TWI788538B - Information processing method, information processing program, information processing device, terminal device, and management system - Google Patents

Abstract

A management system (91, 92) includes an aerosol generating device (2), a charging device (3), a terminal device (4), and a management server device (6). The aerosol generating device (2) generates aerosol. The charging device (3) supplies electric power to charge a battery device that supplies electric power to the aerosol generating device (2). The terminal device (4) can communicate with any one of the aerosol generating device (2) and the charging device (3). The management server device (6) receives, usage status information indicating usage status of the aerosol generating device (2) or the charging device (3), from at least one of the aerosol generating device (2), the charging device (3) and the terminal device (4). The management server device (6) gives reward to the user of the terminal device (4) based on the received usage status information.

Description

Information processing method, program for information processing, information processing device, terminal device, and management system

The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, a terminal device and a management system.

As a conventional technology, there is a technology that is connected to a mist (aerosol, also called aerosol) generating device or the like to give feedback.

For example, paragraph 0088 of Patent Document 1 has the following records: "According to the application program, the avatar associated with the consumer terminal device 61 can compete with the avatars associated with other consumer terminal devices 62. Through this competition between the avatars , the avatar can gain new virtual abilities or grow. This new virtual ability can be used in future competitions with avatars of other consumer terminal devices. By winning in this virtual competition, you can get the application rewards or achievement badges within the

And, for example, paragraph 0113 of Patent Document 1 has the following description: "In addition to the improvement or reward (and negative equivalents) of the avatar's personal file due to the use of the terminal device, the avatar's personal file can also be used as The outcome of the contest between avatars is corrected over time. It can also be Winning results give points as rewards. The points can be exchanged for the avatar's competition ability or other customized services. This customization service is an update of the appearance of the avatar displayed on the screen of the smartphone using the relevant application program. "

[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017/051174

However, the feedback and the like described in Patent Document 1 are not based on the use of the mist generating device itself. Patent Document 1 does not disclose feedback based on the usage status of the mist generating device.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an information processing method, an information processing program, an information processing device, a terminal device and a management system that can give feedback according to the use of a mist generating device.

An information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a step of receiving usage status information for displaying usage status of a mist generating device for generating mist; giving feedback to users of the aforementioned mist generating device according to the received usage status information and the step of notifying the information about the aforementioned feedback to the terminal device that can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device.

In the information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the usage status information may include connection information showing a status of a communication connection between the terminal device and the mist generating device.

In the information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the connection information may include: displaying first connection information that has been wirelessly communicated between the terminal device and the mist generating device.

In the information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the connection information may include second connection information indicating the duration of the communication connection between the terminal device and the mist generating device.

In the information processing method of one embodiment of the present invention, it may further include: the step of receiving the aforementioned usage status information collected by the charging device capable of charging the battery included in the aforementioned mist generating device, and the aforementioned usage status information includes the information displayed on The connection information of the status of the communication connection between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned charging device, the aforementioned connection information includes: the first connection information showing that wireless communication has been performed between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned charging device; and the information displayed on the aforementioned terminal device The second connection information of the length of time of the communication connection with the charging device.

In the information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the usage status information may include charging information indicating the length of time to charge the battery included in the mist generating device.

In the information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention, the charging information may include first charging information indicating the length of time the battery included in the mist generating device has been charged.

In the information processing method of one embodiment of the present invention, it may further include: a step of receiving the aforementioned usage status information collected by a charging device capable of charging the battery contained in the aforementioned mist generating device, and the aforementioned charging information includes: displaying The second charging information is the length of time for charging the charging device by connecting an external power source to the charging device.

The program of one embodiment of the present invention is to cause the computer to execute the following program; the program of receiving the use status information showing the use status of the mist generating device for generating mist: giving the user of the aforementioned mist generating device according to the received use status information A feedback program; and a program for notifying the information about the aforementioned feedback to the terminal device that can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device.

An information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit that receives usage status information for displaying usage status of a mist generating device that generates mist; and a control unit that generates the mist based on the received usage status information. User feedback of the device: the aforementioned communication unit notifies the information about the aforementioned feedback to the terminal device that can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device.

A terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a communication unit that transmits usage status information showing usage status of the mist generating device received from a mist generating device that generates mist to an information processing device; The information display of the feedback given by the aforementioned information processing device to the user of the aforementioned mist generating device; the information about the aforementioned feedback is information given to the aforementioned user based on the aforementioned usage status information.

The management system of one embodiment of the present invention includes: a mist generating device that generates mist; a terminal device that can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device; and an information processing device that receives information from the aforementioned terminal device to display the aforementioned mist generating device. Usage status information of usage status: the aforementioned information processing device gives feedback to the user of the aforementioned mist generating device according to the received aforementioned usage status information, and notifies the aforementioned terminal device of information about the given aforementioned feedback.

According to the information processing method and the like of the present invention, feedback can be given according to the use of the mist generating device and the like.

2. 2A, 2B‧‧‧Mist generating device (fragrance tasting device)

3: Charging device

4: Terminal device

5: Communication relay device

6: Manage the server

7: SNS communication server device

21, 31, 41, 61, 106, 281, 291: Control Department

22, 32, 42, 282: memory department

23, 33, 43, 63, 73, 108, 283: Department of Communications

24, 110: battery

28, 29: battery device

36: Power interface section

37: Charging port

38: Battery for charging device

48: Battery Department

62: Management data memory department

71: Information exchange control department

91, 92: Management system

102: 1st component

104: 2nd component

112: sensor

114: memory

116‧‧‧storage

118‧‧‧Atomization Department

120‧‧‧air intake flow path

121‧‧‧Fog flow path

122‧‧‧Suction part

126‧‧‧3rd component

128‧‧‧Scent source

211‧‧‧Shell

211A‧‧‧Top case

211B‧‧‧bottom case

212, 216‧‧‧Cover body

212a‧‧‧opening

213‧‧‧Switch

214‧‧‧Cover Department

215‧‧‧Venting port

217‧‧‧External fins

220‧‧‧Power Supply Unit

221‧‧‧Power

222‧‧‧terminal

230‧‧‧Circuit Department

231‧‧‧The first circuit board

232‧‧‧The second circuit board

240‧‧‧Heating Department

241‧‧‧Heating accessories

285‧‧‧Power Storage Department

411‧‧‧Application Program Implementation Department

621‧‧‧User attribute information storage unit

622‧‧‧Feedback Giving and Consumer Information Memory Department

623‧‧‧Device information memory

2110‧‧‧Smoking articles

2110A‧‧‧Substrate Department

2110B‧‧‧Suction part

2111‧‧‧Filler

2112‧‧‧Roll 1

2113‧‧‧Reel 2

2114‧‧‧Paper tube department

2115‧‧‧Filter part

2116‧‧‧Hollow section

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a schematic structure of a management system (first embodiment).

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a schematic structure of a mist generating device (first embodiment).

Fig. 3 is a block diagram of another schematic structure of the mist generating device (first embodiment).

Fig. 4 is an overall perspective view of another mist generating device (first embodiment).

Fig. 5 is an overall perspective view of another mist generating device with the mist generating substrate held (first embodiment).

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a smoking article (first embodiment).

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 200-200 in the arrow direction shown in Fig. 4 (first embodiment).

Fig. 8 is a block diagram of a schematic functional structure of a mist generating device (first embodiment).

Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of a charging device (first embodiment).

Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of a terminal device (first embodiment).

Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the management server (first embodiment).

Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the SNS communication server (first embodiment).

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of a management data storage unit (first embodiment).

Fig. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system and the processing procedure of information (when the terminal device transmits connection information) (first embodiment).

Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system and the processing procedure of information (when the terminal device transmits charging information) (first embodiment).

Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system and the processing sequence of information (when the charging device or mist generating device transmits connection information) (first embodiment).

Fig. 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system and the processing sequence of information (when the charging device or mist generating device transmits charging information) (first embodiment).

Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of the management system (second embodiment).

Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of a battery device (second embodiment).

Fig. 20 is a block diagram of another schematic functional structure of the battery device (second embodiment).

Next, several embodiments and their modified examples will be described.

[First Embodiment]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic structure of the management system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the management system 91 includes, for example: a mist generating device (fragrance inhaler) 2, a charging device 3, a terminal device 4, a communication relay device 5, a management server device 6, and an SNS communication server device 7 . In the first figure, it is described that each device has one, but the number of each device is optional. In the management system 91, the mist generating device 2, the charging device 3, the terminal device 4, the communication relay device 5, the management server device 6, and the SNS communication server device 7 may each include plural sets. In addition, in FIG. 1 , each device is not an essential structure, and may not be included in the management system 91 .

In addition, each device shown in FIG. 1 can be connected to each other via a network (not shown). The network can be, for example, a wired network or a wireless network. The network can be, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), ad hoc network, intranet, extranet, virtual private network (Virtual Private Network: VPN), local area network (local area network: LAN), wireless LAN: WLAN, wide area network (wide area network: WAN), wireless WAN: WWAN, metropolitan area network: MAN), part of the Internet, Public switched telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital network (Integrated Services Digital Network: ISDNs), long term evolution (long term evolution: LTE), code division multiple access : CDMA), Bluetooth (registered trademark) (Bluetooth), Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Low Energy: BLE), Low Power Wide Area Network (Low Power Wide Area Network: LPWAN). Also, the network can be satellite communication. In addition, the network can be, for example, wired communications such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Mini USB, Micro USB, and Lightning. Also, the network may contain combinations of these. However, the network is not limited to these.

The mist generating device (flavor inhaler, aroma inhaler) 2 is a device that atomizes liquid (mist source) using electric power to generate mist. Mist is a fine particle that floats in the gas after atomizing the mist source. The mist generated by the mist generating device 2 may be accompanied by fragrance. Examples of the mist generating device 2 include heated tobacco (T-vapor or Infused), electronic cigarettes (E-vapor), and the like. Furthermore, the mist generating device 2 includes a form that directly heats tobacco (direct heating), a form that indirectly heats tobacco (indirect heating), and a form that heats liquid (liquid). In addition, the mist generating device 2 can generate surface acoustic waves (Surface Acoustile Wave: SAW) using a piezoelectric element substrate having a pair of comb-shaped electrodes to atomize the liquid. Thus, the mist generating device 2 includes various devices such as combustion-type devices, non-combustion-type devices, heating-type devices, and non-heating-type devices.

In addition, when the mist generating device 2 generates SAW by using a piezoelectric element substrate having a comb-shaped electrode pair to atomize the liquid, the mist generating device 2 is, for example, equipped with a piezoelectric element having a comb-shaped electrode pair The substrate, and a liquid supply unit configured to supply a liquid mist source to the piezoelectric element substrate serve as atomizing means. The piezoelectric element substrate may be configured to atomize the mist source by surface elastic waves generated by applying a voltage to the pair of comb-shaped electrodes at high frequency. In addition, the piezoelectric element substrate has a comb-shaped electrode pair whose number depends on the desired mist atomized by the surface acoustic wave. In addition, comb The number of toothed electrode pairs can be determined according to the desired mist. Therefore, in the atomization unit with limited electric power that can be supplied to the comb-shaped electrode pair, an appropriate atomization unit can be provided by improving the atomization efficiency of the mist source.

In addition, these are just examples, and the mist generating device 2 may be any device as long as it can generate mist.

A typical mist generating device 2 has a cylindrical shape. The mist generating device 2 can also be called a "scent inhaler" or a "scent inhaler". The mist generating device 2 can communicate with the terminal device 4 using, for example, short-range wireless communication (wireless LAN (local area network) or the like). In addition, the mist generating device 2 can also communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 or the Internet. In addition, the control function, communication function, and information memory function of the mist generating device 2 will be described in detail later.

The charging device 3 is a device for charging the battery 24 used in the mist generating device 2 . The charging device 3 can communicate with the terminal device 4 using short-range wireless communication, for example. In addition, the charging device 3 can also communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 or the Internet. The control function, communication function, and information memory function of the charging device 3 will be described in detail later.

The terminal device 4 is an information processing device used by a user. Specifically, the terminal device 4 can be implemented as a PC (personal computer), a tablet terminal device, a smart phone, a watch-type terminal device, a glasses-type terminal device, or other information processing machines. Moreover, the terminal device 4 can also be an intelligent speaker (AI speaker; "AI" is an abbreviation of "artificial intelligence"). In addition, the terminal device 4 may be a wearable terminal (a watch-type device or a glasses-type device, etc.), a head-mounted display (HMD: Head Mounted Display), or the like. However, the terminal device 4 is not limited to these examples. The terminal device 4 can be configured as a device that can be used with the mist generating device Set 2 or charging device 3 etc. for communication. In addition, the terminal device 4 can also communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 or the Internet. The terminal device 4 can use wireless communication or wired communication as a communication means.

The communication relay device 5 is a relay device for enabling the mist generating device 2, the charging device 3, or the terminal device 4 to access the Internet. Specifically, the communication relay device 5 is a mobile phone base station or a wireless router.

The management server 6 is a device that manages information necessary in the management system 91 . The management server device 6 can communicate with the mist generating device 2 , the charging device 3 , the terminal device 4 or the battery 24 via the Internet or the like. The management server device 6 receives information about the usage status of the mist generating device 2 and the charging device 3 from the mist generating device 2 , the charging device 3 or the terminal device 4 . The use status is, for example, the connection status with other devices, the charging status of batteries in each device, and the like. Moreover, the management server device 6 gives account feedbacks to the users of these devices according to the received information. Rewards can also be called points, miles, stamps, etc. The detailed functions of the management server 6 will be described later with reference to a plurality of drawings.

The SNS communication server device 7 has a function of exchanging messages between user accounts. SNS is the abbreviation of "Social networking service: social network service". The SNS communication server device 7 mediates a text message from a certain user to another user, or a message including a still image, sound, or animation. That is, the SNS communication server device 7 receives a message from a certain user, and transmits the message to other users. In addition, the SNS communication server device 7 can also mediate messages shared within a group composed of a plurality of users. In the management system 91 , the management server 6 itself or the main body of the operation management server 6 may be a user of the SNS communication server 7 . SNS The communication server device 7 can communicate among the mist generating device 2, the charging device 3, the terminal device 4, or the management server device 6 via the Internet or the like in order to realize the above-mentioned services.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of the mist generating device of this embodiment.

The mist generating device 2A shown in FIG. 2 is an example of the structure of the mist generating device 2 . The mist generating device 2A includes a first member 102 and a second member 104 . As shown in the figure, an example of the first component 102 may include a control unit 106 , a communication unit 108 , a battery 110 , a sensor 112 and a memory 114 . An example of the second member 104 may include a reservoir 116 , an atomizing unit 118 , an air intake flow path 120 , a mist flow path 121 , and a mouthpiece 122 . Part of the components included in the first member 102 may be included in the second member 104 . Part of the components included in the second member 104 may be included in the first member 102 . The second member 104 can be configured to be detachable from the first member 102 . Alternatively, all components included in the first member 102 and the second member 104 may be included in the same housing instead of the first member 102 and the second member 104 .

Reservoir 116 holds a source of mist. For example, the reservoir 116 is made of a fibrous or porous material, and holds a mist source of the liquid in gaps between fibers or pores of the porous material. As the aforementioned fibrous or porous material, for example, cotton, glass fiber, or tobacco raw material can be used. Reservoir 116 may be configured as a tank for holding liquid. The source of the mist is, for example, liquids such as glycerin or polyhydric alcohol of propylene glycol, or water. When the mist generating device 2 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the mist source may include medicine for patient inhalation. Other examples of the mist source may include tobacco raw materials or extracts derived from tobacco raw materials that emit aroma components by heating. The reservoir 116 may be of a configuration capable of replenishing a depleted source of mist. Alternatively, the reservoir 116 can be configured such that the reservoir 116 itself can be replaced when the source of mist is consumed. Moreover, the source of mist is not limited to liquid, but can also be solid. When the mist source is solid, the reservoir 116 may be, for example, a hollow container that does not use a fibrous or porous material.

The atomizing unit 118 is configured to atomize a mist source to generate mist. When the sensor 112 detects an inhalation action, the atomizer 118 generates mist. For example, a wick (not shown) may be provided to couple the reservoir 116 with the atomizer 118 . In this case, a portion of the wick communicates with the interior of the reservoir 116 and is in contact with the mist source. The rest of the core extends to the atomizing section 118 . A source of mist is transported from the reservoir 116 to the atomizing section 118 due to the capillary effect of the wick. An example of the atomizing unit 118 is a heater electrically connected to the battery 110 . The heater is configured to be in contact with or close to the core. When a sucking action is detected, the control unit 106 controls the heater of the atomizing unit 118 to atomize the mist source by heating the mist source delivered through the wick. Another example of the atomizing unit 118 may be an ultrasonic atomizer that utilizes ultrasonic vibration to atomize the mist source. An air intake flow path 120 is connected to the atomization unit 118 , and the air intake flow path 120 leads to the outside of the mist generating device 2 . The mist generated in the atomization unit 118 is mixed with the air taken in through the air intake channel 120 . The mixed fluid of mist and air is sent to the mist flow path 121 as indicated by arrow 124 . The mist flow path 121 has a tubular structure for sending a mixed fluid of mist and air generated in the atomization unit 118 to the mouthpiece 122 .

The mouthpiece 122 is located at the terminal end of the mist flow path 121 and opens the mist flow path 121 to the outside of the mist generating device 2 . The user takes the mist-containing air into the oral cavity by holding the mouthpiece 122 with the mouth and sucking it.

The communication unit 108 may include light-emitting elements such as LEDs, a display, a speaker, a vibrator, and the like. The communication unit 108 is configured to provide certain notifications to the user by emitting light, displaying, sounding, vibrating, etc. as required.

The battery 110 supplies power to each component of the mist generating device 2 such as the communication part 108 , the sensor 112 , the memory 114 , and the atomizing part 118 . The battery 110 can be charged by being connected to an external power source through a predetermined connection port (not shown) of the mist generating device 2 . Only the battery 110 can be removed from the first member 102 or the mist generating device 2 is removed, and can also be replaced with a new battery 110. In addition, the battery 110 can also be replaced with a new battery 110 by replacing the entire first member 102 with a new first member 102 .

The sensor 112 may include a pressure sensor for detecting pressure changes in the air intake flow path 120 and/or the mist flow path 121 or a flow sensor for detecting flow. The sensor 112 may further include a weight sensor for detecting the weight of components such as the storage 116 . The sensor 112 can also be configured to count the number of puffs taken by the user using the mist generating device 2 . The sensor 112 can also be configured to be able to accumulate the energization time for the atomizing part 118 . The sensor 112 can also be configured to detect the height of the liquid level in the reservoir 116 . The sensor 112 can also be configured to detect the SOC (State of Charge, state of charge), current accumulation value, voltage, etc. of the battery 110 . The integrated current value can be obtained by a current product method or an SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method. The sensor 112 can also be an operation button or the like that can be operated by the user.

The control unit 106 can be an electronic circuit module configured as a microprocessor or a microcomputer. The control unit 106 can be configured to control the operation of the mist generating device 2 according to the computer-executable commands stored in the memory 114 . The memory 114 is a storage medium such as ROM, RAM, or flash memory. In the memory 114, in addition to the above-mentioned computer-executable commands, setting data and the like required for the control of the mist generating device 2 may also be stored. For example, the memory 114 can also store various data such as the control method of the communication unit 108 (light emission, sound generation, vibration, etc.), the value detected by the sensor 112, and the heating history of the atomization unit 118. The control unit 106 reads data from the memory 114 as needed to control the mist generating device 2 , and stores the data in the memory 114 as needed.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of the mist generating device of this embodiment.

The mist generating device 2B shown in the drawing is a structural example of the mist generating device 2 . The mist generating device 2B not only possesses the structure that the mist generating device 2A of Fig. 2 possesses, but also possesses a third Member 126. The third member 126 may include a fragrance source 128 . As an example, when the mist generating device 2B is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 128 may contain aroma components contained in tobacco. As shown in the drawing, the mist flow path 121 extends to the second member 104 and the third member 126 . The mouthpiece 122 is provided on the third member 126 .

Fragrance source 128 is a component used to impart fragrance to the mist. The fragrance source 128 is arranged in the middle of the mist flow path 121 . The mixed fluid of mist and air generated by the atomization unit 118 (it should be noted that the mixed fluid may be simply referred to as mist below) flows through the mist flow path 121 to the mouthpiece 122 . In this way, the fragrance source 128 is located further downstream than the atomizing part 118 in the flow direction of the mist. In other words, the aroma source 128 is located closer to the mouthpiece 122 than the nebulizer 118 in the mist flow path 121 . Therefore, the mist generated by the atomization unit 118 reaches the mouthpiece 122 after passing through the fragrance source 128 . When the mist passes through the fragrance source 128, the aroma components contained in the fragrance source 128 are given to the mist. As an example, when the mist generating device 2B is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 128 may be shredded tobacco, or processed tobacco raw material formed into granules, flakes, or powders, etc. derived from tobacco. The flavor source 128 can also be non-tobacco derived from plants other than tobacco (such as mint or vanilla, etc.). An example of the flavor source 128 contains nicotine. The fragrance source 128 may contain a fragrance ingredient such as menthol. Not only the aroma source 128 but also the reservoir 116 can have a substance containing an aromatizing ingredient. For example, the mist-generating device 2B may be configured to retain a tobacco-derived flavor substance in the flavor source 128 and contain a non-tobacco-derived flavor substance in the reservoir 116 .

When the user holds the mouthpiece 122 with his mouth and tastes it, the air containing the mist given the fragrance can be taken into the oral cavity.

The control unit 106 is configured to control the mist generating devices 2A and 2B according to the embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "mist generating device 2") by various methods.

Fig. 4 is an overall perspective view of another mist generating device according to this embodiment. Fig. 5 is an overall oblique view of another mist generating device in a state where the mist generating base material is maintained according to this embodiment picture. In this embodiment, the mist generating device 2 is configured, for example, to generate a mist containing a flavor by heating a mist generating substrate such as a smoking article having a flavor generating substrate such as a filler containing a mist source and a flavor source. In addition, the smoking article 2110 can also be used as an aerosol-generating substrate.

As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the smoking article 2110 is but one example of an aerosol-generating substrate. The mist source contained in the mist-generating substrate can be a solid or a liquid. The mist source may be, for example, polyalcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, or liquids such as water. The mist source may include tobacco raw materials or extracts derived from tobacco raw materials that emit aroma components by heating. When the mist generating device 2 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the mist source may include a medicine to be inhaled by a patient. Depending on the application, the mist-generating substrate may not contain a fragrance source.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the mist generator 2 has a top case 211A, a bottom case 211B, a cover 212 , a switch 213 , and a cover 214 . The top case 211A and the bottom case 211B constitute the outermost casing 211 of the mist generating device 2 by being connected to each other. The housing 211 may be of a size that can be grasped by a user's hand. In this case, when the user uses the mist generating device 2, the user can hold the mist generating device 2 with his hand and taste the mist.

The top case 211A has an opening (not shown), and the cover 212 is combined with the top case 211A so as to close the opening. As shown in FIG. 5 , the cover body 212 has an opening 212a into which the smoking article 2110 can be inserted. The lid portion 214 is configured to open and close the opening 212 a of the lid body 212 . Specifically, the lid portion 214 is attached to the lid body 212 and is configured to be movable along the surface of the lid body 212 between a first position for closing the opening 212 a and a second position for opening the opening 212 a.

The switch 213 can be used to switch the conduction (ON) and shutdown (OFF) of the operation of the mist generating device 2 . For example, by operating the switch 213 with the smoking article 2110 inserted into the opening 212a as shown in FIG. Item 2110 is heated combustibly. Once the smoking article 2110 is heated, an aerosol is generated from an aerosol source in the smoking article 2110 into which the aroma of the flavor source is drawn. The user can inhale the mist containing flavor by inhaling the part of the smoking article 2110 protruding from the mist generating device 2 (the part shown in the figure in FIG. 5 ). In addition, in this specification, the direction in which the mist generating base material of the smoking article 2110 etc. is inserted into the opening 212a is called the longitudinal direction of the mist generating device 2 .

The structure of the mist generating device 2 shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 is merely an example of the structure of the mist generating device of the present disclosure. The mist generating device disclosed herein can be configured in various forms in which mist can be generated by heating the mist generating substrate containing the mist source, and the user can inhale the generated mist.

Next, the structure of the smoking article 2110 will be described as an example of the mist generating base material used in the mist generating device 2 of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article 2110 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the smoking article 2110 has: a filler 2111 (corresponding to an example of a flavor generating substrate), a substrate portion 2110A including a first paper 2112 wrapped around the filler 2111, and The mouthpiece part 2110B is formed at the end part opposite to the base part 2110A. The base portion 2110A and the nozzle portion 2110B are connected by a second roll paper 2113 different from the first roll paper 2112 . However, the second roll paper 2113 may be omitted, and the base material portion 2110A and the nozzle portion 2110B may be connected using the first roll paper 2112 .

The mouthpiece part 2110B in FIG. 6 has a paper tube part 2114 , a filter part 2115 , and a hollow segment part 2116 arranged between the paper tube part 2114 and the filter part 2115 . The hollow section 2116 includes, for example: a filling layer having one or a plurality of hollow channels, and wrapping paper covering the filling layer. Due to the high filling density of the fibers in the filling layer, when inhaling, the air or mist only flows in the hollow channel, and hardly flows in the filling layer. In the smoking article 2110, when it is desired to avoid the reduction of the transmission amount of the mist caused by the filtration of the mist component in the filter part 2115, the length of the filter part 2115 is shortened and replaced with the hollow segment part 2116, which is helpful for the transmission of the mist. Volume increase is quite effective.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the mouthpiece 2110B is composed of three segmented parts. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece 2110B may be composed of one or two segmented parts, or may be composed of four or more segmented parts. For example, the hollow segment part 2116 may be omitted, and the paper tube part 2114 and the filter part 2115 may be arranged adjacent to each other to form the mouthpiece part 2110B.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 , the length of the smoking article 2110 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 mm to 90 mm, more preferably 50 mm to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 mm to 60 mm. The circumference of the smoking article 2110 is preferably 15mm to 25mm, more preferably 17mm to 24mm, and more preferably 20mm to 22mm. In addition, the length of the substrate part 2110A in the smoking article 2110 may be 20 mm, the length of the first roll paper 2112 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment part 2116 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter part 2115 may be 7 mm. The length of each of these segment portions can be appropriately changed in accordance with manufacturing suitability, required quality, and the like.

In this embodiment, the filler 2111 of the smoking article 2110 may contain a mist source that generates mist when heated at a predetermined temperature. The type of mist source is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and/or their constituents can be selected according to the application. Examples of mist sources include glycerin, propylene glycol, glyceryl triacetate, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the mist source in the filler 2111 is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of sufficient mist generation and good aromatherapy, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight. % or less, preferably less than 20% by weight.

The filler 2111 of the smoking article 2110 of this embodiment may contain shredded tobacco as a flavor source. The material of shredded tobacco is not particularly limited, and well-known materials such as petioles and leaf veins can be used. The range of the content of the filler 2111 in the smoking article 2110 is 22 mm in circumference and 20 mm in length. For example, preferably 200mg to 400mg, 250mg to 320mg. The moisture content of the filler 2111 is, for example, 8 to 18% by weight, preferably 10 to 16% by weight. With such a moisture content, the occurrence of stranding can be suppressed, and the rolling suitability at the time of manufacture of the base material part 2110A can be improved. The size of shredded tobacco used as filler 2111 or its conditioning method is not particularly limited. For example, dried tobacco leaves cut into filaments with a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm can also be used. In addition, dried tobacco leaves can also be processed into flakes obtained by pulverizing dried tobacco leaves into uniform particles with an average particle size of about 20 μm to 200 μm, and cutting them into filaments with a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. In addition, it is also possible to use, as the filler 2111 , one that is not shredded but gathered (gathered) for the above-mentioned sheet-shaped processed material. Also, the filling 2111 may contain one or more than two spices. The type of the fragrance is not particularly limited, but is preferably menthol from the viewpoint of imparting a good aromatherapy taste.

In this embodiment, the basis weight of the first roll paper 2112 and the second roll paper 2113 of the smoking article 2110 is, for example, 20gsm to 65gsm, and preferably can be made from base paper of 25gsm to 45gsm. The thicknesses of the first roll paper 2112 and the second roll paper 2113 are not particularly limited, but are 10 μm to 100 μm, preferably 20 μm to 75 μm, and more preferably from the viewpoint of rigidity, air permeability, and ease of adjustment during paper making. 30μm to 50μm.

In this embodiment, the first paper roll 2112 and the second paper roll 2113 of the smoking article 2110 may contain fillers. The content of the filler is 10% by weight to 60% by weight, preferably 15% by weight to 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the first paper roll 2112 and the second paper roll 2113 . In this embodiment, relative to the range of the preferred basis weight (25gsm to 45gsm), the filler is preferably 15% by weight to 45% by weight. As a filler, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc. can be used, for example. From the viewpoint of the appearance of the roll paper used as the smoking article 2110, the paper containing this kind of filler can exhibit a relatively ideal white-based bright color and maintain whiteness for a long time. By making it contain a large amount of this filler, for example, the ISO of the roll paper can be brightened. The formation rate is over 83%. Furthermore, from a practical point of view of being used as the rolled paper of the smoking article 2110, it is preferable that the first rolled paper 2112 and the second rolled paper 2113 have a tensile strength of 8N/15mm or more. The tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content. Specifically, the tensile strength can be improved by reducing the content of the filler from the upper limit of the content of the filler shown in the ranges of each basis weight exemplified above.

Next, the internal structure of the mist generating device 2 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 will be described. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of line 200-200 in the arrow direction shown in Fig. 4 . As shown in FIG. 7 , the mist generating device 2 has a power supply unit 220 , a circuit unit 230 , and a heating unit 240 in the inner space of the casing 211 . The circuit part 230 may have a first circuit substrate 231 and a second circuit substrate 232 electrically connected to the first circuit substrate 231 . For example, the first circuit board 231 may be arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction as shown in the figure. Accordingly, the power supply unit 220 and the heating unit 240 are separated by the first circuit board 231 . As a result, the heat generated in the heating unit 240 can be suppressed from being transmitted to the power supply unit 220 .

The second circuit board 232 may be disposed between the top case 211A and the power supply unit 220 , and may extend in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first circuit board 231 extends. The switch 213 can be arranged adjacent to the second circuit board 232 . When the user presses the switch 213 , a part of the switch 213 can be in contact with the second circuit board 232 .

The first circuit board 231 and the second circuit board 232 include, for example, a microprocessor or the like, and can control the supply of electric power from the power supply unit 220 to the heating unit 240 . Thereby, the first circuit board 231 and the second circuit board 232 can control the heating of the smoking article 2110 by the heating unit 240 .

The power supply unit 220 has a power supply 221 electrically connected to the first circuit board 231 and the second circuit board 232 . The power source 221 can be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The power source 221 is electrically connected to the heating unit 240 through at least one of the first circuit board 231 and the second circuit board 232 . Thereby, the power supply 221 can supply electric power to the heating part 240 so that the smoking article 2110 can be heated appropriately. In addition, as shown in the drawing, the power sources 221 may be arranged adjacent to each other in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the heating unit 240 . Thereby, even if the size of the power supply 221 is increased, the length in the longitudinal direction of the mist generating device 2 can be suppressed from becoming long.

In addition, the mist generating device 2 may have a terminal 222 connectable to an external power source. The terminal 222 can be connected to a cable such as a micro USB (Universal Serial Bus: Universal Serial Bus), for example. When the power source 221 is a rechargeable battery, by connecting the external power source to the terminal 222, the current can flow from the external power source to the power source 221, and the power source 221 can be charged. In addition, by connecting a data transfer cable such as micro USB to the terminal 222, data related to the operation of the mist generating device 2 can also be transferred to an external device.

As shown in the figure, the heating unit 240 has a heating fitting 241 extending in the longitudinal direction. The heating fitting 241 is composed of a plurality of cylindrical members, and forms a cylindrical body as a whole. The heating attachment 241 is configured to accommodate a part of the smoking article 2110 inside, and has a function of defining a flow path of air supplied to the smoking article 2110 and a function of heating the smoking article 2110 from the periphery.

An air vent 215 for allowing air to flow into the heating fitting 241 may be formed in the bottom case 211B. Specifically, the vent 215 is in fluid communication with one end of the heating fitting 241 (the left end in FIG. 7 ). In addition, the mist generating device 2 has a cover body 216 that can be detachably attached to the vent hole 215 . The cover 216 is configured to allow air to flow into the heating fitting 241 from the vent 215 even in a state attached to the vent 215 , and may have, for example, a through hole or a notch not shown. By attaching the cover 216 to the vent 215 , substances generated from the smoking article 2110 inserted into the heating fitting 241 can be suppressed from falling from the vent 215 to the outside of the housing 211 . Moreover, the inside of the heating fitting 241 or the inside of the cover 216 can also be cleaned by removing the cover 216 .

The other end of the heating fitting 241 (the right end in FIG. 7 ) is in fluid communication with the opening 212a shown in FIG. 5 . A substantially cylindrical outer fin 217 is provided between the lid 212 having the opening 212 a and the other end of the heating fitting 241 . As shown in FIG. 5, when the smoking article 2110 is inserted into the mist generating device 2 from the opening 212a of the cover body 212, it passes through the external fins 217, and a part of the smoking article 2110 is disposed inside the heating fitting 241. . Therefore, the outer fin 217 is preferably formed so that the opening on the side of the lid 212 is larger than the opening on the other end side of the heating fitting 241 . Thereby, the smoking article 2110 can be easily inserted into the inside of the outer fin 217 from the opening 212a.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the smoking article 2110 is inserted into the mist generating device 2 through the opening 212a, the user touches the part of the smoking article 2110 that protrudes from the mist generating device 2, which is shown in FIG. 6. When the filter part 2115 is sucked, air will flow into the inside of the heating fitting 241 from the vent 215 . The inflowing air passes through the interior of the heating fitting 241 and reaches the mouth of the user together with the mist generated from the smoking article 2110 . Therefore, the side of the heating fitting 241 close to the vent 215 is the upstream side, and the side of the heating fitting 241 close to the opening 212a (the side close to the outer fin 217 ) is the downstream side.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the mist generating device of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the mist generating device 2 includes: a control unit 21 , a memory unit 22 , a communication unit 23 , and a battery 24 . In addition, the control unit 21 , memory unit 22 , communication unit 23 and battery 24 in FIG. 8 correspond to the control unit 106 , memory 114 , communication unit 108 and battery 110 in FIGS. 2 and 3 .

The control unit 21 controls the entire mist generating device 2 . In particular, the control unit 21 detects and grasps the use status of the mist generating device 2 (connection status with other devices or charging status of the battery device, etc.), and reads and writes information to the memory unit 22, or uses the communication unit. 23. Transmission and reception of information. The control unit 21 can also be realized using a computer and a program.

The control unit 21 can read the device ID for uniquely identifying an individual mist generating device 2 from the memory unit 22 . The control unit 21 can transmit the device ID of the mist generating device 2 itself to the terminal device 4 or the management server device 6 as required.

The memory unit 22 memorizes information necessary for the control of the mist generating device 2 . The memory part 22 memorize|stores at least the device ID which can uniquely identify the individual of the mist generating device 2. As shown in FIG. The memory unit 22 can be realized using, for example, a semiconductor memory.

The communication unit 23 has a function of communicating with an external device by wireless communication means or the like. The communication unit 23 performs, for example, short-distance wireless communication ranging from several meters to hundreds of meters. In addition, the communication of the communication unit 23 may be in any manner, such as wireless communication or wired communication. The communication part 23 realizes the communication between the mist generating device 2 and the terminal device 4 or the communication relay device 5 . Thereby, the mist generating device 2 can communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 and the Internet.

The battery 24 not only supplies the aforementioned atomization unit (not shown), but also supplies the power required by the control unit 21 , the memory unit 22 or the communication unit 23 .

Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the charging device according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the charging device 3 includes: a control part 31 , a memory part 32 , a communication part 33 , a power interface part 36 , a charging port part 37 and a battery 38 for the charging device.

The control unit 31 controls the entire charging device 3 . In particular, the control unit 31 detects and grasps the usage status of the charging device 3 (connection status with other devices, or the charging status of the battery 24, etc.), and reads and writes information to the memory unit 32, or performs usage communication. Transmission and reception of information in Section 33. The control unit 31 can also be realized using a computer and a program.

The control unit 31 grasps the state of charge of the battery 24 connected to the charging device 3 . That is, the control unit 31 grasps whether or not the connected battery 24 is being charged. In addition, the control unit 31 grasps the length of the charging time of the battery 24 by referring to a clock or the like. In addition, the control unit 31 grasps the charging status of the charging device 3 . That is, the control unit 31 grasps whether or not the charging device battery 38 of the charging device 3 is being charged. In addition, the control unit 31 grasps the length of the charging time of the charging device battery 38 by referring to a clock or the like.

The control unit 31 can read the device ID for uniquely identifying an individual charging device 3 from the memory unit 32 . The control unit 31 can transmit the device ID of the charging device 3 itself to the terminal device 4 or the management server device 6 as required.

The storage unit 32 is used to store information for controlling the charging device 3 . The storage unit 32 stores at least a device ID that can uniquely identify an individual charging device 3 . The memory unit 32 can be realized using, for example, a semiconductor memory.

The communication unit 33 has a function of communicating with an external device by wireless communication means or the like. The communication unit 33 performs, for example, short-distance wireless communication ranging from several meters to hundreds of meters. In addition, the communication of the communication unit 33 may be in any form, such as wireless communication or wired communication. The communication unit 33 realizes the communication between the charging device 3 and the terminal device 4 or the communication relay device 5 . Thereby, the charging device 3 can communicate between the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 and the Internet.

The power interface portion 36 has a connection function with an external power source (PC, power adapter, etc.). The power interface unit 36 supplies electric power supplied from an external power source to the charging port unit 37 or the battery 38 for the charging device.

The charging port part 37 is a connection port which can connect the battery 24 of the mist generating device 2 and functions as a connection for charging the connected battery 24 . Connected to the charging port 37 The charging terminal of the battery 24 has a shape in which the battery 24 can be inserted. The charging port unit 37 can also receive power supply from either the power interface unit 36 or the charging device battery 38 . The power interface portion 36 is connected to an external power source, and the charging port portion 37 is supplied with power from the power interface portion 36 when the charging device battery 38 does not store enough power. The power interface unit 36 is not connected to an external power source, and the charging port unit 37 is supplied with power from the charging battery 38 when the charging battery 38 has enough power stored. The power interface portion 36 is connected to an external power source, and when the battery 38 for the charging device has enough power stored, the charging port portion 37 receives power from either or both of the power interface portion 36 or the battery 38 for the charging device. supply.

The charging device battery 38 includes a secondary battery and can store electric power supplied from the power supply interface portion 36 . The charging device battery 38 can supply electric power to the charging port 37 . In addition, the charging device battery 38 also supplies electric power to the control unit 31 , the memory unit 32 , or the communication unit 33 .

Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of a terminal device according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the terminal device 4 includes a control unit 41 , a memory unit 42 , a communication unit 43 and a battery unit 48 . The control unit 41 includes an application execution unit 411 inside.

The control unit 41 controls the entire terminal device 4 . In addition, the control unit 41 reads and writes information in the storage unit 42 or transmits and receives information using the communication unit 43 . In addition, the control part 41 can also be realized using a computer and a program.

The control unit 41 grasps that the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 are connected to each other by wireless communication. For example, the control unit 41 grasps that the pairing with the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 has been performed. In addition, the control unit 41 grasps the duration of the wireless communication connection between the mist generating device 2 and the charging device 3 by referring to a clock or the like. Moreover, the control unit 41 can also receive information (connection information or charging information). The control unit 41 transmits the information on the use status of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 to the management server 6 side through the Internet or the like. In addition, the control unit 41 receives feedback information given according to the usage status of the device, etc. from the management server device 6 side via the Internet or the like. The control unit 41 displays the given feedback information on the screen of the terminal device 4 as needed. In addition, the control unit 41 may display information on the usage status received from the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 on the screen of the terminal device 4 or the like.

Specifically, the control unit 41 grasps the date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second) when the wireless connection (for example, pairing) with the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 has been performed. Moreover, the control part 41 grasps the duration of the communication connection with the mist generating device 2, the charging device 3, or the battery 24. Based on these grasps, the control unit 41 can transmit the connection information to the management server device 6 .

In addition, the control unit 41 receives information on the length of time for charging the battery 24 from the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 . When the battery 24 is stored in the mist generating device 2 and the battery 24 is fully charged, the control unit 41 can receive the length of time for charging the battery 24 not only from the charging device 3 but also from the mist generating device 2. Information. In addition, the control unit 41 may receive information on the length of time for charging the charging device 3 from the charging device 3 . According to these information, the control unit 41 can transmit the charging information to the management server 6 .

The storage unit 42 stores information that must be stored in the terminal device 4 in order to perform processing by the management system 91 . The storage unit 42 can be realized using, for example, a semiconductor memory or the like. The information stored in the memory unit 42 includes what will be described next. That is, the storage unit 42 stores at least the following information: the authentication information required for the user of the terminal device 4 to log in to the management server device 6, the connection history information with the mist generating device 2, and the connection history with the charging device 3 information, in order to charge the battery 24 information, The connection information and the charging information are transmitted to the management server 6, and the information about the feedback given based on the connection information or the charging information.

The communication unit 43 has a function of communicating with an external device by wireless communication means or the like. The communication unit 43 performs, for example, wireless communication with a mobile phone, or short-distance wireless communication ranging from several meters to hundreds of meters. The communication part 43 realizes the communication between the terminal device 4 and the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 , and the communication relay device 5 . The communication relay device 5 can be a base station device of a mobile phone. Since it is through the communication relay device 5 and the Internet, the terminal device 4 can also communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 .

The battery unit 48 includes a secondary battery, and supplies electric power to the control unit 41 , the memory unit 42 , or the communication unit 43 . In addition, the battery unit 48 may supply the stored electric power to the charging device 3 or the like via a cable or the like.

The application execution unit 411 executes a function that can be realized as an application program among the functions of the control unit 41 . The application execution unit 411 manages the computing resources (CPU time or memory, etc.) required for the execution of the application, or executes the code contained in the application sequentially when the application is executed as a translator.

Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the management server of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the management server 6 includes a control unit 61 , a management data storage unit 62 and a communication unit 63 .

The control unit 61 controls the entire management server 6 . In addition, the control unit 61 receives information on the use status of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 from the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 or the terminal device 4 via the Internet or the like. The control unit 61 sometimes receives these information via the SNS communication server 7 . That is, in this case, the control unit 61 receives these information as a user of the SNS realized by the SNS communication server device 7 . The control unit 61 manages the received information. The control unit 61 depends on If necessary, the information about the usage status of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 is managed in a manner of being associated with the user account. The control unit 61 sometimes writes and manages such information on the usage status of each device in the management data storage unit 62 . In addition, the control unit 61 can give user account rewards according to the information about the usage status of each device. The control unit 61 can transmit information on the given feedback to the terminal device 4 via the Internet or the like.

The information about the use status of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 received by the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 is as follows. The information on usage status etc. includes connection information and charging information.

The first type of connection information is wireless connection (eg, pairing) information. The wireless connection (for example, pairing) information indicates that the terminal device 4 operating under a predetermined user ID has wirelessly connected (for example, paired) with each device of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 using short-range wireless communication or the like. . Each device of the mist generating device 2, the battery 24, or the charging device 3 has a unique device ID. The wireless connection (such as pairing) information is at least related to the date and time of wireless connection (such as pairing), the user ID on the terminal device 4 side, the device (mist generating device 2 or charging device 3) of the wireless connection object (such as pairing object) ) set of information associated with the device ID. The date and time when the wireless connection (such as pairing) is performed is expressed in date (year, month, day) and time (hour, minute, second). The information of the wireless connection (such as pairing) between the terminal device 4 and the device of the wireless connection object (such as the pairing object) can be obtained from the terminal device 4 or the device (the mist generating device 2 or the charging device) of the wireless connection object (such as the pairing object). 3) Send to the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 . The control unit 61 grasps the connection between the user ID and the device ID according to the pairing information. The control unit 61 writes the connection information between the user ID and the device ID into the device information storage unit 623 in the management data storage unit 62 (described later). Moreover, the control unit 61 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID according to the wireless connection (for example, pairing) information. For example, on every wireless connection (such as pairing), Predetermined fixed points (mileage, stamps, etc., the same applies hereinafter) are given to the user ID. The control unit 61 writes the feedback information to be given into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 in the management data storage unit 62 (described later).

In addition, the control unit 61 may give fixed points to the user ID for each wireless connection (for example, pairing) only when the connection lasts for a time length equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The critical value of the length of time here can be appropriately determined. This prevents excessive points from being repeatedly connected and disconnected in a short period of time.

The second connection information is the length of connection time information. The information on the length of the connection time indicates the length of time that the terminal device 4 operating under a predetermined user ID is connected to each device of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 using short-distance wireless communication or the like. The information of the length of the connection time is at least related to the date and time of the start of the connection (that is, the date and time of the wireless connection (such as pairing)), the connection time (such as the length of time expressed in hours, minutes, and seconds), the terminal device 4 side A set of information associated with the user ID of the wireless connection object (such as the pairing object) device (mist generating device 2 or charging device 3). Here, instead of the information indicating the length of the connection time, information on the date and time when the connection is terminated may be used. The date and time of ending the connection can also be expressed by date (year, month, day) and time (hour, minute, second). The information on the length of the connection time between the terminal device 4 and the device of the wireless connection object (pairing object) can be transmitted from the terminal device 4 or the device (mist generating device 2 or charging device 3) of the wireless connection object (such as the object of pairing) to the control unit 61 that manages the servo device 6 . The control unit 61 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID according to the length of the connection time. The control unit 61 assigns predetermined points to the user ID, for example, per unit of length of connection time (for example, seconds or minutes). That is, the control unit 61 gives points proportional to (or almost proportional to) the length of the connection time to the user ID. The control unit 61 will require The given feedback information is written into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 in the management data storage unit 62 (described later).

The first type of charging information is information on the length of time for charging the battery 24 by connecting the charging device 3 to the battery 24 or the mist generating device 2 storing the battery 24 . The first charging information includes, for example, the device ID of the charging device 3, the device ID of the battery 24 connected to the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2, the date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second) of starting charging, and Length of charging time (hours, minutes, seconds). The length of the charging time is, for example, the length of time during which the power stored in the battery 24 at the charging end continues to increase. However, the charging device 3 may simply set the length of time connected to the battery 24 or the mist generating device 2 storing the battery 24 as the length of charging time. In addition, the first charging information may also be information on the length of time for the battery 24 to be fully charged when the battery 24 of the mist generating device 2 is charged by other than the charging device 3 (such as an external power source, etc.). In this case, the first charging information includes, for example, the device ID of the battery 24 or the mist generating device 2, the date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second) of starting charging, and the length of charging time (hour, minute, second) . However, the first charging information may simply set the length of time when the external power supply is connected to the battery 24 or the mist generating device 2 including the battery 24 as the length of charging time.

Also, the first charging information may include user ID information. The information of the user ID can be obtained when the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 is connected to the terminal device 4 . In addition, when the first charging information includes the information of the user ID, the information of the device ID may be omitted. The first charging information can be transmitted from the terminal device 4 or the slave device (the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 ) to the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 . The control unit 61 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID based on the information on the length of the charging time. For example, the control unit 61 gives predetermined points to the user ID in units of length of charging time (for example, seconds or minutes). That is, the control unit 61 gives points proportional to (or nearly proportional to) the length of the charging time. User ID. The control unit 61 writes the feedback information to be given into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 in the management data storage unit 62 (described later).

The second type of charging information is information on the length of time for charging the charging device 3 itself after connecting the charging device 3 to an external power source. The second charging information includes at least the device ID of the charging device 3 , the date and time (year, month, day, hour, minute, second) of starting charging, and the length of charging time (hour, minute, second). The definition of the length of the charging time is the same as that described about the first charging information. That is, the length of the charging time is, for example, the length of time during which the amount of electricity stored in the charging device battery 38 of the charging device 3 continues to increase. However, the charging device 3 may simply set the length of time when it is connected to an external power source as the length of the charging time.

Also, the second charging information may include user ID information. The user ID information can be obtained when the charging device 3 is connected to the terminal device 4 . In addition, when the second charging information includes the information of the user ID, the information of the device ID of the charging device 3 may be omitted. The second charging information can be transmitted from the terminal device 4 or from the charging device 3 to the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 . The control unit 61 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID based on the information on the length of the charging time. The control unit 61 assigns predetermined points to the user ID, for example, per unit of charging time. That is, the control unit 61 gives points proportional to (or almost proportional to) the length of the charging time to the user ID. The control unit 61 writes the feedback information to be given into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 in the management data storage unit 62 (described later).

That is, the first charging information includes information indicating the length of time for which the battery 24 is charged by the charging device 3 . However, instead of the length of the charging time, the first charging information may include information indicating the length of time the battery 24 is connected to the charging device 3 . In addition, the first charging information can be the battery 24 when the battery 24 of the mist generating device 2 is charged by other than the charging device 3 (for example, using an external power source, etc.) The length of time information is charged. However, the first charging information may simply set the length of time when the external power supply is connected to the battery 24 or the mist generating device 2 including the battery 24 as the length of charging time. In addition, the second charging information includes information indicating the length of time during which the charging device 3 is charged by the external power source. However, instead of the length of the charging time, the second charging information may include information indicating the length of time during which the charging device 3 is connected to an external power source.

The control unit 61 has a function of transmitting, to the terminal device 4 , feedback information given based on the first connection information, the second connection information, the first charging information, and the second charging information.

The management data storage unit 62 stores information to be managed in the management system 91 . The management data storage unit 62 can be realized using, for example, a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor memory device. The structure of the specific information stored in the management data storage unit 62 will be described later with reference to other drawings.

The communication unit 63 implements communication between the management server device 6 and an external device. The communication unit 63 transmits and receives data between the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 or the terminal device 4 via the Internet or the like.

Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the SNS communication server device of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the SNS communication server 7 includes a message exchange control unit 71 and a communication unit 73 .

The message exchange control unit 71 controls the exchange of messages between users of the SNS. Specifically, a message received from a certain user's terminal device is transmitted to a receiving end user's terminal device. In addition, the information shared by the user group is transmitted to the terminal device of the user to which the user group belongs. In addition, the management server device 6 of this embodiment may be a terminal device of a user in the SNS.

The communication part 73 receives the message transmitted from the terminal device of the user of SNS. And the communication part 73 transmits a message to the terminal device of the user of SNS.

Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the management data storage unit in this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the management data storage unit 62 includes a user attribute information storage unit 621 , a feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 and a device information storage unit 623 .

The user attribute information storage unit 621 stores attribute information of users of the management system 91 . The attribute information of the user includes the user's name, date of birth, nickname, address, email and other information. The attribute information of the user can be set and updated when the user logs in or when the user attribute information is updated.

The feedback giving and consumption information memory unit 622 memorizes the feedback information to be given and the feedback information to be consumed according to the user ID. The feedback information to be given includes information on the date and time of giving and the points to be given (as mentioned above, it can be mileage or stamps, etc.). The information of the feedback to be given may include detailed information indicating the reason for giving. In addition, the consumption feedback information includes the date and time information of the user consumption feedback and consumption points. The feedback information of the consumption may include detailed information indicating the reason or status of the consumption.

As mentioned above, the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 memorizes the history of feedback given to users and the history of user consumption feedback. Furthermore, the feedback giving and consumption information memory unit 622 can also memorize the current remaining feedback information, or the past predetermined time point (the end of last month, the end of each past month, the latest quarter end, the latest year end, etc.) Information about the remaining feedback for .

The device information storage unit 623 stores individual information about the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 . Specifically, the device information memory unit 623 memorizes the user ID of the user when the user is connected to the device according to the individual memory device ID of the device. Also, device information record The memory unit 623 can also memorize information indicating the type of the device (charging device 3, mist generating device 2, etc.), or information indicating the manufacturer's name or model of the device) on an individual basis. Through such a device information storage unit 623, it is possible to grasp the device ID and the user ID in a manner associated with each other.

Here, several differences in the location of information in the management system 91 and the form of information management will be described.

The mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 sometimes transmits information such as the usage status of the device to the terminal device 4 , and sometimes directly transmits it to the management server device 6 .

When the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 directly transmits information such as the usage status of the device to the management server 6 side without passing through the terminal device 4, for example, HTTP (transfer protocol) is used to transmit information such as the usage status, or For example, using a predetermined protocol provided by the service of the SNS communication server 7 , information such as usage status is transmitted via the SNS communication server 7 .

When the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 transmits information such as the usage status of the device to the terminal device 4, the terminal device 4 sometimes temporarily accumulates and manages the information such as the usage status, and sometimes ignores these information. Information such as the usage status of the system is transmitted to the management server 6 side. When the terminal device 4 temporarily accumulates and manages information such as the usage status, the terminal device 4 causes the management system 91 to execute a dedicated application. When the terminal device 4 does not temporarily store information such as the usage status, but directly transmits the information to the management server 6 side, the HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol: hypertext transfer protocol) possessed by the browser running on the terminal device 4 is used. transmission protocol) client function, directly transmit information such as these usage conditions to the management server device 6 side, or use the communication function of the application program dedicated to SNS to pass information such as these usage conditions through the SNS communication server The device 7 transmits to the management server 6 .

The information transmitted from the management server 6 side (for example, information about the user's account or information about the feedback given) can be displayed on the terminal device 4 side, or saved. Specifically, the information transmitted from the management server 6 side can be displayed on a browser running on the terminal device 4, or can be displayed on a dedicated application program by the management system 91 running on the terminal device 4. Also, the information transmitted from the management server 6 side can be stored as a cookie (cookie) of the browser running on the terminal device 4 . Also, the information transmitted from the management server 6 side can be stored in the management area in the above-mentioned dedicated application running on the terminal device 4 .

Fig. 14 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system 91 and the processing procedure of information in the present embodiment. This figure shows the procedure when the terminal device 4 transmits connection information (the aforementioned first connection information and second connection information) to the management server device 6 . The functions of the terminal device 4 shown in this figure can be realized by using a dedicated application running on the terminal device 4 or functions of a general-purpose web browser. The timing will be described below.

In step S1, the terminal device 4 collects information about the connection status between devices. This information may also be referred to as "connection information". Specifically, the connection information is information about the communication connection between the terminal device 4 and the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 . The connection information is information indicating that the connection between the two devices has been started (for example, paired), or information indicating the length of time for the connection between the two devices.

In step S2, the terminal device 4 transmits the connection information acquired in step S1 and the user ID for uniquely identifying the user to the management server 6 side. The user ID is the ID of the user who owns and manages the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 . The terminal device 4 acquires the user ID, for example, when performing a login procedure for an application, or when inputting from the screen of the terminal device 4 .

In step S3, the connection information and user ID transmitted in step S2 are transmitted to the management server 6 side. The connection information and user ID are transmitted via the Internet or the like. Furthermore, the connection information and user ID can also be transmitted via the communication relay device 5 and/or the SNS communication server device 7 .

In step S4, the management server device 6 receives the connection information and user ID transmitted from the terminal device 4 side.

In step S5, the management server device 6 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID according to the connection information received in step S4. The management server device 6 writes the calculated feedback information into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 .

In step S6, the management server device 6 notifies the calculated feedback information (feedback information) to the terminal device 4 side.

In step S7, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is transmitted to the terminal device 4 side. Feedback information is transmitted via the Internet or the like.

In step S8 , the terminal device 4 receives the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 .

In step S9, the terminal device 4 displays the feedback information received in step S8 on the screen.

Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system 91 and the sequence of information processing in the present embodiment. This figure shows the procedure when the terminal device 4 transmits charging information (the aforementioned first charging information and second charging information) to the management server device 6 . The functions of the terminal device 4 shown in this figure can also be realized by using the function of a dedicated application program to be operated or a general-purpose web browser as in the case of FIG. 14 . The timing will be described below.

In step S21 , the terminal device 4 obtains information (charging information) on the charging status of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 . Specifically, the charging information is information on the length of time for the battery 24 to be charged by the charging device 3 or the length of time for the charging device 3 to be charged by an external power source. In addition, the charging information may also be information on the length of charging time of the battery 24 when the battery 24 of the mist generating device 2 is charged by other than the charging device 3 (for example, using an external power source).

In step S22, the terminal device 4 transmits the charging information and user ID acquired in step S21 to the management server device 6 side. The user ID is as described above.

In step S23, the charging information and user ID transmitted in step S22 are transmitted to the management server 6 side. The charging information and the user ID are transmitted via the Internet or the like. Furthermore, the charging information and user ID can also be transmitted through the communication relay device 5 and/or the SNS communication server device 7 .

In step S24, the management server device 6 receives the charging information and user ID transmitted from the terminal device 4 side.

In step S25, the management server 6 calculates the feedback to be given to the user ID according to the charging information received in step S24. The management server device 6 writes the calculated feedback information into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 .

In step S26, the management server device 6 notifies the terminal device 4 of the calculated feedback information (feedback information).

In step S27, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is transmitted to the terminal device 4 side. Feedback information is transmitted via the Internet or the like.

In step S28 , the terminal device 4 receives the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 .

In step S29, the terminal device 4 displays the feedback information received in step S28 on the screen.

Fig. 16 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system 91 and the sequence of processing information in the present embodiment. This figure shows the sequence when either the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 transmits connection information (first connection information, second connection information) to the management server device 6 . In this sequence, the connection information is transmitted to the management server device 6 without going through the terminal device 4 . However, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is received by the terminal device 4 . The functions of the terminal device 4 shown in this figure can be realized by using the functions of a general-purpose web browser functioning on the terminal device 4 . The timing will be described below.

In step S41, either the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 acquires information (connection information) on the connection status between the devices.

In step S42, either the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 transmits the connection information and device ID obtained in step S41 to the management server 6 side. The device ID is a device ID for uniquely identifying an individual device of the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 .

In step S43, the connection information and device ID transmitted in step S42 are transmitted to the management server 6 side. The connection information and device ID are transmitted via the Internet or the like. Furthermore, the connection information and device ID can also be transmitted via the communication relay device 5 and/or the SNS communication server device 7 .

In step S44, the management server device 6 receives the connection information and device ID transmitted from the device side (charging device 3 or mist generating device 2).

In step S45, the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 identifies the user ID associated with the device ID received in step S44 by referring to the device information storage unit 623 in the management data storage unit 62. Next, the control unit 61 of the management server 6 receives the connection information in step S44. The information is calculated to give feedback to the identified user ID. The control unit 61 of the management server 6 writes the calculated feedback information into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 .

The processing after step S46 may be executed when the user identified in step S45 submits the user-specific information from the web browser of the terminal device 4, for example. At this time, the user appropriately performs the procedure of logging in to the management server 6 . In step S46, the management server device 6 notifies the terminal device 4 of the feedback information (feedback information) calculated in step S45.

In step S47, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is transmitted to the terminal device 4 side. Feedback information is transmitted via the Internet or the like.

In step S48 , the terminal device 4 receives the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 .

In step S49, the terminal device 4 displays the feedback information received in step S48 on the screen.

According to the procedure shown in FIG. 16 , the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 can transmit the connection information to the management server device 6 without going through the terminal device 4 .

Fig. 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of devices in the management system 91 and the sequence of information processing in the present embodiment. This figure shows the sequence when either the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 transmits charging information (first charging information, second charging information) to the management server 6 . In this sequence, the charging information is transmitted to the management server device 6 without going through the terminal device 4 . However, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is received by the terminal device 4 . The functions of the terminal device 4 shown in this figure can be realized by using the functions of a general-purpose web browser operating on the terminal device 4 . Hereinafter, description will be made in accordance with this sequence.

In step S61, either one of the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 obtains information on the charging status (charging information).

In step S62, either the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 transmits the charging information and device ID acquired in step S61 to the management server 6 side. The device ID is a device ID for uniquely identifying an individual device such as the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 .

In step S63, the charging information and device ID transmitted in step S62 are transmitted to the management server 6 side. The charging information and device ID are transmitted via the Internet or the like. Furthermore, the charging information and device ID can also be transmitted through the communication relay device 5 and/or the SNS communication server device 7 .

In step S64, the management server device 6 receives the charging information and device ID transmitted from the device side (charging device 3 or mist generating device 2).

In step S65, the control unit 61 of the management server device 6 identifies the user ID associated with the device ID received in step S64 by referring to the device information storage unit 623 in the management data storage unit 62. Next, the control unit 61 of the management server 6 calculates the feedback to be given to the identified user ID according to the charging information received in step S64. The control unit 61 of the management server 6 writes the calculated feedback information into the feedback giving and consumption information storage unit 622 .

The processing after step S66 may be executed when the user identified in step S65 submits the user-specific information from the web browser of the terminal device 4, for example. At this time, the user appropriately performs the procedure of logging in to the management server 6 . In step S66, the management server device 6 notifies the terminal device 4 of the feedback information (feedback information) calculated in step S65.

In step S67, the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 is transmitted to the terminal device 4 side. Feedback information is transmitted via the Internet or the like.

In step S68 , the terminal device 4 receives the feedback information transmitted from the management server device 6 .

In step S69, the terminal device 4 displays the feedback information received in step S68 on the screen.

According to the sequence shown in FIG. 17 , the charging device 3 or the mist generating device 2 can transmit charging information to the management server device 6 without going through the terminal device 4 .

In addition, as a method of judging "connected" between devices using wireless communication or using a cable, for example, any of the following methods may be used. (1) When the connection continues for more than a predetermined time. (2) When some information (usage status information, etc.) is transmitted/received between connected devices. (3) When connecting for charging, a situation is detected in which it can be determined that the amount of electricity stored in the secondary battery to be charged has increased by a predetermined amount or more per unit time.

The time when the management server device 6 obtains the use status information can use, for example, any of the following. (1) The management server device 6 receives the use status information recorded in the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 or the terminal device 4 once every predetermined period, such as once a day. (2) The mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3 or the terminal device 4 is connected to the management server device 6 every time by communication, and the management server device 6 receives the use status information stored in each device. (3) The management server 6 requests the mist generating device 2, the charging device 3, and the terminal device 4 to transmit the use status information respectively, and each device transmits the use status information according to the request, and the management server 6 receives the use status information.

The time for the management server 6 to give the user ID feedback according to the usage status information can be, for example, any one of the following. (1) The management server device 6 gives feedback every time it receives the usage status information. (2) Every predetermined period, such as once every day, every week, or once a month, according to the usage status information accumulated during this period, the management server 6 gives feedback. (3) According to the usage status information, the predetermined Feedback, that is, for example, each time the number of times of wireless communication (such as the number of pairings) reaches a predetermined number, or each connection time reaches a predetermined length, etc., the management server 6 gives feedback.

According to the first embodiment described above, it is possible to give feedback to the user based on the usage status information. In addition, the management server device 6 can acquire usage status information. The management server device 6 can also transmit information such as suggestions to the user's terminal device 4 etc. according to the usage status information (such as the information of the total usage time of the device, the information of reminding the maintenance or replacement of the device according to the usage time of the device, and other Information).

In addition, the management server device can use the feedback to the user as a reward to obtain information on the usage status of these devices. In addition, manufacturers and sellers of mist generating devices and the like have a need to know the usage status of the mist generating device and related devices such as charging status or connection status with other devices. If the manufacturing business or sales business can grasp the usage status of these devices, they can use the information in business activities according to the usage status of the devices. In one example, a manufacturer, a seller, etc. can grasp the state of the battery for use of the mist generating device. In addition, a manufacturer or a seller may transmit appropriate guidance information according to the usage situation to the user of the mist generating device or the charging device.

[Second Embodiment]

Next, a second embodiment will be described. In addition, descriptions of matters already described in the previous embodiments may be omitted below. Here, the description will focus on matters unique to this embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of the management system of this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the management system 92 includes a mist generating device 2 , a charging device 3 , a terminal device 4 , a communication relay device 5 , a management server device 6 , an SNS communication server device 7 , and a battery device 28 . The present embodiment is characterized in that the management system 92 includes the battery 24 as the battery device 28 . In this way, the battery 24 (also That is, the battery device 28) can also be included in the management system separately from the mist generating device 2. In addition, the battery unit 28 can be configured to be stored in the mist generating device 2 .

Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional structure of the battery device of the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, the structure of the battery device 28 includes a control unit 281 , a memory unit 282 , a communication unit 283 and a power storage unit 285 .

The control unit 281 controls the entire battery device 28 . In particular, the control unit 281 detects and grasps the usage status of the battery unit 28 (connection status with other devices or charging status of the battery unit 28, etc.), and writes information to the memory unit 282, or uses the communication unit 283. transmission/reception of information. The control unit 281 can also be realized using a computer and a program.

The control unit 281 can read the device ID for uniquely identifying an individual battery device 28 from the storage unit 282 . The control unit 281 can transmit the device ID of the battery device 28 itself to the terminal device 4 or the management server device 6 as required.

The memory unit 282 stores information for controlling the battery device 28 . The storage unit 282 stores at least a device ID that can uniquely identify an individual battery device 28 . The storage unit 282 can be realized using, for example, a semiconductor memory.

The communication unit 283 has a function of communicating with an external device by wireless communication means or the like. The communication unit 283 performs, for example, short-distance wireless communication of several meters to hundreds of meters. The communication unit 283 implements communication between the battery device 28 and the terminal device 4 or the communication relay device 5 . Thereby, the battery device 28 can further communicate with the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 via the communication relay device 5 and the Internet.

Power storage unit 285 stores electric power. Electric power can be stored in power storage unit 285 using charging device 3 . In addition, the electric power stored in the power storage unit 285 can be supplied to the mist generating device 2 .

The functions of the mist generating device 2 and the charging device 3 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

Thus, since the battery device 28 has a communication function, the terminal device 4, the management server device 6, and the SNS communication server device 7 of this embodiment can directly receive or process various information from the battery device 28. For example, the battery device 28 has a communication function, and transmits information on usage status or usage (connection or charging) to the terminal device 4 or the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 .

Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing another schematic functional structure of the battery device of the present embodiment. The structure of the battery device 29 includes a control unit 291 and a power storage unit 285 . Unlike the battery device 28 illustrated in FIG. 19, the battery device 29 of this embodiment does not have a function of direct communication with the terminal device 4, the management server device 6, and the like. In this way, since the battery device 29 does not have functions such as a communication unit, the cost of the battery device can be reduced.

The control unit 291 has a function of controlling the entire battery device 29 .

Power storage unit 285 stores electric power. Electric power can be stored in power storage unit 285 using charging device 3 . In addition, the electric power stored in the power storage unit 285 can be supplied to the mist generating device 2 .

In this embodiment, the battery device 29 does not store a device ID for identifying an individual device. The battery device 29 itself does not directly communicate with the terminal device 4 or the management server device 6 or the SNS communication server device 7 . Whether the battery device 29 is stored in the mist generating device 2 , not stored in the mist generating device, or connected to the charging device 3 can be grasped by the charging device 3 .

The processing and operation sequence of the management system 92 of this embodiment is almost the same as that shown in Fig. 14 to Fig. 17 in the first embodiment. However, the device ID of the battery device 28 in this embodiment may replace the device ID of the mist generating device 2 or the charging device 3, or may be used together with them.

According to the second embodiment described above, it is possible to give feedback to the user based on the usage status information. In addition, the management server device 6 can acquire usage status information.

[First modified example]

The management server device 6 can also perform processing required for consuming rewards (points, etc.) given to users. In this case, the management server device 6 cooperates with the user's terminal device 4, and uses the given feedback to allow the user to perform necessary processing such as purchasing a product or using a service. When the reward is consumed, the management server 6 appropriately reduces the balance of the reward given to the user ID.

[Second modified example]

In the second embodiment, the management system 91 is configured using the battery device 28 provided with the communication unit 283 . In the second embodiment, the management system 92 is configured using the battery device 29 that does not have a communication unit. In the second modified example, the management system can be realized in a situation where the battery device 28 and the battery device 29 exist between users at the same time.

[3rd modified example]

In the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the user ID is given back on the side of the management server 6 . The third modification is that the terminal device 4 calculates the amount of feedback based on the usage status information (connection information or charging information) acquired by the terminal device 4, and gives feedback to the user ID. In addition, in this case, the terminal device 4 also transmits the use status information to the management server device 6 . In addition, the terminal device 4 may also transmit information about the given feedback to the management server device 6 . The management server device 6 can obtain usage status information. In this modified example, the load of processing for providing feedback can be distributed among a large number of terminal devices 4 .

The plural embodiments described above and their modified examples are summarized as follows.

The management system (91, 92) includes a mist generating device (2), a charging device (3), a terminal device (4), and a management server device (6). In addition, the charging device (3) may not necessarily be included in the management system (91, 92). The mist generating device (2) generates mist. The charging device (3) supplies electric power to charge a battery device that supplies electric power to the aforementioned mist generating device (2). The terminal device (4) can communicate with any one of the aforementioned mist generating device (2) and the aforementioned charging device (3). The management server device (6) receives from at least any one of the aforementioned mist generating device (2), the aforementioned charging device (3) and the aforementioned terminal device (4) indicating the use of the aforementioned mist generating device (2) or the aforementioned charging device (3) The usage status information of the status, and according to the received usage status information, give feedback to the user of the aforementioned terminal device (4).

The use status information includes connection information indicating the status of the communication connection between the terminal device (4) and at least one of the mist generating device (2) and the charging device (3). The connection information includes at least one of the first connection information or the second connection information described below. The first connection information indicates wireless communication (for example, pairing) between the terminal device (4) and at least one of the mist generating device (2) and the charging device (3). The second connection information indicates the duration of the communication connection between the terminal device (4) and at least one of the mist generating device (2) and the charging device (3).

The usage status information includes charging information indicating the length of time for charging the battery device or the charging device. The charging information includes at least one of the first charging information or the second charging information described below. The first charging information indicates that by connecting the aforementioned charging device (3) to the aforementioned battery device (28, 29), or by connecting the aforementioned charging device (3) or an external power source to the device storing the aforementioned battery device (28, 29) The aforementioned mist generating device (2) is the length of time for charging the battery 24 or the battery device (28, 29). The second charging information indicates the length of time for charging the charging device (3) by connecting an external power source to the charging device (3).

The management system (91, 92) may comprise the aforementioned battery means (28, 29). In this case, the management server device (6) receives the use status information indicating the use status of the battery device (28, 29) from either the battery device (28) or the terminal device (4), and based on the The received aforementioned usage status information is given as feedback to the user of the aforementioned terminal device (4).

The aforementioned management server device (6) can also transmit feedback information to be given to the aforementioned user to the aforementioned terminal device (4). The management server device (6) can also be replaced, and the terminal device (4) gives feedback to the user according to the aforementioned usage status information. The terminal device (4) can display the given feedback information on the screen.

The mist generating device (2) or the charging device (3), and the battery device (28) can respectively transmit information to the terminal device (4) and/or the management server device (6). The information transmitted from the mist generating device (2) or charging device (3) or battery device (28) to the terminal device (4) can be processed by the terminal device (4) and sent to the management server device (6) as required. The mist generating device (2) or charging device (3) or battery device (28) can also directly transmit information to the management server device (6) without going through the terminal device (4).

The mist generating device (2) or the charging device (3) or the battery device (28) or the terminal device (4) can also transmit information to be sent to the management server device (6) via the SNS communication server device (7). Moreover, it is also possible to transmit without going through the SNS communication server (7).

[industrial availability]

The above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples can be applied to services related to a mist generating device or a charging device as an example. However, the range of utilization is not limited to those exemplified here.

2‧‧‧Mist generating device (fragrance inhaler)

3‧‧‧Charging device

4‧‧‧Terminal device

5‧‧‧Communication relay device

6‧‧‧Management server

7‧‧‧SNS communication server device

91‧‧‧Management System

Claims (10)

An information processing method, comprising: a step of receiving connection information showing the status of a communication connection between a mist generating device that generates mist and a terminal device, and the terminal device can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device; The step of charging the charging information collected by the charging device that can charge the battery contained in the aforementioned mist generating device, the charging information shows the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery; the step of giving feedback to the user of the aforementioned mist generating device, The feedback is points proportional to the number of communication connections included in the aforementioned connection information, and points proportional to the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery included in the aforementioned charging information; and notification to the aforementioned terminal device Steps for information about the aforementioned feedback. In the information processing method described in item 1 of the scope of the patent application, the aforementioned connection information includes: first connection information indicating that wireless communication has been carried out between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned mist generating device. The information processing method described in claim 2 of the patent application, wherein the connection information includes: the second connection information showing the duration of the communication connection between the terminal device and the mist generating device. The information processing method described in any one of claims 1 to 3 of the scope of the patent application further includes: a step of receiving charging device connection information displayed on the status of the communication connection between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned charging device, and The charging device connection information includes: the first charging device connection information indicating that wireless communication has been carried out between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned charging device; and the length of the communication connection between the aforementioned terminal device and the aforementioned charging device. The connection information of the second charging device. In the information processing method described in claim 1 of the patent application, the charging information includes: first charging information indicating the length of time the battery included in the mist generating device has been charged. The information processing method according to claim 5 of the patent application, wherein the charging information includes: second charging information indicating the length of time for charging the charging device by connecting an external power source to the charging device. A program for information processing, which causes a computer to execute the following program: a program for receiving connection information showing the status of a communication connection between a mist generating device that generates mist and a terminal device that can be used between itself and the aforementioned mist generating device Make a communication connection; receive the charging information collected by the charging device that can charge the battery contained in the aforementioned mist generating device, and the charging information shows the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery; give the aforementioned mist generating device A user feedback program, the feedback being points proportional to the number of communication connections included in the aforementioned connection information, and points proportional to the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery included in the aforementioned charging information; And a program for notifying the aforementioned terminal device of information about the aforementioned feedback. An information processing device, comprising: a communication part, receiving connection information showing the status of a communication connection between a mist generating device that generates mist and a terminal device, and receiving a charging device capable of charging a battery included in the mist generating device The collected charging information, the terminal device can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device, and the charging information shows the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery; and The control unit gives feedback to the user of the mist generating device. The feedback is points proportional to the number of times of the communication connection included in the connection information and the time for charging the battery included in the charging information. Points whose length is proportional, wherein the communication unit notifies the terminal device of information about the feedback. A terminal device, equipped with: a communication part, which will display connection information received from a mist generating device that generates mist and the status of the communication connection between the mist generating device, and the battery that can be included in the aforementioned mist generating device. The charging information collected by the charging charging device is sent to the information processing device, and the charging information shows the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery; Display of feedback information, wherein the aforementioned feedback is points proportional to the number of times of the aforementioned communication connection included in the aforementioned connection information, and points proportional to the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery included in the aforementioned charging information and given to the aforementioned users. A management system, comprising: a mist generating device that generates mist; a terminal device that can communicate with the aforementioned mist generating device; and an information processing device that receives from the aforementioned terminal device a connection indicating the status of the communication connection with the aforementioned mist generating device Information, and is to receive the charging information collected by the charging device that can charge the battery contained in the aforementioned mist generating device, the charging information is to show the length of time for charging the aforementioned battery; wherein The aforementioned information processing device gives feedback to the user of the aforementioned mist generating device, and notifies the aforementioned terminal device of information about the given aforementioned feedback, the feedback being points proportional to the number of times of the aforementioned communication connections included in the aforementioned connection information , and points proportional to the length of time for charging the battery included in the charging information.

Images