WO2023053183A1

WO2023053183A1 - Operation method for inhalation device, program, and inhalation device

Info

Publication number: WO2023053183A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/035595
Authority: WO
Inventors: 泰弘小野; 秀二郎田中; 稔北原
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-09-28
Filing date: 2021-09-28
Publication date: 2023-04-06
Also published as: CN118159160A; JPWO2023053183A1

Abstract

The present invention provides an operation method for an inhalation device by which it is possible to suitably ascertain the state of consumption of an inhalation component source in the inhalation device during use, while taking into consideration tendencies regarding inhalation actions by a user. Said method includes: a step for causing a sensor to detect a series of puff actions by the user; a step for measuring the time interval between a first puff action and an immediately preceding second puff action in order to acquire the value of a puff action interval pertaining to the first puff action; a step for measuring a detection time, which is a puff action period during which the first puff action continues; a step for using a time correction model associated with the puff action interval and the puff action period to correct the detection time; a step for cumulatively adding the corrected detection time and calculating a cumulative detection time; and a step for estimating the residual amount level of the inhalation component source on the basis of the cumulative detection time. The value of the puff action interval pertaining to the first puff action is acquired by adjusting the measurement of the time interval in accordance with the value of the puff action period that has been acquired pertaining to the second puff action.

Description

Suction device operation method, program, and suction device

The present disclosure relates to a method of operating a suction device, a program, and a suction device.

Suction devices that generate substances that are sucked by users are widespread. Examples of suction devices are electronic cigarettes and nebulizers. Such a suction device, for example, uses a base material containing an aerosol source for generating an aerosol, a flavor source for imparting a flavor component to the generated aerosol, etc., and produces an aerosol imparted with a flavor component. Generate. A user can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the flavor component-applied aerosol generated by the suction device.

When the user inhales using the aspiration device, the aspiration device supplies power to the heater to raise the temperature of the heater, thereby controlling the heating operation so as to atomize the source of the inhalation component. There is a method of grasping the consumption of the attraction component source or determining the depletion of the attraction component source by using various data such as the temperature of the heater, the amount of power supply, and the electrical resistance acquired in connection with such a heating operation. Are known.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-501105 Special Table 2015-531600 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-538410 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-525367 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-500896 Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2014-501107 WO2021/002392

It is desirable to further improve the quality of experience provided to users using suction devices.

Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and the purpose thereof is to further improve the quality of the experience using a suction device (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “suction experience”). It is to provide a possible mechanism. For this reason, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism capable of appropriately grasping the state of consumption of the suction component source in the suction device in use, while taking into consideration the tendency of the suction operation by the user.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating a suction device is provided. Such a method includes the steps of causing a sensor to detect a series of puffs by a user; measuring a time interval; measuring a detection time of a first puffing action to obtain a value of a puffing duration during which the first puffing action lasts; correcting the sensing time using a time correction model associated with a period; accumulating the corrected sensing time to calculate a cumulative sensing time; and based on the cumulative sensing time, wherein the puff interval value for the first puff operation is determined by measuring the time interval according to a puff duration value obtained for the second puff operation. Obtained by adjusting.

According to this method, an appropriate cumulative detection time can be estimated, and the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source can be improved. In addition, it is possible to realize appropriate remaining amount grasping and notification.

If the puff duration value for the second puff operation is less than a predetermined first time, the measurement of the time interval resumes from the puff interval value obtained for the second puff operation. may be adjusted. This makes it possible to estimate a more appropriate cumulative detection time, and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source.

The first time may be 0.5 seconds. This makes it possible to efficiently estimate the remaining capacity level.

The step of estimating the residual level of the attractive component source may include determining that the attractive component source is depleted if the cumulative sensing time reaches a second predetermined time. This makes it possible to realize appropriate life detection.

Further, the method may include a step of notifying the suction device of the shortage of the remaining amount in response to the determination that the suction component source has the insufficient amount of the remaining amount. This makes it possible to realize a suitable lifespan notification.

The time correction model may be defined to include maintaining the corrected detection time at the third time when the value of the detection time is a predetermined third time. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate time correction model and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the inhaled component source.

The time correction model may be defined to include decreasing the detection time if the value of the detection time is less than the third time. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate time correction model and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the inhaled component source.

The third time may be 2.4 seconds. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate time correction model and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the inhaled component source.

The time correction model adds an adjustment time calculated based on the puffing interval to the measured sensing time value when the puffing interval value is less than a fourth time. may be defined to include increasing the specified detection time. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate time correction model and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the inhaled component source.

A step of initializing a puff interval value for the second puff operation to the fourth time may be included when the second puff operation is the first puff operation. This makes it possible to apply the appropriate time correction model more effectively.

The fourth time may be 10 seconds. This makes it possible to generate a more appropriate time correction model and further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the inhaled component source.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a program for causing the suction device to execute the method described above.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a suction device is provided. Such a suction device includes a sensor for detecting a series of puffing actions by a user and a control unit for operating the suction device, in order to acquire the value of the puff action interval regarding the first puffing action detected by the sensor. and measuring the time interval between the first puffing action and the immediately preceding second puffing action to obtain the value of the puffing period during which the first puffing action lasts. measuring the sensing time, correcting the sensing time using a time correction model associated with the puffing interval and the puffing duration, and accumulating the corrected sensing time to calculate a cumulative sensing time; a controller for estimating a remaining level of an inhalant component source based on the cumulative sensed time, wherein the puff interval value for the first puff operation is the puff obtained for the second puff operation; It is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to the value of the operating period.

According to such a suction device, it is possible to estimate an appropriate cumulative detection time and improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source. In addition, it is possible to realize appropriate remaining amount grasping and notification.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, a mechanism is provided that can further improve the quality of the experience using the suction device.

It is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a suction device. It is a schematic block diagram of the structure of a suction device. 10 is a schematic graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of puffs and the puff operation period; 1 is a schematic graph showing an example of atomization characteristics 1 of an aerosol source; 2 is a schematic graph showing an example of atomization characteristics 2 of an aerosol source; 1a is a schematic graph showing an example of atomization characteristics 1a of an aerosol source; 1 is a schematic graph showing an example of a time correction model 1A _ID corresponding to atomization characteristics 1a; It is the schematic graph which showed the example of the time correction model 1A based on the atomization characteristic 1a. 2a is a schematic graph showing an example of atomization characteristics 2a of an aerosol source; It is the schematic graph which showed the example of the time correction model 2A corresponding to the atomization characteristic 2a. 4 is a schematic graph showing an example of a time correction model MD based on atomization characteristics 1a, 2a; 1 is a schematic block diagram of an example of a configuration of a suction device according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of an example of a method of operating a suction device according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram of an example of a process of estimating a remaining amount level based on accumulation of puff operation detection time; FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram relating to an example of processing for correcting the detection time of the puff action; FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram of an example of processing for initial setting of puff interval values; FIG. 4 is a schematic conceptual diagram showing an example of a series of detected puff motions; FIG. 11 is a schematic flow diagram of an example of timer adjustment processing according to a modification; FIG. 11 is a schematic graph showing an example of a time correction model MD' according to a modification; FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic flow diagram of an example of a process for correcting the detection time of a puff action according to a modification;

Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that embodiments of the present disclosure include, but are not limited to electronic cigarettes and nebulizers. Embodiments of the present disclosure may include various inhalation devices for generating an aerosol or flavored aerosol for inhalation by a user. The inhalant component produced can also include non-visible vapors other than aerosols. Hereinafter, the sucking action by the user will be referred to as "puffing action" or simply "puffing", and one or both of the aerosol source and flavor source will be referred to as "sucking component source".

<<1. Configuration example of suction device >>
FIG. 1A is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of a suction device 100A according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1A schematically and conceptually shows each component included in the suction device 100A, and does not show the exact arrangement, shape, size, positional relationship, etc. of each component and the suction device 100A.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the suction device 100A includes a first member 102 and a second member 104. As shown in FIG. As shown, in one example, first member 102 may be a power supply unit and may include controller 106 , notification 108 , battery 110 , sensor 112 and memory 114 . Also, in one example, the second member 104 may be a cartridge and may include a reservoir 116 , an atomizing portion 118 , an air intake channel 120 , an aerosol channel 121 and a mouthpiece 122 .

Some of the components contained within the first member 102 may be contained within the second member 104 . Some of the components contained within second member 104 may be contained within first member 102 . The second member 104 may be configured to be detachable from the first member 102 . Alternatively, all components contained within first member 102 and second member 104 may be contained within the same housing instead of first member 102 and second member 104 .

A power supply unit, which is the first member 102 , includes a notification section 108 , a battery 110 , a sensor 112 and a memory 114 and is electrically connected to the control section 106 . Among them, the notification unit 108 may include a light-emitting element such as an LED, a display, a speaker, a vibrator, and the like. The notification unit 108 preferably notifies the user in various manners by light emission, display, vocalization, vibration, etc., or a combination thereof, as necessary. In one example, the remaining level and/or replacement time of the suction component source contained in the reservoir 116 of the second member 104 can be communicated in various manners.

The battery 110 supplies power to each component of the suction device 100A such as the notification unit 108, the sensor 112, the memory 114, and the atomization unit 118. In particular, battery 110 powers atomizer 118 to atomize the aerosol source in response to the user's puff action. The battery 110 can be connected to an external power supply (for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connectable charger) via a predetermined port (not shown) provided in the first member 102 .

It should be noted that only the battery 110 may be removed from the power supply unit 102 or the suction device 100A, or may be replaced with a new battery 110. It may also be possible to replace the battery 110 with a new battery 110 by replacing the entire power supply unit with a new power supply unit.

The sensor 112 is composed of various sensors. For example, sensor 112 may include a suction sensor, such as a microphone condenser, to accurately detect puffing by the user. Sensor 112 may also include a pressure sensor that detects pressure fluctuations in air intake channel 120 and/or aerosol channel 121 or a flow sensor that detects flow rate. Sensors 112 may include weight sensors that sense the weight of components such as reservoir 116 .

The sensor 112 may also be configured to detect the height of the liquid level within the reservoir 116 . The sensor 112 may also be configured to detect the state of charge (SOC) of the battery 110, the discharge state of the battery 110, the current integration value, the voltage, and the like. The current integrated value may be obtained by a current integration method, an SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method, or the like. Sensor 112 may also include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of controller 106 . The sensor 112 may also be an operation button or the like that can be operated by the user.

The control unit 106 may be an electronic circuit module configured as a microprocessor or microcomputer. Controller 106 may be configured to control the operation of suction device 100A according to computer-executable instructions stored in memory 114 . Also, the control unit 106 may be configured to have a timer and timer-measure (that is, count) a desired period based on a clock. In one example, the controller 106 may timer-measure the action period during which the puff action is detected by the suction sensor and the action interval between consecutive puff actions.

The control unit 106 reads data from the memory 114 as necessary, uses it for controlling the suction device 100A, and stores the data in the memory 114 as necessary. In addition, the control unit 106 reads data from the memory 114 as necessary, uses it for controlling the suction device 100A, and stores the data in the memory 114 as necessary.

The memory 114 is a storage medium such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and flash memory. In addition to the computer-executable instructions as described above, the memory 114 may store setting data and the like necessary for controlling the suction device 100A and/or the power supply unit 102, and may be used mainly by the control unit 106. good. For example, the memory 114 stores various information such as the control method of the notification unit 108 (modes such as light emission, vocalization, vibration, etc.), values detected by the sensor 112, information on the attached cartridge, heating history of the atomization unit 118, and the like. data may be stored.

Regarding the second member 104, the cartridge, the reservoir 116 holds an aerosol source, which is the source of the inhaled component. For example, the reservoir 116 is made of a fibrous or porous material, and holds the aerosol source as a liquid in the interstices between the fibers or the pores of the porous material. For the fibrous or porous material, for example, cotton, glass fiber, tobacco raw material, or the like can be used. Reservoir 116 may be configured as a tank that contains liquid. Aerosol sources are, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, liquids such as water.

If the suction device 100A is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may also contain a drug for patient inhalation. As another example, the aerosol source may include tobacco materials or extracts derived from tobacco materials that release flavor and taste components upon heating. Reservoir 116 may have a configuration that allows it to be replenished with a spent aerosol source. Alternatively, reservoir 116 may be configured such that reservoir 116 itself can be replaced when the aerosol source is exhausted. Also, the aerosol source is not limited to liquids and may be solids. If the aerosol source is solid, the reservoir 116 may be, for example, a hollow container without fibrous or porous materials.

The atomization unit 118 is configured to generate an aerosol from an aerosol source. More specifically, atomizer 118 generates aerosol by atomizing or vaporizing an aerosol source. When the inhaler 100A is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the atomization unit 118 generates an aerosol by atomizing or vaporizing an aerosol source containing a medicine.

When the puffing action is detected by the sensor 112, the atomization unit 118 receives power from the battery 110 and heats the aerosol source to generate aerosol. For example, a wick (not shown) may be provided to connect reservoir 116 and atomization section 118 . In this case, a portion of the wick leads into the interior of reservoir 116 and contacts the aerosol source. Another part of the wick extends to the atomization section 118 . The aerosol source is transported from reservoir 116 to atomization section 118 by the capillary effect of the wick.

In one example, atomization unit 118 includes a heater electrically connected to battery 110 . A heater is placed in contact with or in close proximity to the wick. When a puffing action is detected, controller 106 controls the heater of atomizer 118 to heat the aerosol source carried through the wick, thereby atomizing the aerosol source. Another example of the atomizer 118 may be an ultrasonic atomizer that atomizes the aerosol source through ultrasonic vibrations.

An air intake channel 120 is connected to the atomizing section 118, and the air intake channel 120 leads to the outside of the suction device 100A. The aerosol generated in atomizing section 118 is mixed with air taken in through air intake channel 120 . The aerosol/air mixture is delivered to aerosol channel 121 as indicated by arrow 124 . The aerosol flow path 121 has a tubular structure for transporting the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated in the atomizing section 118 to the mouthpiece section 122 .

The suction port 122 is positioned at the end of the aerosol channel 121 and configured to open the aerosol channel 121 to the outside of the suction device 100A. The user takes in the air containing the aerosol into the oral cavity by holding the mouthpiece 122 and sucking.

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram of the configuration of a suction device 100B according to each embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 1B, the suction device 100B includes a third member 126 in addition to the configuration of the suction device 100A of FIG. 1A. Third member 126 may be a capsule and may contain flavor source 128 . In one example, if the inhalation device 100B is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 128 may include flavor components contained in tobacco. As shown, aerosol channel 121 extends through second member 104 and third member 126 . The mouthpiece 122 is provided on a third member 126 .

The flavor source 128 is a component for imparting flavor to the aerosol. Flavor source 128 is arranged in the middle of aerosol channel 121 . A mixed fluid of aerosol and air generated by the atomizing section 118 (hereinafter the mixed fluid may be simply referred to as an aerosol) flows through the aerosol flow path 121 to the mouthpiece section 122 . Thus, the flavor source 128 is located downstream of the atomizer 118 with respect to the aerosol flow. In other words, the flavor source 128 is positioned closer to the mouthpiece 122 in the aerosol flow path 121 than the atomization section 118 is.

Therefore, the aerosol generated by the atomization section 118 reaches the mouthpiece section 122 after passing through the flavor source 128 . As the aerosol passes through the flavor source 128, the flavor and taste components contained in the flavor source 128 are imparted to the aerosol. As an example, if the inhalation device 100B is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 128 may be derived from tobacco, such as shredded tobacco or a processed product obtained by molding tobacco raw materials into granules, sheets, or powder.

The flavor source 128 may also be non-tobacco-derived, made from plants other than tobacco (for example, mint, herbs, etc.). In one example, flavor source 128 includes a nicotine component. Flavor source 128 may contain a perfume ingredient such as menthol. In addition to the flavor source 128, the reservoir 116 may also contain substances containing flavoring components. For example, the inhalation device 100B may be configured to hold a tobacco-derived flavorant in the flavor source 128 and a non-tobacco-derived flavorant in the reservoir 116 .

In this way, the user can take air containing flavored aerosol into the oral cavity by holding the mouthpiece 122 and sucking.

<<2. Technical features>>
The operations of the

suction devices

100A and 100B (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as “suction device 100”) according to the embodiment of the present disclosure are controlled by the control unit 106 in various ways. A method of operating a suction device and a suction device according to embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below.

(1) Basic method for estimating the remaining level of the inhalant source The remaining level (or consumption level) of the encapsulated aerosol source and/or flavor source 128 may be appropriately tracked. At that time, it is preferable to grasp the remaining amount level (or the consumption level) more appropriately by considering the tendency and characteristics of the user's puffing operation. Furthermore, when it is determined that the remaining amount has run out, it is preferable to prompt the user to replace the cartridge and/or capsule. As an example for appropriately grasping the remaining amount level, the control unit 106 preferably uses the accumulated time required for the user to perform the puffing action, based on whether the accumulated time reaches a predetermined threshold. is.

For example, for an aerosol source in reservoir 116 that is held in a cartridge, controller 106 will detect when the cumulative time of puffing reaches a predetermined upper limit after the cartridge is installed (memory reset to 0 seconds). , may determine that the aerosol source has been exhausted. For cartridges, the predetermined upper limit is, for example, 1,000 seconds. In the inhaler 100B, the flavor source held in the capsule is also removed when the cumulative time of the puff operation reaches a predetermined upper limit after the capsule is attached (the memory is reset to 0 seconds). may be determined to have been exhausted. For capsules, the predetermined upper limit is, for example, 100 seconds. Then, when it is determined that the aerosol source and/or flavor source has been exhausted, the user may be notified to replace the cartridge and/or capsule holding them.

These are based on the idea that the amount of cartridges and/or capsules consumed is substantially proportional to the cumulative value of the puffing period while the suction device 100 stably accepts puffing actions in accordance with a series of puffing actions by the user. is based on Given this, the consumption of the aerosol source and/or the flavor source can be defined as a parameter of cumulative time, making it easier to measure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic graph showing an example of the relationship between the number of puffs, the puffing period, and the cumulative puffing period regarding the consumption of the flavor source held in the capsule. The horizontal axis indicates the number of puffs (times) after attaching a new capsule. The left vertical axis indicates the puff action period (seconds) per puff action, and the right vertical axis indicates the accumulated puff action period (seconds). Furthermore, the bar graph shows the puff duration (seconds) measured for each puff count, and the line graph shows the cumulative puff duration (seconds).

In the illustrated example, the duration of one puff operation is approximately in the range of 0.3 seconds to 2.4 seconds, and 65 puff operations are required until the cumulative puff operation duration (seconds) reaches 100 seconds. are doing. In other words, if the predetermined upper limit threshold for the cumulative time of puffing is set to 100 seconds for the capsule, it may be determined that the flavor source has been exhausted in response to the 65th puffing. Further, it is preferable that the consumption level is calculated based on the value of the accumulated puff operation period. For example, if the value of the cumulative puff action period up to the 32nd puff action is 50 seconds, the consumption level should be estimated to be 50% (50 seconds/100 seconds×100). Note that, in the case of the suction device 100B, the upper limit threshold value of the cumulative time of the puff action being 100 seconds means that the total amount of aerosol that has passed through the flavor source after the aerosol source has been atomized by the cumulative puff action of 100 seconds is equal to the flavor source. is sufficient to reach the end of life. Here, that the flavor source reaches the end of its life means that the aerosol source is consumed and the atomized aerosol cannot be imparted with sufficient flavor.

In the following, based on the deep knowledge that the inventors have obtained, a method with higher accuracy than the above-mentioned basic method of estimating the remaining amount level is proposed. According to experiments by the inventors, when using the method of estimating the cumulative puff operation period in relation to the remaining amount level, by incorporating a control method that corrects the value of the puff operation period based on the atomization characteristics of the aerosol source, It has been found that the estimation accuracy can be further improved.

(2) Aerosol Source Atomization Characteristics FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic graphs showing the aerosol source atomization characteristics with respect to a user's puffing action using the inhalation device 100. FIG. Based on these graphs, the fundamental atomization characteristics of the aerosol source in the atomization phenomenon of the suction device 100 can be identified.

The graph shown in FIG. 3 relates to the atomization phenomenon of the inhaler 100 using the sample flavor source, and shows an example of the relationship between the puff operation period per puff operation and the amount of atomization. The horizontal axis indicates the puff operation period (seconds) per puff operation. Specifically, the puff operation period is a period from the start of the puff operation to the end of the puff operation. The vertical axis indicates the amount of atomization per puff action, that is, the consumption of the aerosol source (mg/puff action). Specifically, the atomization amount is the amount obtained by subtracting the weight of the aerosol source at the end of the puff action from the weight of the aerosol source at the start of the puff action.

More specifically, the puff operation period on the horizontal axis detects the start and end of the puff operation with the suction sensor, and measures the continuous period from the start of the puff operation to the end of the puff operation with a timer. Data can be obtained by The atomization amount on the vertical axis can be obtained by measuring the weight of the aerosol source at the start of the puff operation and at the end of the puff operation, for example, by a weight sensor, and calculating the difference.

In FIG. 3, 13 sample points measured in the atomization phenomenon are plotted. Also shown are the actual atomization curve (solid line) and the theoretical atomization straight line (dashed line) based on these 13 sample points. A theoretical atomization line is created by connecting the origin and the sample point furthest from the origin (2.4 seconds with the longest puff action period). This is based on the idea that the atomization amount increases in proportion to the suction time in the puffing operation.

As shown in the figure, when comparing the actual atomization curve and the theoretical atomization straight line, there is a discrepancy between the two. Specifically, unlike the theoretical atomization line, the actual atomization curve is not proportional to the puff action period and the actual amount of atomization. In particular, at least for puffing durations up to about 2.4 seconds, the actual amount of atomization is less than the theoretical amount of atomization. More specifically, the difference between the two increases with time (difference 1) until the puff action period is about 1 second, and then decreases with time (difference 2). This is because, in the atomization phenomenon of the suction device 100, a certain rising time is required from the start of heating of the heater at the start of the puff operation until the temperature reaches a suitable temperature for atomization. It depends.

The graph shown in FIG. 4 illustrates the atomization phenomenon of the inhalation device 100 using the sample flavor source, the actuation interval between two consecutive puffs, and the mist atomized through two consecutive puffs. 4 shows an example of the relationship with quantification. The horizontal axis indicates the puff interval (seconds) between two consecutive puffs. Specifically, the puff operation interval is a period from the end of the first puff operation to the start of the second puff operation. The vertical axis indicates the atomized amount of the aerosol source atomized through two consecutive puffs, ie consumption (mg/2 puffs). Specifically, the atomization amount of the aerosol source is the amount obtained by subtracting the weight of the aerosol source at the end of the second puff operation from the weight of the aerosol source at the start of the first puff operation.

More specifically, the puff operation interval is the time between the start of the puff operation and the end of the puff operation detected by the suction sensor, and the interval from the end of the first puff operation to the start of the second puff operation. Data can be obtained by measuring time with a timer. In addition, the atomization amount can be obtained by measuring the weight of the aerosol source at the start of the first puff operation and the weight of the aerosol source at the end of the second puff operation, for example, by a weight sensor, and calculating the difference. can be done.

　9 sample points measured in the atomization phenomenon are plotted in FIG. For seven pieces of data with a puffing interval of about 10 seconds or less, a regression line is shown by linear regression using the puffing interval as an explanatory variable and the atomization amount as an objective variable. As illustrated, it is understood that a negative correlation occurs here. In other words, in the actual atomization phenomenon, the shorter the puff operation interval, the larger the atomized amount of the aerosol source to be atomized (approximately 8.8 mg to approximately 9.3 mg). On the other hand, when the puff interval is greater than about 10 seconds, the atomized amount of the aerosol source is generally constant and stable (about 8.1 mg: dashed line). This is because, in the atomization phenomenon of the suction device 100, if the puff operation interval is as short as 10 seconds or less, the heater heated by the immediately preceding puff operation is not sufficiently cooled and residual heat remains. This is due to, for example, the rise time of the heater being earlier than usual at the start of operation. As a result, the atomization amount is greater than in the stable state where the puff operation interval is 10 seconds or longer.

In this way, regarding the atomization phenomenon of the aerosol source, it is preferable to specify the two atomization characteristics of the aerosol source in advance and reflect them in the control of the estimation of the remaining amount level. Specifically, by incorporating a control technique that corrects the value of the puff operation period based on the two atomization characteristics, the accuracy of estimating the remaining amount of aerosol source and/or the remaining amount of flavor source can be further improved. can. Two atomization properties of the aerosol source (atomization properties 1 and 2) are summarized below.

[Atomization characteristic 1] Atomization characteristic 1 is specified based on the relationship between the sample operation period of the puff operation and the atomization amount (Fig. 3). Here, the actual atomization of the aerosol source is less than the theoretical atomization. Also, when the puffing period is less than about 1 second, the difference between the theoretical value and the measured value increases as the puffing period increases. On the other hand, when the puffing period is about 1 second or longer, the difference between the theoretical value and the measured value decreases as the puffing period increases. In either case, if the actual puff operation period value is applied to the estimation of the remaining amount level as it is, an atomization amount larger than the actual amount may be estimated, so the puff operation period value is corrected somewhat smaller. should be used to estimate the residual level of the aerosol source.

Similarly, as mentioned above, the actual atomization amount of the aerosol source is smaller than the theoretical atomization amount. That is, for inhalation device 100B in which cartridge 104 and capsule 126 are separate elements, the actual amount of aerosol that passes through the flavor source held in capsule 126 is less than the theoretical amount of aerosol. That is, by adopting a configuration in which the remaining amount of the flavor source is estimated by correcting the value of the puff operation period to a small value, the accuracy of estimating the remaining amount of the aerosol source and the remaining amount of the flavor source can be further improved. .

[Atomization characteristic 2] Atomization characteristic 2 is specified based on the relationship between the sample operation interval between two consecutive puff operations and the atomization amount of the aerosol source (Fig. 4). Here, when the puff operation interval is about 10 seconds or less, a negative correlation occurs between the puff operation interval and the atomization amount of the aerosol source. do. That is, when the puff operation interval is 10 seconds or less, if the actual puff operation period value is applied as it is to estimate the remaining amount level, an atomization amount smaller than the actual amount may be estimated. That is, the value of the puff duration should be corrected somewhat higher to estimate the remaining level of the aerosol source.

Similarly, as described above, when the puff operation interval is 10 seconds or less (or less than 10 seconds), if the actual puff operation period value is directly applied to the estimation of the remaining amount level, the atomization amount will be smaller than the actual amount. It can also be estimated. That is, in the case where the cartridge 104 and the capsule 126 of the inhaler 100B are separate elements, the amount of aerosol passing through the flavor source held in the capsule 126 may be underestimated. Therefore, by correcting the value of the puff operation period to some extent and adopting a configuration for estimating the remaining level of the flavor source, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of estimating the remaining amount of the aerosol source and the remaining amount of the flavor source. can.

Based on the

atomization characteristics

1 and 2 of the aerosol source in the puff action, the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment dynamically corrects the detection time, which is the duration of the detected puff action. through which the fuel level is accurately estimated. In other words, it is possible to estimate a more accurate puffing duration or a cumulative puffing duration compared to the detection time of the puffing that is actually detected, and to achieve an estimation of the appropriate remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source. do. This makes it possible to realize appropriate consumption level estimation, replacement determination, and notification of cartridges and/or capsules.

(3) Time correction model defined based on atomization characteristics Referring to FIGS. 5 to 9, time correction for correcting the detection time of the detected puff action according to the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source. A method of generating each of the models 1A, 2A, and MD will be described. The atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source are defined with further considerations for the

atomization characteristics

1 and 2 described above. 5 and 7 are schematic diagrams for explaining the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source, respectively. FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic diagrams for explaining the time correction models 1A _ID and 1A based on the atomization characteristics 1a of the aerosol source, respectively. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the time correction model 2A based on the atomization characteristics 2a of the aerosol source. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the time correction model MD based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source.

[Time Correction Model 1A Based on Atomization Characteristics 1a]
Based on the atomization property 1 of the aerosol source described above, the atomization property 1a is further defined. Similar to the aerosol source atomization profile 1 shown in FIG. 3, FIG. It is a graph showing the atomization line with a polygonal line, and constitutes the atomization characteristic 1a. The value of the atomized amount at the sample point is obtained by measuring the atomized amount of the aerosol source a plurality of times during each predetermined puff operation period by experiment, and calculating the average of the values.

As discussed in atomization characteristic 1 above, the actual atomization amount of the aerosol source is smaller than the theoretical atomization amount. In other words, if the actual value of the puff operation period is applied as it is to estimate the remaining amount level and the ideal value is calculated, the atomization amount may be estimated larger than the actual amount, resulting in a large amount of aerosol compared to the estimate. You may run out of sources. That is, it is preferable to correct the value of the puff operation period to be somewhat smaller and then use it for estimation of the remaining amount level. According to the atomization characteristic 1 (FIG. 3) of the aerosol source, the maximum value of the puff operation period is also set to 2.4 seconds. 2.4 seconds is the most efficient consumption of the aerosol source in the suction device. However, this value is only an example, and it is preferable to set an ideal value that maximizes the consumption efficiency of the aerosol source according to the device characteristics and/or design of the suction device.

FIG. 6A shows an example of a time correction model 1A _ID based on the atomization properties 1a of an aerosol source. The time correction model 1A _ID corresponds to the experimental atomization characteristic 1a shown in FIG. 5, ie it is an ideal time correction model. In the graph of FIG. 6A, the horizontal axis (x-axis) indicates the puff operation period (seconds), and the vertical axis (y-axis) indicates the corrected puff operation period (seconds) with respect to the puff operation period.

Specifically, the post-correction puff operation period is set at 2.4 seconds, which is the ideal value for the highest consumption efficiency of the aerosol source, according to the atomization characteristic 1a in FIG. It is better to decide according to the relative atomization ratio. For example, in the atomization characteristic 1a of FIG. 5, the atomization amount when the puff operation period is 2.4 seconds is A _2.4 mg, and the atomization amount when the puff operation period is 1.2 seconds is A _1.2 mg. In this case, in FIG. 6A, for example, when the puff operation period (x) is 1.2 seconds, the corrected puff operation period (y) is calculated by 2.4×A _1.2 /A _2.4 It's good.

FIG. 6B shows an example of the time correction model 1A based on the atomization characteristics 1a. The time correction model 1A is theoretically defined by a formula while FIG. 6A is the ideal time correction model 1A _ID . In the graph of FIG. 6B, as in FIG. 6A, the horizontal axis (x-axis) indicates the puff operation period (seconds), and the vertical axis (y-axis) indicates the corrected puff operation period (seconds) with respect to the puff operation period. In other words, the time correction model 1A in FIG. 6B is a model based on the puff action period. Then, when the puffing period (x) is 2.4 seconds, the value of the corrected puffing period (y) is maintained at 2.4 seconds in the range of 0<x≦2.4. A function is defined that correlates with the time correction model 1A _ID of 6A.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6B, a constant _T10 is introduced such that y=0 when x= _T10 . As a result, the function y=C ₁₀ (x) of the time correction model 1A is
・If 0<x≦T ₁₀ ,
y=0
・If T ₁₀ < x ≤ 2.4,
y=m(x−T ₁₀ ) (where m>1)
are represented by two linear functions based on the puff operation period (x) (Equation 1). Here, the slope m (>1) is determined in advance by the formula m=2.4/(2.4−T ₁₀ ) and set in the memory 114 .

By applying the time correction model 1A based on the puff operation period in this way, the value of the puff operation period (x) is corrected so that the value of the post-correction puff operation period (y) is decreased. That is, the value of the puff operation period (x) can be appropriately corrected so as to approach the ideal time correction model 1A _ID (broken line). Note that the constant _T10 is preferably set to a value less than 1.0. Specifically, it is preferable to experimentally acquire the device characteristics of the suction device 100 and set them in the memory 114 . Device characteristics herein may include, but are not limited to, cartridge characteristics, heater heating characteristics, loss characteristics due to attachment of the aerosol source within the mouthpiece and/or capsule.

Here, when the value of the puff action period (x) is around _T10 , the value of the puff action period (y) after correction by the time correction model 1A is smaller than that by the time correction model 1A _ID (dotted line). However, according to experiments by the inventors, it has been found that a puffing period of less than 1.0 second is rare and difficult to imagine. In other words, if _T10 is set to a value less than 1.0, there is no need to assume the influence of the correction in the first place (described later).

[Time Correction Model 2A Based on Atomization Characteristics 2a]
Based on the atomization properties 2 of the aerosol source described above, the atomization properties 2a are further defined. FIG. 7 is similar to the aerosol source atomization profile 2 shown in FIG. is a graph showing an actual atomization line using a polygonal line, which constitutes an atomization characteristic 2a. The atomization value at a sample point was experimentally determined by measuring the atomization of the aerosol source at each 2 second puffing interval. The puffing interval is measured by a sensor and a timer. In FIG. 7, the puff operation period is fixed at 2.4 seconds and measured.

Here, the atomization amount of the aerosol source with respect to the puff operation interval is largely due to device characteristics, and individual differences are large. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 7, the values measured using three individuals (individuals 1 to 3) are individually plotted. Again, according to the atomization characteristic 2 of the aerosol source (FIG. 4), the reference value for the puff interval between two consecutive puffs is 10 seconds. Ten seconds is the value at which the amount of atomization of the aerosol source consumed is stable for the puffing interval. However, this is only an example, and suitable values determined experimentally should be set according to the device characteristics and/or settings of the suction apparatus.

As discussed in Atomization Feature 2 above, there is a negative correlation between the puff interval and the amount of atomization of the aerosol source (and/or flavor source) for puff interval values of less than about 10 seconds. occurs. That is, as the puff interval increases, the atomization amount of the aerosol source decreases. Specifically, when the value of the puff operation interval is less than 10 seconds, if the actual puff operation period value is applied as it is to estimate the remaining amount level, an atomization amount smaller than the actual amount may be estimated. , there may be a shortage of aerosol sources for estimates. In other words, it is preferable to correct the value of the puff operation period to be somewhat large and then use it for estimating the remaining amount level.

FIG. 8 shows an example of a time correction model 2A based on the atomization characteristics 2a of the aerosol source in FIG. In the graph of FIG. 8, the horizontal axis (v-axis) represents the puff interval (seconds) between two consecutive puff operations, and the vertical axis (w-axis) represents the corrected differential puff operation period (seconds) relative to the puff operation period. is shown. For simplicity, FIG. 8 shows only two data groups of

individuals

1 and 2 shown in the atomization characteristic 2a of FIG. 7 (dotted line and broken line), and the data group of individual 3 is omitted. . A time correction model 2A is defined for the data group of each individual (solid line).

Specifically, the post-correction differential puff action period (seconds) of each individual, which is a sample point, is set to a predetermined puff action as shown in FIG. It may be determined according to the relative atomization rate for each interval. For example, in the atomization characteristic 2a of the individual 2 in FIG. 7, the atomization amount when the puff operation period is 10 seconds is B ₁₀ mg, and the atomization amount when the puff operation period is 2 seconds is B ₂ mg. and In this case, in FIG. 8, the post-correction differential puff operation period with respect to the puff operation interval of 2 seconds is preferably calculated by 10×(B ₁₀ −B ₂ )/B ₁₀ . Note that if the value of the puff operation interval is greater than 10 seconds, the post-correction differential puff operation period is preferably set to zero.

The time correction model 2A of FIG. 8 is for calculating the post-correction difference puff operation period calculated based on the puff operation interval as the adjustment time based on the value of the puff operation interval between two consecutive puff operations. is. More specifically, the time correction model 2A based on the atomization characteristic 2a divides the vw plane (first quadrant) of FIG. It is better to define it as a linear function to classify. Specifically, the function w=C ₂₀ (v) of the time correction model 2A is defined so that w=0 when v=10,
・If 0<v≦10,
w=p(v−10) (where p<0)
・If 10<v,
w = 0
is represented by two linear functions based on the puff operation interval (Equation 2). Here, the slope p (<0) is a constant determined in advance by an arbitrary method based on a data group of a plurality of individuals, and set in the memory 114 .

By applying the time correction model 2A based on the atomization characteristic 2a in this way, it is possible to determine the adjustment time, which is the post-correction differential puff operation period (w), for the value of the puff operation interval (v). By combining the time correction model 2A with the time correction model 1A described above, the time correction model MD based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a, which will be described below, is defined.

[Time correction model MD based on atomization characteristics 1a and 2a]
FIG. 9 shows an example of a time correction model MD based on such atomization characteristics 1a and 2a. The time correction model MD is defined by combining the time correction model 2A with the time correction model 1A described above. That is, the time correction model MD is defined by adding the corrected differential puff action period in the time correction model 2A to the value of the corrected puff action period (y) in the time correction model 1A.

In the graph of FIG. 9, as in FIG. 6B, the horizontal axis (x-axis) indicates the puff operation period (seconds), and the vertical axis (y-axis) indicates the corrected puff operation period (seconds) with respect to the puff operation period. Here, when the value of the puff operation period (x) is 2.4 seconds, the value of the corrected differential puff operation period (w) calculated based on the puff operation interval (v) according to the time correction model 2A is added to the puffing period of 2.4 seconds as adjustment time b. Thereby, it is possible to correct so as to increase the value of the post-correction puff operation period (y). Thus, the function of the time correction model 2A for calculating the value of the post-correction puff operation period (y) is defined. In the following, the puffing interval (v) is denoted by t _int .

Specifically, the function C ₃₀ (x,t _int ) of the time correction model MD based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a is
・If 0<x≦T ₁₀ ,
y=0
・If T ₁₀ < x ≤ 2.4,
y=n(x−T ₁₀ )
are represented by two linear functions based on the puff operation period (Equation 3).

Here, y = 2.4 + b when x = 2.4, so the slope n is based on equations 2 and 3,
n=(2.4+b)/(2.4−T ₁₀ )
=(2.4+p(t _int −10))/(2.4−T ₁₀ )
(Equation 4).

Substituting Equation 4 into Equation 3, the function C ₃₀ (x,t _int ) of the time correction model MD is
・If 0<x≦T ₁₀ ,
y=0
・If T ₁₀ < x ≤ 2.4,
y=((2.4+p(t _int −10))/(2.4−T ₁₀ ))×(x−T ₁₀ )
(Formula 5). As mentioned above, p and T ₁₀ are preset constants, so ultimately the function C ₃₀ (x,t _int ) of the time correction model MD is a function of puff duration x and puff interval t _int can be expressed as

In this way a time correction model MD is defined based on the atomization properties 1a, 2a of the aerosol source. Ultimately, as shown in Equation 5, the corrected puffing period y can be calculated from the puffing period x, the puffing interval _tint , and the constants p and _T10 . can. That is, in response to the sensor 212 detecting the puffing action of the suction device 100 by the user, the detection time, which is the puffing action period during which the detected puffing action continues, is measured. Measure the time interval between movements to obtain the puff movement interval. By substituting these values for the puffing period x and the puffing interval t _int in Equation 5, the corrected puffing period can be obtained. Note that the constants p and _T10 are preferably set appropriately at the time of design, for example, according to the device characteristics and/or design of the suction device 100 .

(4) Functional block diagram relating to estimation of remaining amount level of suction component source by suction device FIG. 206) and sensors 212, as well as examples of the main information stored in memory 114 (214).

The control unit 206 cooperates with the sensor 212 and the memory 214 to control various operations related to estimation of the remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source. Examples of functional blocks of the control unit 206 include a puff detection time measurement unit 206a, a puff operation interval measurement unit 206b, a detection time correction unit 206c, a detection time accumulation unit 206d, an attraction component source remaining amount level estimation unit 206e, and a notification instruction unit. 206f. Examples of functional blocks of sensor 212 include puff detector 212a and output 212b. Examples of information stored in memory 214 include time information such as cartridge maximum consumption time information 214a, capsule maximum consumption time information 214b, time correction model information 214c, and cumulative detection time information 214d.

The puff detection time measurement unit 206a measures the detection time (period) of the puff action detected by the puff detection unit 212a. Specifically, the puff detection time measurement unit 206a may continuously measure the period from the start of the puff operation detected by the puff detection unit 212a to the end thereof using a timer. Based on the measured sensing time, a value for the puffing duration is obtained. Especially in this embodiment, the detection time is further corrected.

The puff operation interval measurement unit 206b measures the time interval between two consecutive puff operations. Specifically, the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b measures the interval from the end of the first puff operation out of two consecutive puff operations detected by the puff detection unit 212a to the start of the second puff operation. The time between is continuously measured by a timer. A puffing interval is obtained based on the measured time interval.

The detection time correction unit 206c corrects the detection time of the puff action according to the time correction model MD defined based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source in the puff action. As mentioned above, the time correction model MD is associated with the puff interval and the puff duration.

The detection time accumulator 206d accumulates the corrected puff operation detection time to calculate the cumulative detection time.

The suction component source remaining amount level estimation unit 206e estimates the remaining amount level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source based on the accumulated detection time. Further, when the cumulative detection time reaches a predetermined threshold time, it is determined that the remaining amount of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source is insufficient.

The notification instruction unit 206f instructs the notification unit 108 to perform a notification operation according to the estimation result of the remaining amount level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source. In particular, when the attraction component source remaining amount level estimating unit 206e determines that the remaining amount is insufficient, the notifying unit 108 is notified of the remaining amount shortage accordingly.

The puff detection unit 212a also detects a series of puffing and/or non-puffing actions by the user, for example, using a suction sensor such as a microphone condenser. Also, the output unit 212 b outputs various information detected by the sensor 212 to the control unit 206 or stores the information in the memory 214 .

Regarding the information stored in memory 214, cartridge maximum consumption time information 214a is time information (eg, 1,000 seconds) corresponding to the maximum consumption of the aerosol source and/or flavor source held in reservoir 116 of the cartridge. be.

The maximum capsule consumption time information 214b is time information (for example, 100 seconds) corresponding to the maximum consumption of the flavor source 128 held in the capsule of the suction device 100B. These may be preset, for example during the design of the cartridge and capsule. Also, in the flavor source 128 held in the capsule, it is preferable to set a different value for each type.

The time correction model information 214c includes information on the aforementioned aerosol source atomization characteristics 1a, 2a and information on the time correction model MD based on the aerosol source atomization characteristics 1a, 2a. For example, the time correction model information 214c includes the function C ₃₀ (x,t _int ) of the time correction model 2A shown in Equation 5 above, and the constants p and T ₁₀ used in the calculation.

The cumulative detection time information 214d is information on the cumulative detection time accumulated by the detection time accumulation unit 206d, and is updated each time the user performs a puff action.

It should be noted that each value of the puff action period measured in a series of puff actions and the interval between two successive puff actions may be associated with each puff action and stored sequentially.

(5) Processing Flow for Controlling Operation of Control Device FIGS. 11 to 14 are examples of processing flows in which the control unit 206 controls the operation of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 11 is an example of an overall processing flow regarding control operations by the control unit 206 . FIG. 12 is an example of a processing flow relating to remaining amount level estimation processing based on accumulation of puffing detection time, among the processing flows shown in FIG. 11 . FIG. 13 is an example of a processing flow regarding correction processing of the detection time of the puff motion among the processing flows shown in FIG. 12 . FIG. 14 is an example of a processing flow regarding initial setting processing of the value of the puff operation interval.

It should be noted that each processing step shown here is merely an example, and without being limited to this, arbitrary other processing steps may be included, or some processing steps may be omitted. Also, the order of each processing step shown here is merely an example, and is not limited to this, and may be in any order, or may be executed in parallel in some cases.

When the processing flow of FIG. 11 is started, the suction device 100 is powered on, and the user uses the suction device 100 to perform a series of puffing operations. Alternatively, the suction device 100 wakes up from the sleep state, and the user uses the suction device 100 to perform a series of puffing operations. First, in step S10, the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b starts measuring the time until the user performs the "first" puff operation. Note that the “first time” puffing operation means the first puffing operation after the power of the suction device 100 is turned on or after the suction device 100 recovers from the sleep state.

In step S11, the control unit 206 causes the puff detection unit 212a of the sensor to detect a series of puff actions (including the first puff action) by the user. Specifically, here, it is determined whether or not the puff operation is detected by the puff detection unit 212a.

If a puff operation is detected in step S11 (step S11: Yes), in step S12, the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b stops measuring the time interval between puff operations that are being executed. That is, the time interval between a sensed puff action and the immediately preceding puff action (ie, two consecutive puff actions) is measured to obtain a puff interval value. As an example, the value of the puff action interval associated with the first puff action may be set to the measurement time between steps S10 and S12 described above (described later in FIG. 14).

Subsequently, the puff detection time measurement unit 206a measures the detection time of the detected puff action. Specifically, in step S13, the puff detection time measurement unit 206a starts measuring the detection time of the puff operation. When the puff detection unit 212a detects the end of the puff operation in step S14, the puff detection time measuring unit 206a stops measuring the detection time of the puff operation in step S15. In other words, the detection time is measured to obtain the value of the puffing period during which the puffing continues.

Note that in the present embodiment, the control unit 200 preferably performs the heating operation with the heater while the user's puffing operation is being detected. In other words, the control of the heating operation is interlocked with the measurement of the detection time of the puffing operation. Specifically, when the start of the puffing operation is detected, the heating operation by the heater is started, and measurement of the detection time of the puffing operation is started (step S13). Then, when the end of the puffing operation is detected, the heating operation by the heater is ended and the measurement of the detection time of the puffing operation is stopped (step S15).

Next, in step S16, the control unit 206 executes processing for estimating the remaining amount level based on the accumulation of the detection time (described later in FIGS. 12 and 13).

Also, in step S17, timer adjustment processing is executed in the puff detection time measurement unit 206a and the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b for the next puff operation to be detected. For example, it is preferable to reset both the value of the detection time counted by the puff detection time measurement unit 206a and the value of the puff operation interval counted by the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b to zero.

Subsequently, in step S18, the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b starts measurement and returns to step S11. Here, the time interval between puff actions is measured until the next puff action is detected. Specifically, the measurement of the time interval between puffing operations is preferably triggered by detection of the end of the puffing operation in step S14 and started in step S18. Then, it is preferable that detection of the start of the puffing operation in step S11 be used as a trigger to stop in step S12. That is, the time interval between puffing operations can be referred to as a non-puffing period.

Note that the cycle of steps S11 to S18 is repeated at least during a series of puff actions by the user. Alternatively, the cycle may be repeated until the suction device 100 is powered off or until the suction device 100 transitions to the sleep state.

Regarding step S16 described above, the processing flow for estimating the remaining amount level based on accumulating the detection time will be further described with reference to FIGS. In step S16, first, in step S161, the puffing interval measurement unit 206b acquires the value of the puffing interval. The value of the puffing interval is obtained through step S18 (or step S10) and step S12 described above. Also, in step S162, the puff detection time measurement unit 206a acquires the value of the puff operation period. The value of the puff action period is the detection time of the puff action measured through steps S13 to S15 described above.

Next, in step S163, the detection time correction unit 206c corrects the detection time of the puff action using the time correction model MD (FIG. 9) associated with the puff action period and the puff action interval. The time correction model MD is defined based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source in the suction device 100, and is stored in the memory 214 as time correction model information 214c.

Specifically, as shown in the processing flow of FIG. 13, the correction of the detection time of the puff action is first performed in step S163a by determining whether the puff action interval t _int obtained in step S161 of FIG. 12 is smaller than 10 seconds. judge. This determination process is associated with the atomization characteristics 2 and 2a of the aerosol source shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 and with the time correction model 2A based on the atomization characteristics 2a shown in FIG. .

Here, the detection time after correction with respect to the detection time t of the actual puff operation is _{t10_crt} . If the puff operation interval t _int is less than 10 seconds (S163a: Yes), the detection time after correction is, in step S163c, based on Equation 5 defined as the time correction model MD,
_{t10_crt} = _C30 (t, _tint )
= ((2.4+p(t _int −10))/(2.4−T ₁₀ ))×(t−T ₁₀ )
is calculated and output for the next step S164.

On the other hand, if the puff interval t _int is 10 seconds or more (S163a: No), the puff interval t _int is set to t _int =10 based on Equation 2 in step S163b. Then, in the next step S163c, the corrected detection time is obtained by setting t _int =10 in Equation 5 as follows:
_{t10_crt} = _C30 (t,10)
= (2.4/(2.4- _T10 )) x (t- _T10 )
is calculated and output for the next step S164.

Returning to FIG. 12, following step S163, in step S164, the detection time accumulator 206d calculates the cumulative detection time by accumulating the detection time corrected in step S163. The cumulative sensing time is stored in memory 214 as part of the cumulative sensing time information 214d for the flavor source and/or aerosol source each time it is updated.

Next, in step S165, the inhaled component remaining amount level estimation unit 206e estimates the remaining amount level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source based on the cumulative detection time calculated in step S164. The remaining amount level may be calculated as a puff time (seconds) during which the puff operation is permitted in the future, or may be calculated as a percentage (%) of the puff time. Further, it may be determined that the remaining amount of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source is insufficient when the cumulative detection time reaches a predetermined threshold time. The predetermined threshold time is pre-stored in the memory 214 as part of the maximum capsule consumption time information 214b (eg, 100 seconds) and/or as part of the maximum cartridge consumption time information 214a (eg, 1,000 seconds). .

Finally, in step S166, the notification instruction unit 206f instructs the notification unit 108 to notify the remaining amount level estimated in step S165. For example, it is preferable to notify the user in various ways by lighting an LED, displaying on a display, speaking from a speaker, vibrating with a vibrator, or any combination thereof. In particular, when it is determined in step S165 that the remaining amount of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source is insufficient, it is preferable to let the notification unit 108 notify that the remaining amount is insufficient.

In this embodiment, the target for estimation of the remaining amount level can be flexibly set according to the structure of the

suction devices

100A and 100B. Specifically, in both the capsule 126 and the cartridge 104, it is only necessary to convert the amount of the inhalant source into time information and store it as the capsule maximum consumption time information 214b and/or the cartridge maximum consumption time information 214a. During the operation of estimating the remaining amount level, the control unit 206 only needs to handle such time information, which is efficient.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, the value of the detection time of the puff action is appropriately corrected through the time correction model MD. In other words, the detection time is more realistic, that is, the actual amount of aerosol source consumption and the amount of aerosol that actually passed through the flavor source (in other words, the amount of flavor actually imparted by the flavor source). detection time can be calculated. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy when estimating the remaining amount level.

An example of the processing flow according to this embodiment will be supplemented with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is an example of a processing flow regarding initial setting of the value of the puff operation interval.

In the above description, as the value of the puff action interval associated with the first puff action, the measurement of the time of the first puff action is started in step S10 at the start of the processing flow of FIG. It was decided that the time until it is stopped can be set.

As described above, examples of the first puffing operation include the puffing operation performed immediately after the suction device 100 is powered on and the puffing operation performed immediately after the suction device 100 recovers from the sleep state. you can Note that the sleep state is a state to which a transition is made in order to save power when the user's puffing operation is not detected for a predetermined period of time even when the power is on. In this case, in order for the user to perform the puffing operation, the suction device 100 must be recovered from the sleep state.

In addition to or instead of the above, the value of the puff operation interval associated with such a first puff operation may be initialized using a predetermined initial value. As an example, FIG. 14 shows a processing flow assuming a case where the power is turned on and an example of initial setting performed immediately after that. The initial setting is performed by the puff operation interval measurement unit 206b.

First, in step S101, the control unit 206 determines whether the power of the suction device 100 has been turned on from the off state. When it is determined that the suction device 100 has been powered on, it may optionally be verified that no puff interval value is already present in memory. Next, in step S102, the value of the puff operation interval is set to a predetermined initial value for the puff operation that will be performed soon by the user (step S11), thereby associating it with the first puff operation.

When the initial value is set to the value of the first puff operation interval in step S102, then the process proceeds to step S10 described above, and measurement of the puff operation interval may be started. In this case, the initial values set in step S102 in the memory may be updated with the measured values acquired in steps S10 to S12. Alternatively, the initial value may not be updated with the measured value, or either the initial value or the measured value may be selected (for example, the larger value may be selected). Furthermore, if the initial value of the puff operation interval is set to the initial value in step S102, the above-described step S10 may be skipped so as not to start.

Here, the initial value should be set to 10 seconds. As described with reference to FIG. 8, if the value of the puff operation interval is 10 seconds, the post-correction differential puff operation period (adjustment time) is 0 (Equation 2). That is, by initializing the value of the puff operation interval to 10 seconds in conformity with the value described with reference to FIG. The adjusted time calculated in relation to the portion of the time correction model 2A can be zero.

<<3. Change example >>
(1) First Modification In the description of the above embodiment, in steps S18 and S10 to S12 of FIG. 11 and step S161 of FIG. The time interval between two consecutive puffs) was measured and that value was set (as is) to the puff interval. The above embodiment is particularly advantageous when the puff action is accurately detected by the puff detector 212a. Additionally or alternatively, in this modification, the time interval measured for the puff action is adjusted accordingly to flexibly set the value of the puff action interval, thereby enabling detection based on the time correction model MD. Allows appropriate correction of time to be performed. In particular, the puff interval value set for a puff action is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to the puff duration value obtained for the previous puff action.

For example, when the user performs a series of puffing actions, there are cases where the user's suction power tends to be weak due to the user's preferences and habits in the puffing action. In this case, the puff detection unit 212a needs to detect a puff operation with a weak suction force, but depending on its detection performance, it may not be able to detect this properly. In addition, even if the puff detection unit 212a can detect a puff operation with a weak suction force, the puff detection unit 212a can only partially detect the puff operation and detect it as an intermittent puff operation. sometimes. As a result, a single puffing action may be divided into extremely short puffing periods to be detected. In other words, in the case of a puffing operation with a weak suction force, although one puffing operation was originally performed, it is detected as a plurality of puffing operations separated into puffing operations having extremely short puffing operation periods. Sometimes.

Therefore, this modified example takes into consideration the case where the puff detection unit 212a cannot appropriately detect the puff operation due to reasons such as the user's weak suction force. Specific examples are shown below. In the following description, for a certain puff action, a set of each value of the time interval between the previous puff action and the detection time of the puff action is represented by [time interval from the previous puff action, puff motion detection time].

FIG. 15 is an exemplary conceptual diagram showing the user's puff motion with weak suction force detected by the puff detection unit 212a, together with the time interval and detection time. In FIG. 15, after puff motion #n−1 is detected by puff detection unit 212a, puff motion #n of [5.42, 0.16] is detected, and immediately thereafter [0.21, 1.18] puff motion #n+1 is detected.

As shown, the detection time for puffing #n is 0.16 seconds, which can be said to be an extremely short puffing period. It should be noted that a user's puffing motion is typically over a period of time greater than about 1 second, and the value of 0.16 seconds is assumed to be less than the _T10 used in Equation 5. In this case, based on the time correction model MD in the above embodiment, the post-correction puff operation period of puff operation #n is set to 0 (y=0). That is, as a result of the correction process by the time correction model MD, the puffing action #n is regarded as not being substantially performed, and is not counted in the cumulative detection time of the puffing action.

On the other hand, the detection time of puff operation #n+1 following puff operation #n is 1.18 seconds, and the time interval between puff operation #n and puff operation #n+1 is 0.21 seconds. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the post-correction puff operation period (y) of puff operation #n+1 based on the time correction model MD is calculated using Equation 5 as follows.
y=((2.4+p×(t _int −10))/(2.4−T ₁₀ ))×(x−T ₁₀ )
= ((2.4+(-0.1)*(0.21-10)/(2.4-0.2))*(1.18-0.2)
= 1.57
(It should be noted that here, the calculation is performed with the constant p = -0.1 and the constant T ₁₀ = 0.2, but it is understood that the values of the constant p and the constant T ₁₀ are only examples and are not limited to these. (

According to the above calculation, it is understood that 1.18 seconds, which is the detection time of puff operation #n+1, is corrected to 1.57 seconds according to the time correction model MD.

In the above calculation, 0.21 seconds, which is the time interval between the current puff operation #n+1 and the immediately preceding puff operation #n, is adopted as the value of the puff operation interval according to the description of the previous embodiment. On the other hand, in this example, since the detection time of puff operation #n is extremely short at 0.16 seconds, the original puff operation was performed once, but it is changed to two operations, puff operation #n and puff operation #n+1. It is assumed that the puff detection unit 212a divides and detects.

Therefore, in this modified example, the time interval between the puff operation #n+1 and the immediately preceding puff operation #n is not the measured 0.21 second itself, but the measured 0.21 second and the puff operation #n. and 5.42 seconds which is the time interval between puff operation #n−1. That is, in this modified example, the total value of 5.63 seconds (0.21+5.42 seconds) is adopted as the value of the puff operation interval of puff operation #n+1, and the total value is used in Equation 5. .

Specifically, in this modified example, the post-correction puff operation period (y) of the puff operation #n+1 based on the time correction model MD is calculated as follows.
y=((2.4+p×(t _int −10))/(2.4−T ₁₀ ))×(x−T ₁₀ )
= ((2.4+(-0.1)*(5.63-10)/(2.4-0.2))*(1.18-0.2)
= 1.32

According to the above calculation, by obtaining the value of the puff operation interval as 5.63 seconds, the detection time of puff operation #n+1 of 1.18 seconds is corrected to 1.32 seconds according to the time correction model MD. ing.

As shown in FIG. 8, the time correction model 2A forming part of the time correction model MD is defined so that the post-correction puff operation period becomes shorter as the value of the puff operation interval increases. That is, the numerical value of 1.32 seconds is less corrected for the puff operation period than the value of 1.57 seconds when the puff operation interval is 0.21 seconds. In light of the fact that the puff operation #n and the puff operation #n+1 were originally one puff operation, but were separately detected by the puff detection unit 212a, such relaxation of the degree of correction is as follows. It can be said that it is an appropriate countermeasure.

That is, by applying this modified example, even when the puff detection unit 212a cannot accurately detect a puff operation with a weak suction force, the detection time of the puff operation can be corrected more appropriately, thereby further correcting the puff operation. A corrected puff operation period can be calculated. That is, according to this modified example, it is possible to estimate the appropriate remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source.

Acquisition of the value of the puff operation interval in this modified example will be described in detail below based on the processing flow. FIG. 16 is an example of a process flow for adjusting the time interval measurement according to the puff duration value obtained for the immediately preceding puff.　

In this modified example, the time interval between puff operation #n+1 and puff operation #n immediately preceding it is measured, and the value of the puff operation interval for puff operation #n+1 is obtained based at least on this time interval. In particular, as described in the specific example of FIG. 15, the value of the puff operation interval for puff operation #n+1 is the puff operation period value (0.16 in the example of FIG. seconds).

The processing flow of FIG. 16 is applied to the timer adjustment processing in step S17 of FIG. 11 in order to adjust the time interval measurement. Here, it is assumed that the end of puffing operation #n is detected in step S14 and measurement of the detection time of puffing operation #n is stopped in step S15 before reaching step S17 in FIG. As a result, in step S16, particularly in step S161 of FIG. 12, the value of the puff operation interval is obtained as 5.42 seconds as in the example of FIG. It is obtained as 0.16 seconds (the value of the detection time of the puff action is also 0.16 seconds).

First, in step S21, the puff detection time measurement unit 206a resets the count of the timer. In other words, the puff detection time measuring unit 206a resets the value of the detection time of the puff operation, and prepares for the next puff operation.

Next, in step S22, it is determined whether or not the value of the puff operation period that has already been acquired for puff operation #n is smaller than 0.5 seconds. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the value of 0.5 seconds is an example and not a limitation. If the puff duration value of puff action #n is less than 0.5 seconds (step S22: Yes), the measurement of the time interval between puff action #n and the next puff action #n+1 is is resumed from the value of the puff operation interval that has already been acquired (step S18). In other words, the interrupted measurement of the time interval is restarted and the counting is continued without resetting the count of the timer when the measurement was performed in the puff operation #n.

On the other hand, if the value of the puff operation period of puff operation #n is 0.5 seconds or more (step S22: No), in step S23, the count of the timer that was measured in puff operation #n is reset. Then, measurement of the time interval between puff operation #n and next puff operation #n+1 is started from 0 second (step S18).

In the example of FIG. 15, the value of the puff operation period of puff operation #n is 0.16 seconds, which is smaller than 0.5 seconds (step S22: Yes). That is, the measurement of the time interval between puff action #n and the next puff action #n+1 is the value of the time interval between puff action #n−1 and puff action #n, which is the previous 5.42 seconds. is restarted from 5.42 seconds without resetting (to 0 seconds) (step S18). As a result, when the start of the next puff operation #n+1 is detected (step S11) and the measurement of the time interval is stopped (S12), the measured time interval changes from 5.42 seconds to the actual time interval. It shows 5.63 seconds advanced by 0.21 seconds which is the time interval. That is, the time interval t _int between puff operation #n and next puff operation #n+1 is obtained as 5.63 seconds (=5.42 seconds+0.21 seconds).

That is, by applying this modified example, even if the puff detection unit 212a does not necessarily accurately detect a puff operation with a weak suction force, an appropriate value can be obtained as the puff operation interval by adjusting the measurement of the time interval. can be obtained. This makes it possible to more appropriately correct the detection time of the puffing action, that is, to calculate a more accurate puffing action period after correction. That is, this modification is particularly useful for puffing operations with weak suction force.

In addition, in this modified example, when the detection time is divided extremely short for a puff operation with a weak suction force, the time interval measured between the puff operation #n+1 and the puff operation #n is not appropriate. Then, when such a determination is made, an appropriate value may be obtained as the puff operation interval so as to adjust the measurement of the time interval and not reset the count of the timer. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the time interval measured between puff operation #n+1 and puff operation #n is not appropriate, then all that is necessary is to reset the timer count and measure time from zero. That is, acquisition of the puff operation interval is efficient because it is only necessary to control resetting of the timer count and does not require additional processing load.

(2) Second Modification In the description of the above embodiment, a constant _T10 is introduced in the time correction model MD based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source, and the value of the puff operation period (x) is _T10 or less. , the corrected puff operation period (y) is set to 0 (Equation 3 and FIG. 9). Constant _T10 may be set to any value up to, for example, approximately 1.0 seconds. Considering that puffing durations of less than 1.0 seconds are rare and difficult to imagine in normal puffing operations by the user, this is true even for puffing durations of less than 1.0 seconds. This is based on the inventor's consideration that time correction is not necessary. Specifically, it is as follows.

Assuming that calculation processing for time correction is executed each time even for a puff operation period of less than 1.0 second, it is assumed that the cost for the calculation processing in the control unit 206 is not worth it. be. More specifically, in order to implement such processing for time correction, it is necessary to secure the capacity of memory 214 in order to store the algorithm for time correction. On the other hand, as long as it is difficult to assume a puff operation of less than 1.0 second, it is assumed that such an implementation would be too costly for computational processing to justify. Also, in a puffing action of less than 1.0 second, it is assumed that the consumption of the suction component source is sufficiently small in the first place that there is no need to consider this.

In the above embodiment, the corrected puff operation period (y) is set to 0 when _T10 is less than 1.0. is not uniformly set to 0, but is set to a predetermined constant somewhat larger than 0. As a result, even if a puff operation period of less than 1.0 seconds cannot be accepted due to a device failure, the value of the cumulative detection time calculated by the detection time accumulator 206d is accumulated. Become. In other words, the value of such cumulative detection time can be appropriately used to detect device failure, and the life of the device can be extended.

Therefore, in this modified example, when the puff operation period (detection time) corrected by the time correction model MD of the above embodiment is equal to or less than a predetermined constant, the corrected detection time is It is better to uniformly update the value to the constant value.

FIG. 17 shows an example of a further time correction model MD' based on the atomization characteristics 1a and 2a of the aerosol source according to this modified example. In the graph of FIG. 17, as in FIG. 9, the horizontal axis (x-axis) indicates the puff operation period (seconds), and the vertical axis (y-axis) indicates the corrected puff operation period (seconds) with respect to the puff operation period. The time correction model MD′ further includes a function to uniformly update the value to q when the puff operation period after correction is 0<y≦q among the time correction models MD shown in FIG. stipulated. Note that the constant q is preferably obtained experimentally in consideration of the device characteristics of the suction device 100 and set in the memory 214 .

FIG. 18 is an example of a detailed processing flow regarding the correction processing S163' of the detection time of the puff motion according to this modification, and is applied to step S16 of FIG. 11 in the above embodiment. This processing flow is executed by the detection time correction unit 206c. Note that the processing contents of steps S163a, S163b, and S163c in the puff operation detection time correction processing S163' are the same as those of the same reference numerals shown in FIG.

In this modified example, in step S163d, it is further determined whether the value of _{t10_crt} is equal to or less than a constant q with respect to the output _{t10_crt} = _C30 (t, _tint ) in step S163c. If the value of _{t10_crt} is equal to or less than the constant q (S163d: Yes), the value of _{t10_crt} is updated to q in step S163e, and is output for the next cumulative detection time calculation process (step S164). be. On the other hand, if the value of _{t10_crt} is larger than the constant q (S163d: No), the value of _{t10_crt} is set as it is to the post-correction puff operation period, and the next cumulative detection time is calculated (step S164). output to

As described above, according to this modification, when the calculated corrected puff operation period is equal to or less than a predetermined constant, the value is uniformly updated to q, so that the suction device 100 can supply the controller 206 with Arithmetic processing load can be reduced, and device abnormalities can be detected.

<<4. Supplement >>
The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, along with some modifications, have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. The suction device 100 according to the present disclosure is configured to accurately estimate the fuel level through dynamically correcting the detection time, which is the duration of the detected puffing action. In other words, it is possible to estimate a more accurate puffing duration or a cumulative puffing duration compared to the detection time of the puffing that is actually detected, and to achieve an estimation of the appropriate remaining level of the flavor source and/or the aerosol source. do. This makes it possible to realize appropriate consumption level estimation, replacement determination, and notification of cartridges and/or capsules.

In particular, even if the sensor does not accurately detect a puffing action with a weak suction force, it is possible to appropriately correct the detection time of the puffing action and to calculate a more accurate post-correction puffing period. This makes it possible to achieve a more appropriate residual level estimation for the flavor source and/or the aerosol source.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that they are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that modifications, additions, improvements, etc., may be made to the embodiments from time to time without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments, but should be defined only by the claims and their equivalents.

A series of processes by each device described in this specification may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Programs constituting software are stored in advance in computer-readable recording media (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device, for example. Each program is read into the RAM when executed by a computer that controls each suction device described in this specification, for example, and is executed by a processor such as a CPU. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Also, the computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium.

The following configuration also belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.
(1)
A method of operating a suction device, comprising:
causing the sensor to detect a series of puffing actions by the user;
measuring (S10, S18-S12, S161) the time interval between the first puff and the immediately preceding second puff to obtain a puff interval value for the first puff;
measuring the detection time of the first puffing action in order to obtain the value of the puffing period during which the first puffing action continues (S13 to S15, S162);
correcting the detection time using a time correction model associated with the puff interval and the puff duration (S16, S163);
accumulating the corrected detection time to calculate the cumulative detection time (S16, S164);
estimating a remaining level of the source of inhaled components based on the cumulative detection time (S16, S165);
The puff interval value for the first puff action is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to the puff duration value obtained for the second puff action (S17, S161, S21 ~S23), a method.
(2)
In the method of (1), if the value of the puff action period for the second puff action is smaller than a predetermined first time (S22: Yes), the measurement of the time interval is obtained for the second puff action. adjusted to restart from the value of said puffing interval that has already been set.
(3)
The method of (2), wherein the first time is 0.5 seconds (S22).
(4)
In any one of the methods (1) to (3),
The method, wherein the step of estimating the residual level of the attractive component source includes determining that the attractive component source is depleted if the cumulative sensing time reaches a second predetermined time.
(5)
The method of (4) above, further comprising:
responsive to determining that the suction component source is depleted, causing the suction device to notify the depletion (S166).
(6)
In any one of the methods (1) to (5),
The method, wherein the time correction model is defined to include maintaining the corrected sensing time at the third time when the value of the sensing time is a predetermined third time.
(7)
In the method of (6) above,
The method, wherein the time correction model is defined to include decreasing the sensing time if the sensing time value is less than the third time.
(8)
The method of (6) or (7), wherein the third time is 2.4 seconds.
(9)
In any one of the methods (1) to (8),
The time correction model adds an adjustment time calculated based on the puffing interval to the measured sensing time value when the puffing interval value is less than a fourth time. a method defined to include increasing the detected detection time.
(10)
The method of (9) above, further comprising:
and initializing a puff interval value for the second puff operation to the fourth time (S101, S102), if the second puff operation is the first puff operation.
(11)
The method of (9) or (10), wherein the fourth time is 10 seconds.
(12)
A program for causing the suction device to perform any one of the methods (1) to (11).
(13)
a suction device,
a sensor that detects a series of puffing actions by a user;
A control unit (206) for operating the suction device, comprising:
measuring 206b the time interval between the first puff and the immediately preceding second puff to obtain a puff interval value for the first puff detected by the sensor;
measuring 206a the sensing time of the first puffing action to obtain a puffing duration value over which the first puffing action lasts;
correcting (206c) the sensing time using a time correction model associated with the puff interval and the puff duration;
calculating the accumulated detection time by accumulating the corrected detection time (206d);
estimating (206e) a remaining level of an inhalant component source based on the cumulative sensing time;
a control unit;
The puff interval value for the first puff action is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to the puff duration value obtained for the second puff action (S17, S161, S21 ~S23), suction device.
(14)
In the suction device of (13) above,
If the puffing duration value for the second puffing operation is less than a predetermined first time (S22: Yes), the measurement of the time interval is based on the obtained puffing interval value for the second puffing operation. A suction device adjusted to restart.
(15)
In the suction device of (14) above, the first time is 0.5 seconds (S22).
(16)
In the suction device according to any one of (13) to (15),
The aspiration device, wherein estimating a residual level of the suction component source includes determining that the suction component source is depleted if the cumulative sensing time reaches a second predetermined time.
(17)
The suction device according to (16), further comprising a notification unit,
The control unit causes the notification unit to notify the shortage of the remaining amount (206f) in response to the fact that the suction component source is determined to have an insufficient amount of the remaining amount.
(18)
In the suction device according to any one of (13) to (17),
The time correction model adds an adjustment time calculated based on the puffing interval to the measured sensing time value when the puffing interval value is less than a third time. an aspiration device, defined to include increasing a specified detection time.
(19)
In the suction device according to (18) above, the control unit further comprises
The suction device is configured to set a value of the puffing interval for the second puffing operation to the third time when the second puffing operation is the first puffing operation (S101, S102).
(20)
The suction device of (18) or (19), wherein the third time is 10 seconds.

Reference Signs List

100A, 100B, 100 suction device 102 first member (power supply unit) 104 second member (cartridge) 106, 206 control unit 108 notification unit 110

battery

112, 212

Sensor

114, 214 Memory 116 Reservoir 118 Atomization part 120 Air intake channel 121 Aerosol channel 122 Mouthpiece 126 Third member (capsule) 128 Flavor source,
206a... Puff detection time measuring unit 206b... Puff operation interval measuring unit 206c... Detection time correcting unit 206d... Detection time accumulating unit 206e... Suction component source remaining amount level estimating unit 206f ... notification indicator,
212a... puff detection section, 212b... output section,
214a Cartridge maximum consumption time information 214b Capsule maximum consumption time information 214c Time correction model information 214d Cumulative detection time information

Claims

A method of operating a suction device, comprising:
causing the sensor to detect a series of puffing actions by the user;
measuring the time interval between the first puff and the immediately preceding second puff to obtain a puff interval value for the first puff;
measuring the detection time of the first puffing action to obtain a value of the puffing period during which the first puffing action lasts;
correcting the sensing time using a time correction model associated with the puff interval and the puff duration;
accumulating the corrected detection time to calculate a cumulative detection time;
estimating a residual level of an inhalant source based on the cumulative sensing time;
The method, wherein the puff interval value for the first puff action is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to a puff duration value obtained for the second puff action.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time interval measurement determines the obtained puff duration for the second puff operation if the puff duration value for the second puff operation is less than a predetermined first time. A method that is adjusted to restart from the value of the action interval.
The method according to claim 2, wherein said first time is 0.5 seconds.
A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The method, wherein the step of estimating the residual level of the attractive component source includes determining that the attractive component source is depleted if the cumulative sensing time reaches a second predetermined time.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
responsive to determining that the suction component source is depleted, causing the aspiration device to notify the depletion.
6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The method, wherein the time correction model is defined to include maintaining the corrected sensing time at the third time when the value of the sensing time is a predetermined third time.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein
The method, wherein the time correction model is defined to include decreasing the sensing time if the sensing time value is less than the third time.
The method according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said third time is 2.4 seconds.
9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The time correction model adds an adjustment time calculated based on the puffing interval to the measured sensing time value when the puffing interval value is less than a fourth time. a method defined to include increasing the detected detection time.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
and initializing a puff interval value for the second puff to the fourth time if the second puff is a first puff.
The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said fourth time is 10 seconds.
A program for causing the suction device to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
a suction device,
a sensor that detects a series of puffing actions by a user;
A control unit for operating the suction device,
measuring the time interval between the first puff and the immediately preceding second puff to obtain a puff interval value for the first puff detected by the sensor;
measuring the detection time of the first puff action to obtain a value of the puff action period during which the first puff action continues;
correcting the sensing time using a time correction model associated with the puff interval and the puff duration;
accumulating the corrected detection time to calculate the cumulative detection time;
estimating a remaining level of an inhalant source based on the cumulative sensing time;
a control unit;
The aspiration device, wherein the puffing interval value for the first puffing is obtained by adjusting the time interval measurement according to a puffing duration value obtained for the second puffing.