WO2022230080A1 - Aerosol producing device and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

This aerosol producing device includes a heating unit, a power source, a suction sensing unit, and a control unit for controlling power supply from the power source to the heating unit in accordance with a control sequence. The control sequence includes at least a first section having a first temperature as a control target value, a second section having a second temperature lower than the first temperature as the control target value, and a third section having a third temperature higher than the second temperature as the control target value. When, in the second section, a suction sensing count does not satisfy a condition, the control unit transitions the temperature control to the third section at a first point in time and performs control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature at a second point in time and, if the suction sensing count does satisfy the condition, transitions the temperature control to the third section at a third point in time and performs control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature at a fourth point in time earlier than the second point in time.

Description

Aerosol generator and control method

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generator and control method.

An electrically heated aerosol generator is known that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source and delivers the generated aerosol to a user. For example, electronic cigarettes are one type of such aerosol-generating devices that add flavoring components to the generated aerosol for inhalation by the user.

The amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source per unit time varies depending on the properties and shape of the substrate containing the aerosol source as well as the temperature at which the substrate is heated. As such, the aerosol generating device controls the heating temperature such that the desired amount of aerosol is delivered to the user. In general, a representation of temperature change over time is called a temperature profile, and a temperature profile defined in chronological order for realizing a desired temperature profile is called a heating profile.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,000 raises the temperature of the heating element to a high value in a first step, lowers the temperature of the heating element to a lower value in a second step, and lowers the temperature of the heating element in a third step. It discloses a temperature profile with a gradual increase. This temperature profile flattens the amount of aerosol generation to some extent over time. In relation to this temperature profile, Patent Document 1 describes the timing of transitioning temperature control from one stage to the next stage using indicators such as the elapsed time, the temperature of the heating element, the amount of power supplied to the heating element, or the number of times of suction. It is also disclosed to determine the

JP 2020-74797 A

However, no matter what index is used, there is a limit to improving the quality of the user's sucking experience simply by changing the timing of temperature control transition. For example, if the temperature control transitions early as a result of the user's inhaling at a fast pace, the content of the temperature control suitable for the stage after the transition should be different from the normal transition.

In view of the circumstances described above, the technology according to the present disclosure seeks to achieve improved temperature control for aerosol generation.

According to a first aspect, a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heating unit, a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, The power supply to the heating unit is performed in a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating section, and the first section. a second section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit; a third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating unit; a control unit that performs control according to a control sequence including at least the second section, wherein the control unit monitors a detection count representing the number of times the suction is detected by the detection unit at least in the second section, and the detection count is a predetermined is not satisfied, the temperature control is shifted to the third section at a first point in time when a predetermined time has passed from the reference point, and the temperature of the heating unit is changed at a second point in time after a certain length of time has passed. performs the temperature control so that reaches the third temperature, and when the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third section at the third time point, and the second time point The aerosol generating device is provided, wherein the temperature control is performed such that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature at a fourth time earlier than the above.

The third time point may be earlier than the first time point.

The third point in time may be a point in time when the controller determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition.

The third point in time may be a point in time at which a time shorter than the remaining time up to the first point in time has elapsed after the control unit determined that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition.

The third time point may be equal to the first time point.

The control unit determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition as a result of the temperature control transitioning to the third interval without the number of times of detection satisfying the predetermined condition. When the temperature control is shifted to the section, the temperature control may be performed so that the temperature rise rate of the heating unit in the third section becomes higher.

The control unit determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition as a result of the temperature control transitioning to the third interval without the number of times of detection satisfying the predetermined condition. When the temperature control is shifted to the section, the temperature control may be performed so that the rate of temperature increase of the heating unit in the third section becomes lower.

The predetermined condition may include that the number of times of detection reaches a threshold.

The aerosol generating device further includes a receiving portion for receiving a tobacco article containing the aerosol source, wherein the tobacco article is an aerosol source in an amount that allows M inhalations of the aerosol (where M is an integer equal to or greater than 2). and the threshold may be greater than or equal to M/2.

When the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, the control unit controls the operation of the heating unit in the third section according to the frequency at which the suction is detected or the cumulative value of the time at which the suction is detected. A rate of temperature rise may be selected.

The control unit, when the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, changes the temperature control from the second interval to the third interval according to the remaining time until the first point of time. Time points may be determined.

The control unit may count the number of times of detection from the point in time when the end of preheating is notified to the user or the point in time when the second section starts.

According to a second aspect, a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heating unit, a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, The power supply to the heating unit is performed in a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating section, and the first section. a second section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit; a third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating unit; a control unit that performs control according to a control sequence including at least the second interval, the control unit monitors a detection frequency representing a frequency at which the suction is detected by the detection unit, and the detection frequency is a predetermined is not satisfied, the temperature control is shifted to the third section at a first point in time when a predetermined time has passed from the reference point, and the temperature of the heating unit is changed at a second point in time after a certain length of time has passed. performs the temperature control so that reaches the third temperature, and when the detection frequency satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third section at the third time point, and the second time point The aerosol generating device is provided, wherein the temperature control is performed such that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature at a fourth time earlier than the above.

According to a third aspect, a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, a power supply that supplies power to the heating unit, a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, The power supply to the heating unit is performed in a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating section, and the first section. a second section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit; a third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating unit; a control unit that performs control according to a control sequence that includes at least the When the accumulated suction time does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the temperature control is shifted to the third interval at the first point in time when the predetermined time has passed from the reference point, and at the second point in time after the elapse of a certain length of time. The temperature control is performed so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature, and when the cumulative suction time satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control transitions to the third interval at a third point in time. and performing the temperature control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature at a fourth time earlier than the second time.

According to a fourth aspect, a control method is provided for controlling power supply from a power supply to a heating unit according to a control sequence in an aerosol generator. The control method may comprise processing steps corresponding to any combination of the above mentioned features of the aerosol generating device according to the first, second and third aspects.

According to the technology according to the present disclosure, improved temperature control for aerosol generation can be achieved.

The perspective view which shows the external appearance of the aerosol generation apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining insertion of a tobacco stick into the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic circuit configuration of the aerosol generator of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a measurement circuit used for measuring the heating section; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a measurement period and a PWM control period during a heating period; Explanatory drawing for demonstrating the temperature profile and heating profile which concern on one Embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the third embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the fourth embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the fifth embodiment; FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the sixth embodiment; FIG. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the temperature profile which can be implement|achieved in 7th Example. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a temperature profile that can be realized in the eighth embodiment; 4 is a flow chart showing a first example of the flow of temperature control processing that can be executed in the temperature maintenance section after the temperature has been lowered. 4 is a flow chart showing a second example of the flow of temperature control processing that can be executed in the temperature maintenance interval after the temperature has been lowered. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of temperature control processing that can be executed in the reheating interval.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

<<1. Device configuration example >>
In this specification, examples in which the technology according to the present disclosure is applied to a non-combustion type device that generates aerosol by atomization by heating an aerosol source without combustion will be mainly described. Such devices may also be referred to as reduced risk products (RRPs), or simply e-cigarettes. Note that the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to such examples, and may be applied to any type of aerosol generating device, such as a combustion type device or a medical nebulizer.

<1-1. Appearance>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an aerosol generator 10 according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining insertion of a tobacco stick into the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10 comprises a main body 101, a front panel 102, a viewing window 103 and a slider 104.

The main body 101 is a housing that supports one or more circuit boards of the aerosol generating device 10 inside. In this embodiment, the main body 101 has a substantially rounded rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vertical direction in the figure. The size of the main body 101 may be, for example, a size that allows the user to hold it with one hand. The front panel 102 is a flexible panel member that covers the front surface of the main body 101 . Front panel 102 may be removable from body 101 . The front panel 102 also functions as an input unit for accepting user input. For example, when the user presses the center of the front panel 102, a button (not shown) disposed between the main body 101 and the front panel 102 is pressed, and user input can be detected. The display window 103 is a strip-shaped window extending in the longitudinal direction at substantially the center of the front panel 102 . The display window 103 transmits light emitted by one or more LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) arranged between the main body 101 and the front panel 102 to the outside.

The slider 104 is a cover member slidably disposed on the upper surface of the main body 101 along the direction 104a. As shown in FIG. 2, when the slider 104 is slid forward in the drawing (that is, the slider 104 is opened), the opening 106 on the upper surface of the main body 101 is exposed. When inhaling aerosol using the aerosol generator 10, the user inserts the tobacco stick 15 from the opening 106 exposed by opening the slider 104 into the tubular insertion hole 107 along the direction 106a. That is, the insertion hole 107 serves as a receiving portion for receiving the tobacco stick 15 . The cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the insertion hole 107 may be circular, elliptical, or polygonal, for example, and the cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the bottom surface. As a result, the outer surface of the tobacco stick 15 inserted into the insertion hole 107 is pressed from the inner surface of the insertion hole 107, preventing the tobacco stick 15 from falling off due to the frictional force, and preventing the tobacco stick 15 from falling off from the heating unit 130, which will be described later. The transfer efficiency of heat transfer to is enhanced. When the user finishes inhaling the aerosol, the user pulls out the tobacco stick 15 from the insertion hole 107 and closes the slider 104 .

A tobacco stick 15 is a tobacco article that holds a filler inside a tubular wrapping paper. The filling of tobacco sticks 15 may be, for example, a mixture of an aerosol-generating substrate and tobacco cuts. As aerosol-generating substrates, substrates containing any type of aerosol source may be used, such as glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, or mixtures thereof. Tobacco shreds are so-called flavor sources. Tobacco shredded material may be, for example, laminae or backbones. A non-tobacco-derived flavor source may be used instead of tobacco shreds.

The tobacco stick 15 shall contain an amount of the aerosol source (or the aerosol source and the flavor source) that allows M inhalations of the aerosol. M may be any integer greater than or equal to 2. For example, M may be a value in the range of about 10-20, which approximates the number of puffs per cigarette in a typical cigarette.

It should be noted that the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to the examples described above, and may be capable of receiving non-stick-shaped tobacco articles (for example, tobacco capsules, cartridges, or reservoirs). The aerosol source contained in the tobacco article may be solid or liquid.

<1-2. Circuit configuration>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic circuit configuration of the aerosol generator 10. As shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a control unit 120, a storage unit 121, an input detection unit 122, a state detection unit 123, an suction detection unit 124, a light emission unit 125, a vibration unit 126, and a communication interface (I/F). 127 , connection I/F 128 , heating unit 130 , first switch 131 , second switch 132 , battery 140 , booster circuit 141 , fuel gauge 142 , measuring circuit 150 , and thermistor 155 .

The control unit 120 may be a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microcontroller. The control unit 120 controls all functions of the aerosol generation device 10 by executing computer programs (also referred to as software or firmware) stored in the storage unit 121 . The storage unit 121 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 121 stores one or more computer programs and various data (for example, profile data describing the heating profile 50) used for heating control, which will be described later.

The input detection unit 122 is a detection circuit for detecting user input. The input detection unit 122 detects, for example, pressing of the front panel 102 by the user (that is, pressing of a button), and outputs an input signal indicating the detected state to the control unit 120 . It should be noted that instead of (or in addition to) the front panel 102, the aerosol generating device 10 may comprise any kind of input device, such as buttons, switches or touch-sensitive surfaces. The state detection unit 123 is a detection circuit for detecting the open/closed state of the slider 104 . State detection unit 123 outputs a state detection signal indicating whether slider 104 is open or closed to control unit 120 . The suction detection unit 124 is a detection circuit for detecting suction (puffing) of the tobacco stick 15 by the user. As an example, suction detection unit 124 may include a thermistor (not shown) disposed near opening 106 . In this case, the suction detection unit 124 can detect suction based on a change in the resistance value of the thermistor caused by a temperature change caused by the user's suction. As another example, the suction detection unit 124 may include a pressure sensor (not shown) arranged at the bottom of the insertion hole 107 . In this case, the suction detection unit 124 can detect suction based on a decrease in air pressure caused by airflow caused by suction. The suction detection unit 124 outputs, for example, a suction detection signal indicating whether or not suction is being performed to the control unit 120 .

The light emitting unit 125 includes one or more LEDs and a driver for driving the LEDs. Light emitting unit 125 causes each of the LEDs to emit light according to an instruction signal input from control unit 120 . Vibrating section 126 includes a vibrator (eg, an eccentric motor) and a driver for driving the vibrator. Vibrating section 126 vibrates the vibrator according to an instruction signal input from control section 120 . The control unit 120 may use one or both of the light emitting unit 125 and the vibrating unit 126 in any pattern, for example, to notify the user of some status of the aerosol generating device 10 (eg progress of a session). . For example, the light emission pattern of the light emitting unit 125 can be distinguished by factors such as the light emission state of each LED (constant light emission/blinking/non-light emission), blinking period, and emission color. The vibration pattern of the vibrating section 126 can be distinguished by factors such as the vibration state (vibration/stop) of the vibrator and the strength of the vibration.

The wireless I/F 127 is a communication interface for the aerosol generating device 10 to wirelessly communicate with other devices (for example, a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone owned by the user). The wireless I/F 127 may be an interface conforming to any wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near Field Communication), or wireless LAN (Local Area Network). The connection I/F 128 is a wired interface having terminals for connecting the aerosol generating device 10 to other devices. The connection I/F 128 may be, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface. Connection I/F 128 may be used to charge battery 140 from an external power supply (via a power supply line not shown).

The heating unit 130 is a resistance heating component that heats the aerosol source contained in the aerosol-generating substrate of the tobacco stick 15 to generate an aerosol. As the resistance heating material of the heating part 130, for example, one or a mixture of two or more of copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, and platinum-rhodium may be used. One end of the heating unit 130 is connected to the positive electrode of the battery 140 via the first switch 131 and the booster circuit 141 , and the other end of the heating unit 130 is connected to the negative electrode of the battery 140 via the second switch 132 . The first switch 131 is a switching element provided on the feeder line between the heating section 130 and the booster circuit 141 . Second switch 132 is a switching element provided in the ground line between heating unit 130 and battery 140 . The first switch 131 and the second switch 132 may be FETs (Field Effect Transistors), for example.

The battery 140 is a power source for supplying power to the heating unit 130 and other components of the aerosol generating device 10. In FIG. 3, power supply lines from the battery 140 to components other than the heating unit 130 are omitted. Battery 140 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery. A booster circuit (DC/DC converter) 141 is a voltage conversion circuit that amplifies the voltage of the battery 140 to supply power to the heating unit 130 . The remaining amount gauge 142 is an IC chip for monitoring the remaining amount of power of the battery 140 and other statuses. The fuel gauge 142 periodically measures the status values of the battery 140, for example, the state of charge (SOC), the state of health (SOH), the relative state of charge (RSOC), and the power supply voltage, A measurement result can be output to the control unit 120 .

The control unit 120 starts supplying power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 when a user input requesting the start of heating is detected. The user input here may be, for example, a long press of a button detected by the input detection unit 122 . The control unit 120 outputs a control signal to the first switch 131 and the second switch 132 to turn on both switches, thereby supplying power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 with the voltage amplified by the booster circuit 141. be able to. When the first switch 131 and the second switch 132 are FETs, the control signal output from the control section 120 to both switches is a control pulse applied to each gate. The control unit 120 adjusts the duty ratio of this control pulse by pulse width modulation (PWM) in temperature control, which will be described later. Note that the control unit 120 may use pulse frequency modulation (PFM) instead of PWM.

<1-3. Measurement of heater temperature>
In this embodiment, the control unit 120 controls the power supply from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 throughout the heating period, including the preheating period and the suckable period, according to a desired temperature profile to provide a good user experience. control to achieve The control may be mainly feedback control in which the temperature index having a correlation with the temperature of the heating unit 130 is used as a control amount, and the PWM duty ratio is used as an operation amount. Here, PID control shall be adopted as feedback control. In this embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 has two types of measurement units for measuring the temperature index of the heating unit 130 . The measurement circuit 150 shown in FIG. 3 is one of these two types of measurement units, and the thermistor 155 is the other. Measurement circuit 150 is used to measure a first temperature index based on the electrical resistance value of heating unit 130 . The thermistor 155 is used to measure a second temperature index that depends on the temperature of the heating unit 130 during a period in which no voltage can be applied to the heating unit 130 (off period described later).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of measurement circuit 150 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 4, measurement circuit 150 includes voltage dividing resistors 151 , 152 , 153 and operational amplifier 154 . One end of the voltage dividing resistor 151 is connected to the power supply voltage V _TEMP and the other end is connected to one end of the voltage dividing resistor 152 . The other end of voltage dividing resistor 152 is grounded. A contact point between the voltage dividing resistor 151 and the voltage dividing resistor 152 is connected to the terminal ADC_VTEMP of the control section 120 . An input to terminal ADC_VTEMP indicates a reference value for resistance measurements. One end of the voltage dividing resistor 153 is connected to the power supply voltage V _TEMP and the other end is connected to the power supply line of the heating unit 130 . A contact point between the voltage dividing resistor 153 and the power supply line of the heating unit 130 is connected to a first input terminal of an operational amplifier 154 . A second input terminal of the operational amplifier 154 is grounded. The output terminal of operational amplifier 154 is connected to terminal ADC_HEAT_TEMP of control section 120 . The input to the terminal ADC_HEAT_TEMP indicates a value that varies with the electrical resistance value Rh that depends on the temperature of the heating unit 130 . The control unit 120 can calculate the electrical resistance value Rh of the heating unit 130 based on the ratio of the input value to the terminal ADC_HEAT_TEMP to the input value (reference value) to the terminal ADC_VTEMP.

Here, the electrical resistance value of the heating section 130 has a characteristic that it monotonically increases (that is, has a correlation with the temperature) as the temperature rises, for example. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control unit 120 uses the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 130 calculated using the measurement circuit 150 as a temperature index (first temperature index) as a controlled variable for PID control. For example, if the target temperature for PID control at a certain time point is H _TGT [°C], the target temperature can be converted to the target temperature resistance value R _TGT [Ω] according to the following equation (1):

In equation (1), H _ENV represents the standard environmental temperature, α represents the temperature resistance coefficient of the resistance heating material of the heating unit 130, and R _ENV represents the electrical resistance value at the standard environmental temperature. The values of H _ENV , α and R _ENV are all measured or derived in a preliminary evaluation test and stored in the storage unit 121 in advance.

Of course, the control unit 120 may convert the electrical resistance value of the heating unit 130 into temperature using the temperature coefficient of resistance, and use the derived measured temperature as the control amount for PID control.

<1-4. Temperature control>
As described above, in the present embodiment, the temperature control of the heating unit 130 is performed mainly by determining the PWM duty ratio of power supplied to the heating unit 130 by PID control. The PID control target value (resistance value corresponding to the target temperature) is R _TGT [Ω], and the index value (measured resistance value) of the first temperature index in the current control cycle n (n is an integer) is R (n) Ω], the duty ratio D(n) of the control cycle n can be derived, for example, according to the following equation (2):

In equation (2), K _p , K _i and K _d represent proportional, integral and derivative gains, respectively. Note that saturation control may be applied to the cumulative value of the deviation of the index value from the target value in the second term on the right side, which is the integral term. In this case, the cumulative value is replaced with the upper limit value when the cumulative value exceeds the predetermined upper limit value, and the cumulative value is replaced with the lower limit value when the cumulative value is below the predetermined lower limit value.

In order to enable feedback control during the heating period, in this embodiment, the control unit 120 makes part of the repeated control cycle a measurement period for measuring the first temperature index, and the rest of the control cycle This is a PWM control period for performing PWM control. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the measurement period and the PWM control period during the heating period. The horizontal axis in the drawing represents time, and the vertical axis represents voltage applied to the heating unit 130 . One control cycle during the heating period consists of an initial measurement period 20 and a remaining PWM control period 30 . In the example of FIG. 5, the period from t0 to t1 is the measurement period 20 of one control cycle, and the period from t1 to t2 is the PWM control period 30 of the control cycle. Similarly, the period from t2 to t3 is the measurement period 20 of the next one control cycle, and the period from t3 to t4 is the PWM control period 30 of the control cycle. The length of one control cycle corresponds to the period of measurement of the first temperature index, and may be several tens of milliseconds, for example.

In the control cycle n, the control unit 120 applies a very short pulse 21 (for example, a pulse width of 2 ms) to the heating unit 130 a plurality of times (for example, 8 times) during the measurement period 20, and in one measurement period 20, The average value of the resistance values calculated multiple times using the measurement circuit 150 is set as the measured value R(n) of the first temperature index. Using the measured value R(n), the control unit 120 calculates the PWM duty ratio D(n) of the control cycle n according to the above control formula. Then, in the PWM control period 30, the control unit 120 applies a pulse 31 having a pulse width W1 corresponding to the product of the length W0 of the period and the duty ratio D(n) to the heating unit 130 (with the same pulse width output a control pulse with W1 to the first switch 131 and the second switch 132). Through repetition of such feedback control, the temperature of the heating unit 130 is controlled so as to approach the target value.

The second temperature index based on the output value from the thermistor 155 is, for example, during a period in which no pulse is applied to the heating unit 130 for the purpose of efficiently lowering the temperature of the heating unit 130, which has once been raised to a high value, to a lower value. It is used to determine the temperature of the heating section 130 . Thermistor 155 is arranged near heating unit 130 and outputs a value dependent on the temperature of heating unit 130 to control unit 120 .

<1-5. Temperature Profile and Heating Profile>
Control unit 120 performs temperature control of heating unit 130 according to a heating profile, which is a control sequence that defines the temporal transition of control conditions for realizing a desired temperature profile. In the present embodiment, the heating profile consists of a plurality of sections that divide the heating period in terms of time, and designates the temperature control specifications for each section using target values and other control parameters.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the temperature profile and heating profile that can be employed in this embodiment. The horizontal axis in the drawing represents the elapsed time from the start of power supply to the heating unit 130 , and the vertical axis represents the temperature of the heating unit 130 . A thick polygonal line represents a temperature profile 40 as an example. The temperature profile 40 consists of a preheating period (T0-T2) at the beginning and a suckable period (T2-T8) following the preheating period. As an example, the length of the entire suckable period may be about 5 minutes.

The preheating period includes a temperature rising section (T0 to T1) in which the temperature of the heating unit 130 is rapidly increased from the environmental temperature H0 to the first temperature H1, and a maintenance section (T1) in which the temperature of the heating section 130 is maintained at the first temperature H1. ~T2). In this way, by first rapidly heating the heating unit 130 to the first temperature H1, sufficient heat can be quickly distributed throughout the aerosol-generating substrate of the tobacco stick 15, and good quality aerosol can be produced more quickly. You can start providing it to users.

The suckable period includes a maintenance interval (T2 to T3) in which the temperature of the heating unit 130 is maintained at the first temperature H1, a temperature decrease interval (T3 to T4) in which the temperature of the heating unit 130 is decreased toward the second temperature H2, and A maintenance interval (T4-T5) is included to maintain the temperature of the heating unit 130 at the second temperature H2. In this way, by lowering the temperature of the heating unit 130, which has once risen to the first temperature H1, to the second temperature H2, it is possible to provide the user with a longer and more stable suction with a moderate flavor. In the suckable period, the temperature of the heating unit 130 is further increased gradually from the second temperature H2 to the third temperature H3 (T5 to T6), and the temperature of the heating unit 130 is maintained at the third temperature H3. It includes a maintenance interval (T6-T7) and a temperature-decreasing interval (T7-T8) in which the temperature of the heating unit 130 is lowered toward the environmental temperature H0. In this way, by raising the temperature of the heating unit 130 again in the second half of the suckable period, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the smoking taste in the situation where the aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 is decreasing, and the end of the suckable period. It is possible to provide users with a highly satisfying experience.

For example, the first temperature H1 may be 295°C, the second temperature H2 may be 230°C, and the third temperature H3 may be 260°C. However, different temperature profiles may be designed, for example, depending on the design guidelines of the manufacturer, user preferences, or characteristics of each type of tobacco article.

The heating profile 50 consists of eight sections S0 to S7 bounded by T1 to T7. However, as will be explained later, the timing of the transition between the two intervals does not necessarily coincide with one of the times T1-T7 shown, but rather according to the termination conditions of each interval. In the next section, an example of a more specific configuration of the heating profile 50 will be explained in order for each section.

<<2. Configuration example of heating profile>>
<2-1. Initial temperature rise (S0)>
The interval S0 is the first half of the preheating period. In section S0, PID control is performed by setting the target value for temperature control to a resistance value (hereinafter referred to as R1) corresponding to first temperature H1. The proportional gain of PID control in section S0 is set to a higher value than in other sections, so that the time required for temperature rise can be shortened as much as possible. Interval S0 ends when the first temperature indicator reaches resistance value R1.

<2-2. Temperature maintenance during preheating (S1)>
Section S1 is the latter half of the preheating period. In section S1, PID control is performed with the target value for temperature control set to the resistance value R1. The proportional gain of the PID control in the section S1 can be set to a value that stabilizes the temperature of the heating unit 130 near the first temperature H1 (for example, in the section may be set to a value less than the proportional gain specified for S0). Interval S1 ends when a length of time has elapsed, which can be set to a value in the range of seconds, for example. The control unit 120 notifies the user of the end of the preheating period at the end of the section S1. The notification here may be performed by one or both of light emission of the light emitting unit 125 in a predetermined light emission pattern and vibration of the vibrating unit 126 in a predetermined vibration pattern. By sensing this notification, the user recognizes that preparation for suctioning is complete and that suctioning can be started.

<2-3. Start session (S2)>
Section S2 is the beginning section of the suckable period. In section S2, PID control is performed with the target value for temperature control set to the resistance value R1. The gain of PID control in section S1 may be the same as in section S1. Interval S2 ends when a length of time that can be set to a value within the range of, for example, several seconds to ten and several seconds has passed.

The user can start inhaling the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device 10 from section S2. Based on the suction detection signal input from the suction detection unit 124, the control unit 120 measures statistics related to suction, such as the number of suction detections, the suction detection frequency, or the cumulative suction time, and stores the measurement results in the storage unit 121. . This measurement can be continuously performed after the section S3.

<2-4. Temperature drop (S3)>
A section S3 is a section for decreasing the temperature of the heating unit 130, which has once risen to the first temperature H1 during the preheating period. In section S3, control unit 120 stops power supply from battery 140 to heating unit 130 so that the temperature of heating unit 130 decreases toward second temperature H2. In the present specification, a section in which power is not supplied to the heating unit 130 is called an off section. For example, when it is determined that the temperature of the heating unit 130 has reached the second temperature H2 based on the second temperature index based on the output value from the thermistor 155, the control unit 120 terminates the section S3.

<2-5. Temperature maintenance after temperature drop (S4)>
The section S4 is a section for maintaining the temperature of the heating unit 130 near the second temperature H2. In section S4, PID control is performed by setting the target value for temperature control to a resistance value (hereinafter referred to as R2) corresponding to the second temperature H2. The PID control gain in section S4 may be the same as in sections S1 and S2. As described above, the section S4 is a section in which the user can stably repeat sucking with a moderate taste, and is longer than the sections S2 and S3 (for example, several tens of seconds to several minutes). Continued. The aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 may decrease faster if the inhalation is performed at a fast pace in the interval S4. Therefore, the control unit 120 monitors the statistic regarding suction at least in the section S4 (or the section after the section S2). In the following description, the statistic to be monitored is also simply referred to as a control parameter. The control parameter here may be the number of suction detections, the suction detection frequency, or the accumulated suction time. Then, the control unit 120 shifts the temperature control from the section S4 to the section S5 when the control parameter satisfies a predetermined condition. The predetermined conditions here will be described later with some examples. Even if the control parameter does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the control unit 120 shifts the temperature control from the section S4 to the section S5 when the predetermined time has passed from the reference time. The reference time may typically be the start time of section S4 (T4 in FIG. 6). Alternatively, the reference point in time may be the point in time (T2 in FIG. 6) when the end of preheating is notified to the user.

<2-6. Reheating (S5)>
A section S5 is a section for increasing the temperature of the heating unit 130 from the second temperature H2 to the third temperature H3. PID control is performed in the section S5, but the target value is actually controlled substantially linearly so that the temperature of the heating unit 130 gradually rises to the third temperature H3 from the start of the section to the end of the section. It is raised step by step with each cycle. The gain of PID control in section S5 may be the same as or different from that in section S4. As shown in FIG. 6, if the transition from section S4 to section S5 occurs at T5, section S5 ends at T6. If the transition from section S4 to section S5 occurs earlier, the end point of section S5 may differ in various embodiments described below. The rate of temperature increase of heating unit 130 in section S5 is equal to the gradient of the target value of PID control as long as stable control continues. The slope of the target value may be predefined as the amount of change in the target value for each control cycle, or by dividing the difference between the measured temperature at the start of the interval and the target temperature at the end of the interval by the length of time of interval S5. may be derived from The section S5 ends when the temperature of the heating unit 130 reaches the third temperature H3.

<2-7. Temperature maintenance after reheating (S6)>
The section S6 is a section for maintaining the temperature of the heating unit 130 near the third temperature H3. In section S6, PID control is performed by setting the target value for temperature control to a resistance value (hereinafter referred to as R3) corresponding to the third temperature H3. The PID control gain in section S6 may be the same as in sections S1, S2 and S4. Interval S6 ends when a length of time that can be set to a value within the range of several tens of seconds, for example, has elapsed.

<2-8. End (S7)>
Section S7 is the last section of the heating period. In interval S7, control unit 120 stops power supply from battery 140 to heating unit 130 so that the temperature of heating unit 130 decreases toward environmental temperature H0. That is, section S7 is an off section. Interval S7 ends when a length of time that can be set to a value within the range of, for example, several seconds to several tens of seconds has passed. The control unit 120 may notify the user that the end of the suckable period is approaching by the light emission of the light emitting unit 125 or the vibration of the vibrating unit 126 at the start of the section S7. Further, the control unit 120 may notify the user that the suckable period has ended by emitting light from the light emitting unit 125 or vibrating the vibrating unit 126 at the end of the section S7.

<<3. Control of reheating behavior>>
According to the heating profile 50 described above, the section S4, which is the temperature maintenance section after the temperature is lowered to the second temperature H2, ends at the latest when a predetermined time has elapsed from the reference time (T5 in FIG. 6), and the temperature is controlled. transitions to section S5, which is a reheating section. However, the timing of this transition is earlier when the statistical amount related to suction by the user satisfies a predetermined condition. In the following description, the case where the transition from section S4 to section S5 occurs after a predetermined time has elapsed from the reference time is called "normal transition", and the case where the transition occurs earlier is called "early transition". In the present embodiment, the quality of the user's sucking experience is further improved by differentiating the content of the temperature control after section S5 between the normal transition and the early transition. For example, when the statistics indicate that the pace of suction by the user is fast, the temperature of the heating unit 130 is caused to reach the third temperature H3 at an early timing suitable for the pace, thereby improving the smoking taste brought about by reheating. can be realized by the user. If the pace of suction by the user is slow, it is possible to provide the user with a suction experience for a longer period of time by allowing the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 over a designed period of time. In this section, we describe some examples for realizing different temperature profiles depending on statistics related to suction in this way.

<3-1. Conditions for early transition>
Before describing each example, some examples of early transition conditions are presented for each type of monitored statistic. As described above, the statistic relating to suction by the user may be, for example, the number of suction detections, the suction detection frequency, or the cumulative suction time.

When monitoring the number of suction detections as a control parameter, the condition for early transition may include that the number of suction detections reaches the first transition threshold. For example, if the amount of aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 is such that it allows M puffs, assuming an average puff length and intensity, then the first transition threshold is M/ It can be set as a value of 2 or more. This means that half of the aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 has already been consumed when the number of inhalation detections reaches the first transition threshold. In this case, the reheating in the section S5 is performed more quickly than in the case of normal transition, thereby reducing the possibility that the improvement of the smoking taste brought about by the reheating will be untimely. As an example, if M>3, the first transition threshold may be set to M−1. This means that when the number of inhalation detections reaches the first transition threshold, the aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 will be depleted after one more inhalation by the user. In this case, by rapidly reheating, the temperature of the heating unit 130 at the time of the last suction by the user is raised as much as possible, ensuring that the user can fully enjoy the taste at the end of the session. can be made

When the suction detection frequency is monitored as a control parameter, the condition for early transition may include that the suction detection frequency exceeds the second transition threshold. The suction detection frequency is obtained by dividing the number of suction detections by the length of the monitoring period. At the beginning of the interval, the denominator of the frequency calculation is small and the value of the control parameter is not stable. Therefore, the determination of the interval transition in this case may not be performed until a certain amount of time has passed since the start of the interval. The second transition threshold can be set, for example, to a value such that if the suction continues at that frequency, the number of suction detections reaches the upper limit before T6 arrives. This means that when the inhalation detection frequency exceeds the second transition threshold, there is a high possibility that the aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 will be depleted before the interval S6. In this case, the reheating in section S5 is performed more quickly than in the case of normal transition, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility of untimely improvement of the flavor brought about by the reheating.

When the cumulative suction time is monitored as a control parameter, the early transition condition may include reaching the third transition threshold of the cumulative suction time. For example, let the amount of aerosol source contained in a tobacco stick 15 be the amount consumed in inhalation over a total time L, assuming an average inhalation intensity. In this case, the third transition threshold may be set as a value greater than L/2. This means that half of the aerosol source contained in the tobacco stick 15 has already been consumed when the cumulative inhalation time reaches the third transition threshold. In this case, the reheating in section S5 is performed more quickly than in the case of normal transition, so that it is possible to reduce the possibility of untimely improvement of the flavor brought about by the reheating.

In the examples and modifications described in the next section, the control unit 120 counts the number of suction detections from the point in time when the end of preheating is notified to the user (T2 in FIG. 6) or the point in time when the section S4 starts (T4 in FIG. 6). shall be counted and monitored as a control parameter. However, in any of the embodiments and modifications, the suction detection frequency or cumulative suction time may be monitored instead of the number of suction detections, or a composite control parameter combining two or more of these may be monitored. may

<3-2. First embodiment>
FIG. 7 shows an example temperature profile 41 that can be implemented in the first embodiment in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. T _puff in the figure represents the point in time when it is determined that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition, and is earlier than T5 at which the maximum length of time set for the section S4 elapses. In the first embodiment, the control unit 120 immediately shifts the temperature control to the interval S5 in response to determining that the number of times of suction detection satisfies the predetermined condition in T _puff . In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5a, which is earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 in the normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from _Tpuff to T5a is equal to the length of time from T5 to T6, so the slope of the PID control target value in interval S5 is the same for both normal transition and early transition cases. According to the first embodiment, the same settings as in the normal transition case can be utilized to achieve an early improvement in the taste without the need for separate temperature rise rate settings and gain retuning. .

<3-3. Second embodiment>
FIG. 8 shows an example temperature profile 42 that can be implemented in the second embodiment, in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. In the second embodiment, the control unit 120 immediately transitions the temperature control to the section S5 in response to determining that the number of suction detections in T _puff has satisfied the predetermined condition. In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5b, which is earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 in the normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from T _puff to T5b is shorter than the length of time from T5 to T6. Therefore, the slope of the PID control target value in section S5 in this early transition case is steeper than in the normal transition case, which means that the temperature rise rate of the heating section 130 is higher. According to the second embodiment, the target temperature reaches the third temperature H3 in a shorter time than in the first embodiment, so that the user can enjoy a good sucking experience with the reheating completed. Make sure you have enough time.

<3-4. Third embodiment>
FIG. 9 shows an example temperature profile 43 that can be implemented in the third embodiment in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. In the third embodiment, the control unit 120 immediately shifts the temperature control to the interval S5 in response to determining that the number of suction detections in T _puff has satisfied the predetermined condition. In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5c, which is earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 in the normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from T _puff to T5c is longer than the length of time from T5 to T6. Therefore, the slope of the PID control target value in section S5 in this early transition case is gentler than in the normal transition case, which means that the temperature rise rate of heating unit 130 is lower. According to the third embodiment, the load applied to the battery 140 during reheating is suppressed as compared with the first and second embodiments, so the drop voltage (temporary voltage drop during power output) It is possible to reduce the possibility of occurrence of malfunction due to this as much as possible.

<3-5. Fourth embodiment>
FIG. 10 shows an example temperature profile 44 that can be implemented in the fourth embodiment, in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. In the fourth embodiment, the control unit 120 waits for the delay time dT instead of immediately shifting the temperature control to the section S5 in response to determining that the number of times of suction detection satisfies the predetermined condition in T _puff . Then, the temperature control transitions to section S5 at T _trans (=T _puff +dT). The delay time dT is shorter than the remaining time from _Tpuff to T5. In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5d, which is earlier than the time T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 under normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from _Ttrans to T5d is equal to the length of time from T5 to T6, so the slope of the PID control target value in interval S5 is the same for both normal transition and early transition cases. According to the fourth embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the same settings can be utilized for the early transition case as for the normal transition case without requiring separate temperature rise rate settings and gain retuning. can. In addition, since there is generally a trade-off between early reheating and duration of smoking, such a delay rather than an immediate temperature control transition may also optimize the user's inhalation experience. can contribute to

<3-6. Fifth embodiment>
FIG. 11 shows an example temperature profile 45 that can be implemented in the fifth embodiment, in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. Also in the fifth embodiment, the control unit 120 waits for the delay time dT after determining that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff , and shifts the temperature control to section S5 at T _trans (=T _puff +dT). transition. In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5e, which is earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 in the normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from T _trans to T5e is shorter than the length of time from T5 to T6. Therefore, the slope of the PID control target value in section S5 in this early transition case is steeper than in the normal transition case, which means that the temperature rise rate of the heating section 130 is higher. According to the fifth embodiment, the target temperature reaches the third temperature H3 in a shorter time than in the fourth embodiment, so that the user can enjoy a good sucking experience with the reheating completed. Make sure you have enough time.

<3-7. Sixth embodiment>
FIG. 12 shows an example temperature profile 46 that can be implemented in the sixth embodiment, in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. Also in the sixth embodiment, the control unit 120 waits for the delay time dT after determining that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff , and shifts the temperature control to section S5 at T _trans (=T _puff +dT). transition. In this early transition case, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 at T5f, which is earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 in the normal transition. Temperature control is performed in the interval S5 so as to reach H3. The length of time from T _trans to T5f is longer than the length of time from T5 to T6. Therefore, the slope of the PID control target value in section S5 in this early transition case is gentler than in the normal transition case, which means that the temperature rise rate of heating unit 130 is lower. According to the sixth embodiment, the load applied to the battery 140 during reheating is suppressed as compared with the fourth and fifth embodiments, so the possibility of malfunction due to the drop voltage is reduced. can be reduced as much as possible.

<3-8. Seventh embodiment>
FIG. 13 shows an example temperature profile 47 that can be implemented in the seventh embodiment in contrast to the normal transition temperature profile 40 shown in FIG. In the seventh embodiment, the control unit 120 waits until T5 instead of immediately transitioning the temperature control to the section S5 in response to determining that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff . , the temperature control is shifted to section S5. However, the control unit 120 controls the temperature of the heating unit 130 so that the temperature of the heating unit 130 reaches the third temperature H3 at T5g earlier than T6 at which the temperature of the heating unit 130 should have reached the third temperature H3 under normal transition. , temperature control is performed in the section S5. In the seventh embodiment, the transition timing from section S4 to section S5 is equal to T5 regardless of whether the predetermined condition is satisfied. 3 This is also treated as an early transition in that the timing of reaching temperature H3 is brought forward and the transition to section S6 is earlier. The length of time from T5 to T5g is shorter than the length of time from T5 to T6. Therefore, the slope of the PID control target value in section S5 in this early transition case is steeper than in the normal transition case, which means that the temperature rise rate of the heating section 130 is higher. According to the seventh embodiment, the target temperature can reach the third temperature H3 in a shorter time than in the case of normal transition.

<3-9. Eighth embodiment>
FIGS. 7 to 13 show examples in which the section S6 ends at T7 even in the early transition as in the normal transition. In each of the first to seventh embodiments, the control unit 120 , the section S6 after the early transition may end earlier than the time when the section S6 ends after the normal transition. FIG. 14 shows a temperature profile 48 as an example according to such an eighth embodiment. In the eighth embodiment, the control unit 120 immediately transitions the temperature control to the section S5 in response to determining that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff , and the control section 120 shifts the temperature control to the section S5 as in the first embodiment. The temperature of the section S5 is controlled so that the temperature of the heating unit 130 reaches the third temperature H3 at T5a, which is earlier than T5a. Then, the control unit 120 performs temperature control in the section S6 from T5a to T7a (that is, temperature maintenance after reheating), and transitions the temperature control to the section S7 at T7a to transfer electric power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130. stop the supply of T7a is earlier than T7, which is the point at which power to the heating portion 130 is turned off in the normal transition case. The faster this T7a, the less total power consumed in one session.

In the eighth embodiment, the control unit 120 may determine the timing T7a for stopping the power supply to the heating unit 130 depending on the value of the monitored control parameter. For example, when the suction detection count reaches the upper limit value M, the control unit 120 may end the section S6 and stop the power supply to the heating unit 130 . Further, when the cumulative suction time reaches the upper limit value L, the control unit 120 may end the section S6 and stop the power supply to the heating unit 130 . Thereby, it is possible to avoid unnecessarily wasting power in situations where there is little aerosol source left in the tobacco stick 15 .

<3-10. Variation>
Modifications combining the above-described embodiments can also be envisaged. In the first modification, when the control unit 120 determines that the number of suction detection times satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff , the control unit 120 performs different control contents depending on the statistics related to suction measured up to T _puff . You may selectively apply it to the temperature control of area S5. For example, the control unit 120 applies a high temperature rise rate as in the second embodiment to the temperature control in the section S5 when a suction detection frequency (or a longer accumulated suction time) higher than a certain threshold is measured, On the other hand, when a suction detection frequency (or a shorter accumulated suction time) lower than the threshold value is measured, the normal temperature increase rate as in the first embodiment may be applied to the temperature control in section S5. Further, for example, when the suction detection frequency (or the accumulated suction time longer) than a certain threshold value is measured, the control unit 120 immediately performs temperature control as in the first, second, or third embodiment. After transitioning to S5 and waiting for the delay time dT as in the fourth, fifth, or sixth embodiment when a suction detection frequency (or a shorter accumulated suction time) lower than the threshold is measured on the other hand Temperature control may be transitioned to section S5.

In the second modification, the control unit 120 changes the delay time dT depending on the length of the remaining time from T _puff to T5 when it is determined that the number of times of suction detection satisfies the predetermined condition at T _puff . You may let For example, the control unit 120 sets the product of the remaining time from T _puff to T5 and a predetermined ratio α (0<α<1) as the delay time dT, and waits for the delay time dT before performing temperature control. You may make it change to S5. This allows more flexible adjustment of the temperature control transition timing.

Further, in this section, an example of variably controlling the temperature rise rate of the heating unit 130 by increasing or decreasing the gradient of the target value of the PID control (the amount of change in each control cycle) in the section S5 has been described, but the control unit 120 Alternatively, the temperature rise rate of the heating unit 130 may be controlled by increasing or decreasing the gain value while maintaining the target value of the PID control constant in the section S5.

<<4. Process Flow>>
In this section, some examples of the flow of temperature control processing executed by the control unit 120 of the aerosol generating device 10 described above will be described using flowcharts. In the following description, processing steps are abbreviated as S (steps).

<4-1. Temperature Control Processing in Section S4>
(1) First Example FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a first example of the flow of the temperature control process that can be executed in section S4, which is the temperature maintenance section after the temperature is lowered. This first example may correspond to the first, second, third or eighth example described above.

First, in S<b>111 , the control unit 120 sets the PID control parameters and time length of the current section according to the heating profile 50 . The PID control parameters set here can include, for example, the target temperature resistance value, proportional gain, integral gain and differential gain.

Subsequent S112 to S120 are repeated for each control cycle. First, in S<b>112 , control unit 120 uses measurement circuit 150 to obtain a first temperature index based on the electrical resistance value of heating unit 130 . The index value acquired here may be, for example, the average value of the results of multiple resistance value measurements, as described with reference to FIG. Also, in S113, the control unit 120 acquires the latest value of the statistic related to suction (for example, the number of suction detections). Also, in S114, the control unit 120 acquires the value of the timer started at the start of the section S2 or the section S4.

Next, in S115, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the time length set in S111 has elapsed based on the timer value acquired in S114. If the set time length has not yet passed, the process proceeds to S117. In S117, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the statistic related to suction acquired in S113 satisfies the above-described predetermined condition. If the statistics related to suction do not satisfy the predetermined condition, the temperature control process of section S4 is continued, and the process proceeds to S118.

At S118, the control unit 120 calculates the PWM duty ratio for the latest control cycle according to the PID control formula described using formula (2). Next, in S<b>119 , the control unit 120 supplies power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 by outputting a control pulse having a pulse width based on the calculated duty ratio to the first switch 131 and the second switch 132 . Next, in S<b>120 , based on the suction detection signal input from the suction detection unit 124 , the control unit 120 updates the statistic regarding suction to be monitored.

When one control cycle ends in this way, the process proceeds to the next control cycle, and the above-described S112 to S120 are repeated. When the controller 120 determines in S115 that the set length of time has elapsed, or when it determines in S117 that the statistic relating to suction satisfies a predetermined condition, the control unit 120 performs the temperature control processing of the section S4 shown in FIG. Terminates, temperature control transitions to the next section S5.

(2) Second Example FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a second example of the flow of the temperature control process that can be executed in the section S4, which is the temperature maintenance section after the temperature is lowered. This second example may correspond to the fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh embodiment described above.

First, in S<b>111 , the control unit 120 sets the PID control parameters and time length of the current section according to the heating profile 50 . The PID control parameters set here can include, for example, the target temperature resistance value, proportional gain, integral gain and derivative gain.

Subsequent S112 to S120 are repeated for each control cycle. First, in S<b>112 , control unit 120 uses measurement circuit 150 to obtain a first temperature index based on the electrical resistance value of heating unit 130 . Also, in S113, the control unit 120 acquires the latest value of the statistic regarding suction. Also, in S114, the control unit 120 acquires the value of the timer started at the start of the section S2 or the section S4.

Next, in S115, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the time length set in S111 has elapsed based on the timer value acquired in S114. If the set time length has not yet passed, the process proceeds to S116. In S116, the control unit 120 determines whether the current temperature control state is the transition standby state (that is, during the delay time dT). At the beginning of the section S4, the control state is not the transition standby state, and the process proceeds to S117. In S117, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the statistic related to suction acquired in S113 satisfies the above-described predetermined condition. If the aspiration statistics satisfy a predetermined condition, the temperature control enters a transition wait state at S121. S121 is skipped if the statistics regarding aspiration do not satisfy the predetermined condition.

Next, in S118, the control unit 120 calculates the PWM duty ratio for the latest control cycle according to the PID control formula described using formula (2), regardless of whether it is in the transition standby state. Next, in S<b>119 , the control unit 120 supplies power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 by outputting a control pulse having a pulse width based on the calculated duty ratio to the first switch 131 and the second switch 132 . Next, in S<b>120 , based on the suction detection signal input from the suction detection unit 124 , the control unit 120 updates the statistic regarding suction to be monitored.

When one control cycle ends in this way, the process proceeds to the next control cycle, and the above-described S112 to S120 are repeated. If the control unit 120 determines in S115 that the set length of time has passed, it ends the temperature control process in the section S4 and shifts the temperature control to the next section S5. Further, when the controller 120 determines in S116 that the current temperature control state is in the transition standby state, it further determines in S122 whether or not the delay time dT has elapsed, and determines that the delay time dT has elapsed. Then, the temperature control process of section S4 is terminated and the temperature control is shifted to the next section S5. On the other hand, if it is determined in S122 that the delay time dT has not elapsed, the process proceeds to S118, and the temperature control process in section S4 is continued.

<4-2. Temperature Control Processing in Section S5>
FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of the temperature control process that can be executed in the section S5, which is the temperature re-heating section.

First, in S131, the temperature control process for section S5 branches depending on whether the transition from section S4 to section S5 was normal transition or early transition. If the transition from section S4 to section S5 is normal transition, the process proceeds to S132. On the other hand, if the transition from section S4 to section S5 is an early transition, the process proceeds to S133.

In the case of normal transition, in S132, the control unit 120 sets the PID control parameters and the temperature rise rate (the amount of change in the target value for each control cycle) of the current section to predetermined values according to the heating profile 50. On the other hand, in the case of early transition, in S133, the control unit 120 sets the PID control parameter and the temperature increase rate of the current section to values for causing the temperature of the heating unit 130 to reach the third temperature H3 earlier than in the case of normal transition. set to

Subsequent S134 to S139 are repeated for each control cycle. First, in S<b>134 , control unit 120 uses measurement circuit 150 to obtain a first temperature index based on the electrical resistance value of heating unit 130 . Also, in S135, the control unit 120 acquires the value of the timer started at the start of the section S5.

Next, in S136, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the target value for temperature control, which is increased in each control cycle, has reached the third temperature. If it is determined that the PID control target value has not reached the third temperature, the process proceeds to S137. Note that the determination in S136 may be replaced with a determination as to whether or not the timer value has reached the time length of section S5 (which may differ between normal transition and early transition). In S137, the control unit 120 raises the target value of PID control according to the temperature increase rate set in S132 or S133.

Next, in S138, the control unit 120 calculates the PWM duty ratio for the latest control cycle according to the PID control formula described using formula (2). Next, in S<b>139 , the control unit 120 supplies power from the battery 140 to the heating unit 130 by outputting a control pulse having a pulse width based on the calculated duty ratio to the first switch 131 and the second switch 132 .

When one control cycle ends in this way, the process proceeds to the next control cycle, and the above-described S134 to S139 are repeated. When the control unit 120 determines in S136 that the target value of the PID control has reached the third temperature, the control unit 120 ends the temperature control processing of the section S5 shown in FIG. 17 and shifts the temperature control to the next section S6. .

<<5. Summary>>
So far, various embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. FIG. According to the technology according to the present disclosure, when the statistics such as the number of suction detections, the suction detection frequency, or the cumulative suction time satisfy predetermined conditions in the temperature maintenance section after the temperature is lowered, the transition to the temperature reheating section is performed. In addition, temperature control in the reheating section is performed so that the timing at which the reheating is completed is different from that in normal times. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a suction experience of further improved quality, for example, the user can certainly feel the improvement in the taste brought about by the reheating.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
   a power source that supplies power to the heating unit;
   a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user;
   supply of power from the power source to the heating unit;
   a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit;
   A second section after the first section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit. ,as well as,
   A third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating section. ,
   a control unit that controls according to a control sequence that includes at least
   with
   The control unit
   monitoring the number of detections representing the number of times the suction is detected by the detection unit at least in the second interval;
   When the number of times of detection does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the temperature control is shifted to the third section at a first point in time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the reference point of time, and at a second point in time after a certain length of time has elapsed. performing the temperature control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature;
   When the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third section at a third time point, and the temperature of the heating unit is increased to the fourth time point at a fourth time point earlier than the second time point. 3. Perform the temperature control to reach the temperature;
   Aerosol generator.
2. The aerosol generator according to claim 1, wherein the third point in time is earlier than the first point in time.
3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the third point in time is a point in time when the controller determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition.
4. 3. The third time point according to claim 2, wherein after the control unit determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, a time period shorter than the remaining time until the first time point has elapsed. Aerosol generator.
5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein said third time point is equal to said first time point.
6. The control unit determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition as a result of the temperature control transitioning to the third interval without the number of times of detection satisfying the predetermined condition. The aerosol generation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the temperature control is transitioned to the section, the temperature control is performed so that the temperature increase rate of the heating unit in the third section is higher. Device.
7. The control unit determines that the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition as a result of the temperature control transitioning to the third interval without the number of times of detection satisfying the predetermined condition. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein when the temperature control is shifted to the section, the temperature control is performed so that the temperature rise rate of the heating unit in the third section becomes lower.
8. The aerosol generator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the predetermined condition includes that the number of times of detection has reached a threshold.
9. The aerosol generator is
   a receiving portion for receiving a tobacco article containing said aerosol source;
   further comprising
   The tobacco article comprises an aerosol source in an amount that allows M inhalations of the aerosol (where M is an integer equal to or greater than 2);
   wherein the threshold is M/2 or more;
   9. An aerosol generating device according to claim 8.
10. When the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, the control unit controls the operation of the heating unit in the third section according to the frequency at which the suction is detected or the cumulative value of the time at which the suction is detected. An aerosol generating device according to any preceding claim, wherein the rate of temperature rise is selected.
11. The control unit, when the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, changes the temperature control from the second interval to the third interval according to the remaining time until the first point of time. 5. The aerosol generating device of claim 4, which determines time points.
12. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit counts the number of detections from the point in time when the end of preheating is notified to the user or the point in time when the second section starts.
13. a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
    a power source that supplies power to the heating unit;
    a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user;
    supply of power from the power source to the heating unit;
    a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit;
    A second section after the first section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit. ,as well as,
    A third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating section. ,
    a control unit that controls according to a control sequence that includes at least
    with
    The control unit
    monitoring a detection frequency representing the frequency at which the suction is detected by the detection unit at least in the second interval;
    When the detection frequency does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the temperature control is shifted to the third interval at a first point in time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the reference point of time, and at a second point in time after a certain length of time has elapsed. performing the temperature control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature;
    When the detection frequency satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third section at a third point in time, and the temperature of the heating unit reaches the fourth point at a fourth point earlier than the second point in time. 3. Perform the temperature control to reach the temperature;
    Aerosol generator.
14. a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
    a power source that supplies power to the heating unit;
    a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user;
    supply of power from the power source to the heating unit;
    a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating unit;
    A second section after the first section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit. ,as well as,
    A third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating section. ,
    a control unit that controls according to a control sequence that includes at least
    with
    The control unit
    monitoring a cumulative suction time representing a cumulative value of the time during which the suction is detected by the detection unit at least in the second interval;
    When the cumulative suction time does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the temperature control is shifted to the third interval at a first point in time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the reference point in time, and a second point in time after a certain length of time has elapsed. performing the temperature control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature,
    When the cumulative suction time satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is shifted to the third interval at a third point in time, and the temperature of the heating unit is changed to the above at a fourth point in time earlier than the second point in time. performing the temperature control to reach a third temperature;
    Aerosol generator.
15. An aerosol generating device comprising: a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol; a power supply that supplies power to the heating unit; and a detection unit that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, wherein the power supply according to a control sequence A control method for controlling the supply of power from to the heating unit,
    The control sequence is
    a first section in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a first temperature and power is supplied from the power supply to the heating unit;
    A second section after the first section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating unit is set to a value corresponding to a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating unit. ,as well as,
    A third section after the second section, in which a target value for temperature control of the heating section is set to a value corresponding to a third temperature higher than the second temperature, and power is supplied from the power source to the heating section. ,
    including at least
    The control method is
    monitoring a detection count representing the number of times the suction is detected by the detection unit in at least the second interval;
    When the number of times of detection does not satisfy a predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third section at a first point in time when a predetermined period of time has elapsed from the reference point of time, and the temperature control is shifted to the second point in time after a certain length of time has elapsed. performing the temperature control so that the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third temperature;
    When the number of times of detection satisfies the predetermined condition, the temperature control is transitioned to the third interval at a third point in time, and the temperature of the heating unit reaches the third interval at a fourth point in time earlier than the second point in time. controlling the temperature to reach a temperature;
    control methods, including;

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