KR20220069614A - Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating article - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating device comprises: a sensor for recognizing an identification mark given to an aerosol generating article accommodated in the aerosol generating device; a heater comprising a plurality of areas, wherein each area heats a different part of the aerosol generating article; and a processor that controls the heater based on the identification mark recognized by the sensor, wherein the sensor and heater may be disposed spaced apart from each other along a direction in which a void accommodating the aerosol generating article extends. Therefore, the present invention is capable of preventing the reuse of the aerosol generating article.

Description

Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating article

The present disclosure relates to aerosol-generating devices and aerosol-generating articles.

In recent years there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that overcome the shortcomings of common aerosol-generating articles. For example, there is a growing need for a method in which an aerosol is generated as an aerosol-generating material in an aerosol-generating article is heated rather than a method in which the aerosol-generating article is combusted to generate an aerosol.

In particular, research to recognize an aerosol-generating article accommodated in an aerosol-generating device is in progress.

To provide an aerosol-generating device and an aerosol-generating article. Specifically, to provide a device that recognizes an aerosol-generating article accommodated in the aerosol-generating device and operates according to the recognition result. On the other hand, the technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the technical problems as described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following embodiments.

An aerosol-generating device according to one aspect comprises: a sensor for recognizing an identification mark imparted to an aerosol-generating article received in the aerosol-generating device; a heater comprising a plurality of regions each heating a different portion of the aerosol-generating article; and a processor for controlling the heater based on the identification mark recognized by the sensor, wherein the sensor and the heater may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along a direction in which the cavity for receiving the aerosol-generating article extends.

According to another aspect, an aerosol-generating article comprises: a wrapper comprising an identification indicia indicating information of the aerosol-generating article; and a medium comprising a tobacco material, wherein the identification mark is disposed to be spaced apart from the medium along a direction in which the aerosol-generating article extends, and heat applied to the medium is indirectly transmitted through the medium. may change according to

The aerosol-generating device may operate in an optimal operating scenario for each of the various types of aerosol-generating articles. Further, reuse of an aerosol-generating article may be prevented as an identification indicia that changes as it is heated is included in the aerosol-generating article.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the present specification and accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 are views illustrating examples in which an aerosol-generating article is inserted into an aerosol-generating device.
4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol generating device using an induction heating method.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-generating article.
6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
7 is a diagram illustrating placement of a sensor and a heater relative to a cavity according to an embodiment.
8 is a diagram illustrating the placement of a sensor, a heater, and an aerosol-generating article housed in an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.
9 is a view for explaining heating of a medium portion by a heater according to an embodiment.
10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
11 is a diagram illustrating another example of an aerosol-generating article.
12 is a view for explaining a process in which an identification mark receives heat, according to an embodiment.
13 is a view for explaining a process in which an identification mark receives heat according to another embodiment.
14 to 17 are views illustrating various examples of changed identification marks.
18 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments are selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering functions in the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there is a term 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.

In the entire specification, when a part "includes" a certain element, 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 may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software.

Also, terms including an ordinal number such as 'first' or 'second' used in this specification may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement them. However, the present invention may be embodied in several 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.

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

Referring to FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery 110 , a processor 120 , and a heater 130 . 2 and 3 , the aerosol generating device 100 further includes a vaporizer 140 . In addition, an aerosol-generating article may be inserted into the inner space of the aerosol-generating device 100 .

The aerosol generating device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes 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 100 . .

In addition, although it is illustrated that the heater 130 is included in the aerosol generating device 100 in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the heater 130 may be omitted if necessary.

1 illustrates that the battery 110 , the processor 120 , and the heater 130 are arranged in a line. Also, in FIG. 2 , the battery 110 , the processor 120 , the vaporizer 140 , and the heater 130 are illustrated as being disposed in a line. In addition, FIG. 3 shows that the vaporizer 140 and the heater 130 are disposed in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 . In other words, according to the design of the aerosol generating device 100 , the arrangement of the battery 110 , the processor 120 , the heater 130 , and the vaporizer 140 may be changed.

When the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100 , the aerosol-generating device 100 operates the heater 130 and/or the vaporizer 140 , thereby causing the aerosol from the aerosol-generating article and/or vaporizer 140 . can cause The aerosol generated by the heater 130 and/or vaporizer 140 passes through the aerosol generating article and is delivered to the user.

If necessary, the aerosol-generating device 100 may heat the heater 130 even when the aerosol-generating article is not inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100 .

The battery 110 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generating device 100 . For example, the battery 110 may supply power to the heater 130 or the vaporizer 140 to be heated, and may supply power necessary for the processor 120 to operate. In addition, the battery 110 may supply power required to operate a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 100 .

The processor 120 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100 . Specifically, the processor 120 controls the operation of the battery 110 , the heater 130 , and the vaporizer 140 , as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 100 . In addition, the processor 120 may determine whether the aerosol generating device 100 is in an operable state by checking the state of each of the components of the aerosol generating device 100 .

The processor 120 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 130 may be heated by power supplied from the battery 110 . For example, if the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 100 , the heater 130 may be located external to the aerosol-generating article. Accordingly, the heated heater 130 may raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material within the aerosol-generating article.

The heater 130 may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater 130 may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater 130 may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 130 is not limited to the above-described example, and may be applicable 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 100 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 aerosol-generating article in an induction heating manner, and the aerosol-generating article may include a susceptor capable of being heated by an induction heating heater.

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, which heats the interior or exterior of the aerosol-generating article depending on the shape of the heating element. can do.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 100 . In this case, the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article, or may be disposed outside the aerosol-generating article. In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 130 may be disposed to be inserted inside the aerosol-generating article, and others may be disposed outside the aerosol-generating article. In addition, the shape of the heater 130 is not limited to the shape shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , and may be manufactured in various shapes.

Vaporizer 140 may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which may be delivered to a user by passing through the aerosol-generating article. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 140 may travel along an airflow passage of the aerosol-generating device 100 , in which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 140 passes through the aerosol-generating article to a user It can be configured to be delivered to

For example, the vaporizer 140 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 100 as independent modules.

The liquid reservoir 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 140 , or may be manufactured integrally with the vaporizer 140 .

For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a flavoring, 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 capable of providing 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, or the like. In addition, the heating element may be composed of a conductive filament, such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged to be wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element may be heated by supplying 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 140 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 110 , the processor 120 , the heater 130 , and the vaporizer 140 . For example, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. Also, the aerosol generating device 100 may include at least one sensor (a puff detecting sensor, a temperature detecting sensor, an aerosol generating article insertion detecting sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device 100 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 aerosol generating article is inserted.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the aerosol generating device 100 may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 100 . Alternatively, the heater 130 may be heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 100 are coupled.

The aerosol-generating article 200 may resemble a conventional combustible cigarette. For example, the aerosol-generating article 200 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 portion of the aerosol-generating article 200 may also include 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 100 , 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 100 , or the whole of the first part and a part of the second part may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol while biting the second part with the mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by passing the external air through the first part, 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 100 . For example, the opening and closing of the air passage and/or the size of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 100 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, outside air may be introduced into the interior of the aerosol-generating article through at least one hole formed in the surface of the aerosol-generating article.

4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol generating device using an induction heating method.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery 110 , a processor 120 , a coil 410 , and a susceptor 420 . Also, the cavity 430 of the aerosol-generating device 100 may receive at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 200 . The aerosol-generating article 200 , the battery 110 and the processor 120 of FIG. 4 may correspond to the aerosol-generating article 200 , the battery 110 and the processor 120 of FIGS. 1 to 3 . Also, the coil 410 and the susceptor 420 may be included in the heater 130 . Accordingly, overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The aerosol generating device 100 illustrated in FIG. 4 includes components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 4 may be further included in the aerosol generating device 100 .

Coil 410 may be positioned around cavity 430 . Although the coil 410 is illustrated as being disposed to surround the cavity 430 in FIG. 4 , the present invention is not limited thereto.

Once the aerosol-generating article 200 is received in the cavity 430 of the aerosol-generating device 100 , the aerosol-generating device 100 may power the coil 410 such that the coil 410 generates a magnetic field. As the magnetic field generated by the coil 410 passes through the susceptor 420 , the susceptor 420 may be heated.

For example, when the magnetic induction in the susceptor 420 changes, an electric field is generated in the susceptor 420 , so that an eddy current flows in the susceptor 420 . Eddy currents generate heat within susceptor 420 that is proportional to current density and conductor resistance.

The susceptor 420 is heated by the eddy current, and the aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating article 200 is heated by the heated susceptor 420 to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material passes through the aerosol-generating article 200 and is delivered to the user.

The battery 110 may supply power to the coil 410 to generate a magnetic field. The processor 120 may be electrically connected to the coil 410 .

The coil 410 may be an electrically conductive coil that generates a magnetic field by power supplied from the battery 110 . The coil 410 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the cavity 430 . The magnetic field generated by the coil 410 may be applied to a susceptor 420 disposed at the inner end of the cavity 430 .

The susceptor 420 is heated as the magnetic field generated from the coil 410 penetrates, and may include metal or carbon. For example, the susceptor 420 may include at least one of ferrite, a ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum.

In addition, the susceptor 420 is graphite, molybdenum (molybdenum), silicon carbide (silicon carbide), niobium (niobium), a nickel alloy (nickel alloy), a metal film (metal film), such as zirconia (zirconia) It may include at least one of a ceramic, a transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), and a metalloid such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P). However, the susceptor 420 is not limited to the above-described example, and as long as it can be heated to a desired temperature as a magnetic field is applied, the susceptor 420 may be applied without limitation. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generating device 100 or may be set to a desired temperature by the user.

Once the aerosol-generating article 200 is received in the cavity 430 of the aerosol-generating device 100 , the susceptor 420 may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 200 . Accordingly, the heated susceptor 420 may raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating material within the aerosol-generating article 200 .

4, the susceptor 420 is shown disposed to surround at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article, but is not limited thereto. For example, the susceptor 420 may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, depending on the shape of the heating element, the interior of the aerosol-generating article 200 . Alternatively, the outside can be heated.

In addition, a plurality of susceptors 420 may be disposed in the aerosol generating device 100 . In this case, the plurality of susceptors 420 may be disposed on the outside of the aerosol-generating article 200 or may be disposed to be inserted therein. In addition, some of the plurality of susceptors 420 may be disposed to be inserted into the aerosol-generating article 200 , and others may be disposed outside the aerosol-generating article 200 . In addition, the shape of the susceptor 420 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 4 , and may be manufactured in various shapes.

Hereinafter, an example of an aerosol-generating article will be described with reference to FIG. 5 .

5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an aerosol-generating article.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the aerosol generating article includes a tobacco rod 210 and a filter rod 220 . The first part described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a tobacco rod 210 , and the second part includes a filter rod 220 .

5, the filter rod 220 is shown as a single segment, but 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 for cooling the aerosol and a second segment for filtering certain components contained in the aerosol. In addition, if necessary, the filter rod 220 may further include at least one segment that performs another function.

The aerosol generating article may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 240 . At least one hole through which external air flows or internal gas flows may be formed in the wrapper 240 . As an example, the aerosol generating article may be wrapped by one wrapper 240 . As another example, an aerosol-generating article may be nested wrapped by two or more wrappers 240 . For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be packaged by the first wrapper, and the filter rod 220 may be packaged by the second wrapper. Then, the tobacco rod 210 and the filter rod 220 wrapped by an individual wrapper may be combined, and the entire aerosol-generating article may be repackaged by the third wrapper. If each of the tobacco rod 210 or the filter rod 220 is composed of a plurality of segments, each segment may be wrapped by an individual wrapper. In addition, the entire aerosol-generating article in which segments packaged by individual wrappers are combined may be repackaged by another wrapper.

Tobacco rod 210 contains 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. The tobacco rod 210 may also 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 may be added to the tobacco rod 210 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 210 .

Tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured in various ways. For example, the tobacco rod 210 may be manufactured as a sheet or as a strand. Also, the tobacco rod 210 may be made of cut filler from which the tobacco sheet is chopped. In addition, 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. For example, the heat-conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 210 may improve the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod 210 by evenly distributing the heat transferred to the tobacco rod 210 , thereby improving the tobacco taste. can do it In addition, 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 drawings, the tobacco rod 210 may further include an additional susceptor in addition to the heat-conducting material surrounding the outside.

The filter rod 220 may be a cellulose acetate filter. On the other hand, 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 including a hollow therein. Also, 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, the flavoring solution may be sprayed onto the filter rod 220 , and a separate fiber coated with the flavoring solution may be inserted into the filter rod 220 .

In addition, the filter rod 220 may include at least one capsule 230 . Here, the capsule 230 may perform a function of generating flavor or may perform a function of generating an aerosol. 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 for cooling the aerosol, the cooling segment may be made of a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material. For example, the cooling segment may be made only of pure polylactic acid, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the cooling segment may be made of a cellulose acetate filter perforated with a plurality of holes. However, the cooling segment is not limited to the above-described example, and as long as the aerosol can perform a function of cooling, it may be applied without limitation.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 5 , the aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment may further include a shear filter. The front-end filter is located on one side opposite to the filter rod 220 in the tobacco rod 210 . The shear filter may prevent the tobacco rod 210 from escaping to the outside, and may prevent aerosol liquefied from the tobacco rod 210 from flowing into the aerosol generating device during smoking.

6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a sensor 610 , a heater 620 , and a processor 120 , and the heater 620 may include a plurality of regions. The heater 620 of FIG. 6 corresponds to the heater 620, the coil 410, and the susceptor 420 of FIGS. 1 to 4 , and the processor 120 of FIG. 6 is the processor 120 of FIGS. 1 to 4 . can correspond to Accordingly, overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The aerosol generating device 100 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes components related to the present embodiment. Accordingly, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 6 may be further included in the aerosol generating device 100 .

The aerosol-generating device 100 may contain an aerosol-generating article to which an identification mark is assigned. The identification mark indicates information or type of the aerosol-generating article and may be printed or affixed to the wrapper of the aerosol-generating article. Accordingly, the identification marks imparted to an aerosol-generating article of the same type may be the same and the identification markings imparted to an aerosol-generating article of a different type may be different. Specific examples of the identification mark will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 11 .

The sensor 610 may recognize an identification mark given to an aerosol-generating article received in the aerosol-generating device 100 . The sensor 610 may recognize the identification mark by detecting a color, pattern, or shape of the identification mark. The sensor 610 may include a suitable configuration according to the type of the identification mark. For example, the sensor 610 may include a color sensor, an optical scanner, an NFC reader, or an RFID reader according to the type of the identification mark. On the other hand, the above examples are only for convenience of description, and are not intended to limit the type of the sensor 610 . If the sensor 610 can recognize the identification mark, it may correspond without limitation.

In one embodiment, the sensor 610 may include a color sensor. The color sensor may include an RGB sensor or an XYZ optical sensor for measuring, discriminating or discriminating the color of the identification mark. The RGB sensor includes light sources of three colors, and can detect color information by reflecting light on an object. The XYZ optical sensor includes an optical-to-digital converter and can detect xy chromaticity coordinates according to the CIE 1931 color space. In addition, the color sensor may include a filter that blocks infrared rays in a visible ray region for more accurate color measurement.

The heater 620 may include a plurality of regions. The heater 620 may have a form in which power supplied from the battery is distributed to each of a plurality of regions. Alternatively, the heater 620 may be of a type in which power is individually supplied to each of the plurality of regions from the battery. Each region may heat a different portion of the aerosol-generating article. Although one heater 620 is expressed as including a plurality of regions, it may also be understood that each of the plurality of regions corresponds to a separate heater. In this case, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a plurality of heaters. can be understood as In the heater 620 , only a partial area or all of a plurality of areas may be heated according to an instruction of the processor 120 .

Meanwhile, the arrangement of the sensor 610 and the heater 620 will be described later with reference to FIG. 7 .

The processor 120 may control the heater 620 based on the identification mark recognized by the sensor 610 . The processor 120 may compare the recognized identification marks with a plurality of identification marks previously stored in a memory (not shown). For example, the processor 120 may determine whether a plurality of pre-stored identification marks are identical to the recognized identification marks.

The memory may store an operation scenario for each of the plurality of identification marks. Each operational scenario may be an operational scenario optimized for the aerosol-generating article to which a corresponding identification mark is imparted. An operation scenario will be described later in detail with reference to FIG. 9 .

As a result of the comparison, the processor 120 may operate the heater 620 to heat the aerosol-generating article when it is determined that the recognized identification mark is the same as one of a plurality of previously stored identification marks. The processor 120 may control the heater 620 according to an operation scenario corresponding to the identification mark determined to be the same.

As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the recognized identification mark is different from a plurality of previously stored identification marks, the processor 120 may limit the operation of the heater 620 to limit heating of the aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating device 100 may prevent the use of an unauthorized aerosol-generating article by restricting the operation of the heater 620 , or may prevent reuse of an already used aerosol-generating article. Prevention of reuse of the aerosol-generating article will be described later with reference to FIG. 11 or less.

7 is a diagram illustrating placement of a sensor and a heater relative to a cavity according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , the aerosol generating device 100 may include a cavity 430 , a sensor 610 , and a heater 620 . The aerosol-generating article 200 may include an identification indicia 250 .

The aerosol-generating device 100 may contain an aerosol-generating article 200 . The cavity 430 (or internal space) of the aerosol-generating device 100 may be formed in a shape corresponding to the aerosol-generating article 200 to accommodate the aerosol-generating article 200 . The cavity 430 has a shape similar to a cylinder, and a direction corresponding to the height of the cylinder may be a direction in which the cavity 430 extends. The aerosol-generating article 200 may be inserted into the cavity 430 in the direction in which the cavity 430 extends.

The sensor 610 may be disposed around the cavity 430 in a portion corresponding to the location of the identification mark 250 of the contained aerosol-generating article 200 . When the aerosol-generating article 200 is received, the position of the identification mark 250 and the position of the sensor 610 come into contact with each other, so the sensor 610 may automatically recognize the identification mark 250 .

The heater 620 may be disposed around the cavity 430 at a portion corresponding to the location of the medium of the contained aerosol-generating article 200 . The heater 620 may be positioned to abut the medium of the contained aerosol-generating article 200 . For example, the heater 620 may be arranged to cover all areas in which the medium may exist in the various aerosol-generating articles 200 . At least one region of the heater 620 may be disposed in a portion corresponding to the medium to heat the medium. Meanwhile, the medium may correspond to the tobacco rod 210 of FIG. 5 .

The sensor 610 and the heater 620 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the direction in which the cavity 430 extends. For example, the sensor 610 and the heater 620 may be disposed so as not to overlap each other in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the cavity 430 extends. If the sensor 610 and the heater 620 are arranged to overlap each other, heating and recognition are performed together in the overlapping area, so that the accuracy or performance of each operation may be deteriorated. Accordingly, the identification mark 250 and the medium are spaced apart so that the heating of the aerosol-generating article 200 and the recognition of the aerosol-generating article 200 are performed in separate areas, the sensor 610 and the heater ( 620) may also be spaced apart.

On the other hand, although the sensor 610 is illustrated as being disposed on the upper end of the heater 620 in FIG. 7 , the present invention is not limited thereto, and the heater 620 is located at the lower end of the heater 620 or along the direction in which the cavity 430 extends. It can be placed without limitation as long as it is spaced apart from the

A plurality of regions of the heater 620 may be continuously disposed along a direction in which the cavity 430 extends. The plurality of continuously disposed regions may heat the medium in the various aerosol-generating articles 200 even if the location of the medium is different. The sensor 610 may be disposed outside the plurality of consecutive regions and the cavity 430 to be spaced apart along the extending direction thereof. For example, the sensor 610 is not disposed between the plurality of regions.

Although the heater 620 is illustrated as including three regions in FIG. 7 , it is not limited thereto and may include a variety of numbers of regions. In addition, although the heater 620 is illustrated as being disposed on one surface of the cavity 430 , this is only an example, and may be formed in various shapes such as a shape surrounding the cavity 430 .

8 is a diagram illustrating the placement of an aerosol-generating article housed in a sensor, a heater and an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8 , the aerosol generating device includes a sensor 610 and a heater 620 , and the heater 620 includes a first region 621 , a second region 622 , and a third region 623 . can do. The aerosol-generating article 200 may include an identification indicia 250 , a first portion 261 , a second portion 262 , and a third portion 263 . 8 is a form in which the aerosol-generating article 200 is accommodated in the cavity, but the body and the cavity of the aerosol-generating device are omitted for convenience of description.

The sensor 610 may be disposed to correspond to the identification mark 250 to recognize the identification mark 250 . As shown in FIG. 8 , the sensor 610 may be disposed to abut against the identification mark 250 .

The heater 620 may be disposed to correspond to an area in the aerosol-generating article 200 in which the medium may exist. The first portion 261 , the second portion 262 , and the third portion 263 may correspond to regions in which the medium portion may exist. For example, in one aerosol-generating article 200, only the first portion 261 corresponds to the medium portion, and in another aerosol-generating article 200, the second portion 262 and the third portion 263 are in the medium portion. may be applicable. The first region 621 corresponds to the first part 261 to heat the first part 261 , and the second region 622 corresponds to the second part 262 to heat the second part 262 . In addition, the third region 623 may correspond to the third part 263 to heat the third part 263 .

9 is a view for explaining heating of a medium portion by a heater according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the aerosol generating device includes a sensor 610 and a heater 620 , and the heater 620 includes a first region 621 , a second region 622 , and a third region 623 . can do. The aerosol-generating article 200 includes an identification mark 250 , a first portion 261 , a second portion 262 , and a third portion 263 , wherein the second portion 262 may correspond to a medium portion. have. 9 is a form in which the aerosol-generating article 200 is accommodated in the cavity, but the body and the cavity of the aerosol-generating device are omitted for convenience of description.

A memory (not shown) may store a plurality of identification marks and an operation scenario corresponding to each. Each operation scenario may be an operation scenario optimized for the type of aerosol-generating article 200 to which a corresponding identification mark 250 is assigned. For example, the operation scenario is an operation of heating only a region corresponding to the position of the medium portion of the aerosol-generating article 200 among the plurality of regions 621 , 622 , and 623 and heating the heater 620 according to a specific temperature profile. It may include actions and the like.

The processor may control the heater 620 based on the recognized identification mark 250 . The processor may control the heater 620 according to an operation scenario corresponding to the recognized identification mark 250 . For example, the processor may identify the type of the aerosol-generating article 200 based on the identification mark, and control the heater 620 according to an operation scenario corresponding to the aerosol-generating article according to the identified type.

When the operation scenario includes an operation of heating only at least one region corresponding to the position of the medium among the plurality of regions 621 , 622 , and 623 , the processor recognizes the plurality of regions ( Among 621 , 622 , and 623 ), only at least one region corresponding to the position of the medium may be operated. Accordingly, only the medium portion can be heated in the aerosol-generating article 200 . The aerosol generating device can efficiently control the power supply by not operating the region of the heater 620 corresponding to a portion other than the medium that does not need to be directly heated.

9 , the processor may operate only the second region 622 corresponding thereto so that only the second part 262 corresponding to the medium part is heated. For example, the processor may cut off or supply a relatively small amount of power to the first region 621 and the third region 623 , and supply a sufficient amount of power to the second region 622 . . Accordingly, only the second region 622 that is the medium in the aerosol-generating article 200 can be directly heated.

If the operating scenario includes heating the heater 620 according to an optimal temperature profile for the aerosol-generating article 200 , the processor determines the optimal temperature for the aerosol-generating article 200 as the identifying indicia 250 is recognized. The heater 620 may be controlled to be heated with a temperature profile of .

In the embodiment according to FIG. 9 , the processor operates only the second region 622 of the plurality of regions 621 , 622 , and 623 and heats the second region 622 to a temperature profile corresponding to the recognized identification mark 250 . 622) can be controlled.

When the operating scenario includes heating each of the plurality of areas 621 , 622 , 623 to a different temperature profile, the processor is configured to heat the plurality of areas 621 , 622 , 623 as the identification mark 250 is recognized. The heaters 620 can be controlled so that each is heated with a different temperature profile.

9 , the processor may control the second region 622 to be heated with the high temperature profile and control the first region 621 and the third region 623 to be heated with the low temperature profile.

Meanwhile, the above-described operation scenario is merely an example, and the method of heating each region by the heater 620 to a separate temperature profile may be variously modified and implemented. Alternatively, when the aerosol-generating article 200 includes a portion requiring heating other than the medium portion, the operation scenario may include an operation of heating an area corresponding to the corresponding portion among the plurality of areas 621 , 622 , 623 . have.

10 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a sensor 610 , a heater 620 , a vaporizer 140 , and a processor 120 , and the heater 620 may include a plurality of regions. . The heater 620 and the processor 120 of FIG. 10 correspond to the heater 620 and the processor 120 of FIG. 6 , and the vaporizer 140 of FIG. 10 corresponds to the vaporizer 140 of FIGS. 2 and 3 . can be Accordingly, overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The aerosol generating device 100 shown in FIG. 10 shows components related to the present embodiment. Therefore, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 10 may be further included in the aerosol generating device 100 .

The aerosol generating device 100 may further include a vaporizer 140 in addition to the heater 620 as a heating means for generating an aerosol. Vaporizer 140 may include a liquid reservoir for storing the aerosol generating material and a heating element for heating the aerosol generating material stored in the liquid reservoir. For example, the aerosol generating material 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. Vaporizer 140 may heat the aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may be passed through the aerosol-generating article and delivered to a user.

The processor 120 may control the vaporizer 140 based on the identification indication. The processor 120 may control the vaporizer 140 according to an operation scenario corresponding to the recognized identification mark similarly to the control of the heater 620 . The processor 120 may determine whether to operate the vaporizer 140 based on the identification mark or control the vaporizer 140 to be heated to a temperature profile corresponding to the identification mark.

For example, the processor 120 may selectively operate the vaporizer 140 among the heater 620 and the vaporizer 140 based on the identification mark. In this case, the processor 120 may directly heat the aerosol-generating material stored in the vaporizer 140 without directly heating the aerosol-generating article. The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material may pass through, for example, the flavor material or tobacco material of the aerosol-generating article and be delivered to the user with a portion of the flavor material or tobacco material.

11 is a diagram illustrating another example of an aerosol-generating article.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the aerosol-generating article 200 may include a wrapper 240 and a medium 260 , and the wrapper 240 may include an identification indicia 250 . The wrapper 240 of FIG. 11 corresponds to the wrapper 240 of FIG. 5, the medium portion 260 of FIG. 11 corresponds to the tobacco rod 210 of FIG. 5, and the identification mark 250 of FIG. It may correspond to the identification mark 250 described with reference to 6 . Accordingly, overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The aerosol-generating article 200 shown in FIG. 11 shows components related to this embodiment. Accordingly, it can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 11 may be further included in the aerosol-generating article 200 .

11, the lower half of the aerosol-generating article 200 is shown to correspond to the medium portion 260, but as in FIG. 9, only a portion of the area may correspond to the medium portion 260, and an identification mark ( The relative positions of the 250 and the medium 260 may also be different. That is, the size or arrangement of the medium portion 260 and the identification mark 250 may be variously modified.

The medium portion 260 may include tobacco material. Tobacco material may include tobacco leaves, reconstituted tobacco or tobacco granules, and the like. The wrapper 240 may include an identifying indicia 250 . Identification indicia 250 may be printed or affixed to wrapper 240 .

The identification mark 250 may be disposed to be spaced apart from the medium portion 260 along the direction in which the aerosol-generating article 200 extends. The display of the identification mark 250 may be changed as heat applied to the medium 260 is indirectly transmitted through the medium 260 .

On the other hand, the aerosol-generating article 200 has a shape similar to a cylinder, and the direction corresponding to the height of the cylinder may be the direction in which the aerosol-generating article 200 extends. The direction in which the aerosol-generating article 200 extends may correspond to the direction in which it is received in the cavity.

The aerosol-generating article 200 may be inserted into the cavity 430 in the direction in which the cavity 430 extends.

The aerosol-generating device may prevent reuse of the aerosol-generating article 200 by limiting the operation of the heater when the aerosol-generating article 200 already comprising an altered identification indicia is received in the cavity. If the aerosol-generating article 200 that has already been used and has changed the identification mark 250 is received, the sensor may recognize the changed identification mark. The processor may compare the changed identification indicia to a plurality of identification indicia stored in the memory. Only the original identification marks that have not been changed are stored in the memory, and the changed identification marks are different from the plurality of identification marks stored in the memory, so that the processor limits the operation of the heater to prevent heating of the aerosol-generating article 200 . can

12 is a view for explaining a process in which an identification mark receives heat, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12 , the aerosol-generating device may include a sensor 610 and a heater 620 , and the aerosol-generating article 200 may include an identification mark 250 and a medium 260 .

The identification mark 250 may receive heat applied to the medium 260 indirectly through the medium 260 . For example, unless there is a separate heat insulating material, since heat is automatically transferred to a low temperature place, as the heater 620 operates, the identification mark 250 may also receive heat. Alternatively, the aerosol may transfer heat to the identification mark 250 as the aerosol generated passes inside the location of the identification mark 250 on the aerosol-generating article 200 before being delivered to the user.

The identification mark 250 may include a thermochromic medium (not shown) that changes color according to temperature. For example, the thermochromic medium may include a heat-sensitive paint. The identification mark 250 may change as the heat discoloration medium that has received heat applied to the medium 260 indirectly through the medium 260 is discolored. A specific example of the changed identification mark will be described later with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 .

13 is a view for explaining a process in which an identification mark receives heat according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 13 , the aerosol-generating device includes a sensor 610 and a heater 620 and the aerosol-generating article 200 includes an identification mark 250 , a medium 260 , a passage 270 and an ink 280 . may include

The passage 270 stores the ink 280 and the ink 280 may be moved within the passage 270 . The passageway 270 may be connected from the medium portion 260 to the location of the identification mark 250 . The passageway 270 may be disposed within the aerosol-generating article 200 or may be disposed on a surface along a wrapper of the aerosol-generating article 200 . Alternatively, the passage 270 may be connected to the surface of the identification mark 250 from the inside of the medium 260 .

The ink 280 may be a substance that changes the identifying mark 250 by appearing on the surface of the aerosol-generating article 200 on which the identifying mark 250 is located. The ink 280 is located in the medium 260 and may move to the position of the identification mark 250 through the passage 270 as it is heated. The ink 280 may change the identification mark 250 by adding an indicia to the identification mark 250 . A specific example of the changed identification mark will be described later with reference to FIGS. 14 to 17 .

14 to 17 are views illustrating various examples of changed identification marks.

14 to 17 , an aerosol-generating article 200 including an identification indicia 250 is shown on the left and an aerosol-generating article 200 including a modified identification indicia 251 is shown on the right.

In the embodiment of FIG. 12 , the identification mark 250 is changed by the thermochromic medium included in the identification mark 250 , and in the embodiment of FIG. 13 , the identification mark 250 is moved by ink to the position of the identification mark 250 . ) can be changed. The embodiment of FIG. 12 and the embodiment of FIG. 13 may be applied to all of the embodiments according to FIGS. 14 to 17 .

Referring to FIG. 14 , the sensor 610 recognizes the color of the identification mark 250 , and the color of the identification mark 250 may change as it is heated. In an embodiment, the changed identification mark 251 may appear as the heat discoloration medium included in the identification mark 250 is discolored by receiving heat. In another embodiment, ink composed of a color different from the identification mark 250 may appear on the surface of the identification mark 250 by moving to the location of the identification mark 250 as it is heated. Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear.

Referring to FIG. 15 , the sensor 610 recognizes the color or shape of the identification mark 250 , and the shape of the identification mark 250 may change as the mark 252 is added as it is heated. Alternatively, the sensor 610 may further include an auxiliary sensor (not shown) for recognizing only the added mark 252 . In this case, when the mark 252 added by the auxiliary sensor is recognized, the processor may omit a process of comparing it with a plurality of pre-stored identification marks and limit the operation of the heater.

In an embodiment, when the heat-changeable medium is printed or attached to a position close to the identification mark 250 , the changed identification mark 251 may appear as the color is changed by receiving heat. In another embodiment, if a passage leads to a location proximate to the identification mark 250 , it may appear on the surface of that location by moving through the passage as the ink heats up. Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear.

Referring to FIG. 16 , the identification mark 250 may include a barcode, and the sensor 610 may recognize a shape or pattern of the identification mark 250 . As the identification mark 250 is heated, the shape may change, such as a barcode line is added. In an embodiment, the barcode line may be added by discoloring the thermally discolored medium printed in the form of a barcode line by receiving heat. Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear. In another embodiment, a passage may be formed in the form of a barcode line at the location of the identification mark 250 and may appear in the form of a barcode line on the surface of the identification mark 250 by moving to the location of the identification mark 250 as the ink is heated. have. Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear.

Referring to FIG. 17 , the identification mark 250 includes a QR code, and the sensor 610 may recognize a shape or pattern of the identification mark 250 . As the identification mark 250 is heated, the shape may change, such as by adding a pattern of a QR code. In one embodiment, the heat discoloration medium printed in the pattern shape of the QR code is discolored by the transfer of heat, so that the pattern of the QR code can be added. Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear. In another embodiment, the passage is formed in the shape of a pattern of QR code at the location of the identification mark 250 and the pattern of the QR code on the surface of the identification mark 250 by moving to the location of the identification mark 250 as the ink is heated. may appear in the form Accordingly, a changed identification mark 251 may appear.

The identification mark 250 and the changed identification mark 251 according to FIGS. 14 and 17 are examples only and are not limited thereto. The identification mark 250 may correspond without limitation as long as it is a mark capable of recognizing a specific type of aerosol-generating article 200 , and the sensor 610 may also correspond without limitation to be suitable therefor. The aspect in which the identification mark 250 is changed is also not limited thereto, and as long as the identification mark 250 is changed, such as an aspect in which some or all of the identification mark 250 disappears, it may correspond without limitation.

18 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 18 , an example of an operating method of the aerosol generating device 100 includes steps processed in time series in the aerosol generating device 100 shown in FIGS. 6 and 10 . Therefore, it can be seen that the contents described above with respect to the aerosol generating device 100 shown in FIGS. 6 and 10 are also applied to the method of operation of the aerosol generating device 100 of FIG. 18 , even if omitted below.

At step 1810 , the aerosol-generating device may recognize an identification indicia imparted to an aerosol-generating article contained in the aerosol-generating device.

In operation 1820, the aerosol generating device may compare the recognized identification mark with a plurality of pre-stored identification marks.

In operation 1830, the aerosol generating device may determine whether the recognized identification mark is the same as one of a plurality of pre-stored identification marks. The aerosol generating device may perform step 1840 when the recognized identification mark is the same as one of a plurality of pre-stored identification marks. The aerosol generating device may perform step 1850 when the recognized identification mark is different from a plurality of pre-stored identification marks.

In step 1840, the aerosol-generating device may operate a heater or vaporizer based on the identification indicia. The aerosol generating device may control the heater or vaporizer according to an operation scenario corresponding to the same identification mark as the recognized identification mark among a plurality of pre-stored identification marks.

In step 1850, the aerosol generating device may limit the operation of the heater and vaporizer. Aerosol-generating devices can prevent the use of unauthorized aerosol-generating articles by limiting the operation of heaters and vaporizers, or prevent reuse of already used aerosol-generating articles.

At step 1860 , the identifying indicia may change as the aerosol-generating article is heated. The aerosol-generating device may perform step 1810 if the aerosol-generating article, whose identification has already been changed, is received again in the aerosol-generating device. However, since the changed identification mark is determined to be different from the plurality of previously stored identification marks, the aerosol generating device may enter step 1850 from step 1830 to prevent heating of the aerosol generating article.

As such, the aerosol-generating device can operate in an optimal operating scenario for each of the various types of aerosol-generating articles. An optimal operating scenario may include operating a region of the heater corresponding to a location of the medium of the aerosol-generating article, heating the heater to an optimal temperature profile, and the like. In addition, reuse of an aerosol-generating article may be prevented as an identification indicia that changes as it is heated is included in the aerosol-generating article.

Meanwhile, the above-described embodiments can be written as a program that can be executed on a computer, and can be implemented in a general-purpose digital computer that operates the program using a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium. In addition, the structure of data used in the above-described embodiments may be recorded in a computer-readable recording medium through various means. The computer-readable recording medium includes a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (eg, ROM, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.) and an optically readable medium (eg, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

The description of the above-described embodiments is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Accordingly, the true scope of protection of the invention should be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope of equivalents to those described in the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

100: aerosol generating device 110: battery
120: processor 130: heater
140: vaporizer 200: aerosol generating article
210: tobacco rod 220: filter rod
230: capsule 240: wrapper
250: identification mark 251: changed identification mark
252: added mark 260: medium part
261: first part 262: second part
263: third part 270: passage
280: ink 410: coil
420: susceptor 430: cavity
610: sensor 620: heater
621: first area 622: second area
623: third area

Claims (14)

An aerosol generating device comprising:
a sensor for recognizing an identification indicia imparted to an aerosol-generating article received in the aerosol-generating device;
a heater comprising a plurality of regions each heating a different portion of the aerosol-generating article; and
A processor for controlling the heater based on the identification mark recognized by the sensor,
wherein the sensor and the heater are disposed spaced apart from each other along a direction in which the cavity for receiving the aerosol-generating article extends. The method of claim 1,
The sensor is disposed in a portion corresponding to the identification mark,
The plurality of regions are continuously arranged along the extending direction, and at least one region of the plurality of regions is disposed in a portion corresponding to the medium portion of the aerosol-generating article to heat the medium portion. . The method of claim 1,
The processor is
Comparing the recognized identification mark with a plurality of pre-stored identification marks, and controlling the heater based on the comparison result, an aerosol generating device. 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor is
As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the recognized identification mark is the same as one of the plurality of identification marks, the aerosol generating device controls the heater according to a pre-stored operation scenario corresponding to the one. 4. The method of claim 3,
The processor is
As a result of the comparison, when it is determined that the recognized identification mark is different from the plurality of identification marks, limiting the operation of the heater, an aerosol generating device. The method of claim 1,
The processor is
identify a type of the aerosol-generating article based on the identification mark;
operating only at least one region corresponding to the position of the medium portion of the aerosol-generating article according to the identified type among the plurality of regions. 7. The method of claim 6,
The processor is
controlling the at least one region to be heated to a temperature profile corresponding to the aerosol-generating article according to the identified type. The method of claim 1,
The processor is
controlling the heater so that each of the plurality of regions is heated according to a separate temperature profile corresponding to the identification mark. The method of claim 1,
The aerosol generating device,
a vaporizer storing the aerosol-generating material and heating the stored aerosol-generating material;
The processor is
controlling the vaporizer based on the identification indication. 10. The method of claim 9,
The processor is
heating the aerosol-generating material by selectively operating the vaporizer of the heater and the vaporizer based on the identification mark. According to claim 1,
the identification indicia changes as the aerosol-generating article is heated;
The processor is
limiting operation of the heater when an aerosol-generating article already comprising an altered identification indicia is received in the cavity. An aerosol-generating article comprising:
a wrapper comprising an identification indicia indicative of information of the aerosol-generating article; and
a medium portion comprising tobacco material;
The identification mark is disposed spaced apart from the medium portion along a direction in which the aerosol-generating article extends, and changes as heat applied to the medium portion is indirectly transmitted through the medium portion. 13. The method of claim 12,
The identification mark is
An aerosol-generating article comprising a thermochromic medium that is discolored by indirectly receiving the heat. 13. The method of claim 12,
The aerosol-generating article comprises:
a passage from the medium to the position of the identification mark; and
and an ink located in the medium and configured to change the identifying mark by moving through the passageway to the location of the identifying mark as it is heated.

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