Voltage control method for aerosol provision system and aerosol provision system

Abstract

There is provided a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system. And the aerosol provision system has a power supply for supplying power to a heating element and a light-emitting element. The method comprises: obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage; compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element. Through the embodiments of this application, the technical issue of the light-emitting element's inability to maintain stable brightness during the heating process of the aerosol provision system can be resolved.

Description

[0001] VOLTAGE CONTROL METHOD FOR AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM AND AEROSOL PROVISION SYSTEM

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of aerosol provision technology, particularly to a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system.

[0004] Technical Background

[0005] In the e-cigarette industry, an aerosol provision system is configured to generate aerosol from an aerosol-generating substrate (such as a tobacco-containing or tobacco leaf matrix) for inhalation by the user. Currently, due to constraints such as volume, the power supply of the aerosol provision system is required to simultaneously provide power to both the heating element and the light-emitting element of the system. The heating element is configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate. When the user begins to puff the aerosol provision system, the heating element activates, consuming a significant amount of current and causing the power supply voltage to drop. Consequently, the current flowing through the light-emitting element also decreases. Since the brightness of the light-emitting element is influenced by the current value passing through it, the luminosity of the light-emitting element experiences severe fluctuations during the heating process of the heating element, making it impossible to maintain a stable brightness.

[0006] Summary

[0007] In accordance with some embodiments described herein, there is provided a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system and an aerosol provision system, aiming to resolve the technical issue of the light-emitting element's inability to maintain stable brightness during the heating process of the aerosol provision system.

[0008] In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, wherein the aerosol provision system has a power supply for supplying power to a heating element and a light-emitting element. And the method comprises obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage; and compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element.

[0009] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the step of obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage comprises: acquiring the power supply voltage of the power supply in real time, calculating a voltage difference between the currently acquired power supply voltage and the last acquired power supply voltage, and using the voltage difference as the change value of the power supply voltage.

[0010] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the method further comprises: applying the same compensatory adjustment to a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain the voltage applied to the light-emitting element constant during the use of the heating element.

[0011] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the step of compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage comprises: based on the change value of the power supply voltage, adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located to compensate for the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

[0012] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the step of based on the change value of the power supply voltage, adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located to compensate for the voltage applied to the light-emitting element comprises at least one of the following: if the change value of the power supply voltage is negative, decreasing the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located; and if the change value of the power supply voltage is positive, increasing the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located.

[0013] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the method further comprises: adjusting the change value of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the change value of the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located to be the same as the change value of the power supply voltage.

[0014] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the method further comprises: setting the initial value of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the lightemitting element is located to a default value, wherein the adjustment range of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located is from OV to the default value.

[0015] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the method further comprises: adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the lightemitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located based on pulse width modulation technique to change the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

[0016] In one technical solution of the above voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the step of adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located based on pulse width modulation technique to change the voltage applied to the light-emitting element comprises: emitting a pulse width modulation signal to the negative terminal of the light-emitting element or the output terminal of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located; and adjusting the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal to change the magnitude of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located, thereby changing the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

[0017] In accordance with a second aspect, there is provided an aerosol provision system, and the system comprises a housing for accommodating an article; a light-emitting element; a heating element which is configured to heat the article during use to generate aerosols; a power supply which is configured to supply power to the heating element and the light-emitting element; a controller which is configured to execute the voltage control method of the aerosol provision system according to any one of the first aspect.

[0018] In one technical solution of the above aerosol provision system, the controller comprises a data acquisition module, wherein the data acquisition module is configured to collect the supply voltage of the power supply in real time.

[0019] In one technical solution of the above aerosol provision system, the controller comprises a pulse width modulation module, wherein the pulse width modulation module is connected to the negative terminal of the light-emitting element or the output terminal of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located and is configured to adjust the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located.

[0020] In accordance with a third aspect, there is provided an electronic device. And the electronic device comprises a memory, one or more processors, one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory, and the one or more applications are configured such that when invoked by the one or more processors, the one or more processors execute the method according to any one of the methods in the first aspect.

[0021] In accordance with a fourth aspect, there is provided a computer readable storage medium, which stores multiple program codes, wherein the program codes are adapted to be loaded and executed by a processor to perform the method according to any one of the first aspect. One or more technical solutions of the present application have at least one or more of the following beneficial effects:

[0022] In the technical solutions of the present application, by detecting the change value of the power supply voltage, the voltage applied to the light-emitting element is compensated to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element, thereby achieving a stable brightness of the light-emitting element and reducing its flicker. The voltage compensation-based scheme does not require additional costs, such as more electrical components and complex electrical design.

[0023] Additional aspects and advantages of the application will be partially described in the following description, some will become apparent from the following description, and others will be learned through the practice of the application.

[0024] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the disclosed content of the present application will become easier to understand. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection. In addition, similar numbers in the figure are used to represent similar components, where:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional power supply for supplying power to a light-emitting element and a heating element;

[0027] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main procedural steps of a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the power supply voltage and the pin voltage when the heating element is not activated, according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the power supply voltage and the pin voltage when the existing heating element is activated;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the power supply voltage and the pin voltage when the heating element is activated, according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of a power supply for supplying power to a lightemitting element and a heating element according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main procedural steps executed in the system according to the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application. Detailed Description

[0033] The following describes some embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only for explaining the technical principles of the present application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0034] As used herein, the term “delivery system” is intended to encompass systems that deliver at least one substance to a user in use, and includes: combustible aerosol provision systems, such as cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, and tobacco for pipes or for roll-your-own or for make-your-own cigarettes (whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, tobacco substitutes or other smokable material); non-combustible aerosol provision systems that release compounds from an aerosolgenerating material without combusting the aerosol-generating material, such as electronic cigarettes, tobacco heating products, and hybrid systems to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials; and aerosol-free delivery systems that deliver the at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0035] According to the present disclosure, a “combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is combusted or burned during use in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0036] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a system selected from the group consisting of a cigarette, a cigarillo and a cigar.

[0037] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to a component for use in a combustible aerosol provision system, such as a filter, a filter rod, a filter segment, a tobacco rod, a spill, an aerosol-modifying agent release component such as a capsule, a thread, or a bead, or a paper such as a plug wrap, a tipping paper or a cigarette paper.

[0038] According to the present disclosure, a “non-combustible” aerosol provision system is one where a constituent aerosol-generating material of the aerosol provision system (or component thereof) is not combusted or burned in order to facilitate delivery of at least one substance to a user.

[0039] In some embodiments, the delivery system is a non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a powered non-combustible aerosol provision system. In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an electronic cigarette, also known as a vaping device or electronic nicotine delivery system (END), although it is noted that the presence of nicotine in the aerosol-generating material is not a requirement.

[0040] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is an aerosolgenerating material heating system, also known as a heat-not-burn system. An example of such a system is a tobacco heating system.

[0041] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system is a hybrid system to generate aerosol using a combination of aerosol-generating materials, one or a plurality of which may be heated. Each of the aerosol-generating materials may be, for example, in the form of a solid, liquid or gel and may or may not contain nicotine. In some embodiments, the hybrid system comprises a liquid or gel aerosol-generating material and a solid aerosol-generating material. The solid aerosol-generating material may comprise, for example, tobacco or a non-tobacco product.

[0042] Typically, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise a non- combustible aerosol provision device and a consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device.

[0043] In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to consumables comprising aerosolgenerating material and configured to be used with non-combustible aerosol provision devices. These consumables are sometimes referred to as articles throughout the disclosure.

[0044] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system, such as a non- combustible aerosol provision device thereof, may comprise a power source and a controller. The power source may, for example, be an electric power source or an exothermic power source. In some embodiments, the exothermic power source comprises a carbon substrate which may be energised so as to distribute power in the form of heat to an aerosol-generating material or to a heat transfer material in proximity to the exothermic power source.

[0045] In some embodiments, the non-combustible aerosol provision system may comprise an area for receiving the consumable, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent.

[0046] In some embodiments, the consumable for use with the non-combustible aerosol provision device may comprise aerosol-generating material, an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generator, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a filter, a mouthpiece, and / or an aerosolmodifying agent.

[0047] In some embodiments, the delivery system is an aerosol-free delivery system that delivers at least one substance to a user orally, nasally, transdermally or in another way without forming an aerosol, including but not limited to, lozenges, gums, patches, articles comprising inhalable powders, and oral products such as oral tobacco which includes snus or moist snuff, wherein the at least one substance may or may not comprise nicotine.

[0048] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered may be an aerosol-generating material or a material that is not intended to be aerosolised. As appropriate, either material may comprise one or more active constituents, one or more flavours, one or more aerosolformer materials, and / or one or more other functional materials.

[0049] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises an active substance. The active substance as used herein may be a physiologically active material, which is a material intended to achieve or enhance a physiological response. The active substance may for example be selected from nutraceuticals, nootropics, psychoactives. The active substance may be naturally occurring or synthetically obtained. The active substance may comprise for example nicotine, caffeine, taurine, theine, vitamins such as B6 or B12 or C, melatonin, cannabinoids, or constituents, derivatives, or combinations thereof. The active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of tobacco, cannabis or another botanical.

[0050] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises nicotine. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises caffeine, melatonin or vitamin B12.

[0051] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise one or more constituents, derivatives or extracts of cannabis, such as one or more cannabinoids or terpenes.

[0052] As noted herein, the active substance may comprise or be derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof. As used herein, the term "botanical" includes any material derived from plants including, but not limited to, extracts, leaves, bark, fibres, stems, roots, seeds, flowers, fruits, pollen, husk, shells or the like. Alternatively, the material may comprise an active compound naturally existing in a botanical, obtained synthetically. The material may be in the form of liquid, gas, solid, powder, dust, crushed particles, granules, pellets, shreds, strips, sheets, or the like.

[0053] Example botanicals are tobacco, eucalyptus, star anise, hemp, cocoa, cannabis, fennel, lemongrass, peppermint, spearmint, rooibos, chamomile, flax, ginger, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, licorice (liquorice), matcha, mate, orange skin, papaya, rose, sage, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, clove, cinnamon, coffee, aniseed (anise), basil, bay leaves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lavender, lemon peel, mint, juniper, elderflower, vanilla, Wintergreen, beefsteak plant, curcuma, turmeric, sandalwood, cilantro, bergamot, orange blossom, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, geranium, mulberry, ginseng, theanine, theacrine, maca, ashwagandha, damiana, guarana, chlorophyll, baobab or any combination thereof. The mint may be chosen from the following mint varieties: Mentha Arventis, Mentha c.v., Mentha niliaca, Mentha piperita, Mentha piperita citrata c.v., Mentha piperita c.v, Mentha spicata crispa, Mentha cardifolia, Memtha longifolia, Mentha suaveolens variegata, Mentha pulegium, Mentha spicata c.v. and Mentha suaveolens.

[0054] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or is derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is tobacco. In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa and hemp.

[0055] In some embodiments, the active substance comprises or derived from one or more botanicals or constituents, derivatives or extracts thereof and the botanical is selected from rooibos and fennel.

[0056] In some embodiments, the substance to be delivered comprises a flavour. As used herein, the terms "flavour" and "flavourant" refer to materials which, where local regulations permit, may be used to create a desired taste, aroma or other somatosensorial sensation in a product for adult consumers. They may include naturally occurring flavour materials, botanicals, extracts of botanicals, synthetically obtained materials, or combinations thereof (e.g., tobacco, cannabis, licorice (liquorice), hydrangea, eugenol, Japanese white bark magnolia leaf, chamomile, fenugreek, clove, maple, matcha, menthol, Japanese mint, aniseed (anise), cinnamon, turmeric, Indian spices, Asian spices, herb, Wintergreen, cherry, berry, red berry, cranberry, peach, apple, orange, mango, clementine, lemon, lime, tropical fruit, papaya, rhubarb, grape, durian, dragon fruit, cucumber, blueberry, mulberry, citrus fruits, Drambuie, bourbon, scotch, whiskey, gin, tequila, rum, spearmint, peppermint, lavender, aloe vera, cardamom, celery, cascarilla, nutmeg, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, khat, naswar, betel, shisha, pine, honey essence, rose oil, vanilla, lemon oil, orange oil, orange blossom, cherry blossom, cassia, caraway, cognac, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sage, fennel, wasabi, piment, ginger, coriander, coffee, hemp, a mint oil from any species of the genus Mentha, eucalyptus, star anise, cocoa, lemongrass, rooibos, flax, ginkgo biloba, hazel, hibiscus, laurel, mate, orange skin, rose, tea such as green tea or black tea, thyme, juniper, elderflower, basil, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, paprika, rosemary, saffron, lemon peel, mint, beefsteak plant, curcuma, cilantro, myrtle, cassis, valerian, pimento, mace, damien, marjoram, olive, lemon balm, lemon basil, chive, carvi, verbena, tarragon, limonene, thymol, camphene), flavour enhancers, bitterness receptor site blockers, sensorial receptor site activators or stimulators, sugars and / or sugar substitutes (e.g., sucralose, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharine, cyclamates, lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, sorbitol, or mannitol), and other additives such as charcoal, chlorophyll, minerals, botanicals, or breath freshening agents. They may be imitation, synthetic or natural ingredients or blends thereof. They may be in any suitable form, for example, liquid such as an oil, solid such as a powder, or gas. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises menthol, spearmint and / or peppermint. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components of cucumber, blueberry, citrus fruits and / or redberry. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises eugenol. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from tobacco. In some embodiments, the flavour comprises flavour components extracted from cannabis.

[0057] In some embodiments, the flavour may comprise a sensate, which is intended to achieve a somatosensorial sensation which are usually chemically induced and perceived by the stimulation of the fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve), in addition to or in place of aroma or taste nerves, and these may include agents providing heating, cooling, tingling, numbing effect. A suitable heat effect agent may be, but is not limited to, vanillyl ethyl ether and a suitable cooling agent may be, but not limited to eucolyptol, WS-3.

[0058] Aerosol-generating material is a material that is capable of generating aerosol, for example when heated, irradiated or energized in any other way. Aerosol-generating material may, for example, be in the form of a solid, liquid or gel which may or may not contain an active substance and / or flavourants. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may comprise an “amorphous solid”, which may alternatively be referred to as a “monolithic solid” (i.e. non-fibrous). In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating material may for example comprise from about 50wt%, 60wt% or 70wt% of amorphous solid, to about 90wt%, 95wt% or 100wt% of amorphous solid.

[0059] The aerosol-generating material may comprise one or more active substances and / or flavours, one or more aerosol-former materials, and optionally one or more other functional material.

[0060] The aerosol-former material may comprise one or more constituents capable of forming an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol-former material may comprise one or more of glycerol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, 1 ,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, meso-Erythritol, ethyl vanillate, ethyl laurate, a diethyl suberate, triethyl citrate, triacetin, a diacetin mixture, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenyl acetate, tributyrin, lauryl acetate, lauric acid, myristic acid, and propylene carbonate.

[0061] The one or more other functional materials may comprise one or more of pH regulators, colouring agents, preservatives, binders, fillers, stabilizers, and / or antioxidants.

[0062] The material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a metal, or a metal alloy. In some embodiments, the support comprises a susceptor. In some embodiments, the susceptor is embedded within the material. In some alternative embodiments, the susceptor is on one or either side of the material. A consumable is an article comprising or consisting of aerosol-generating material, part or all of which is intended to be consumed during use by a user. A consumable may comprise one or more other components, such as an aerosol-generating material storage area, an aerosol-generating material transfer component, an aerosol generation area, a housing, a wrapper, a mouthpiece, a filter and / or an aerosol-modifying agent. A consumable may also comprise an aerosol generator, such as a heater, that emits heat to cause the aerosolgenerating material to generate aerosol in use. The heater may, for example, comprise combustible material, a material heatable by electrical conduction, or a susceptor.

[0063] A susceptor is a material that is heatable by penetration with a varying magnetic field, such as an alternating magnetic field. The susceptor may be an electrically-conductive material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes induction heating of the heating material. The heating material may be magnetic material, so that penetration thereof with a varying magnetic field causes magnetic hysteresis heating of the heating material. The susceptor may be both electrically-conductive and magnetic, so that the susceptor is heatable by both heating mechanisms. The device that is configured to generate the varying magnetic field is referred to as a magnetic field generator, herein.

[0064] An aerosol-modifying agent is a substance, typically located downstream of the aerosol generation area, that is configured to modify the aerosol generated, for example by changing the taste, flavour, acidity or another characteristic of the aerosol. The aerosolmodifying agent may be provided in an aerosol-modifying agent release component, that is operable to selectively release the aerosol-modifying agent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be an additive or a sorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, comprise one or more of a flavourant, a colourant, water, and a carbon adsorbent. The aerosol-modifying agent may, for example, be a solid, a liquid, or a gel. The aerosol-modifying agent may be in powder, thread or granule form. The aerosol-modifying agent may be free from filtration material.

[0065] An aerosol generator is an apparatus configured to cause aerosol to be generated from the aerosol-generating material. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is a heater configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to heat energy, so as to release one or more volatiles from the aerosol-generating material to form an aerosol. In some embodiments, the aerosol generator is configured to cause an aerosol to be generated from the aerosolgenerating material without heating. For example, the aerosol generator may be configured to subject the aerosol-generating material to one or more of vibration, increased pressure, or electrostatic energy.

[0066] The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery systems (which may also be referred to as vapour delivery systems) such as nebulisers or e-cigarettes. Throughout the following description the term "e-cigarette" or "electronic cigarette" may sometimes be used, but it will be appreciated this term may be used interchangeably with aerosol delivery system I device and electronic aerosol delivery system I device. Furthermore, and as is common in the technical field, the terms "aerosol" and "vapour", and related terms such as "vaporise", "volatilise" and "aerosolise", may generally be used interchangeably.

[0067] Aerosol delivery systems (e-cigarettes) often, though not always, comprise a modular assembly comprising a reusable device part and a replaceable (disposable / consumable) cartridge part. Often, the replaceable cartridge part will comprise the aerosol-generating material and the vaporiser (which may collectively be called a “cartomizer”) and the reusable device part will comprise the power provision (e.g. rechargeable power source) and control circuitry. It will be appreciated these different parts may comprise further elements depending on functionality. For example, the reusable device part will often comprise a user interface for receiving user input and displaying operating status characteristics, and the replaceable cartridge device part in some cases comprises a temperature sensor for helping to control temperature. Cartridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the control unit for use, for example using a screw thread, bayonet, or magnetic coupling with appropriately arranged electrical contacts. When the aerosol-generating material in a cartridge is exhausted, or the user wishes to switch to a different cartridge having a different aerosol-generating material, the cartridge may be removed from the reusable part and a replacement cartridge attached in its place. Systems and devices conforming to this type of two-part modular configuration may generally be referred to as two-part systems / devices.

[0068] It is common for electronic cigarettes to have a generally elongate shape. For the sake of providing a concrete example, certain embodiments of the disclosure will be taken to comprise this kind of generally elongate two-part system employing disposable cartridges. However, it will be appreciated that the underlying principles described herein may equally be adopted for different configurations, for example single-part systems or modular systems comprising more than two parts, refillable devices and single-use disposables, as well as other overall shapes, for example based on so-called box-mod high performance devices that typically have a boxier shape. More generally, it will be appreciated certain embodiments of the disclosure are based on aerosol delivery systems which are operationally configured to provide functionality in accordance with the principles described herein and the constructional aspects of systems configured to provide the functionality in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure is not of primary significance.

[0069] As described in the technical background, during the heating process of the heating element, the brightness of the light-emitting element experiences severe flickering and cannot maintain a stable luminance. As shown in the simplified circuit diagram of Figure 1 , which represents the electrical design of the power supply for most aerosol provision systems, the power supply supplies power to the light-emitting element (exemplified as an LED in Figure 1). The anode of the light-emitting element is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply, while the cathode is connected to a controller (MCU) pin through a resistor (which serves as a voltage divider and equivalent resistance R in the light-emitting element's circuit) to control the current IJed flowing through the light-emitting element. Typically, by default, the controller pin voltage (Pin V) is OV, connected to the internal ground of the controller. When the user begins to puff, the heating element H is activated, and the current l_pod in the heating element H circuit consumes a significant portion of the total current, causing the voltage at the power supply terminal to drop. Consequently, the voltage V_drop applied to the light-emitting element circuit decreases accordingly, leading to a corresponding decrease in IJed. The value of IJed directly affects the brightness of the light-emitting element (such as an LED). Therefore, during the heating process, the brightness of the lightemitting element experiences significant flickering. In response to this issue, the present application provides a voltage control method for an aerosol provision system. Throughout the heating process, when the power supply voltage drops, V_drop is automatically compensated to maintain a constant l_led, ensuring that the brightness of the light-emitting element remains stable.

[0070] Referring to Figure 2, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the main procedural steps of the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to an embodiment of the present application. The aerosol provision system of the embodiment of the present application has a power supply for supplying power to a heating element and a light-emitting element. The voltage control method for an aerosol provision system primarily comprises the following step S101 to step S102.

[0071] Step S101 : obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage;

[0072] In one embodiment, the power supply voltage of the power supply is obtained in realtime, which involves the real-time sampling of the power supply voltage at the positive terminal of the power supply. In the present application, voltage sampling can be implemented through a voltage sampling module or circuit, such as an ADC (Analog-to- Digital Converter) sampling module. The voltage difference between the currently obtained power supply voltage and the previously obtained power supply voltage is used as the change value of the power supply voltage, providing a basis for subsequent voltage compensation.

[0073] Step S102: compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element.

[0074] In one embodiment, compensate a corresponding change to the voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage, to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element during the use of the heating element. In the present embodiment, on the basis of compensating the voltage applied to the light-emitting element, a compensation equal to the change value of the power supply voltage is implemented to keep the voltage of the light-emitting element unchanged. This achieves a relatively stable current, ensuring that the light-emitting element maintains a steady brightness without flickering. For example, referring to Figure 1 , during the heating process of the heating element, when the power supply voltage drops, the present application compensates for V_drop to maintain a constant IJed, ensuring that the brightness of the light-emitting element remains stable.

[0075] In one embodiment, the specific method for compensating the voltage applied to the light-emitting element involves adjusting the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located, thereby compensating the voltage applied to the light-emitting element. As shown in Figure 3, the original cathode voltage of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located is grounded at OV. The present application may compensate for V_drop by adjusting the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located. As shown in Figure 4, the value of V_drop is equal to the difference between the power supply terminal voltage V_battery and the pin voltage V_mcu- pin. The pin voltage V_mcu-pin represents the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located. The power supply terminal voltage V_battery during the heating process, as shown in Figure 5, causes V_drop to become unstable. By continuously adjusting V_mcu-pin in response to changes in the power supply terminal voltage V_battery, compensation for V_drop can be achieved, thereby enhancing the stability of the light-emitting element's illumination. Specifically, if the change value of the power supply voltage is negative, meaning the power supply terminal voltage V_battery is decreasing, then reduce the pin voltage V_mcu-pin, that is, reduce the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located. And if the change value of the power supply voltage is positive, meaning the power supply terminal voltage V_battery is increasing, then increase the pin voltage V_mcu- pin, that is, increase the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit in which it is located. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the change value of the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output terminal of the series circuit in which it is located is adjusted to match the change value of the power supply voltage. That is, the pin voltage V_mcu-pin is continuously adjusted to keep V_drop constant during the heating process, thereby stabilizing the brightness of the light-emitting element. In one embodiment, for the adjustment of the pin voltage V_mcu-pin, as shown in Figure 6, the initial value of the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit is set to a default value, for example, 1 ,2V. The adjustment range for the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage of the series circuit is from OV to the default value, meaning that the pin voltage V_mcu-pin may be adjusted within the range of 0-1.2V. It should be noted that due to the significant voltage difference between the original power supply voltage and the pin voltage V_mcu-pin, the resistance value of the series circuit for the light-emitting element was designed to be relatively large. Now, with the default value of the pin voltage being increased, the voltage difference with the power supply voltage has become smaller. Consequently, it is possible to appropriately reduce the resistance value designed for the series circuit. The specific method for adjusting the pin voltage V_mcu-pin involves utilizing pulse-width modulation (PWM) technology to regulate the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output voltage on the series circuit, ensuring that V_drop remains constant. Among them, the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) technique involves sending a PWM signal to the voltage at the cathode of the light-emitting element or the output of the series circuit in which it is located. The voltage applied to the light-emitting element is adjusted by varying the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal, which modifies the voltage at the cathode of the lightemitting element or the output of the series circuit. For example, the default value of the pin voltage V_mcu-pin is 1.2V, and the original duty cycle of the PWM signal is duty_A%. During the heating process, the power supply voltage is acquired in real time, and the voltage delta V_delta, which is the voltage difference between the currently acquired power supply voltage and the last power supply voltage value, is calculated. The duty cycle of the signal is then adjusted to duty_B% according to the voltage compensation requirements, so that the pin voltage V_mcu-pin increases or decreases by V_delta, thereby maintaining V_drop unchanged.

[0076] Based on the aforementioned step S101- step S102, the embodiment of the present application compensates for the voltage applied to the light-emitting element by detecting the change value of the power supply voltage, thereby maintaining a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element, and achieving a stable brightness of the lightemitting element and reducing its flicker. The voltage compensation-based scheme does not require additional costs, such as more electrical components or complex electrical design.

[0077] It should be noted that although the various steps are described in a specific sequence in the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that to achieve the effects of the present application, the steps need not necessarily be executed in this order. They may be performed simultaneously (in parallel) or in a different sequence, and such variations fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Furthermore, the present application provides an aerosol provision system. And the system comprises a housing for accommodating an article; a light-emitting element; a heating element which is configured to heat the article during use to generate aerosols; a power supply which is configured to supply power to the heating element and the light-emitting element; a controller which is configured to execute the voltage control method for the aerosol provision system as described above.

[0078] In one embodiment, referring to Figure 6, the controller may be an MCU (Microcontroller Unit). The cathode of the light-emitting element or the output of the series circuit in which it is located may be directly connected to a pin of the MCU. The MCU may perform PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) regulation on the pin voltage through the connected pin, thereby adjusting the magnitude of the pin voltage. Specifically, the MCU is equipped with a pulse-width modulation (PWM) module connected to the negative of the light-emitting element or the output of the series circuit in which it is located. The PWM module adjusts the voltage at the negative of the light-emitting element or the output of the series circuit.

[0079] In one embodiment, the controller comprises a data acquisition module to collect the supply voltage of the power supply in real time. As shown in Figure 7, the entire adjustment process is as follows: set the pin voltage of the MCU connected to the cathode of the lightemitting element or the output of the series circuit to a default value (such as 1 ,2V), and use the data acquisition module (ADC) to measure the power supply voltage with V_battery. And calculate the difference V_delta (ranging from OV to the default value) between V_battery and the last power supply voltage. And increase or decrease the MCU pin voltage via PWM based on V_delta. The specific process and principle of the voltage control method for the aerosol supply system are detailed in the aforementioned step S101- step S102, and redundant descriptions are omitted here.

[0080] It should be noted that, for the purpose of illustrating this technical solution, Figures 1-6 merely present simplified structural diagrams of the control portion of the aerosol provision system and are not intended to convey the specific locations or fixed structural configurations of the various components. For example, the specific connection circuit between the lightemitting element and the controller is not limited. It should also be understood that the aerosol provision system may comprise other components not shown in Figures 1-6, such as additional indicator elements and controlled devices, among others.

[0081] Furthermore, the present application also provides an electronic device. And the electronic device comprises a memory, one or more processors, one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory, and the one or more applications are configured such that when invoked by the one or more processors, the one or more processors execute the method according to any one of the technical solutions as described above. The electronic device in the embodiment of the present application mainly comprises a memory and a processor. The memory may be configured to store a program for executing the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as described in the aforementioned method embodiment, and the processor may be configured to execute the program stored in the memory. The program comprises, but is not limited to, the program for executing the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as described in the aforementioned method embodiment. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiment of the present application are shown. For specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiment of the present application.

[0082] In the embodiment of the present application, the electronic device may be a control apparatus or equipment comprising various electronic components. In some possible implementations, the electronic device may comprise multiple storage devices and multiple processors. Moreover, the program for executing the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as described in the aforementioned method embodiment may be divided into multiple subroutines. Each subroutine may be loaded and executed by a processor to perform different steps of the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as outlined in the aforementioned method embodiment. Specifically, each subroutine may be stored in different memories, and each processor may be configured to execute programs in one or more memories to collectively implement the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as described in the aforementioned method embodiment. In other words, each processor executes different steps of the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as outlined in the aforementioned method embodiment, working together to achieve the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system described in the method embodiment.

[0083] The electronic device is used to execute the embodiment of the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as shown in Figure 1. The technical principles, the technical problems addressed, and the resulting technical effects of both are similar. Those skilled in the technical field can clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity in description, the specific working process of the electronic device and related explanations can refer to the content described in the embodiment of the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system. Details will not be repeated here.

[0084] Those skilled in the art may understand that the entire or partial processes of the method in the aforementioned embodiment of the present application may also be accomplished by a computer program instructing relevant hardware. The computer program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed by a processor, it may implement the steps of the various method embodiments described above. The computer program comprises computer program code, which may be in the form of source code, object code, executable files, or some intermediate forms, among others. The computer-readable storage medium may comprise any entity or device capable of carrying the computer program code, such as media, USB drives, portable hard drives, magnetic disks, optical discs, computer memory, read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), electrical carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and software distribution media, among others. It should be noted that the content comprised in the computer-readable storage medium may be appropriately added or reduced according to the requirements of legislation and patent practices within the jurisdiction. For example, in some jurisdictions, based on legislation and patent practices, the computer-readable storage medium does not include electrical carrier signals and telecommunications signals.

[0085] Furthermore, the present application also provides a computer readable storage medium. In an embodiment of a computer-readable storage medium according to the present application, the computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store a program for executing the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system as described in the aforementioned method embodiment. And the program may be loaded and executed by a processor to implement the voltage control method for an aerosol provision system described above. For ease of explanation, only the parts related to the embodiment of the present application are shown. For specific technical details not disclosed, please refer to the method section of the embodiment of the present application. The computer-readable storage medium may be a storage device or equipment formed by various electronic devices. Optionally, in the embodiment of the present application, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

[0086] Furthermore, it should be understood that the setting of each module is merely for illustrating the functional modules of the devices of the present application. The physical devices corresponding to these modules may be the processor itself, or a part of the software in the processor, a part of the hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Therefore, the number of modules in the diagram is merely illustrative. Those skilled in the art may understand that the various modules in the system may be adaptively split or merged. Such splitting or merging of specific modules will not cause the technical solution to deviate from the principles of the present application. Therefore, the technical solutions after splitting or merging will fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0087] It should be understood that various parts of the present application may be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the aforementioned implementations, multiple steps or methods may be implemented using software or firmware stored in a memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it may be achieved using any one of the following well-known technologies in the field or a combination thereof: discrete logic circuits with logic gate circuits for implementing logical functions on data signals, applicationspecific integrated circuits (ASICs) with suitable combinatorial logic gate circuits, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and so on.

[0088] In the description of this specification, the referential terminology "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" means that specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are comprised in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, the indicative expression of the above-mentioned terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the described specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable way in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0089] Moreover, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used merely for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the characteristics defined as "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly comprise at least one such characteristic. In the description of the present application, the term "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0090] In the present application, unless explicitly defined and limited, terms such as "mounting," "connecting," "connection," "fixing," etc., should be understood broadly. For instance, the connection can be a fixed connection or a detachable connection, or integrated; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediary medium, it can be the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless explicitly defined otherwise. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meanings of these terms in the context of the application based on the circumstances.

[0091] Although the embodiments of the application have been shown and described above, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and should not be considered as limiting the application. Those skilled in the art within the scope of the application can make variations, modifications, replacements, and variations to the abovedescribed embodiments.

Claims

Claims1 . A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system, the aerosol provision system having a power supply for supplying power to a heating element and a light-emitting element; wherein the method comprises: obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage; and compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain a relatively stable current flowing through the light-emitting element.

2. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 2, wherein obtaining a power supply voltage of the power supply to obtain a change value of the power supply voltage comprises: acquiring the power supply voltage of the power supply in real time, calculating a voltage difference between the currently acquired power supply voltage and the last acquired power supply voltage; and using the voltage difference as the change value of the power supply voltage.

3. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises: applying the same compensatory adjustment to a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage to maintain the voltage applied to the light-emitting element constant during the use of the heating element.

4. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 1 , wherein compensating a voltage applied to the light-emitting element based on the change value of the power supply voltage comprises: based on the change value of the power supply voltage, adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located to compensate for the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

5. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein based on the change value of the power supply voltage, adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit wherethe light-emitting element is located to compensate for the voltage applied to the light-emitting element comprises at least one of the following: if the change value of the power supply voltage is negative, decreasing the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located; if the change value of the power supply voltage is positive, increasing the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located.

6. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises: adjusting the change value of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the change value of the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the lightemitting element is located to be the same as the change value of the power supply voltage.

7. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises: setting the initial value of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located to a default value, wherein the adjustment range of the negative terminal voltage of the lightemitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located is from OV to the default value.

8. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the method further comprises: adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located based on pulse width modulation technique to change the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

9. A voltage control method for an aerosol provision system according to claim 8, wherein adjusting the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located based on pulse width modulation technique to change the voltage applied to the light-emitting element comprises: emitting a pulse width modulation signal to the negative terminal of the light-emitting element or the output terminal of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located; andadjusting the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal to change the magnitude of the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located, thereby changing the voltage applied to the light-emitting element.

10. An aerosol provision system comprising: a housing for accommodating an article; a light-emitting element; a heating element configured to heat the article during use to generate aerosols; a power supply, configured to supply power to the heating element and the lightemitting element; and a controller configured to execute the voltage control method of the aerosol provision system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. An aerosol provision system according to claim 10, wherein the controller comprises a data acquisition module, wherein the data acquisition module is configured to collect the supply voltage of the power supply in real time.

12. An aerosol provision system according to claim 10 or claim 11 , wherein the controller comprises a pulse width modulation module, wherein the pulse width modulation module is connected to the negative terminal of the light-emitting element or the output terminal of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located and is configured to adjust the negative terminal voltage of the light-emitting element or the output terminal voltage of the series circuit where the light-emitting element is located.

13. An electronic device comprising: a memory; one or more processors; one or more applications, wherein the one or more applications are stored in the memory, and the one or more applications are configured such that when invoked by the one or more processors, the one or more processors execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

14. A computer readable storage medium storing multiple program codes, wherein the program codes are adapted to be loaded and executed by a processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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