Ym.

[0066] The short-term moving average is expressed by equation (4).

[0067] X_short_ave = (Xn + Xn-1 +…+X0) / n…(4)

[0068] Here, n is the number of samples, and n<m. Furthermore, X0 is the most recent sensor value, and the larger n in Xn, the older the sensor value. X_short_ave is the short-term moving average. The sensor value Xn is expressed by equation (5) using the true value Yn and the offset component Yoffset.

[0069] Xn = Yn + Yoffset…(5)

[0070] By converting Equation (4) using Equation (5), the short-term moving average is expressed by Equation (6).

[0071] X_short_ave = (Yn + Yn-1 +…+Y0) / n +Yoffset = Y_short_ave + Yoffset…(6)

[0072] Here, Y_short_ave is the short-term moving average of the true value Yn.

[0073] The difference X_diff between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average is expressed by equation (7) based on equations (3) and (6).

[0074] X_diff = X_long_ave - X_short_ave = Y_long_ave + Yoffset - (Y_short_ave + Yoffset) = Y_long_ave - Y_short_ave...(7)

[0075] Referring to the above equation (7), the difference X_diff is the difference between true values ​​with the offset component removed.

[0076] The difference X_diff (more precisely, the absolute value of the difference X_diff) is 0 or a very small value when the steady state continues. On the other hand, if a puff or the like is taken, the difference X_diff (more precisely, the absolute value of the difference X_diff) becomes instantaneously large. This is because when a puff or the like occurs and the sensor value changes, the value of the short-term moving average X_short_ave changes first, and the value of the long-term moving average X_long_ave changes with a lag.

[0077] Therefore, the control unit 116 determines whether a puff has occurred by detecting a large change in the difference X_diff by comparing the difference X_diff with a threshold value. Specifically, the control unit 116 determines whether a puff has started based on the absolute value of the difference X_diff exceeding the threshold value. Thereafter, the control unit 116 determines whether a puff has ended based on the absolute value of the difference X_diff falling below the threshold value. More preferably, the threshold value used to determine whether a puff has started and the threshold value used to determine whether a puff has ended may be different values. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether a puff has occurred by eliminating the influence of the offset component.

[0078] 4, even if the sensor value changes over time even in a steady state, the difference X_diff remains 0 or a very small value as long as the steady state continues. Therefore, the puff detection method according to this embodiment makes it possible to accurately determine whether a puff has occurred even if the sensor value changes over time even in a steady state. For the same reason, the puff detection method according to this embodiment also makes it possible to suppress variations in puff detection accuracy due to individual differences in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0079] However, since the moving average is used, there is a time lag between when a puff is actually taken and when it is determined that a puff has been taken, but this time lag is about the same as when a moving average is taken to remove noise, so it is not a particularly large disadvantage.

[0080] The puff detection method according to this embodiment has been described above. Next, experimental results of the puff detection method according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0081] 5 is a graph showing experimental results of the puff detection method according to this embodiment. The horizontal axis of this graph represents time, and the vertical axis represents capacitance. This graph shows the sensor value, short-term moving average, long-term moving average, the difference between the long-term and short-term moving averages, and a threshold. Note that this graph is a dual-axis graph in which the scales of the difference between the long-term and short-term moving averages and the threshold are different from the scales of the sensor value, short-term moving average, and long-term moving average.

[0082] As shown in Figure 5, it can be seen that the sensor value drops significantly at the timing of a puff. The short-term moving average drops with a delay after the drop in the sensor value, and the long-term moving average drops with an even further delay. As a result, immediately after a puff is taken, the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average exceeds the threshold. Therefore, the control unit 116 can detect a puff based on the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average exceeding the threshold.

[0083] Next, the processing flow will be described with reference to FIG.

[0084] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the puff detection process executed by the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment.

[0085] 6, first, the control unit 116 acquires sensor values ​​measured continuously over time by the sensor unit 112 (step S102). For example, the control unit 116 acquires time-series data of the capacitance of the internal space 141 of the accommodation unit 140 measured by a capacitance sensor.

[0086] Next, the control unit 116 calculates the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average of the sensor value, and calculates the difference between them (step S104).

[0087] Next, the control unit 116 determines whether the comparison result between the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average and a threshold satisfies a predetermined condition (step S106). For example, the control unit 116 determines whether the absolute value of the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0088] If it is determined that the comparison result between the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average and the threshold value satisfies the predetermined condition (step S106: YES), the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S108).

[0089] On the other hand, if it is determined that the comparison result between the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average and the threshold value does not satisfy the predetermined condition (step S106: NO), the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 is not inserted into the storage unit 140 (step S110).

[0090] Thereafter, the control unit 116 controls processing according to the determination result (step S112). For example, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140, it may start heating by the heating unit 121. On the other hand, if the control unit 116 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted into the storage unit 140, it may prohibit heating by the heating unit 121. This configuration makes it possible to achieve both improved usability through the auto-start function and ensure safety by preventing empty heating.

[0091] <4. Supplementary Information> Although preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above 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.

[0092] The number of samples used to calculate the long-term moving average may be twice the number of samples used to calculate the short-term moving average. In this case, calculating the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average is equivalent to calculating the moving average of the differentiated sensor values. Here, the differential of the capacitance indicates the rate of change of the capacitance, which is thought to correspond to the amount of aerosol inhaled by the user.

[0093] In the above embodiment, an example in which the threshold is set in advance has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, the control unit 116 may update the threshold based on the variance or standard deviation of the sensor value. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may update the threshold based on the variance or standard deviation of the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average. In either case, the control unit 116 may set any threshold capable of detecting outliers, assuming that the sensor value or the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average follows a normal distribution in a steady state. Specifically, the control unit 116 may utilize the fact that the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average is zero in a steady state and set the threshold to a constant multiple of the standard deviation of the difference between the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average (e.g., 3 times if the steady state is within a 3σ interval). Note that the threshold may be updated at any time during the heating session. Updating the threshold makes it possible to effectively eliminate the effects of puff strength and noise from the heating unit 121.

[0094] The control unit 116 may update the number of samples used to calculate each of the long-term moving average and the short-term moving average. As an example, the control unit 116 may set the number of samples according to the length of the period during which it is determined that a puff has occurred, i.e., the length of a single puff by the user. This configuration makes it possible to properly detect puffs whether the user puffs strongly and instantaneously or slowly and weakly. As another example, the control unit 116 may set the number of samples m and n based on the heating profile. This configuration makes it possible to properly detect puffs regardless of the type of heating profile used.

[0095] In the above embodiment, an example in which the control unit 116 determines whether or not a puff has been performed has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. That is, the control unit 116 only needs to determine the state of the aerosol generation device 100, and the state of the aerosol generation device 100 to be determined is not limited to whether or not a puff has been performed. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 by comparing the difference between the long-term moving average and short-term moving average of the capacitance with a threshold value. Because the stick-shaped substrate 150 contains an aerosol source with a high relative dielectric constant, when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage unit 140, the capacitance changes significantly and instantaneously. In this regard, with this configuration, the instantaneous change in capacitance accompanying the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be detected with high accuracy, making it possible to accurately determine whether or not the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the long-term moving average of the capacitance measured by the capacitance sensor is an example of a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value. The short-term moving average of the capacitance measured by the capacitance sensor is an example of a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these examples.

[0097] For example, each of the first smoothing process and the second smoothing process may be one of a moving average, an exponential moving average, a weighted moving average, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, and a band-pass filter. The first smoothing process and the second smoothing process may be performed over different intervals and have different response speeds.

[0098] As another example, the sensor unit 112 may be a capacitance sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, or a power sensor. That is, the control unit 116 may determine the state of the aerosol generation device 100 by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value measured by these sensors and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process having a different response speed from the first smoothing process with a threshold value. Regardless of the sensor value measured by any sensor, the state of the aerosol generation device 100 can be accurately determined.

[0099] In particular, the sensor unit 112 may be a sensor that measures a parameter corresponding to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated. Examples of such sensors include a sensor that measures the electrical resistance of the heating unit 121, which changes depending on the temperature of the heating unit 121, or a temperature sensor such as a thermistor disposed in close proximity to the heating unit 121. During a heating session, the temperature of the heating unit 121 changes over the long term even in a steady state, and also drops significantly instantaneously when a puff is performed. In this regard, the determination method according to the present embodiment makes it possible to accurately determine whether a puff has been performed throughout the entire heating session.

[0100] The heating unit 121 described in the above embodiment is an example of a load that generates heat, which is energy for heating the aerosol source of the stick-shaped substrate 150 housed in the housing unit 140. The load is not limited to the heating unit 121. When the means for heating the aerosol source is induction heating, the load may be an induction coil that generates a magnetic field, which is energy for induction heating a susceptor that is thermally close to the aerosol source.

[0101] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the aerosol generating device 100 generates an aerosol by heating the stick-shaped substrate 150, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The aerosol generating device 100 may be configured as a so-called liquid atomization type aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by heating and atomizing an aerosol source in the form of a liquid. The technology according to the present disclosure can also be applied to a liquid atomization type aerosol generating device.

[0102] 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, for example, 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 a random access memory (RAM) and executed by a processing circuit such as a central processing unit (CPU). 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, for example, via a network, without using a recording medium. The computer may be, for example, 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.

[0103] 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.

[0104] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) An aerosol generation device comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; a sensor unit that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device over time; and a control unit that determines a state of the aerosol generation device based on the sensor values ​​measured by the sensor unit, wherein the control unit determines the state of the aerosol generation device by comparing a difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold, and wherein a response speed of the first smoothing process is different from a response speed of the second smoothing process. (2) The aerosol generation device according to (1), wherein each of the first smoothing process and the second smoothing process is one of a moving average, an exponential moving average, a weighted moving average, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, and a band-pass filter. (3) The aerosol generation device according to (1), wherein the first smoothing process is a long-term moving average, and the second smoothing process is a short-term moving average with a smaller number of samples to be calculated than the first smoothing process. (4) The aerosol generation device according to (3), wherein the number of samples to be calculated in the first smoothing process is twice the number of samples to be calculated in the second smoothing process. (5) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the sensor unit is a capacitance sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, or a power sensor. (6) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the sensor unit is a capacitance sensor, and the capacitance sensor measures the capacitance of the internal space of the storage unit. (7) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the sensor unit is a sensor that measures a parameter corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated.(8) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit determines whether the aerosol generated from the substrate has been inhaled. (9) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit determines whether the substrate has been inserted into the storage unit. (10) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the control unit updates the threshold value based on a variance or standard deviation of the difference. (11) The aerosol generation device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the control unit updates the threshold value based on a variance or standard deviation of the sensor values. (12) An information processing method executed by a computer, comprising: determining a state of an aerosol generation device based on a sensor value measured by the sensor unit of an aerosol generation device having: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a sensor unit that measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device continuously over time; wherein determining the state of the aerosol generation device includes comparing a difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and wherein a response speed of the first smoothing process is different from a response speed of the second smoothing process.(13) A program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation device, the aerosol generation device comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a sensor unit that measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device continuously over time; the program causes the computer to function as a control unit that determines a state of the aerosol generation device based on the sensor value measured by the sensor unit; the control unit determines the state of the aerosol generation device by comparing a difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

[0105] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Aerosol generating 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 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom unit 144 Heat insulating unit 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Mouthpiece unit

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; a sensor unit that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generating device over time; and a control unit that determines the state of the aerosol generating device based on the sensor values ​​measured by the sensor unit, wherein the control unit determines the state of the aerosol generating device by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold, and wherein the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first smoothing process and the second smoothing process is one of a moving average, an exponential moving average, a weighted moving average, a low-pass filter, a high-pass filter, or a band-pass filter.

3. The aerosol generating device described in claim 1, wherein the first smoothing process is a long-term moving average, and the second smoothing process is a short-term moving average that is calculated using a smaller number of samples than the first smoothing process.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the number of samples to be calculated in the first smoothing process is twice the number of samples to be calculated in the second smoothing process.

5. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor unit is a capacitance sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an optical sensor, a temperature sensor, or a power sensor.

6. An aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor unit is a capacitance sensor, and the capacitance sensor measures the capacitance of the internal space of the storage unit.

7. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the sensor unit is a sensor that measures a parameter corresponding to the temperature to which the aerosol source is heated.

8. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the aerosol generated from the substrate has been inhaled.

9. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the substrate has been inserted into the storage unit.

10. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control unit updates the threshold value based on the variance or standard deviation of the difference.

11. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control unit updates the threshold value based on the variance or standard deviation of the sensor values.

12. An information processing method executed by a computer, comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a sensor unit that continuously measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device over time; determining a state of the aerosol generation device based on the sensor values ​​measured by the sensor unit; wherein determining the state of the aerosol generation device comprises comparing a difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and wherein the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

13. A program executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generation device, the aerosol generation device comprising: a storage unit that stores a substrate containing an aerosol source in an internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; and a sensor unit that measures sensor values ​​related to the aerosol generation device continuously over time; the program causes the computer to function as a control unit that determines the state of the aerosol generation device based on the sensor values ​​measured by the sensor unit; the control unit determines the state of the aerosol generation device by comparing the difference between a first value obtained by applying a first smoothing process to the sensor value and a second value obtained by applying a second smoothing process to the sensor value with a threshold; and the response speed of the first smoothing process is different from the response speed of the second smoothing process.

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