Inhalation action detection method for aerosol-generating apparatus, and aerosol-generating apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application disclose an aerosol-generating apparatus and an inhalation action detection method therefor. The aerosol-generating apparatus comprises a heating element for heating an aerosol-generating article to generate an aerosol, and the inhalation action detection method comprises: acquiring values of a target parameter on the basis of a preset interval duration; storing the values of the target parameter in a buffer, and maintaining a fixed number of the values of the target parameter stored in the buffer; calculating a fitting slope of data stored in the buffer; and, on the basis of the fitting slope, determining whether an inhalation action has occurred. The method does not require use of an additional sensor for detecting an inhalation action, and can implement detection of the inhalation action by means of software, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the aerosol-generating apparatus.

Description

Method for detecting the suction action of an aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating device

[0001]

[0002] Cross-reference of related applications

[0003] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411775655.6, filed on December 4, 2024, entitled “Method for detecting the suction action of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] Technical Field

[0005] This application relates to the field of aerosol technology, and in particular to a method for detecting the suction action of an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating device. Background Technology

[0006] Traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) produce tobacco smoke by burning tobacco during use. Existing technologies offer alternatives to these traditional tobacco products by releasing compounds through heating without combustion. Examples of such products include aerosol generating devices, which typically include a heating element and an aerosol generating article used in conjunction with the device. The aerosol generating article can be solid tobacco or a non-tobacco filler, such as a cigarette stick. When the aerosol generating article is contained within the aerosol generating device, the heating element heats the article, causing at least a portion of the active substances within it to evaporate and generate an aerosol.

[0007] Existing aerosol generating devices typically require detecting the user's suction actions to count the number of suction ports. Currently, this detection is mainly achieved through additional sensors. For example, a temperature sensor is installed in the air intake channel. When a user suctions, cold outside air flows past the temperature sensor, causing a temperature drop, which is then used to determine if suction has occurred. Alternatively, a pressure sensor is installed inside the aerosol generating device. When a user suctions, a negative pressure is generated inside the device, which is detected by the pressure sensor, allowing for suction detection based on the pressure change. However, adding sensors to detect suction increases costs, and these sensors are susceptible to interference from various factors, affecting their detection sensitivity and leading to false positives for suction. Summary of the Invention

[0008] This application provides a suction detection method for an aerosol generating device to solve the technical problems of increased cost and easy interference with the sensitivity of current methods that detect suction action by adding sensors.

[0009] At least one embodiment of this application provides a method for detecting the suction action of an aerosol generating apparatus. The aerosol generating apparatus includes a heating element for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol. The method for detecting the suction action includes:

[0010] The target parameter value is obtained according to the preset interval.

[0011] Store the values ​​of the target parameters in a buffer, and ensure that the buffer always contains a fixed number of target parameter values.

[0012] Calculate the fitting slope of the data points stored in the buffer;

[0013] The slope of the fitted curve is used to determine whether a suction action has occurred.

[0014] In one embodiment, determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes:

[0015] The fitted slope is compared with a preset first threshold.

[0016] Determine if the fitted slope is greater than the first threshold; if so, confirm that a suction action has occurred.

[0017] In one embodiment, determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes:

[0018] The fitting slope for a preset number of consecutive iterations is compared with a preset first threshold.

[0019] Determine whether the slope of the fit is greater than the first threshold for each iteration;

[0020] If so, then a suction action has been confirmed.

[0021] In one embodiment, determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes:

[0022] The fitting slope for a preset number of consecutive iterations is compared with a preset first threshold.

[0023] Determine whether the slope of the fit is greater than the first threshold for each iteration;

[0024] If so, then sum the fitting slopes for the preset number of consecutive iterations;

[0025] Determine whether the sum is greater than a preset second threshold;

[0026] If so, then a suction action has been confirmed.

[0027] In one embodiment, comparing the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive steps with a preset first threshold further includes:

[0028] The fitting slope of a series of preset numbers is compared with the same first threshold.

[0029] In one embodiment, comparing the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive steps with a preset first threshold further includes:

[0030] The fitting slope of a series of preset numbers is compared with different first thresholds.

[0031] In one embodiment, the method further includes, before storing the value of the target parameter in the buffer:

[0032] The values ​​of the target parameters are filtered.

[0033] In one embodiment, the method further includes:

[0034] The fitted slope is amplified, and the amplified fitting efficiency is used to confirm whether a suction action has occurred.

[0035] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes a battery cell for supplying electrical energy to a heating element, wherein target parameters include either the output current of the battery cell, the energy supplied to the heating element, or the duty cycle for adjusting the voltage across the heating element; or...

[0036] The aerosol generating device also includes a coil for generating a changing magnetic field, a heating element configured to be penetrated by the changing magnetic field and heated, and a target parameter including the output current output to the coil.

[0037] At least one embodiment of this application also provides an aerosol generating device, including a controller. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the suction action detection method of the aerosol generating device provided in the above embodiments.

[0038] This embodiment calculates the fitting slope of the data points stored in the buffer and uses this fitting slope to determine whether an action has occurred. The detection and judgment of the suction action can be achieved through software only, without the need for additional sensors. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the aerosol generation device and improves the accuracy of the suction action detection and judgment. Attached Figure Description

[0039] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0040] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an aerosol generating device provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of an aerosol generation device suction detection method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the fitted straight line formed by the data in the buffer without suction;

[0044] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the fitted straight line formed by the data in the buffer under suction conditions;

[0045] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of an aerosol generation device suction detection method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 is a schematic flowchart of an aerosol generation device suction detection method provided in another embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of an aerosol generating device controller provided in an embodiment of this application. Embodiments of the present invention

[0048] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" or "attached to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0049] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0050] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0051] In the embodiments of this application, "installation" includes fixing or restricting a component or device to a specific position or place by means of welding, screwing, snapping, bonding, etc. The component or device may remain stationary in the specific position or place or may move within a limited range. After the component or device is fixed or restricted to the specific position or place, it may or may not be disassembled. This application does not impose any restrictions.

[0052] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0053] One embodiment of this application provides an aerosol generating device 100, as shown in FIG1. ​​The aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery cell 10, a main board 20, and a heating element 30. A controller for the aerosol generating device 100 is provided on the main board 20. The battery cell 10 and the heating element 30 are electrically connected to the controller, so that the controller can control the battery cell 10 to provide electrical energy to the heating element 30. The aerosol generating device 100 also has a longitudinally extending chamber 40, which is used to house an aerosol generating product 200 used in conjunction with the aerosol generating device 100. The heating element 30 is attached to the outer wall of the chamber 40, thereby heating the aerosol generating product 200 in the chamber 40. The active material filled inside the aerosol generating product 200 volatilizes upon heating, thus generating aerosol. The battery cell 10 serves as the power supply for the aerosol generating device 10, and it can be a rechargeable battery cell or a non-rechargeable battery cell.

[0054] The aerosol generating device 100 also includes an airflow channel 50, which connects external air and the chamber 40. When a user uses the aerosol generating product 200 for inhalation, external cold air can enter the chamber 40 through the airflow channel, and then enter the aerosol generating product 200, carrying the aerosol in the aerosol generating product 200 out for the user to inhale.

[0055] The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably uses a tobacco-containing material from which volatile compounds are released upon heating; or it may be a non-tobacco material suitable for electric heating and smoke generation after heating. The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably uses a solid matrix, which may include one or more of the following: vanilla leaves, tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco, expanded tobacco, powder, granules, fragments, strips, or sheets; or the solid matrix may contain additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile aroma compounds to be released when the matrix is ​​heated.

[0056] In some embodiments, the heating element 30 may be a mesh resistive heating element covering the outer wall of the chamber 40. The mesh resistive heating element 40 is electrically connected to the main board 20. After the heating element 30 is energized, it generates heat and transfers the heat to the aerosol generating article 200 in the chamber 40 through the chamber wall. The cavity of the chamber 40 is made of a high thermal conductivity material to efficiently conduct the heat generated by the heating element 30 to the aerosol generating article 200. The high thermal conductivity material may be a metal or a ceramic material, and the ceramic material may be any one of oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, etc.

[0057] In another embodiment shown in Figure 2, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 can also use electromagnetic induction heating to heat the aerosol generating article 200. The heating element 30 extends at least partially into the chamber 40, and its end extending into the chamber 40 is configured as a pin or plate to facilitate smooth insertion of the heating element 30 into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating. A coil 60 is wound around the outer wall of the chamber 40. The controller controls the battery 10 to supply alternating current to the coil 60. Under the action of the alternating current, the coil 60 generates a changing magnetic field. This changing magnetic field penetrates the heating element 30, inducing eddy currents in the heating element 30. The heating element 30 generates heat under the action of the eddy current effect and the hysteresis effect, thereby heating the aerosol generating matrix 200.

[0058] The suitable material for the heating element 30 can be any one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, stainless steel, niobium, aluminum, nickel, iron, copper, nickel-containing compounds, titanium, and metallic composites. In some embodiments, to better induce eddy currents and improve heating efficiency, the heating element 30 is preferably made of ferromagnetic materials or composed of ferromagnetic materials, such as ferritic iron, ferromagnetic alloys (e.g., ferromagnetic steel or stainless steel), ferromagnetic particles, and ferrite.

[0059] In some embodiments, when the heating element 30 is inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating, the heating element 30 may also be a ceramic heating element. The ceramic heating element is a heating element made by sintering an electric heating element and a ceramic together at high temperature. The heating element 30 is directly electrically connected to the controller of the main board 40, and the controller can then control the battery cell 50 to provide electrical energy to the heating element 30. After the heating element 30 obtains electrical energy, it can generate heat.

[0060] The aerosol generating device 100 has a preheating stage and a constant temperature stage. In the preheating stage, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide a large power to the heating element 30, so that the temperature of the heating element 30 rises rapidly to the target temperature. At the target temperature, the tobacco or non-tobacco solid matrix in the aerosol generating product 200 volatilizes due to heat and can produce aerosol with better taste.

[0061] After the preheating stage is completed, the aerosol generating device 100 enters the constant temperature stage. This stage maintains the temperature of the heating element 30 at the target temperature, meaning the temperature of the heating element 30 fluctuates around the target temperature. During the constant temperature stage, the user can use the aerosol generating product 200 for suction. When the user is not suctioning, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide a small amount of power to the heating element 30 to maintain its temperature near the target temperature.

[0062] When the user uses the aerosol generating product 200 for suction during the constant temperature stage, as the user suctions, the external cold air enters the aerosol generating product 200 and cools the heating element 30 or the temperature feedback sensor located near the heating element 30, thereby causing the temperature of the heating element 30 or the sensor to drop. The controller then controls the battery cell 10 to provide a larger power to the heating element 30 so that the temperature of the heating element 30 can be quickly restored.

[0063] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 also includes a feedback element for providing feedback to the user, indicating that the preheating phase is complete and suction using the aerosol generating article 200 can begin. The feedback element may be a buzzer or a vibration motor; once preheating is complete, the controller may control the buzzer to sound or the vibration motor to vibrate, thereby providing feedback to the user.

[0064] In some embodiments, the controller may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller, an ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components. Additionally, the controller may also be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The controller may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP, and / or any other such configuration. The controller may also be the inverter board or main control board of a washing machine.

[0065] Based on the aforementioned aerosol generating device 100, this application embodiment provides a method for detecting the suction action of the aerosol generating device 100, to detect whether a user uses the aerosol generating product 200 for suction during the constant temperature stage, as shown in Figure 3. The suction detection method includes:

[0066] S10, Obtain the value of the target parameter according to the preset interval;

[0067] The time interval can be between 100ms and 500ms, with 200ms being the preferred option.

[0068] The target parameters are some electrical parameters related to heating. As mentioned above, when the user aspirates, the external cold air enters the aerosol generating product 200, which will cause the heating element 30 or the temperature sensor near the heating element 30 to cool down. Therefore, the controller needs to control the temperature of the heating element 30 to quickly recover to the target temperature, and this process will affect the change of the target parameters.

[0069] In some embodiments, the target parameter can be the output current of the battery cell 10. When the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide a larger power to the heating element 30 so that the temperature of the heating element 30 can be quickly restored to the target temperature, the output current of the battery cell 10 will also increase accordingly.

[0070] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the target parameter may also be the energy supplied to the heating element 30. The controller calculates the energy supplied to the heating element 30 during the energy supply phase in the constant temperature phase in order to stabilize the temperature of the heating element 30 near the target temperature. When the user is not pumping, the controller controls the energy supplied to the heating element 30 to be smaller, while when the user is pumping, the controller controls the energy supplied to the heating element 30 to be larger, thereby causing the energy to change.

[0071] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the target parameter can also be used to adjust the duty cycle of the voltage across the heating element 30. A switching element is connected between the heating element 30 and the battery cell 10. The control terminal of the switching element is electrically connected to the controller. The controller inputs a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal to the control terminal of the switching element. When it is necessary to increase the voltage across the heating element 30, the duty cycle of the PWM signal can be increased, resulting in a longer conduction time for the switching element within one cycle of the PWM signal. Conversely, when it is necessary to decrease the voltage across the heating element 30, the duty cycle of the PWM signal can be decreased, resulting in a shorter conduction time for the switching element within one cycle of the PWM signal. When the user draws in air, the temperature of the heating element 30 decreases, prompting the controller to increase the duty cycle of the PWM signal to increase the voltage across the heating element 30, thereby changing the duty cycle.

[0072] Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the heating element 30 heats the aerosol-generating article 200 using the aforementioned electromagnetic induction method, the target output can also be the output current output to the coil. The temperature of the heating element 30 is related to the output current output to the coil; the larger the output current, the larger the eddy current induced in the heating element 30, and consequently, the higher the heating efficiency of the heating element 30. Therefore, when the user draws in air, the controller will increase the output current output to the coil to increase the eddy current induced in the heating element 30, allowing the temperature of the heating element 30 to quickly recover to near the target temperature.

[0073] When the feedback element sends a feedback signal to the controller, the controller confirms that the aerosol generating device 100 has entered the constant temperature stage based on the feedback signal. The controller then begins to acquire the value of the target parameter at preset intervals. The intervals are set in the controller by the technical personnel of the aerosol generating device 100 manufacturer through software programs.

[0074] S20, store the values ​​in a buffer so that the buffer always contains a fixed number of target parameter values;

[0075] Specifically, a buffer can be set in the storage unit of the control area to store the values ​​of the target parameters. In order to ensure that the buffer always contains a fixed number of target parameter values, a one-in-one-out method can be used to keep the number of values ​​stored in the buffer constant.

[0076] For example, the buffer is set to store 10 values ​​of the target parameter. When the aerosol generating device 100 enters the constant temperature stage, the controller begins to acquire the target parameter values ​​at preset intervals. After the first interval, the controller stores the first value of the target parameter in the buffer, and so on until the tenth interval, when the buffer contains all 10 values ​​of the target parameter. When the controller acquires the eleventh value of the target parameter in the eleventh interval, it stores this eleventh value in the buffer and removes the first acquired value from the buffer. Similarly, when the controller acquires the twelfth value of the target parameter in the twelfth interval, it stores this twelfth value in the buffer and removes the second acquired value from the buffer, and so on, ensuring that the buffer always contains all 10 values ​​of the target parameter.

[0077] S30, calculate the fitting slope of the data points stored in the buffer;

[0078] S40 uses the fitted slope to determine whether a suction action has occurred.

[0079] Specifically, since the controller acquires the target parameter values ​​at preset intervals, it stores the target parameter values ​​in a buffer while also recording the time point corresponding to each value. For example, the target parameter P value recorded at time T1 after the first interval is V1, the target parameter P value recorded at time T2 after the second interval is V2, the target parameter P value recorded at time T3 after the third interval is V3, and so on, thus obtaining 10 discretely distributed data points, as shown in Figure 4.

[0080] Furthermore, the controller can fit a straight line L1 based on the 10 data points shown in Figure 4. This fitted line L1 has a slope K1, and it is formed by fitting the data points stored in the buffer without any suction. However, when the user performs suction at a certain moment, the target parameter value changes significantly due to the suction. When the controller puts this data point into the buffer, it will deviate far from other data points, as shown in Figure 5. Consequently, the fitted line L2 formed by refitting the buffer will deviate far from the fitted line L1. In other words, the slope K2 of the fitted line L2 will differ significantly from the slope of the fitted line L1. Since the controller stores the target parameter value acquired each time in the buffer and removes the first target parameter value from the buffer, the slope of the fitted line formed by fitting the data points stored in the buffer is updated in real time. The controller can then determine whether suction has occurred based on the real-time updated fitted slope.

[0081] In some embodiments, the fitted slope can be calculated using the linear regression slope in a linear regression equation in mathematics. The specific steps are as follows:

[0082] S31, calculate the average value T of the time variable T represented by the X-axis as shown in Figures 4 and 5. avr And the average value V of the numerical variable V representing the target parameter on the Y-axis. avr .

[0083] T avr = (T1+T2+T3+T4+T5+T6+T7+T8+T9+T10) / 10;

[0084] V avr = (V1+V2+V3+V4+V5+V6+V7+V8+V9+V10) / 10;

[0085] S32, calculate the covariance of the time variable T and the numerical variable V, as well as the variance of the time variable T;

[0086] Cov(T,V) = ;

[0087] D(T) = ;

[0088] Where Vi represents the value of the i-th target parameter in the buffer, and Ti represents the time corresponding to the i-th value;

[0089] S33, calculate the slope of the fitted line;

[0090] K=

[0091] In other words, the slope K of the fitted line is equal to the ratio of the covariance of the time variable T and the numerical variable V to the variance of the time variable T.

[0092] In some embodiments, the slope K of the fitted line can also be solved using a graphical method from the field of mathematics.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope may specifically include:

[0094] S41a, compare the fitted slope with a preset first threshold;

[0095] S42a, determine whether the fitting slope is greater than the first threshold. If so, confirm that a suction action has been generated.

[0096] Specifically, a first threshold can be preset in the controller. This first threshold is the slope of the fitted line formed by fitting the data stored in the buffer without suction. Since the values ​​of the target parameters obtained each time are slightly different without suction, the first threshold can preferably be a range.

[0097] After acquiring the target parameter value each time, the controller stores the value in a buffer, updates the fitting slope in the buffer, and compares the updated fitting slope with a first threshold. If the updated fitting slope is within the range of the first threshold, it means that the user has not performed a suction action at that moment. However, if the updated fitting slope is greater than the first threshold, it means that the value of the target parameter acquired this time is large, resulting in a larger slope of the fitted line. In this case, the controller can confirm that a suction action has occurred.

[0098] In some embodiments, in order to improve the accuracy of the suction action judgment and avoid other interference signals causing the fitting slope to suddenly increase, the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive times can be compared with a first threshold. If the fitting slope of each time is greater than the first threshold, the controller confirms that a suction action has occurred.

[0099] Because it takes a certain amount of time for the controller to restore the heating element 30 to the target temperature, the controller will still provide a large amount of power to the heating element 30 within this long time range. Therefore, the values ​​of the target parameters obtained by the controller will be large within this time range, which in turn will result in a large fitting slope calculated within this time range.

[0100] For example, the fitting slopes of three consecutive times can be compared with the first threshold. These three fitting slopes are called the first fitting slope, the second fitting slope, and the third fitting slope, respectively. When the first fitting slope calculated by the controller is greater than the first threshold, the controller will compare the next two consecutive fitting slopes with the first threshold. If the next two fitting slopes are both greater than the first threshold, the controller will confirm that an action has been taken.

[0101] If both the second and third magnetic fit slopes are less than the first threshold, the controller cancels the recording of the first fitting efficiency and restarts recording the fitting efficiency for the next time it exceeds the first threshold. If the second fitting slope is greater than the first threshold, but the third magnetic fit slope is also less than the first threshold, the controller cancels the recording of both the first and second fitting efficiencies and restarts recording the fitting slope for the next time it exceeds the first threshold. If the second fitting slope is less than the first threshold, but the third fitting slope is greater than the first threshold, the controller cancels the recording of the first fitting slope while maintaining the recording of the third fitting slope, and continues to evaluate the two consecutive fitting slopes following the third fitting slope.

[0102] It's easy to understand that the more consecutive preset fitting slopes are set, the more beneficial it is to the accuracy of suction judgment, but the more data the controller processes and the more judgment logic is required.

[0103] In some embodiments, to further improve the accuracy of the suction action detection, as shown in Figure 7, determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope may further include:

[0104] S41b, compare the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive preset times with a preset first threshold;

[0105] S42b, determine whether the fitting slope is greater than the first threshold in each step;

[0106] S43b, if so, then sum the fitting slopes of the consecutive preset number of times;

[0107] S44b, determine whether the sum is greater than the preset second threshold; if so, confirm that a suction action has been generated.

[0108] In the process of determining whether suction has occurred by using the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive steps, there may be instances where the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive steps is increased by interference signals, which may lead to misjudgment of the suction action. However, the method in this embodiment can effectively avoid the above phenomenon.

[0109] Specifically, the controller presets a second threshold. When the controller determines that the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive times is greater than the first threshold, the controller will not immediately confirm that a suction action has occurred. The controller continues to sum the fitting slope of the preset number of consecutive times and compares the calculated sum with the second threshold. If the sum is greater than the second threshold, the controller will confirm that a suction has occurred, so as to avoid the influence of interference signals on the suction judgment.

[0110] The reason is that the magnitude of the increase in the fitting slope caused by the interference signal is different from the magnitude of the increase in the fitting slope caused by the suction. Usually, the magnitude of the increase in the fitting slope caused by the interference signal is smaller than that caused by the suction. Therefore, after summing the fitting slopes of the above-mentioned consecutive preset number of times, the sum of the fitting slopes calculated due to the interference signal will also differ significantly from the sum of the fitting slopes calculated due to the suction. Thus, by further judging the sum, the influence of the interference signal can be effectively eliminated.

[0111] During execution, once the controller calculates a fitting slope greater than the first threshold, it saves this slope. It then calculates the next fitting slope and compares it to the first threshold. If the next slope is still greater than the first threshold, the controller sums this slope with the previously saved slope, and so on, until a preset number of iterations is reached. After reaching this preset number of iterations, the controller calculates the sum of the fitting slopes from all iterations and compares this sum to a second threshold. If the sum is greater than the second threshold, the suction action is confirmed.

[0112] Similarly, as described in the above embodiments, during the execution process, if the fitting slope is less than the first threshold at any time, the controller will clear the saved sum value to zero and the controller will start the calculation again.

[0113] In some embodiments, to facilitate controller processing, the fitting slope of a preset number of consecutive iterations is compared with the same first threshold. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the fitting efficiency of a preset number of consecutive iterations is compared with different first thresholds. For example, if the controller is configured to compare the fitting slope of three consecutive iterations with the first threshold, then the first threshold consists of three different thresholds, each corresponding to one of the three consecutive fitting slopes. During the comparison, the fitting slope of each iteration is compared with the first threshold. This method can better eliminate the influence of interference signals and is beneficial for further improving the accuracy of suction action judgment.

[0114] In some embodiments, to further improve the accuracy of suction action judgment, after the controller obtains the value of the target parameter each time, and before storing the value in the buffer, the controller performs filtering processing on the value to smooth the data and suppress interference. The filtering method can be any of the commonly used data filtering processing methods such as first-order hysteresis filtering, median filtering, Kalman filtering, or weighted recursive average filtering.

[0115] In some embodiments, the suction action detection method further includes:

[0116] The fitted slope is amplified, and the amplified fitting efficiency is used to confirm whether a suction action has occurred.

[0117] Specifically, since the temperature drop caused by suction is not significant, the change in the target parameter will not be noticeable during the process of the controller restoring the temperature of the heating element 30 to the target temperature. Consequently, the calculated fitting slope will be very small. To facilitate the controller's detection of changes in the fitting slope and its ability to determine the suction action based on the fitting slope, the controller further amplifies the fitting efficiency after calculating the fitting slope by multiplying it by a certain factor. For example, preferably, the fitting slope can be amplified by 10,000 times to facilitate controller processing.

[0118] Furthermore, as shown in FIG8, the controller includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor, with FIG8 illustrating a single processor. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which, when executed, enable the at least one processor to perform the control method of the above embodiments. The processor and the memory can be connected via a bus or other means; FIG8 illustrates a connection via a bus.

[0119] A processor can be implemented using at least one of the following: application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), digital signal processing device (DSPD), programmable logic device (PLD), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or other electronic unit that performs these functions.

[0120] The memory includes high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the processor, which can be connected to the aerosol generating apparatus via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0121] The memory is used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / units corresponding to the control method / device described herein. The processor executes various functional applications and data processing of the aerosol generating apparatus by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and units stored in the memory, thereby realizing the suction detection method provided in the above embodiments.

[0122] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them; under the concept of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of this application as mentioned above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A puff action detection method for an aerosol generating device including a heating element for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol, the method comprising: The method for detecting the suction action includes: The target parameter value is obtained according to the preset interval. The values ​​of the target parameters are stored in a buffer, and the buffer always contains a fixed number of the target parameter values. Calculate the fitting slope of the data stored in the buffer; The slope of the fitted curve is used to determine whether a suction action has occurred.

2. The puffing action detection method according to claim 1, characterized by, The step of determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes: The fitted slope is compared with a preset first threshold. Determine whether the fitted slope is greater than the first threshold. If so, confirm that a suction action has occurred.

3. The puffing action detection method according to claim 1, characterized by, The step of determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes: The fitting slope is compared with a preset first threshold for a preset number of consecutive times; Determine whether the fitting slope is greater than the first threshold in each iteration; If so, then a suction action has been confirmed.

4. The puffing action detection method according to claim 1, characterized by, The step of determining whether a suction action has occurred based on the fitted slope further includes: The fitting slope is compared with a preset first threshold for a preset number of consecutive times; Determine whether the fitting slope is greater than the first threshold in each iteration; If so, then the fitting slopes of the consecutive preset number of iterations are summed; Determine whether the sum is greater than a preset second threshold; If so, then a suction action has been confirmed.

5. The suction action detection method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The step of comparing the fitting slope of a predetermined number of consecutive preset numbers with a preset first threshold further includes: The fitted slope is compared with the same first threshold for a predetermined number of consecutive times.

6. The puffing action detection method according to claim 4, characterized by, The step of comparing the fitting slope of a predetermined number of consecutive preset numbers with a preset first threshold further includes: The fitting slope is compared with different first thresholds for a preset number of consecutive times.

7. The puffing action detection method according to claim 1, wherein Before storing the value of the target parameter in the buffer, the method further includes: The values ​​of the target parameters are filtered.

8. The puffing action detection method of claim 1, wherein The method further includes: The fitted slope is amplified, and the amplified fitting efficiency is used to determine whether a suction action has occurred.

9. The suction action detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device includes a battery cell for supplying electrical energy to the heating element. The target parameters include either the output current of the battery cell, the energy supplied to the heating element, or the duty cycle for adjusting the voltage across the heating element; or... The aerosol generating device further includes a coil for generating a changing magnetic field, the heating element being configured to be heated by the changing magnetic field, and the target parameter further includes an output current output to the coil.

10. An aerosol generating device, comprising a controller, characterized in that, The controller includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program implements the suction action detection method of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1-9.

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