KR102579421B1 - Portable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes an interface to which an external device is coupled, an input unit for receiving user input, and a control unit that communicates with the interface and the input unit and generates a control signal, wherein the control unit detects a first input to the interface and Disclosed is a portable electronic device that initializes at least part of information stored in a memory when a second input to an input unit is detected after a first input is sensed.

Description

Portable electronic device

The present invention relates to a portable electronic device, and more specifically, to a portable electronic device that provides a function that allows a user using the portable electronic device to easily initialize the electronic device, and to a method of initializing the electronic device. .

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the disadvantages of regular cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for a method of generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material in the cigarette, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette. Accordingly, research on heated cigarettes or heated aerosol generating devices is actively underway.

Heated cigarettes or heated aerosol generating devices are portable electronic devices composed of various electronic components, and due to the nature of electronic devices, if used for a long period of time, smooth operation may be difficult due to accumulated user data or error data. In the above situation, the user can reset the aerosol generating device to restore the operating speed of the device to the initial level.

Users can initialize portable electronic devices through the low-level initialization function supported by the device's firmware, and to reset the electronic device to the level it was at when it was manufactured (factory reset), visit the customer center directly. You can also perform a factory reset by an experienced technician.
The technology behind the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2016-0015613 (2016.02.15).

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device and method having a simple initialization function that allows a user to easily initialize the portable electronic device.

A device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes an interface to which an external device is coupled; An input unit that receives user input; A control unit that communicates with the interface and the input unit and generates a control signal, wherein the control unit detects a first input to the interface and, after the first input is detected, provides a second input to the input unit. When this is detected, at least part of the information stored in the memory is initialized.

In the device, the electronic device includes: a heater that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate; And it may further include a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to the user.

In the above device, the external device may be a charger that charges a battery provided in the portable electronic device.

In the above device, the charger may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) type charger.

In the above device, the external device may be a dedicated accessory that, when coupled to the interface, causes the interface to transmit a preset signal to the control unit.

In the device, when the control unit detects both the first input and the second input, it can generate an initialization execution signal for the memory and transmit it to the memory.

In the above device, when detecting the second input, the control unit may initialize at least part of the information stored in the memory if the first input is maintained.

In the above device, the control unit may initialize at least part of the information stored in the memory when the second input is detected before a preset input waiting time elapses after the first input is detected.

In the above device, the control unit may determine that a second input has been detected when an input that satisfies a certain number of times is input to the input unit for a preset time.

In the device, the memory includes: a first memory that stores information that can be initialized; and a second memory that stores information that cannot be initialized, wherein the control unit can perform initialization only on the first memory.

In the device, the information stored in the first memory includes at least one of information on the time the electronic device operated and the serial number of the electronic device, and the information stored in the second memory is input through the input unit. may include user information.

In the device, the user information may include locking setting information for locking the electronic device and unlocking information for unlocking the electronic device.

The device includes a heater that heats an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to a user. The user information may include a temperature profile for heating the heater.

In the device, the user information includes a first temperature profile and a second temperature profile, and the heater is a first heater heated to different temperatures according to the first temperature profile and the second temperature profile. And it may include a second heater.

The device further includes an output unit that visualizes and outputs the process processed by the control unit, and may output a message confirming whether initialization is in progress through the output unit before starting the initialization.

A method according to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes detecting a first input in which an external device is coupled to an interface; When the first input is detected, detecting a second input of a user input to an input unit; And when the second input is detected, initializing at least part of the information stored in the memory based on the first input and the second input.

In the method, the electronic device includes: a heater that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate; and a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to a user, wherein the initialized information includes lock setting information for locking the aerosol generating device and a lock for unlocking the aerosol generating device. Can include release information.

In the method, the initialized information may include a temperature profile for heating the heater.

In the above method, the external device may be a USB type charger.

One embodiment of the present invention can provide a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the above method.

According to the present invention, a user using a portable electronic device can easily initialize the portable electronic device.

Additionally, according to the present invention, when the lock mode of the portable electronic device is activated and the password to unlock the lock mode is lost, the user can easily initialize and use the device through a series of processes.

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing examples in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing another example in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of a cigarette.
Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a dual medium cigarette used in the device of Figure 3.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device including a liquid cartridge.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device according to the present invention.
Figure 9 is a side view of the device described in Figure 8.
Figure 10 shows a block diagram of an example of a control unit included in an aerosol generating device.
Figure 11 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.
Figure 12 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of another example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.
Figure 13 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of another example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.
Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device described in Figures 11 to 13 as seen from the front.
Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.
Figure 16 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.
Figure 17 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.

The terms used in the embodiments are general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the function in the present invention, but this may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person working in the art, the emergence of new technology, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the name of the term.

When it is said that a part "includes" a certain element throughout the specification, this means that, unless specifically stated to the contrary, it does not exclude other elements but may further include other elements. In addition, terms such as "...unit" and "...module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. It can be.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing examples in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

1 and 2, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a battery 120, a control unit 110, a heater 130, and a vaporizer 180. Additionally, a cigarette 200 may be inserted into the internal space of the aerosol generating device 10.

Components related to this embodiment are shown in the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can understand that in addition to the components shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol generating device 10. .

1 and 2 show that the aerosol generating device 10 includes a heater 130, but if necessary, the heater 130 may be omitted.

In Figure 1, the battery 120, the control unit 110, the vaporizer 180, and the heater 130 are shown arranged in a row. In addition, Figure 2 shows the vaporizer 180 and the heater 130 being arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. In other words, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10, the arrangement of the battery 120, control unit 110, vaporizer 180, and heater 130 may be changed.

When the cigarette 200 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, the aerosol generating device 10 operates the vaporizer 180 to generate an aerosol from the vaporizer 180. The aerosol generated by the vaporizer 180 passes through the cigarette 200 and is delivered to the user. A description of the vaporizer 180 will be provided in more detail below.

The battery 120 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the battery 120 may supply power to heat the heater 130 or the vaporizer 180 and may supply power necessary for the control unit 110 to operate. Additionally, the battery 120 can supply power necessary to operate a display, sensor, motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 10.

The control unit 110 generally controls the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. Specifically, the control unit 110 controls the operation of the battery 120, heater 130, and vaporizer 180, as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 10. Additionally, the control unit 110 may check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device 10 and determine whether the aerosol generating device 10 is in an operable state.

The control unit 110 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand that this embodiment may be implemented with other types of hardware.

The heater 130 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 120. For example, when a cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, the heater 130 may be located outside of the cigarette. Accordingly, the heated heater 130 can increase the temperature of the aerosol-generating material in the cigarette.

Heater 130 may be an electrical resistance heater. For example, the heater 130 includes an electrically conductive track, and the heater 130 may be heated as a current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 130 is not limited to the above-described example, and may be any heater that can be heated to a desired temperature without limitation. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 10, or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 130 may be an induction heating type heater. Specifically, the heater 130 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the cigarette by induction heating, and the cigarette may include a susceptor that can be heated by the induction heating type heater.

1 and 2 show that the heater 130 is disposed outside the cigarette 200, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the heater 130 may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette 200 depending on the shape of the heating element. It can be heated.

Additionally, a plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 10. At this time, the plurality of heaters 130 may be arranged to be inserted into the inside of the cigarette 200 or may be placed outside the cigarette 200. Additionally, some of the plurality of heaters 130 may be arranged to be inserted into the inside of the cigarette 200, and others may be placed outside the cigarette 200. Additionally, the shape of the heater 130 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and can be manufactured in various shapes.

The vaporizer 180 may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may pass through the cigarette 200 and be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 180 can move along the airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 10, and the airflow passage allows the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 180 to pass through the cigarette and be delivered to the user. It can be configured to be possible.

For example, vaporizer 180 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means and heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 10 as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit may store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid containing non-tobacco substances. The liquid storage unit may be manufactured to be detachable from/attached to the vaporizer 180, or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 180.

For example, liquid compositions may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavors, or vitamin mixtures. Fragrances may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavor ingredients. Flavoring agents may include ingredients that can provide various flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the liquid composition may contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid delivery means may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid reservoir to the heating element. For example, the liquid delivery means may be, but is not limited to, a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, etc., but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the heating element may be composed of a conductive filament, such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged in a structure wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element may be heated by supplying an electric current and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, aerosols may be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 180 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 10 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 120, the control unit 110, and the heater 130. For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. Additionally, the aerosol generating device 10 may include at least one sensor (puff detection sensor, temperature detection sensor, cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). Additionally, the aerosol generating device 10 may be manufactured in a structure that allows external air to flow in or internal gas to flow out even when the cigarette 200 is inserted.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the aerosol generating device 10 may form a system with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used to charge the battery 120 of the aerosol generating device 10. Alternatively, the heater 130 may be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generating device 10 are combined.

The cigarette 200 may be similar to a typical combustion-type cigarette. For example, the cigarette 200 may be divided into a first part containing an aerosol-generating material and a second part containing a filter, etc. Alternatively, the second portion of the cigarette 200 may also contain an aerosol-generating material. An aerosol-generating material, for example in the form of granules or capsules, may be inserted into the second part.

The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, or parts of the first part and the second part may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol while holding the second portion with his or her mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by external air passing through the first part, and the generated aerosol is delivered to the user's mouth by passing through the second part.

As an example, external air may be introduced through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the opening and closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 10 and/or the size of the air passage may be adjusted by the user. Accordingly, the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. can be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air may be introduced into the cigarette 200 through at least one hole formed on the surface of the cigarette 200.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing another example in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Comparing FIG. 3 with the aerosol generating device described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the vaporizer 180 is omitted. Since the dual medium cigarette 300 inserted into the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 3 includes an element that performs the function of the vaporizer 180, the aerosol generating device according to FIG. 3 includes the elements shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Unlike the aerosol generating device, a vaporizer 180 is not included.

The aerosol generating device 10 according to FIG. 3, when the dual medium cigarette 300 is inserted, externally heats the dual medium cigarette 300, thereby generating an aerosol that can be inhaled by the user from the dual medium cigarette 300. . In addition, the dual medium cigarette 300 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 6.

Hereinafter, an example of the cigarette 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 .

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a cigarette.

Referring to Figure 4, the cigarette 200 includes a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220. The first part described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a tobacco rod 210 and the second portion includes a filter rod 220 .

In FIG. 4, the filter rod 220 is shown as a single segment, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 220 may be composed of a plurality of segments. For example, the filter rod 220 may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters certain components contained in the aerosol. Additionally, if necessary, the filter rod 220 may further include at least one segment that performs another function.

The cigarette 200 may be packaged by at least one wrapper 240. At least one hole may be formed in the wrapper 240 through which external air flows in or internal gas flows out. As an example, the cigarette 200 may be packaged by one wrapper 240. As another example, the cigarette 200 may be overlappingly packaged by two or more wrappers 240. For example, the cigarette rod 210 may be packaged by a first wrapper, and the filter rod 220 may be packaged by a second wrapper. Then, the cigarette rod 210 and the filter rod 220 packaged by individual wrappers can be combined, and the entire cigarette 200 can be repackaged by the third wrapper. If each of the tobacco rods 210 or filter rods 220 consists of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped with an individual wrapper. And, the entire cigarette 200 in which the segments packaged by individual wrappers are combined can be repackaged by another wrapper.

Tobacco load 210 contains aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. Additionally, tobacco rod 210 may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. Additionally, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizer can be added to the tobacco rod 210 by spraying it on the tobacco rod 210 .

The tobacco rod 210 can be manufactured in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured as a sheet or as a strand. Additionally, the tobacco rod 210 may be made of cut tobacco with finely chopped tobacco sheets. Additionally, the tobacco rod 210 may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. For example, the heat-conducting material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil. As an example, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 can improve the heat conductivity applied to the tobacco rod by evenly dispersing the heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210, thereby improving the taste of the tobacco. . Additionally, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may function as a susceptor that is heated by an induction heater. At this time, although not shown in the drawing, the tobacco rod 210 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the heat-conducting material surrounding the outside.

Filter rod 220 may be a cellulose acetate filter. Meanwhile, the shape of the filter rod 220 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 220 may be a cylindrical rod or a tube-type rod with a hollow interior. Additionally, the filter rod 220 may be a recess type rod. If the filter rod 220 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

The filter rod 220 may be manufactured to generate flavor. As an example, a flavoring liquid may be sprayed onto the filter rod 220, or a separate fiber coated with a flavoring liquid may be inserted into the filter rod 220.

Additionally, the filter rod 220 may include at least one capsule 230. Here, the capsule 230 may perform a flavor generating function or an aerosol generating function. For example, the capsule 230 may have a structure in which a liquid containing fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 230 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

If the filter rod 220 includes a segment that cools the aerosol, the cooling segment may be made of a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material. For example, but not limited to, the cooling segment may be made entirely from pure polylactic acid. Alternatively, the cooling segment can be made from a cellulose acetate filter with a plurality of holes drilled into it. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above-described example, and may be applicable without limitation as long as the aerosol can perform the function of cooling.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 4, the cigarette 200 according to one embodiment may further include a front end filter. The front end filter is located on one side of the tobacco rod 210 opposite to the filter rod 220. The front filter can prevent the cigarette rod 210 from leaving the outside, and can prevent the liquefied aerosol from the cigarette rod 210 from flowing into the aerosol generating device (100 in FIGS. 1 and 2) during smoking. there is.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of a cigarette.

Referring to Figure 5, it can be seen that the cigarette 200 has a cross tube 205, a tobacco rod 210, a tube 220a, and a filter 220b wrapped by the final wrapper 240. . In Figure 5, the wrapper includes an individual wrapper surrounding a cross tube 205, a tobacco rod 210, a tube 220a, and a filter 220b, and a cross tube 205, a tobacco rod 210 surrounded by an individual wrapper, It includes a final wrapper that surrounds the tube 220a and the filter 220b as one.

The first part described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a cross tube 205 and a tobacco rod 210, and the second portion includes a filter rod 220. For convenience of explanation, description will be made below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and descriptions overlapping with those of FIG. 4 will be omitted.

The cross tube 205 refers to a cross-shaped tube connected to the tobacco rod 210.

The cross tube 205 is a part that is sensed by the cigarette detection sensor together with the cigarette rod 210 when the cigarette 200 is inserted into the aerosol generating device, and is wrapped with the same copper wrapper as the cigarette rod 210, so that the cigarette It can be used to determine whether the cigarette 200 into which the detection sensor is inserted is a type of cigarette supported by the aerosol generating device (a cigarette manufactured in-house). The copper composite wrapper will be described later with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

The tobacco rod 210 includes an aerosol generating substrate that is heated by the heater 130 of the aerosol generating device 10 to generate an aerosol.

The tube 220a functions to transfer the aerosol generated when the aerosol generating substrate of the cigarette rod 210 is heated by receiving a sufficient amount of energy from the heater 130 to the filter 220b. The tube 220a is a tube manufactured by adding a certain amount of triacetin (TA), a plasticizer, to cellulose acetate tow and forming it into a circle. Compared to the cross tube 205, it not only has a different shape, but also resembles a cigarette. There is a difference in arrangement in that the load 210 and the filter 220b are connected.

When the aerosol generated by the cigarette rod 210 is delivered through the tube 220a, the filter 220b passes the aerosol, thereby allowing the user to inhale the aerosol filtered by the filter 220b. . The filter 220b may be a cellulose acetate filter manufactured based on cellulose acetate tow.

The final wrapper 240 is paper surrounding the cross tube 205, cigarette rod 210, tube 220a, and filter 220b, respectively, and includes a cross tube wrapper 240b, a cigarette rod wrapper 240c, and a tube wrapper. It may include both (240d) and the filter wrapper (240e).

In Figure 5, the cross tube wrapper 240b is surrounded by a wrapper made of aluminum, the tube portion 220a is surrounded by an MFW or 24K wrapper, and the filter 220b is surrounded by an oil-resistant hard wrapper or a laminate made of PLA (Poly Lactic Acid). The tobacco road wrapper 240c and the final wrapper 240 will be described in more detail below.

The tobacco rod wrapper 240c is a wrapper surrounding the tobacco rod 210, and may be coated with a thermal conductivity improving material to maximize the efficiency of heat energy transmitted by the heater 130. For example, the tobacco road wrapper 240c includes silver foil (Ag), aluminum foil (Al), copper foil (Cu), carbon paper, filler, ceramic (AlN, Al ₂ O ₃ ), Silicon carbide, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, aramid fiber, nano cellulose, mineral paper, glassine paper, SWNT (Single-Walled Carboe Nanotube) can be manufactured by coating a general wrapper or a release base paper. A general wrapper refers to a wrapper applied to widely known cigarettes, and refers to a porous wrapper made of a material that has been tested on papermaking paper and has been proven to have both paper manufacturing workability and thermal conductivity exceeding a certain value.

In addition, in the present invention, the final wrapper 240 includes at least one of MFW, filler, ceramic, silicon carbide, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, aramid fiber, nanocellulose, and SWNT, among various materials coated on the tobacco rod wrapper 240c. It can be manufactured by coating the base paper.

The heater 130 included in the externally heated aerosol generating device 10 described in FIGS. 1 and 2 is controlled by the control unit 110 and heats the aerosol generating substrate included in the cigarette rod 210 to generate aerosol. is generated, and at this time, the heat energy transferred to the cigarette rod 210 is composed of 75% radiant heat, 15% convective heat, and 10% conductive heat. Depending on the embodiment, the ratio of radiant heat, convective heat, and conductive heat that constitutes the heat energy transferred to the tobacco rod 210 may vary.

In order to overcome the difficulty of rapid aerosol generation due to the heater 130's inability to transfer heat energy by directly contacting the aerosol generating substrate, the present invention uses the tobacco rod wrapper 240c and the final wrapper 240 as described above. By coating a thermal conductivity improving material to promote efficient transfer of heat energy to the aerosol generating substrate of the cigarette rod 210, a sufficient amount of aerosol is provided to the user even during the initial puff before the heater 130 is sufficiently heated. can be provided.

Depending on the embodiment, the thermal conductivity improving material may be coated only on either the tobacco rod wrapper 240c or the final wrapper 240, and in addition to the above-described examples, organic metals and inorganic metals having a thermal conductivity of a preset value may be coated with the thermal conductivity improving material. , the present invention may be implemented in a manner in which fiber or polymer material is coated on the tobacco rod wrapper 240c or the final wrapper 240.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a dual medium cigarette used in the device of Figure 3.

In Figure 6, the name 'double medium cigarette' is used not only for the purpose of distinguishing it from the cigarette described in Figures 4 and 5, but also to simplify the description of the present invention. Depending on the embodiment, it is called the same as a general cigarette. It can be.

Referring to FIG. 6, the dual medium cigarette 300 has an aerosol base portion 310, a medium portion 320, a cooling portion 330, and a filter portion 340 that are wrapped by a final wrapper 350. You can see what you have. In Figure 6, the final wrapper 350 includes an individual wrapper surrounding the aerosol base portion 310, the medium portion 320, and the filter portion 340, respectively, and the aerosol substrate portion 310 and the medium portion surrounded by the individual wrappers ( It refers to an outer shell that surrounds the filter unit 320) and the filter unit 340 as one.

The aerosol base unit 310 is a part formed by adding a humectant to pulp-based paper and molding it into a preset shape. Moisturizers (bases) used in the aerosol base unit 310 include propylene glycol and glycerin. The moisturizing agent of the aerosol base unit 310 includes propylene glycol and glycerin at a certain weight ratio relative to the weight of the base paper. The aerosol base unit 310 generates humectant vapor when the dual medium cigarette 300 is heated to a temperature above a certain level by the heater 130 when inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 3.

The medium unit 320 includes one or more of a sheet, a strand, or a cut of a tobacco sheet, and is a part that generates nicotine to provide a smoking experience to the user. Even if the dual medium cigarette 300 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 3, the medium unit 320 is not directly heated by the heater 130, but is heated by the aerosol base unit 310 and the medium unit 320. It can be indirectly heated by conduction, convection, and radiation from the medium wrapper (or final wrapper) surrounding the. In the present invention, considering the fact that the temperature that the medium contained in the medium unit 320 must reach is lower than the temperature that the moisturizers contained in the aerosol base unit 310 must reach, the aerosol base is heated with an external heater 130. After heating the unit 310, the temperature of the medium unit 320 is indirectly increased. When the temperature of the medium included in the medium unit 320 rises to a certain temperature or higher, nicotine vapor is generated from the medium unit 320.

According to the embodiment, when the dual medium cigarette 300 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 3, a portion of the medium portion 320 is directed to face the heater 130 and is heated by the heater 130. It could be.

The cooling unit 330 is made of a tube filter containing a predetermined weight of plasticizer, and the humectant vapor and nicotine vapor generated from the aerosol base unit 310 and the medium unit 320 are mixed and aerosolized to cool. It is cooled as it passes through the unit 330, and unlike the aerosol base unit 310, medium unit 320, and filter unit 340, it is not wrapped with an individual wrapper.

The filter unit 340 may be a cellulose acetate filter, and the shape of the filter unit 340 is not limited. The filter unit 340 may be a cylindrical type rod or a tube type with a hollow interior. If the filter unit 340 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape. The filter unit 340 may be manufactured to generate flavor. As an example, a flavored liquid may be sprayed onto the filter unit 340, or a separate fiber coated with the flavored liquid may be inserted into the filter unit 340.

Additionally, the filter unit 340 may include at least one capsule. Here, the capsule may perform the function of generating flavor. For example, a capsule may be a structure in which a liquid containing a flavor is wrapped with a film, and may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

The final wrapper 350 refers to an outer shell that surrounds the aerosol base unit 310, the medium unit 320, and the filter unit 340 surrounded by individual wrappers, and the final wrapper 350 is made of the same material as the medium unit wrapper described later. It can be composed of:

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device including a liquid cartridge.

More specifically, FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the coupling relationship between a replaceable cartridge 750 holding an aerosol generating material and an aerosol generating device 700 provided therewith. The aerosol generating device 700 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 includes a cartridge 750 holding an aerosol generating material, and a main body 710 supporting the cartridge 750.

The cartridge 750 may be coupled to the main body 710 while containing an aerosol-generating material therein. The cartridge 750 may be mounted on the main body 710 by inserting a portion of the cartridge 750 into the receiving space of the main body 710.

The cartridge 750 may hold, for example, an aerosol-generating material (aerosol-generating substrate) in any one state, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state. Aerosol-generating materials may include liquid compositions. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid containing non-tobacco substances.

The liquid composition may include, for example, any one or a mixture of water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavors, and vitamin mixtures. Flavors may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavor ingredients. Flavoring agents may include ingredients that can provide various flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. The liquid composition may also contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

For example, the liquid composition may include a solution of glycerin and propylene glycol in any weight ratio to which nicotine salt has been added. The liquid composition may contain two or more nicotine salts. Nicotine salts can be formed by adding a suitable acid, including an organic or inorganic acid, to nicotine. Nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine and may have a concentration of any suitable weight relative to the total solution weight of the liquid composition.

The acid for forming nicotine salt may be appropriately selected considering the absorption rate of nicotine in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 700, flavor or flavor, solubility, etc. For example, acids for the formation of nicotine salts include benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid. , citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid or malic acid or a single acid selected from the group consisting of the above. It may be a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group, but is not limited thereto.

The cartridge 750 operates by an electric signal or wireless signal transmitted from the main body 710, thereby converting the phase of the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge 750 into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. performs its function. An aerosol may refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from an aerosol-generating material are mixed with air.

For example, the cartridge 750 can heat the aerosol-generating material by receiving an electric signal from the main body 710, or change the phase of the aerosol-generating material by using an ultrasonic vibration method or an induction heating method. As another example, if the cartridge 750 includes its own power source, the cartridge 750 may be operated by an electrical control signal or wireless signal transmitted from the main body 710 to the cartridge 750 to generate an aerosol. You can.

The cartridge 750 may include a liquid storage unit that accommodates an aerosol-generating material therein, and an atomizer that converts the aerosol-generating material of the liquid storage unit into an aerosol.

The fact that the liquid storage unit 'accommodates the aerosol-generating material' inside the liquid storage unit means that the liquid storage unit performs the function of simply containing the aerosol-generating material, similar to the use of a container, and that the liquid storage unit may contain, for example, a sponge. It means that it includes an element that impregnates (contains) an aerosol-generating material, such as cotton, cloth, or a porous ceramic structure.

The atomizer may include, for example, a liquid delivery means (wick) that absorbs the aerosol-generating material and maintains it in an optimal state for converting it into an aerosol, and a heater that heats the liquid delivery means to generate an aerosol.

The liquid delivery means may include, for example, at least one of cotton fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, and porous ceramics.

The heater may include a metal material such as copper, nickel, or tungsten to heat the aerosol-generating material delivered to the liquid delivery means by generating heat through electrical resistance. For example, the heater may be implemented as a metal wire, metal plate, or ceramic heating element, and may be implemented as a conductive filament using a material such as nichrome wire, wound around the liquid delivery means, or adjacent to the liquid delivery means. It can be placed like this.

The atomizer also has a mesh shape that performs both the function of absorbing aerosol-generating substances and maintaining them in an optimal state for conversion into aerosol without using a separate liquid delivery means, and the function of generating aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating substances. It can be implemented as a heating element in a shape or plate shape.

At least a portion of the liquid storage portion of the cartridge 750 may include a transparent material so that the aerosol-generating material contained within the cartridge 750 can be visually confirmed from the outside. When the liquid storage unit is coupled to the main body 710, it includes a protruding window that protrudes from the liquid storage unit so that it can be inserted into a groove of the main body 710. The entire mouthpiece and liquid storage unit may be made of a material such as transparent plastic or glass, and only the protrusion window corresponding to a portion of the liquid storage unit may be made of a transparent material.

The main body 710 includes a connection terminal disposed inside the receiving space. When the liquid storage part of the cartridge 750 is inserted into the receiving space of the main body 710, the main body 710 provides power to the cartridge 750 through a connection terminal or sends a signal related to the operation of the cartridge 750 to the cartridge 750. ) can be supplied to.

A mouthpiece is coupled to one end of the liquid storage portion of the cartridge 750. The mouthpiece is a part of the aerosol generating device 700 that is inserted into the user's mouth. The mouthpiece includes a discharge hole that discharges aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material inside the liquid storage unit to the outside.

A slider 730 is coupled to the main body 710 to be movable with respect to the main body 710. The slider 730 moves relative to the main body 710 to cover at least part of the mouthpiece of the cartridge 750 coupled to the main body 710 or to expose at least part of the mouthpiece to the outside. The slider 730 includes a long hole that exposes at least a portion of the protruding window of the cartridge 750 to the outside.

The slider 730 has a hollow interior and has a cylindrical shape with both ends open. The structure of the slider 730 is not limited to a cylindrical shape as shown in the drawing, and is a bent structure having a clip-shaped cross-sectional shape that can move relative to the main body 710 while remaining coupled to the edge of the main body 710. It may have a structure such as a plate structure or a curved semi-cylindrical shape with a curved arc-shaped cross-sectional shape.

The slider 730 includes a magnetic material to maintain the position of the slider 730 with respect to the main body 710 and the cartridge 750. The magnetic material may include materials such as permanent magnets, iron, nickel, cobalt, or alloys thereof.

The magnetic materials include two first magnetic materials facing each other across the inner space of the slider 730 and two second magnetic materials facing each other across the inner space of the slider 730. The first magnetic material and the second magnetic material are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction of the main body 710, which is the direction in which the slider 730 moves, that is, the direction in which the main body 710 extends.

The body 710 includes a fixed magnetic body disposed on a path along which the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body of the slider 730 move while the slider 730 moves relative to the body 710 . Two fixed magnetic materials of the main body 710 may be installed to face each other with an accommodation space in between.

Depending on the position of the slider 730, the slider 730 can be stably maintained in a position that covers or exposes the end of the mouthpiece by the magnetic force acting between the fixed magnetic material and the first magnetic material or the fixed magnetic material and the second magnetic material. there is.

The main body 710 includes a position change detection sensor disposed on the moving path of the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material of the slider 730 while the slider 730 moves with respect to the main body 710. The position change detection sensor may include, for example, a Hall sensor (Hall IC) using the Hall effect, which generates a signal by detecting a change in a magnetic field.

In the aerosol generating device 700 according to the above-described embodiment, the main body 710, the cartridge 750, and the slider 730 have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape in the direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. However, in the embodiment, this aerosol generating device It is not limited by the shape of 700. The aerosol generating device 700 may have, for example, a circular, oval, square, or polygonal cross-sectional shape of various shapes. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 700 extends in the longitudinal direction, it is not necessarily limited to a linearly extending structure, and may be curved, for example, in a streamlined shape or bent at a predetermined angle in a specific area so that the user can easily hold it by hand. It can be extended for a long time.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the aerosol generating device 10 according to the present invention includes a control unit 110, a battery 120, a heater 130, and a dual medium cigarette 300. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 8 highlights only some of the configurations of the aerosol generating device 10, so it is common knowledge in the field that even if other configurations are added, if the above-described configurations are included, it does not deviate from the scope of the present invention. It will be self-evident to those who have it.

In addition, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 8, and depending on the embodiment or design, it may include the control unit 110, battery 120, heater 130, and dual medium cigarette 300. Placement may vary. The description of each component in FIG. 8 will be omitted since it has already been described in FIGS. 1 to 3.

Figure 9 is a side view of the device described in Figure 8.

Referring to Figure 9, the aerosol generating device 10 according to the present invention includes a PCB 11, a control unit 110, a battery 120, a first heater 130A, a second heater 130B, and a display 150. and a cigarette insertion space 160. Hereinafter, descriptions that overlap with the description of the configuration described in FIG. 1 will be omitted.

The PCB (Printed Circuit Board, 11) performs the function of electronically integrating various components that collect information on the aerosol generating device 10 while communicating with the control unit 110, and the control unit 110 is located on the surface of the PCB 11. ) and the display 150 can be fixedly mounted, and a battery 120 to supply power to the elements connected to the PCB 11 is connected.

The first heater 130A and the second heater 130B heat the two medium portions of the dual medium cigarette 300 inserted into the cigarette insertion space 160 of the aerosol generating device of FIG. 9 to different temperatures. The first heater 130A and the second heater 130B may be made of different materials, or may be made of the same material and be heated to different temperatures by receiving different control signals from the control unit 110.

The display 150 is a device that controls the information needed by the user among the information generated by the aerosol generating device 10 to be output as visual information, and displays the aerosol generating device 10 based on the information received from the control unit 110. Controls the information output to the LCD panel (or LED panel) provided on the front of the device.

The cigarette insertion space 160 refers to a space that is concave to a certain depth toward the inside of the aerosol generating device 10 to allow the cigarette 200 or the dual-media cigarette 300 to be inserted. The cigarette insertion space 160 has a cylindrical shape so that the stick-shaped cigarette 200 or the dual-media cigarette 300 can be stably mounted, and the height (depth) of the cigarette insertion space 160 is equal to that of the cigarette 200 or It may vary depending on the length of the area containing the aerosol-generating material in the dual medium cigarette 300.

For example, if the dual medium cigarette 300 described in FIG. 6 is inserted into the cigarette insertion space 160, the height of the cigarette insertion space 160 is the sum of the lengths of the aerosol base portion 310 and the medium portion 320. It can be the same as the value. When the cigarette 200 or the dual medium cigarette 300 is inserted into the cigarette insertion space 160, the first heater 130A and the second heater 130B adjacent to the cigarette insertion space 160 are heated, Aerosols may be generated.

Figure 10 shows a block diagram of an example of a control unit included in an aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 10, the control unit 110 included in the aerosol generating device 10 includes a first input detection unit 111, a second input detection unit 113, an initialization confirmation processing unit 115, and an initialization execution unit 117. ) can be seen to include. The first input detection unit 111, the second input detection unit 113, the initialization confirmation processing unit 115, and the initialization execution unit 117 of FIG. 10 include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. In addition, in this embodiment, the first input detection unit 111, the second input detection unit 113, the initialization confirmation processing unit 115, and the initialization execution unit 117 of FIG. 10 may be implemented with different types of hardware. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the example belongs can understand.

The first input detection unit 111 detects that an external device is coupled to the interface. Hereinafter, the combination of an external device suitable for the interface will be considered a type of input and will be abbreviated as first input. The interface is provided on one side of the aerosol generating device 10 and refers to a coupling space that allows an external device having a coupling part compatible with the interface to be coupled to the aerosol generating device 10. The first input detection unit 111 can detect when an external device is coupled to the interface and generate a signal corresponding to the detected result.

The second input detection unit 113 detects that a user input is input to the input unit. Specifically, the second input detection unit 113 can detect the input when the user applies input to various input units provided in the aerosol generating device and generate a signal corresponding to the detected result. As an example, the second input detection unit 113 can detect when the user presses the button provided on the aerosol generating device 10 twice in succession and generate an initialization signal. As another example, the second input detection unit 113 may detect when the user inputs a preset pattern on the touch screen provided in the aerosol generating device 10 and generate an initialization signal.

The initialization confirmation processing unit 115 receives signals generated from the first input detection unit 111 and the second input detection unit 113, and determines whether to execute an initialization command to initialize at least part of the information stored in the memory. Performs the function of judgment. As an example, the initialization confirmation processing unit 115 does not receive a signal from at least one of the first input detection unit 111 and the second input detection unit 113, or as a result of analyzing the signals received from the two modules, If it is determined that the conditions for executing the initialization command are not met, an initialization execution signal for executing the initialization command may not be generated. As another example, the initialization confirmation processing unit 115 sends an initialization execution signal when the conditions for executing the initialization command are met by signals received from the first input detection unit 111 and the second input detection unit 113. It can be generated and delivered to the initialization execution unit 117.

The initialization execution unit 117 may receive an initialization execution signal from the initialization confirmation processing unit 115, access the memory of the aerosol generating device 10, and initialize at least part of the information stored in the memory. After receiving the initialization execution signal, the initialization execution unit 117 may additionally include a function for selecting only information to which initialization is to be applied from among the information stored in the memory.

The names of each module described above are named to intuitively explain the functions performed by the control unit 110, and the names of each module may change depending on the embodiment. Additionally, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the functions performed by each module can be implemented independently by the control unit 110. Therefore, hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, and for convenience of explanation, unless otherwise specified, the control unit 110 is considered to be the entity that performs each function.

As described in FIGS. 1 to 9, the aerosol generating device 10 according to the present invention includes a heater that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating substrate and a mouthpiece that provides the generated aerosol to the user through an inlet end. It can be included. In addition, the aerosol generating device 10 according to the present invention may further include an interface to which an external device is coupled and an input unit for receiving user input, a schematic description of which will be described later with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. do.

The control unit 110 included in the aerosol generating device 10 according to the present invention generates various control signals while communicating with the interface and input unit, and various components (modules) included in the aerosol generating device 10 through the control signals. ) is controlled. In the present invention, the control unit 110 may detect a first input to the interface, and after the first input is detected, if a second input to the input unit is detected, at least part of the information stored in the memory may be initialized.

According to the present invention, with an external device compatible with the portable electronic device coupled to the interface of the portable electronic device, such as the aerosol generating device 10, the user can initialize the portable electronic device by applying a certain input to the input unit. There will be.

First, in the present invention, in order for a portable electronic device to be initialized, an external device having a coupling part of a certain standard supported by the portable electronic device must be coupled to the interface of the portable electronic device. That is, as the first condition for initialization, a portable electronic device and a compatible external device must be combined, thereby reducing the possibility that the initialization function supported by the portable electronic device will be abused or misused by users other than the authenticated user.

Additionally, the portable electronic device according to the present invention can be initialized only when a certain input is applied to the input unit while an external device is coupled to the interface of the portable electronic device. That is, as the second condition for initialization, a certain input corresponding to the initialization command must be applied through the input unit, thereby further reducing the possibility of the initialization function being unnecessarily executed by a third party. In particular, even if the second input corresponding to the initialization command is input to the input unit, initialization is not performed unless an external device is coupled to the interface (after the first input is detected), so according to the above sequential characteristics, Only verified users with general knowledge of portable electronic devices can issue a simple initialization command to portable electronic devices.

As an optional embodiment, the external device coupled to the interface may be a charger that charges a battery provided in a portable electronic device, and the charger may be a USB (Universal Serial Bus) type. When a charger is coupled to the interface, the control unit 110 may detect that the first input has been input.

The process of initializing a portable electronic device consumes a certain amount of the battery of the portable electronic device, and if initialization of the portable electronic device is performed when the battery is below a certain level, the portable electronic device may be turned off before initialization is completed. You can. As described above, the phenomenon of the power being turned off while the device is being initialized may cause shock to the components included in the portable electronic device and cause a malfunction. However, in the present invention, the connection of the charger to the interface is used as the first input. As a result, it is possible to fundamentally prevent a situation in which the power of the portable electronic device is turned off while initialization of the portable electronic device is in progress.

As another optional embodiment, the external device coupled to the interface may be a dedicated accessory designed to be mounted on a portable electronic device. For example, in order to prevent the interface of the portable electronic device from being exposed to the outside and to improve the aesthetics of the portable electronic device, a key ring or LED device that is always coupled to the interface of the portable electronic device is coupled to the interface in the present invention. It may be included in an external device that generates a signal corresponding to the first input.

As another optional embodiment, when the control unit 110 detects both the first input and the second input, it may generate an initialization execution signal for the memory and transmit it to the memory. According to the above-described embodiments, the control unit 110 determines whether the first input is detected before detecting the second input. However, as an expanded embodiment of the above-described embodiment, the control unit 110 determines whether the second input is detected. If the first input is not maintained at the time of detection, an initialization execution signal for initializing the memory may not be generated. In this optional embodiment, in a situation where the first input is inputted intermittently and is not maintained, initialization is prevented just by inputting the second input.

For example, when the charger is coupled to the interface and the user begins to apply an input corresponding to the second input to the input unit, but the charger is separated from the interface before the user's input ends, the control unit 110 The initialization execution signal is not generated based on one of the reasons that both the first input and the second input were not detected or that the first input was not maintained when the second input was detected.

As an embodiment different from the above-mentioned example, the control unit 110 initializes at least part of the information stored in the memory when the second input is detected after the first input is detected and before the preset input waiting time elapses. An initialization execution signal can be generated. In this embodiment, the control unit 110 sets a grace time from when the first input is detected until the second input is additionally detected, so that the initialization execution signal is indiscriminately generated while the first input is maintained. Prevent it from being created. For example, even if the second input is detected while the aerosol generating device 10 is being charged by the charger, if a long time has passed since the aerosol generating device 10 started being charged by the charger, the control unit 110 It is assumed that the second input is detected accidentally, and an initialization execution signal is not generated.

As another example, after detecting the first input, the control unit 110 may regard the input as the second input only when an input that satisfies a certain number of times is input to the input unit for a preset time. For example, if an input of touching the same location 5 times is input to the input unit within 2 seconds after the USB charger is connected to the interface, the control unit 110 sets the detection condition of the second input as “touching 5 times within 2 seconds”. Considering that it is satisfied, an initialization execution signal can be generated. Since the above-mentioned 2 seconds and 5 times are exemplary times and times, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the times and times may vary depending on the embodiment, and the scope of the present invention is the above-mentioned times and times. is not limited to

Information initialized by the initialization execution signal generated by the control unit 110 may be at least part of the information stored in the memory. For example, the memory physically or logically includes a first memory and a second memory, so when an initialization execution signal is received from the control unit 110, only the information stored in the second memory can be initialized. That is, in this embodiment, information that cannot be initialized is stored in the first memory, and information that can be initialized is stored in the second memory.

Information that cannot be initialized may include at least one of the following: information on the time the portable electronic device was operating (usage history information), the serial number of the portable electronic device, and information about the operating system that supports the basic operation of the portable electronic device. . Additionally, if the portable electronic device is an aerosol generating device, information that cannot be initialized may include a default temperature profile for heating the heater.

Information that can be initialized may include user information entered through the input unit. User information includes information directly entered by the user through an input unit or information downloaded by the aerosol generating device wired/wireless from an external device based on information entered by the user. For example, lock setting information for locking a portable electronic device or unlocking information for unlocking the electronic device is information set by the user, so it can be included in the user information and is stored in the second memory and then initialized. It can be deleted through .

As user information includes locking information and unlocking information, if the portable electronic device is an aerosol generating device, a user who cannot remember the unlocking information (password or pattern) can initialize and use the device. In particular, the aerosol generating device is a luxury product that cannot be used by minors, and a lock setting is essential to prevent the heater, which is heated to a high temperature, from being automatically heated by the smart-on function. Therefore, if a simple initialization function is provided, when a legitimate user forgets the password, the locked aerosol generating device can be easily initialized and used, thereby increasing user convenience.

Additionally, if the portable electronic device is an aerosol generating device, the information that can be initialized may further include a temperature profile added by the user. Users can control the temperature of the heater with a temperature profile other than the temperature profile provided by default in the aerosol generating device, allowing a variety of smoking experiences through the same aerosol generating substrate. In this process, the number of temperature profiles stored in the memory of the aerosol generating device may gradually increase, and the user can temporarily delete the temperature profiles stored in the memory through initialization. Depending on the embodiment, the user may transfer some of the temperature profiles added by the user to a memory that stores information that cannot be initialized, so that the corresponding temperature profile is not deleted even when initialization is performed.

As another example, if the aerosol generating device is using two or more heaters, the information stored in the second memory may include both a first temperature profile and a second temperature profile for controlling the temperatures of the first heater and the second heater. Can be, where the first temperature profile and the second temperature profile mean a temperature profile added by the user.

Figure 11 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of an example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.

The aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 11 shows the configuration necessary to explain the simple initialization function in the aerosol generating device described in FIG. 8. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation of FIG. 11, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.

Referring to FIG. 11, the aerosol generating device with a simple initialization function is an aerosol generating device in which a dual-media cigarette 300 is inserted into the cigarette insertion space 160, and includes a touch screen-type input unit 1110 and a battery 120. ) It can be seen that the charger 121 includes an interface 1130 that is coupled to charge the battery.

In FIG. 11, when the charger 121 is coupled to the interface 1130, the control unit 110 can detect the first input based on a signal generated as a result of the coupling. Additionally, when the user applies an input to the input unit 1110, the control unit 110 can detect the second input based on the signal generated as a result.

As another example, the input unit 1110 in the present invention refers to a module that can receive input from the user, and there are no particular restrictions on its shape and function, so in FIG. 11, the dual medium cigarette 300 is inserted. An input to the inside of the cigarette insertion space 160 may also be one of the second inputs. That is, depending on the embodiment, the control unit 110 may regard the insertion of the dual medium cigarette 300 into the cigarette insertion space 160 as the second input.

Figure 12 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of another example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 12, the aerosol generating device with a simple initialization function is an aerosol generating device in which a dual-media cigarette 300 is inserted into the cigarette insertion space 160, similar to FIG. 11, and has a touch screen-type input unit ( 1110), it can be seen that it includes an interface 1130 to which the charger 121 is coupled to charge the battery 120.

First, the user couples the charger 121 to the interface 1130 of the aerosol generating device equipped with a simple initialization function. When the charger 121 is coupled to the interface 1130 and the battery 120 begins to charge, the control unit 110 can detect this as a first input.

Subsequently, the user may apply a series of inputs to the input unit 1110 with the user's hand 1210. The control unit 110 receives the pattern input to the input unit 1110, and if the received pattern matches a preset pattern, the control unit 110 may determine the input input to the input unit 1110 as the second input.

In FIG. 12, the control unit 110 generates an initialization execution signal based on the second input being detected after the first input is detected and transmits it to the memory. The memory receives the initialization execution signal and executes the initialization execution signal stored in the memory. Initialize the information that can be initialized among the information. Depending on the embodiment, if the memory does not include a dedicated processor for managing the memory, the control unit 110 may manage the information stored in the memory and initialize at least some of the information stored in the memory.

Figure 13 is a diagram schematically showing a perspective view of another example of an aerosol generating device to which the present invention is applied.

Comparing Figure 13 with Figures 11 and 12, it can be seen that the external device coupled to the interface 1130 of the aerosol generating device is not a charger, but a dedicated accessory 1310 that can be mounted on the aerosol generating device. Specifically, in Figure 13, the dedicated accessory 1310 has a key ring shape, and depending on the embodiment, the dedicated accessory that can be coupled to the interface 1130 of the aerosol generating device has a different form and function from that shown in Figure 13. may include. For example, dedicated accessories include a pouch to protect the portable electronic device from external shock, a handle to easily grasp the portable electronic device, and a stand to support the portable electronic device.

In the aerosol generating device of FIG. 13, as in FIG. 12, after the dedicated accessory 1310, which is an external device, is coupled to the interface 1130, the user's hand 1210 applies a series of inputs to the input unit 1110, The control unit 110 may determine that the initialization conditions have been achieved and initialize the memory of the aerosol generating device. If the dedicated accessory 1310 is an external device that is not compatible with the aerosol generating device, or if the series of inputs applied to the input unit 1110 are not appropriate inputs for generating an initialization execution signal, the control unit 110 does not perform initialization. No.

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device described in Figures 11 to 13 as seen from the front.

Figure 14 is a diagram for explaining another example of an external device coupled to the interface of an aerosol generating device. More specifically, as described in FIGS. 11 to 13, various external devices can be coupled to the interface 1130, but there is the inconvenience of the user having to carry an additional external device in addition to the portable electronic device in order to perform the initialization function. Therefore, Figure 14 shows an embodiment to solve this problem.

The aerosol generating device of FIG. 14 includes an interface 1410 to which an external device is coupled, and an initialization activation device 1450 coupled to the interface 1410 to implement an initialization function. The initialization activation device 1450 is normally located in the temporary space 1430 of the aerosol generating device, but when the user attempts to initialize the memory, it is ejected from the temporary space 1430 by the user, and the interface ( 1410).

14 (a) to 14 (c) show that when there is an aerosol generating device further including an initialization activation device 1450, in order to detect the first input from the control unit 110, the initialization activation device 1450 uses an interface ( 1410) is shown sequentially.

Figure 15 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.

Since the method according to FIG. 15 can be implemented by the portable electronic device described in FIGS. 1 to 14, it will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14, and overlaps with the content described in FIGS. 1 to 14. The explanation will be omitted.

First, the control unit 110 detects the first input to the interface (S1510).

If the first input is detected (S1520), the control unit 110 detects the second input to the input unit (S1530).

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether to perform initialization based on the first and second inputs (S1540). In step S1540, the control unit 110 determines whether the second input is detected until a preset time has elapsed after the first input is input, and if any input to the input unit is detected, in the next step. It is determined whether the input input to the input unit is an appropriate second input for performing initialization. In step S1540, if no input is detected in the input unit until a preset time elapses, the control unit 110 does not initialize the memory.

The control unit 110 determines whether the first input to the interface and the second input to the input unit both satisfy the conditions for generating an initialization execution signal (S1550), and if the initialization conditions are satisfied, initialization of the device is performed. To do this, an initialization execution signal is generated and transmitted to the memory (S1560). The memory that has received the initialization execution signal generated in step S1560 is initialized and at least part of the information stored in the memory is deleted, and if locking setting information and unlocking information for the portable electronic device are included among the information to be deleted, the memory is initialized. Since the unlocked portable electronic device remains unlocked, any user who acquires the portable electronic device can use it until it is subsequently locked.

Figure 16 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.

The method according to FIG. 16 is partly the same as the method of implementing the simple initialization function of the portable electronic device described in FIG. 15, but the first input that the control unit 110 determines to proceed with initialization is the input to the input unit, and the second input is the input to the input unit. It is different from the method described in FIG. 15 in that the input is input to an interface. The method according to FIG. 16 is a method of an embodiment different from the method described in FIG. 15. Before an external device is coupled to the interface, a first input for executing an initialization command is input to the input unit, and then the verified external device is connected to the interface. Even if combined, initialization of the portable electronic device may occur.

The method described in FIG. 16 is an embodiment of the present invention to improve user convenience. As an example, when a user executes an application installed on a portable electronic device, inputs initialization first, and then connects an external device to the interface, according to the embodiment described in FIG. 15, the initialization input first is inputted. The input is ignored, causing the user the inconvenience of having to input input for initialization again. On the other hand, according to the embodiment described in FIG. 16, it is sufficient for the first input and the second input to be detected to initialize the device, so even if the user first inputs the input to execute initialization in the input unit, subsequent inputs are not performed. By following the proper procedures, you can perform initialization on the device without applying redundant input to the portable electronic device.

Additionally, FIG. 16 is a diagram supporting an embodiment of the present invention described in FIG. 10. It has already been explained that if an external device (charger) connected to the interface is suddenly disconnected while an input to the input unit is detected, the initialization process of the device may become unstable. According to the method of FIG. 16, after the input to the input unit is detected, the device can be stably initialized by determining whether the input to the interface is still being detected and initializing it accordingly.

Figure 17 is a flowchart showing another example of a method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device.

The method according to FIG. 17 is a method that expands the embodiment described in FIG. 15 and further includes the step of receiving confirmation from the user once more before performing initialization. Hereinafter, S1710 to S1740 in FIG. 17 are considered to be the same as S1510 to S1540 in FIG. 15.

The control unit 110 determines whether the first input to the interface and the second input to the input unit satisfy the first initialization condition (S1750), and if the first initialization condition is satisfied, a message confirming whether the output unit will initialize the device. A control signal is transmitted to the output unit to output (S1760). Here, the output unit may be a display device included in the aerosol generating device. In particular, the input unit 1110 in FIGS. 11 to 13 is implemented as a touch screen, and the input unit 1110 that receives the user's input and the user It has already been schematically explained that the output unit can simultaneously perform the function of outputting a screen to induce input.

The control unit 110 checks the confirmation message output to the output unit, determines whether the user makes additional input to perform initialization (S1770), and, if there is additional user input, initializes the device (S1780) ).

According to the method of FIG. 17, even if all initialization conditions are satisfied, abuse of the initialization function can be minimized by including a process of receiving final confirmation from the user.

Embodiments according to the present invention described above may be implemented in the form of a computer program that can be executed through various components on a computer, and such a computer program may be recorded on a computer-readable medium. At this time, the media includes magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and ROM. , RAM, flash memory, etc., may include hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute program instructions.

Meanwhile, the computer program may be designed and configured specifically for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer programs may include not only machine language code such as that created by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

The specific implementations described in the present invention are examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For the sake of brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connections or connection members of lines between components shown in the drawings exemplify functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and in actual devices, various functional connections or physical connections may be replaced or added. Can be represented as connections, or circuit connections. Additionally, if there is no specific mention such as “essential,” “important,” etc., it may not be a necessary component for the application of the present invention.

In the specification (particularly in the claims) of the present invention, the use of the term “above” and similar referential terms may refer to both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, the invention includes the application of individual values within the range (unless there is a statement to the contrary), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention. It's the same. Finally, unless there is an explicit order or statement to the contrary regarding the steps constituting the method according to the invention, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. The present invention is not necessarily limited by the order of description of the above steps. The use of any examples or illustrative terms (e.g., etc.) in the present invention is merely to describe the present invention in detail, and unless limited by the claims, the scope of the present invention is limited by the examples or illustrative terms. It doesn't work. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made depending on design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

10: Aerosol generating device
110: control unit
120: battery
130: heater
180: Vaporizer
200: cigarette
300: Dual medium cigarette
710: body
730: Slider
750: Cartridge

Claims (20)

An interface to which external devices are connected;
An input unit that receives user input;
It includes a control unit that communicates with the interface and the input unit and generates a control signal,
The control unit,
Detect a first input to the interface,
A portable electronic device that initializes at least part of the information stored in a memory when a second input to the input unit is detected after the first input is sensed. According to paragraph 1,
The electronic device is,
A heater that heats an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and
A portable electronic device, an aerosol generating device further comprising a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to a user. According to paragraph 1,
The external device is,
A portable electronic device, which is a charger that charges a battery provided in the portable electronic device. According to paragraph 3,
The charger is,
A portable electronic device that is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) type charger. According to paragraph 1,
The external device is,
A portable electronic device that, when coupled to the interface, is a dedicated accessory that causes the interface to transmit a preset signal to the control unit. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A portable electronic device that generates an initialization execution signal for the memory and transmits it to the memory when both the first input and the second input are detected. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
When detecting the second input, if the first input is maintained, at least part of the information stored in the memory is initialized. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A portable electronic device that initializes at least part of the information stored in the memory when the second input is detected before a preset input waiting time elapses after the first input is detected. According to paragraph 1,
The control unit,
A portable electronic device that determines that a second input has been detected when an input that satisfies a certain number of times is input to the input unit for a preset time. According to paragraph 1,
The memory is,
A first memory that stores information that cannot be initialized; and
It includes a second memory that stores information that can be initialized,
The control unit,
A portable electronic device that performs initialization only on the second memory. According to clause 10,
The information stored in the first memory is:
Contains at least one of information on the time the electronic device operated and the serial number of the electronic device,
The information stored in the second memory is,
A portable electronic device including user information input through the input unit. According to clause 11,
The above user information is,
A portable electronic device comprising locking setting information for locking the electronic device and unlocking information for unlocking the electronic device. According to clause 11,
The electronic device is,
A heater that heats an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and
An aerosol generating device further comprising a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to a user,
The above user information is,
A portable electronic device comprising a temperature profile that heats the heater. According to clause 13,
The above user information is,
Includes a first temperature profile and a second temperature profile,
The heater is,
A portable electronic device comprising a first heater and a second heater respectively heated to different temperatures according to the first temperature profile and the second temperature profile. According to paragraph 1,
The electronic device is,
It further includes an output unit that visualizes and outputs the process processed by the control unit,
A portable electronic device that outputs a message confirming whether initialization is in progress through the output unit before starting the initialization. Detecting a first input in which an external device is coupled to the interface;
When the first input is detected, detecting a second input of a user input to an input unit; and
When the second input is detected, initializing at least a portion of the information stored in the memory based on the first input and the second input. According to clause 16,
The electronic device is,
A heater that heats an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol; and
An aerosol generating device comprising a mouthpiece for providing the generated aerosol to a user,
The initialized information is,
A method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device, comprising locking setting information for locking the aerosol generating device and unlocking information for unlocking the aerosol generating device. According to clause 17,
The initialized information is,
A method of implementing a simple initialization function of a portable electronic device, including a temperature profile for heating the heater. According to clause 16,
The external device is,
How to implement a simple initialization function for a portable electronic device, such as a USB type charger. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to any one of claims 16 to 19.

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