Aerosol Inhaler Power Supply Short-Circuit Detection Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerosol generating devices struggle to accurately detect both internal and external short circuits in their power supplies, which can lead to safety issues and battery degradation, and cannot differentiate between the need for recharging and battery replacement based solely on voltage measurements.

Innovation Solution

A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler equipped with a control unit that includes sensors to monitor voltage and power usage, a short-circuit detection mechanism to identify voltage drops, and a threshold setting mechanism to differentiate between normal voltage changes and short circuits, allowing for precise detection and notification of short circuits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If voltage measurement is used to monitor battery status, then battery state can be tracked, but it cannot distinguish between recharge needs and replacement needs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery status detectionVSAvoidbattery condition information

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes from monitoring only voltage parameters to monitoring multiple parameters including current, power consumption, and usage time. By analyzing the relationship between power consumption, current, and voltage over time, the system can distinguish between normal voltage drop during discharge and abnormal voltage drop indicating short circuit or battery degradation, thus resolving the inability to differentiate between recharge and replacement needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If simple voltage monitoring is implemented, then device complexity is low, but short circuit detection capability is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring systemVSAvoidshort circuit detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit acts as an intermediary that processes multiple sensor inputs (voltage, current, power consumption) and usage information to detect short circuits. Rather than directly monitoring for short circuits, the control unit analyzes the relationship between power consumption, current, and voltage to indirectly detect abnormal conditions, maintaining relatively simple device architecture while improving detection reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If voltage threshold monitoring is used, then detection simplicity is maintained, but accuracy in detecting battery deterioration is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection methodVSAvoidbattery deterioration detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors power consumption, current, and voltage, and uses this feedback to update its assessment of battery status. By comparing actual power consumption against expected values based on usage patterns and time, the system can detect deviations indicating battery deterioration with higher precision while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control unit processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3674729B2Power supply unit for aerosol inhaler and control method of the same

Publication Date: 2025.10.15 JAPAN TOBACCO INC

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AI summary

A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a power supply able to discharge power to a load for generating an aerosol from an aerosol source; a control unit configured to control the power supply; and a sensor configured to output a value related to a remaining amount of the power supply. The control unit detects a short circuit of the power supply based on an output value of the sensor.