KR102269645B1 - Aerosol generating device and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The aerosol-generating device includes a heater for heating the aerosol-generating substrate, a controller for controlling electric power supplied to the heater, and sensing a first event and a second event corresponding to a change in acceleration of the aerosol-generating device, and corresponding to the first event It may include an acceleration sensor module that transmits the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal corresponding to the second event to the controller. The control unit according to the present embodiment may determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal, and control the power supplied to the heater based on the validity determination result for the first interrupt signal.

Description

Aerosol generating device and method of operation thereof {AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device and an operating method of the aerosol-generating device, and more particularly, to an aerosol-generating device capable of reducing the malfunction rate of an aerosol-generating device by variously changing an interrupt combination of an acceleration sensor, and an operating method thereof it's about

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for an alternative method that overcomes the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for a method of generating an aerosol as the aerosol generating material in the cigarette or liquid reservoir is heated rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette.

In addition, the aerosol generating device may operate in a smoking mode or a cleaning mode through a user's touch input or motion input. An acceleration sensor may be used to recognize the user's touch input or motion input. However, in the conventional acceleration sensor, since the interrupt signal output through the port is fixed, information that can be obtained through the acceleration sensor is limited. Accordingly, there is a problem in that a larger number of acceleration sensors are required to detect various events related to the aerosol generating device. In particular, in the related art, there is a problem that an additional sensor is required to determine whether a touch event or a motion event related to an aerosol generating device is a user input not intended by the user.

US 10-2018-0116260 A (2018.10.24)

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device and an operating method thereof, which can significantly reduce the malfunction rate of the aerosol generating device by variously changing the interrupt combination of the acceleration sensor.

The technical problems of the present invention are not limited to the above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

An aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes a heater for heating an aerosol-generating substrate, a controller for controlling the electric power supplied to the heater, and a first corresponding to a change in acceleration of the aerosol-generating device and an acceleration sensor module that detects an event and a second event, and transmits a first interrupt signal corresponding to the first event and a second interrupt signal corresponding to the second event to the controller, wherein the controller includes The validity of the first interrupt signal may be determined based on the second interrupt signal, and the power supplied to the heater may be controlled based on a result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal.

In addition, the acceleration sensor module changes an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal from the second event to a third event, and when the third event is detected, retransmits the second interrupt signal to the control unit, The controller may re-determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal, and control the power supplied to the heater based on a result of the validity determination of the first interrupt signal.

In addition, the aerosol generating device of the present invention further comprises a battery for supplying power to the heater, when the control unit does not receive the second interrupt signal within a preset input time in a state in which the first interrupt signal is received , it is determined that the first interrupt signal is valid, and controls the battery based on the valid first interrupt signal to heat the heater.

Also, the first event and the second event may include at least one of a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, and a step event.

Also, the controller may transmit mode information including a smoking mode and a cleaning mode to the acceleration sensor module.

In addition, the acceleration sensor module initially sets a tap event and a swing event to the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal, respectively, based on receiving the mode information indicating the smoking mode, When receiving the first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event, the controller transmits a acknowledgment signal to the acceleration sensor module, and when the acceleration sensor module receives the acknowledgment signal, a fall event and a collision event and one event selected from among step events may be reset to an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal.

In addition, the acceleration sensor module initially sets a swing event and a tap event to the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal, respectively, based on receiving the mode information indicating the cleaning mode, When receiving the first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event, the control unit transmits a acknowledgment signal to the acceleration sensor module, and the acceleration sensor module receives the acknowledgment signal, a fall event, a collision event, and Any one selected event among step events may be reset to an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal.

In addition, the aerosol generating device of the present invention further comprises a battery for supplying power to the heater, wherein the control unit controls the battery so that the first power is transmitted to the heater in the smoking mode, and in the cleaning mode 2 , the battery may be controlled to transmit power to the heater, and the second power may be set to be greater than the first power.

In addition, the acceleration sensor module may include a first terminal for outputting the first interrupt signal and a second terminal for outputting the second interrupt signal.

The method of operating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem is the step of detecting a first event and a second event corresponding to an acceleration change of the aerosol generating device, corresponding to the first event transmitting a first interrupt signal and a second interrupt signal corresponding to the second event, determining the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal, and validity of the first interrupt signal Based on the determination result, the method may include controlling the power supplied to the heater.

In addition, the method of operating an aerosol generating device of the present invention includes changing an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal from the second event to a third event, and retransmitting the second interrupt signal when the third event is detected step, re-judging the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal, and controlling the power supplied to the heater based on a result of re-judging the validity of the first interrupt signal may further include.

In addition, in the step of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal, if the second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, it is determined that the first interrupt signal is valid. can

In addition, the first event and the second event may include at least one of a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, and a step event.

The aerosol generating device and the operating method of the present invention can recognize a user input more accurately by variously changing the interrupt combination of the acceleration sensor.

In addition, the aerosol generating device and the method for controlling the same have the advantage that user convenience is increased as a user input is more accurately recognized.

The effect of the invention is not limited by the contents exemplified above, and more various effects are included in the present specification.

1 to 3 are views illustrating examples in which cigarettes are inserted into an aerosol generating device.
4 and 5 are views showing examples of cigarettes.
6 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram for explaining a method of changing an interrupt signal according to the present invention.
8 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Terms used in the embodiments are selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering functions in the present invention, but may vary depending on intentions or precedents of those of ordinary skill in the art, emergence of new technologies, and the like. In addition, in specific cases, there are also terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term 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 the name of a simple term.

When a part "includes" a certain element throughout the specification, this means that other elements may be further included, rather than excluding other elements, unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as “…unit” and “…module” described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily carry out the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

1 to 3 are views illustrating examples in which cigarettes are inserted into an aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery 11 , a control unit 12 , and a heater 13 . 2 and 3 , the aerosol generating device 1 further comprises a vaporizer 14 . In addition, a cigarette 2 may be inserted into the inner space of the aerosol generating device 1 .

The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 shows the components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 may be further included in the aerosol generating device 1 . .

In addition, although it is shown that the heater 13 is included in the aerosol generating device 1 in FIGS. 2 and 3 , if necessary, the heater 13 may be omitted.

1 illustrates that the battery 11, the control unit 12, and the heater 13 are arranged in a line. In addition, in FIG. 2 , the battery 11 , the control unit 12 , the vaporizer 14 , and the heater 13 are illustrated as being arranged in a line. Also, FIG. 3 shows that the vaporizer 14 and the heater 13 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 . In other words, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1 , the arrangement of the battery 11 , the control unit 12 , the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14 may be changed.

When the cigarette 2 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1 , the aerosol-generating device 1 can actuate the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 13 and/or vaporizer 14 passes through the cigarette 2 and is delivered to the user.

If desired, the aerosol-generating device 1 can heat the heater 13 even when the cigarette 2 is not inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1 .

The battery 11 supplies the power used to operate the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the battery 11 may supply electric power so that the heater 13 or vaporizer 14 can be heated, and may supply electric power necessary for the control unit 12 to operate. In addition, the battery 11 may supply power required to operate a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 1 .

The control unit 12 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1 . Specifically, the control unit 12 controls the operation of the battery 11 , the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14 , as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 1 . In addition, the controller 12 may determine whether the aerosol generating device 1 is in an operable state by checking the state of each of the components of the aerosol generating device 1 .

The control unit 12 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. In addition, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present embodiment may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The heater 13 may be heated by electric power supplied from the battery 11 . For example, if a cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , the heater 13 may be located outside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 13 may raise the temperature of the aerosol generating material in the cigarette.

The heater 13 may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater 13 may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 13 is not limited to the above-described example, and may be applied without limitation as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 1 or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 13 may be an induction heating type heater. Specifically, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive coil for heating the cigarette in an induction heating manner, and the cigarette may include a susceptor capable of being heated by the induction heating heater.

For example, the heater 13 may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, which can be heated inside or outside the cigarette 2 depending on the shape of the heating element. can be heated.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 1 . In this case, the plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed to be inserted into the cigarette 2 , or may be disposed outside the cigarette 2 . In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 13 may be disposed to be inserted into the cigarette 2 , and the rest may be disposed outside the cigarette 2 . In addition, the shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , and may be manufactured in various shapes.

Vaporizer 14 may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which may be delivered to a user through cigarette 2 . In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 may travel along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 1 , wherein the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 passes through the cigarette to the user. It can be configured to be

For example, the vaporizer 14 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, the liquid delivery means and the heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device 1 as independent modules.

The liquid storage unit may store the liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising a tobacco-containing material comprising a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid comprising a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit may be manufactured to be detachably/attached from the vaporizer 14 , or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 14 .

For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a fragrance, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavoring ingredients, and the like. Flavoring agents may include ingredients that can provide a user with a variety of flavors or flavors. 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. Liquid compositions may also include 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, but is not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, and the like. In addition, 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 applying an electrical current, and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the vaporizer 14 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 11 , the control unit 12 , the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14 . For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may be manufactured in a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal gas may flow out even in a state in which the cigarette 2 is inserted.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the aerosol generating device 1 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used for charging the battery 11 of the aerosol generating device 1 . Alternatively, the heater 13 may be heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 1 are coupled.

The cigarette 2 may be similar to a conventional burning cigarette. For example, the cigarette 2 may be divided into a first part comprising an aerosol generating material and a second part comprising a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second part of the cigarette 2 may also contain an aerosol generating material. For example, an aerosol-generating material made 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 1 , and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 , and the whole of the first part and a part of the second part may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol with the second part in the mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by passing the external air through the first part, and the generated aerosol is delivered to the user's mouth through the second part.

As an example, external air may be introduced through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1 . For example, the opening and closing of the air passage and/or the size of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1 may be adjusted by the user. Accordingly, the amount of atomization, the feeling of smoking, and the like can be adjusted by the user. As another example, the outside air may be introduced into the interior of the cigarette 2 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the cigarette (2).

Hereinafter, examples of the cigarette 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 .

4 and 5 are views showing examples of cigarettes.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the cigarette 2 includes a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22 . The first part 21 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a tobacco rod 21 , and the second part 22 includes a filter rod 22 .

4, the filter rod 22 is shown as a single segment, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 22 may be composed of a plurality of segments. For example, the filter rod 22 may include a segment that cools the aerosol and a segment that filters certain components contained within the aerosol. In addition, if necessary, the filter rod 22 may further include at least one segment that performs other functions.

The cigarette 2 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 24 . At least one hole through which external air is introduced or internal gas flows may be formed in the wrapper 24 . As an example, the cigarette 2 may be wrapped by one wrapper 24 . As another example, the cigarette 2 may be wrapped by two or more wrappers 24 overlappingly. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be packaged by the first wrapper 241 , and the filter rod 22 may be packaged by the wrappers 242 , 243 , and 244 . In addition, the entire cigarette 2 may be repackaged by a single wrapper 245 . If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by wrappers 242 , 243 , 244 .

The tobacco rod 21 comprises an 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. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may contain other additive substances such as flavoring agents, wetting agents and/or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a moisturizing agent can be added to the tobacco rod 21 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 21 .

Tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured as a sheet or as a strand. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may be made of cut filler from which the tobacco sheet is chopped. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 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. For example, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may improve the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod by evenly distributing the heat transferred to the tobacco rod 21, thereby improving the tobacco taste. . In addition, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may function as a susceptor heated by an induction heater. At this time, although not shown in the drawings, the tobacco rod 21 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the heat-conducting material surrounding the outside.

The filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. On the other hand, the shape of the filter rod 22 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylindrical rod, or a tubular rod including a hollow therein. Also, the filter rod 22 may be a recess type rod. If the filter rod 22 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

In addition, the filter rod 22 may include at least one capsule 23 . Here, the capsule 23 may perform a function of generating flavor or may perform a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 23 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the cigarette 3 may further include a shear plug 33 . The front plug 33 may be located on one side of the tobacco rod 31 opposite to the filter rod 32 . The shear plug 33 can prevent the tobacco rod 31 from escaping to the outside, and the liquefied aerosol from the tobacco rod 31 flows into the aerosol generating device ( 1 in FIGS. 1 to 3 ) during smoking. can be prevented

The filter rod 32 may include a first segment 321 and a second segment 322 . Here, the first segment 321 may correspond to the first segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. 4 , and the second segment 322 may correspond to the third segment of the filter rod 22 of FIG. 4 . can

The diameter and overall length of the cigarette 3 may correspond to the diameter and the overall length of the cigarette 2 of FIG. 4 . For example, the length of the shear plug 33 is about 7 mm, the length of the tobacco rod 31 is about 15 mm, the length of the first segment 321 is about 12 mm, the length of the second segment 322 is about 14 mm. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The cigarette 3 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 35 . At least one hole through which external air flows or internal gas flows may be formed in the wrapper 35 . For example, the shear plug 33 is wrapped by the first wrapper 351 , the tobacco rod 31 is wrapped by the second wrapper 352 , and the first segment ( 353 ) is wrapped by the third wrapper 353 . 321 may be wrapped, and the second segment 322 may be wrapped by a fourth wrapper 354 . In addition, the entire cigarette 3 may be repackaged by the fifth wrapper 355 .

In addition, at least one perforation 36 may be formed in the fifth wrapper 355 . For example, the perforations 36 may be formed in the area surrounding the tobacco rod 31, but are not limited thereto. The perforation 36 may serve to transfer the heat formed by the heater 13 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to the inside of the tobacco rod 31 .

Also, the second segment 322 may include at least one capsule 34 . Here, the capsule 34 may perform a function of generating flavor or may perform a function of generating an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have a structure in which a liquid containing a fragrance is wrapped with a film. The capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

6 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the aerosol generating device 600 according to the present invention may include a memory 610 , a battery 620 , a heater 630 , an acceleration sensor module 640 , and a control unit 650 . The battery 620 , the heater 630 , and the controller 650 of FIG. 6 may correspond to the battery 11 , the heater 13 , and the controller 12 of FIGS. 1 to 3 , respectively.

On the other hand, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 600 of the present invention is not limited to that shown in FIG. It can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that some of the hardware components shown in FIG. 6 may be omitted or new components may be further added as needed.

The controller 650 may collectively control the memory 610 , the battery 620 , and the heater 630 included in the aerosol generating device 600 . According to an embodiment, the controller 650 may control the acceleration sensor module 640 .

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect the movement of the aerosol generating device 600 . The acceleration sensor module 640 may transmit an interrupt signal corresponding to the movement of the aerosol generating device 600 to the controller 650 .

The acceleration sensor module 640 may be a sensor module based on a piezoelectric element or a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) such as a capacitive accelerometer, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

When the acceleration sensor module 640 is a three-axis accelerometer, the acceleration sensor module 640 may detect acceleration changes in three directions: X, Y, and Z. In this case, the X, Y, and Z directions may be perpendicular to each other and form a three-dimensional spatial coordinate system. The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect the movement of the aerosol generating device 600 by combining accelerations in three directions of X, Y, and Z. For example, an acceleration change in the X-direction may indicate horizontal movement of the aerosol-generating device 600 , and an acceleration change in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions may indicate vertical movement of the aerosol generating device 600 .

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a plurality of events corresponding to a change in acceleration of the aerosol generating device 600 .

The plurality of events may be a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, a step event, and the like.

The tap event may be an event generated as the user taps the aerosol generating device 600 . The swing event may be an event generated when the user shakes the aerosol generating device 600 . A swing event may be referred to as a shaking event. The fall event may be an event that occurs when the aerosol generating device 600 falls. The collision event may be an event generated when the aerosol generating device 600 collides with the ground or the like. The step event may be an event generated when the user is walking while carrying the aerosol generating device 600 .

When the acceleration sensor module 640 is a three-axis accelerometer, the acceleration sensor module 640 is a plurality of the aerosol generating device 600 related to the aerosol generating device 600 based on the amount of acceleration change in X, Y and Z directions. events can be detected.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a tap event when an amount of acceleration change in at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes is equal to or greater than a preset first threshold value.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a swing event when the amount of acceleration change in at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes is greater than or equal to a second threshold greater than the first threshold.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a fall event when the amount of acceleration change in the gravitational direction is less than or equal to a preset third threshold value.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a collision event when the amount of acceleration change in the gravitational direction is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold greater than the third threshold.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a step event when the amount of acceleration change in the gravitational direction is periodically changed.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may transmit an interrupt signal corresponding to a plurality of events to the controller 650 .

The acceleration sensor module 640 may have a plurality of terminals and may output an interrupt signal through the plurality of terminals. For example, when the number of terminals is two, the acceleration sensor module 640 may output a first interrupt signal through the first terminal and output a second interrupt signal through the second terminal.

At this time, the first interrupt signal is a signal for the operation of the aerosol generating device 600 (eg, smoking mode, cleaning mode, etc.), and the second interrupt signal is a signal for verifying whether the first interrupt signal is valid. can

The controller 650 may determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal. The controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is valid when the second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal is received. Alternatively, when the second interrupt signal is received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is invalid. The input time may mean a validation time of the first interrupt signal. For example, the preset time may be 0.2 seconds, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on a result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal.

The reason why the control unit 650 determines the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal is to prevent malfunction of the aerosol generating device 600 . For example, even though the heater is set to be heated by a user's tap input, when the aerosol generating device 600 falls and collides with the ground, the controller 650 transmits the collision event to the user's tap input It may be confused with heating the heater 630 . In this case, since the heater 630 is heated contrary to the user's intention, the battery 620 may be rapidly consumed, and there may be a risk of burns to the user. As the aerosol generating device 600 of the present invention verifies the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the aerosol generating device 600 different from the user's intention.

Meanwhile, when receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may transmit a reception confirmation signal to the acceleration sensor module 640 .

When receiving the acknowledgment signal from the controller 650 , the acceleration sensor module 640 may change an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal. Also, the acceleration sensor module 640 may retransmit the second interrupt signal corresponding to the changed event to the controller 650 .

The reason why the acceleration sensor module 640 changes the event corresponding to the second interrupt signal is to further strengthen the validation of the first interrupt signal. For example, when the heater is set to be heated by a user's tap input, the controller 650 may confuse a collision event with a tap input event, and the controller 650 may You can confuse events with tap input events. Accordingly, in order for the controller 650 to more accurately verify the validity of the first interrupt signal, the acceleration sensor module 640 sets the event corresponding to the second interrupt signal as a collision event and then responds to the second interrupt signal. You can change the event to be a step event.

The controller 650 may re-determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal. The method of verifying the first interrupt signal according to the changed second interrupt signal is the same as the method of verifying the validity of the first interrupt signal before the change of the second interrupt signal. In other words, if the controller 650 does not receive the changed second interrupt signal within a preset input time while receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is valid. Alternatively, when the changed second interrupt signal is received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is invalid.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on a result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal.

On the other hand, the aerosol generating device 600 of the present invention may operate in a smoking mode for generating an aerosol and a cleaning mode for removing ash or foreign substances deposited in a predetermined configuration included in the aerosol generating device 600 .

The controller 650 may transmit mode information including a smoking mode and a cleaning mode to the acceleration sensor module 640 . For example, an input unit (not shown) in the aerosol generating device 600 may receive a user command for mode selection, and the controller 650 transmits mode information to the acceleration sensor module 640 based on the user command. can However, the method of receiving a user command for mode selection is not limited to the above-described example.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may initially set a tap event and a swing event as a first interrupt signal and a second interrupt signal, respectively, based on receiving the mode information indicating the smoking mode.

When receiving the first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event, the controller 650 may transmit a acknowledgment signal to the acceleration sensor module 640 .

When receiving the acknowledgment signal, the acceleration sensor module 640 may reset any one event selected from a fall event, a collision event, and a step event to an event corresponding to the second interrupt.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may initially set a tap event and a swing event as a first interrupt signal and a second interrupt signal, respectively, based on receiving the mode information indicating the cleaning mode.

When receiving the first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event, the controller 650 may transmit a acknowledgment signal to the acceleration sensor module 640 .

When receiving the acknowledgment signal, the acceleration sensor module 640 may reset any one event selected from a fall event, a collision event, and a step event to an event corresponding to the second interrupt.

The battery 620 supplies power to the heater 630 , and the amount of power supplied to the heater 630 may be adjusted by the controller 650 .

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 by transmitting a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal to the heater 630 .

The controller 650 controls the battery 620 so that the first power is delivered to the heater 630 in the smoking mode, and the battery 620 so that the second power greater than the first power is delivered to the heater 630 in the cleaning mode. can control By setting the second power to be greater than the first power, ash or foreign substances deposited on the aerosol generating device 600 may be more easily removed.

The heater 630 generates heat by specific resistance when a current is applied, and when the aerosol generating substrate is in contact (combined) with the heated heater 630, an aerosol can be generated.

The memory 610 may store information for the operation of the aerosol generating device 600 .

The memory 610 may store information about the interrupt signal. For example, the memory 610 may store an initially set first and second interrupt signal, a reset first interrupt signal, and the like.

The memory 610 , the battery 620 , the heater 630 , the acceleration sensor module 640 , and the control unit 650 according to an embodiment of the present invention correspond to at least one processor, or at least one or more processors. may include. Accordingly, the memory 610 , the battery 620 , the heater 630 , the acceleration sensor module 640 , and the control unit 650 may be driven in a form included in another hardware device such as a microprocessor or a general-purpose computer system. .

7 is a diagram for explaining a method of changing an interrupt signal according to the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a plurality of events ev1 to ev5 corresponding to the acceleration change (a) of the aerosol generating device 600 . For example, the first event ev1 is a tap event, the second event ev2 is a swing event, the third event ev3 is a collision event, and the fourth event ev4 is a It is a fall event, and the fifth event ev5 may be a step event. According to an embodiment, the number of events that the acceleration sensor module 640 can detect may be increased.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may transmit a plurality of events ev1 to ev5 to the controller 650 as an interrupt signal.

Meanwhile, the acceleration sensor module 640 may include a first terminal P1 outputting a first interrupt signal 810 and a second terminal P2 outputting a second interrupt signal 820 . Since the output terminal of the acceleration sensor module 640 is limited, the acceleration sensor module 640 may set any one event selected from the plurality of events ev1 to ev5 as an event corresponding to the interrupt signal.

The acceleration sensor module 640 sets the first interrupt signal 810 as an operation signal for executing a predetermined function of the aerosol generating device 600 , and sets the second interrupt signal 820 to the first interrupt signal 810 . It can be set as a signal to verify validity.

For example, when the aerosol generating device 600 operates in a smoking mode by a user's tap input, the acceleration sensor module 640 taps an event corresponding to the first interrupt signal 810 . An event may be set, and an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal 820 may be set as a swing event.

The controller 650 may determine the validity of the first interrupt signal 810 based on the second interrupt signal 820 . The controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is valid when the second interrupt signal 820 is not received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal 810 is received. Alternatively, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal 810 is invalid when the second interrupt signal 820 is received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal 810 is received. have.

For example, when the event corresponding to the first interrupt signal 810 is a tap event and the event corresponding to the second interrupt signal 820 is a swing event, the control unit 650 controls the first If the second interrupt signal 820 is not received within a preset input time while receiving the interrupt signal 810 , it may be determined that the tap event is valid. Alternatively, when the second interrupt signal 820 is received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal 810 is received, the controller 650 may determine that the tap event is not valid.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on a result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal 810 .

The reason why the controller 650 controls the power supplied to the heater 630 based on the validity determination result of the first interrupt signal 810 is to prevent malfunction of the aerosol generating device 600 .

Meanwhile, when receiving the first interrupt signal 810 , the controller 650 may transmit a reception confirmation signal to the acceleration sensor module 640 .

When receiving the acknowledgment signal from the controller 650 , the acceleration sensor module 640 may change an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal 820 .

For example, when receiving the acknowledgment signal from the controller 650 , the acceleration sensor module 640 may change an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal 820 from a swing event to a collision event.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may retransmit the second interrupt signal 820 corresponding to the changed event to the controller 650 .

The controller 650 may re-determine the validity of the first interrupt signal 810 based on the changed second interrupt signal 820 . The method of verifying the first interrupt signal according to the changed second interrupt signal 820 is the same as the method of verifying the validity of the first interrupt signal 810 before the change of the second interrupt signal 820 .

As the control unit 650 verifies the validity of the first interrupt signal 810 while changing the second interrupt signal 820 , the malfunction rate of the aerosol generating device 600 may be remarkably reduced.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on the validity judgment result of the first interrupt signal 810 .

8 is a flowchart for explaining a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the controller 650 may transmit mode information including a smoking mode and a cleaning mode to the acceleration sensor module 640 ( S810 ).

The acceleration sensor module 640 may detect a first event and a second event corresponding to an acceleration change of the aerosol generating device 600 (S813).

For example, the first event and the second event may be at least one of a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, and a step event.

The acceleration sensor module 640 may initially set the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal based on the mode information received from the controller 650 (S815).

The acceleration sensor module 640 may initially set the first event as the first interrupt signal and may initially set the second event as the second interrupt signal based on the mode information received from the controller 650 .

For example, the acceleration sensor module 640 may initially set a tap event as a first interrupt signal and initially set a swing event as a second interrupt signal based on receiving the mode information indicating the smoking mode. can

As another example, the acceleration sensor module 640 initially sets a swing event as a first interrupt signal and initially sets a tap event as a second interrupt signal based on receiving mode information indicating the cleaning mode. can

The acceleration sensor module 640 may transmit a first interrupt signal and a second interrupt signal to the controller 650 (S817).

The controller 650 may calculate whether the first interrupt signal is received (S819).

When the first interrupt signal is not received, the controller 650 may continuously wait for reception of the first interrupt signal.

When receiving the second interrupt signal while not receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may continuously wait for reception of the first interrupt signal without heating the heater 630 .

When receiving the first interrupt signal, the control unit 650 may transmit a reception confirmation signal to the acceleration sensor module 640 (S821).

The acceleration sensor module 640 may further include a third terminal (not shown) to receive an acknowledgment signal from the controller 650 .

The controller 650 may determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal (S825).

The controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is valid when the second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal is received. Alternatively, when the second interrupt signal is received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is invalid.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on the result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal (S827).

When the first interrupt signal is valid in the smoking mode, the controller 650 may control the battery 620 to transmit the first power to the heater 630 . When the first interrupt signal is valid in the cleaning mode, the controller 650 may control the battery 620 to transmit second power greater than the first power to the heater 630 . The magnitude of the first power and the second power may be appropriately set in consideration of the optimum smoking temperature, the temperature at which the deposited foreign material can be removed, and the like.

Meanwhile, the acceleration sensor module 640 may reset the second interrupt signal based on whether the acknowledgment signal is received (S823).

When receiving the acknowledgment signal from the controller 650 , the acceleration sensor module 640 may change the event corresponding to the second interrupt from the second event to the third event.

For example, the acceleration sensor module 640 may change an event corresponding to the second interrupt in the smoking mode from a swing event to a collision event.

As another example, the acceleration sensor module 640 may change an event corresponding to the second interrupt from a tap event to a fall event in the cleaning mode.

When the third event is detected, the acceleration sensor module 640 may retransmit a second interrupt signal to the controller 650 . According to an embodiment, when the first event is detected, the acceleration sensor module 460 may retransmit the first interrupt signal to the controller 650 ( S829 ).

The controller 650 may re-determine the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal (S831).

The method of verifying the first interrupt signal according to the changed second interrupt signal may be the same as the method of verifying the validity of the first interrupt signal before the change of the second interrupt signal.

The controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is valid when the changed second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal. Alternatively, the controller 650 may determine that the first interrupt signal is invalid when the changed second interrupt signal is received within a preset input time while the first interrupt signal is received.

The controller 650 may control the power supplied to the heater 630 based on the result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal (S833).

Meanwhile, although FIG. 8 shows that the event corresponding to the second interrupt signal is reset only once, according to an embodiment, it is also possible that the event corresponding to the second interrupt signal is reset a plurality of times.

As the aerosol generating device 600 of the present invention verifies the validity of the first interrupt signal through the second interrupt signal, the malfunction rate of the aerosol generating device 600 is remarkably reduced.

In addition, the aerosol generating device 600 of the present invention does not statically use the interrupt signal output through the port of the acceleration sensor module 640, and as it varies depending on the mode, there is an advantage that additional installation of the acceleration sensor is not required. have.

An embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as a program module executed by a computer. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Also, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in modulated data signals, such as program modules, or other transport mechanisms, and includes any information delivery media.

Those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment will understand that it can be implemented in a modified form within a range that does not deviate from the essential characteristics of the above description. Therefore, the disclosed methods are to be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is indicated in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within an equivalent scope should be construed as being included in the present invention.

600: aerosol generating device
610: memory
620: battery
630: heater
640: acceleration sensor module
650: control unit

Claims (13)

An aerosol generating device comprising:
a heater for heating the aerosol-generating substrate;
a control unit controlling the power supplied to the heater; and
Detecting a first event and a second event corresponding to a change in acceleration of the aerosol generating device,
an acceleration sensor module for transmitting a first interrupt signal corresponding to the first event and a second interrupt signal corresponding to the second event to the control unit;
the control unit
determining the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal;
Based on a result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal, the aerosol generating device that controls the power supplied to the heater. According to claim 1,
The acceleration sensor module
changing an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal from the second event to a third event,
When the third event is detected, the second interrupt signal is retransmitted to the control unit,
the control unit
re-judging the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal;
Based on the validity judgment result for the first interrupt signal, the aerosol generating device to control the power supplied to the heater. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device further includes a battery for supplying power to the heater,
the control unit
If the second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, it is determined that the first interrupt signal is valid;
Controlling the battery based on the effective first interrupt signal to heat the heater. According to claim 1,
The first event and the second event are
An aerosol generating device comprising at least one of a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, and a step event. According to claim 1,
the control unit
An aerosol generating device that transmits mode information including a smoking mode and a cleaning mode to the acceleration sensor module. 6. The method of claim 5,
The acceleration sensor module
Based on receiving the mode information indicating the smoking mode, a tap event and a swing event are initially set to the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal, respectively;
the control unit
When the first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event is received, a acknowledgment signal is transmitted to the acceleration sensor module;
The acceleration sensor module
Upon receiving the acknowledgment signal, an aerosol generating device that resets any one event selected from a fall event, a collision event, and a step event to an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal. 6. The method of claim 5,
The acceleration sensor module
Based on receiving the mode information indicating the cleaning mode, a swing event and a tap event are initially set to the first interrupt signal and the second interrupt signal, respectively,
the control unit
When a first interrupt signal corresponding to the tap event is received, a acknowledgment signal is transmitted to the acceleration sensor module,
The acceleration sensor module
Upon receiving the acknowledgment signal, an aerosol generating device that resets any one event selected from a fall event, a collision event, and a step event to an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal. 6. The method of claim 5,
A battery for supplying power to the heater; further comprising,
The control unit is
controlling the battery to transmit first power to the heater in the smoking mode, and controlling the battery to transmit second power to the heater in the cleaning mode;
wherein the second power is set to be greater than the first power. According to claim 1,
The acceleration sensor module
An aerosol generating device comprising a first terminal for outputting the first interrupt signal and a second terminal for outputting the second interrupt signal. A method of operating an aerosol generating device, comprising:
detecting a first event and a second event corresponding to a change in acceleration of the aerosol generating device;
transmitting a first interrupt signal corresponding to the first event and a second interrupt signal corresponding to the second event;
determining validity of the first interrupt signal based on the second interrupt signal; and
Controlling the power supplied to the heater based on the result of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal; Method of operating an aerosol generating device comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10,
changing an event corresponding to the second interrupt signal from the second event to a third event;
retransmitting the second interrupt signal when the third event is detected;
re-judging the validity of the first interrupt signal based on the changed second interrupt signal; and;
Controlling the power supplied to the heater on the basis of the validity judgment result for the first interrupt signal; Method of operation of the aerosol generating device further comprising a. 11. The method of claim 10,
The step of determining the validity of the first interrupt signal is
When the second interrupt signal is not received within a preset input time in a state of receiving the first interrupt signal, the method of operating an aerosol generating device that determines that the first interrupt signal is valid. 11. The method of claim 10,
The first event and the second event are
A method of operating an aerosol generating device comprising at least one of a tap event, a swing event, a fall event, a collision event, and a step event.

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