WO2023105614A1

WO2023105614A1 - Information processing apparatus, terminal device, and information processing method

Info

Publication number: WO2023105614A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/044880
Authority: WO
Inventors: 泰弘小野; 玲二朗川崎; 寛手塚; 和俊芹田
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-12-07
Filing date: 2021-12-07
Publication date: 2023-06-15

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism with which it is possible to contribute to reducing environmental load generated in conjunction with the use of an inhalation device. [Solution] This information processing apparatus comprises: a communication unit for communicating with a first terminal device which is for a user of an aerosol generation device for generating an aerosol using a base material that contributes to the generation of the aerosol and/or a second terminal device which performs processing pertaining to the recovery of said base material; and a control unit which, on the basis of information received from the communication unit, controls processing for storing, in association with prescribed information, user identification information corresponding to the recovered base material.

Description

Information processing device, terminal device, and information processing method

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

Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that produce substances that are inhaled by the user are widespread. For example, the suction device uses a base material including an aerosol source for generating an aerosol and a flavor source for imparting a flavor component to the generated aerosol to generate an aerosol imparted with a flavor component. A user can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the flavor component-applied aerosol generated by the suction device. The action of the user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as puffing or puffing action.

It is desirable that the suction device be used properly. Regarding this point, in Patent Document 1 below, an incentive is given to a user who uses a suction device in a place where the use of a suction device is permitted, and a negative effect is given to a user who uses a suction device in a place where the use of a suction device is prohibited. is disclosed.

WO2020/183655

The technique described in Patent Document 1 above only contributed to optimizing the location of use of the suction device.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that can contribute to reducing the environmental load caused by the use of a suction device. It is in.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates the aerosol using a base material that contributes to the generation of the aerosol, or the A communication unit that communicates with at least one of second terminal devices that perform processing related to collection of the base material, and identification information of a user corresponding to the collected base material based on information received by the communication unit. and a control unit that controls processing for storing predetermined information in association with the information processing apparatus.

The control unit stores the predetermined information in association with user identification information corresponding to the base material that has been successfully authenticated as the base material to be collected among the collected base materials. processing may be controlled.

The substrate includes a susceptor, the second terminal device includes a coil, and the recovered substrate is based on the inductance of the coil when the magnetic field generated by the coil passes through the substrate. The authentication may be performed on the material.

The second terminal device may perform the authentication for the collected base material.

When the information received from the first terminal device and the information received from the second terminal device correspond, the control unit causes the user corresponding to the first terminal device to A user corresponding to the substrate may be identified.

The control unit may specify that the user indicated by the information received from the second terminal device is the user corresponding to the recovered base material.

When information generated by the second terminal device associated with the collection of the base material is received from the first terminal device, the control unit controls the user corresponding to the first terminal device. may be identified as the user corresponding to the recovered substrate.

The control unit may identify the user corresponding to the recovered base material based on at least one of a password, two-dimensional code, or geometric shape.

The control unit may identify the user corresponding to the collected base material based on the user's biological information.

The control unit may identify the user corresponding to the collected base material based on the movement of the first terminal device.

The control unit may specify the user corresponding to the collected base material based on the position information of the first terminal device and the position information of the second terminal device.

The control unit may identify the user corresponding to the collected base material based on information transmitted and received between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.

The predetermined information may be information indicating an incentive given to the user.

The control unit may set the size of the incentive according to the location where the base material was collected.

The control unit may set the size of the incentive according to the place where the base material is used.

The communication unit may transmit information indicating the location of the second terminal device to the first terminal device.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the coil and the base material that contributes to the generation of the aerosol, which is used by the aerosol generation device that generates the aerosol, are the A terminal device comprising: a control unit that performs authentication of a base material based on a change in the inductance of the coil when the magnetic field generated by the coil passes through the base material.

The terminal device may further include a communication unit that transmits information regarding the base material that has been successfully authenticated.

Further, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol using a base material that contributes to the generation of aerosol, Alternatively, communicating with at least one of a second terminal device that performs processing related to recovery of the base material, and based on the received information, predetermined user identification information corresponding to the recovered base material and controlling a process of correlating and storing information.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a mechanism capable of contributing to the reduction of the environmental load caused by the use of the suction device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure for demonstrating the outline|summary of the system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows typically the structural example of the suction device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the user terminal which concerns on this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows typically the structural example of the collection|recovery apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the server which concerns on this embodiment. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system according to the present embodiment. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system according to the present embodiment. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system according to the present embodiment.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

<1. Overview>
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of a system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1 includes a suction device 100, a user terminal 200, a recovery device 300, and a server 400.

The suction device 100 is a device that generates a substance that is sucked by the user. Below, the substance generated by the suction device 100 is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance produced by the suction device may be a gas.

The suction device 100 uses a stick-shaped base material 150 to generate an aerosol. Stick-type substrate 150 is an example of a substrate that contributes to aerosol generation. Stick-type substrate 150 contains an aerosol source. Furthermore, the stick-type substrate 150 has a susceptor that generates heat by induction heating. Then, the suction device 100 generates an aerosol by induction heating the stick-shaped base material 150 . A user's use of the suction device 100 and stick-shaped substrate 150 to generate an aerosol is also simply referred to as using the suction device 100 or using the stick-shaped substrate 150 .

The user terminal 200 is a device corresponding to the user of the suction device 100. The user terminal 200 is an example of a first terminal device in this embodiment. A user terminal 200 is used by a user of the suction device 100 . The suction device 100 and the user terminal 200 may be paired in advance for wireless communication, or the same user of the suction device 100 and the user terminal 200 may be registered in advance in the server 400 . good too. The user terminal 200 may be any device such as a smart phone, tablet terminal, wearable device, or PC (Personal Computer). Alternatively, the user terminal 200 may be a charger that charges the suction device 100 .

The recovery device 300 is a device that performs processing related to recovery of the stick-shaped base material 150 . The collection device 300 is an example of a second terminal device in this embodiment. The collecting device 300 has an input port 302 into which the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be input, and collects the stick-shaped substrate 150 input from the input port 302 . The collecting device 300 is arranged, for example, at a place where the use of the suction device 100 is permitted, or at a place where the stick-shaped base material 150 is sold, and collects the used stick-shaped base material 150 . An example of a place where stick-type substrates 150 are permitted to be used is a smoking area.

The server 400 is an information processing device that controls each device included in the system 1 . The server 400 communicates with each of the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300 via the network 900 . Server 400 may indirectly communicate with suction device 100 via user terminal 200 . Of course, the server 400 may communicate directly with the suction device 100 .

The stick-type base material 150 is desirably collected in order to reduce the environmental load. This is even more so when the stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a susceptor as in this embodiment. This is because, if the stick-type substrate 150 including the susceptor is successfully recovered, the environmental load can be reduced by appropriate disposal or recycling.

Therefore, the system 1 according to the present embodiment gives an incentive to the user who sent the stick-shaped substrate 150 for recovery when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is recovered by the recovery device 300 . As a result, it is possible to motivate the user to collect the stick-type substrate 150, thereby reducing the environmental load.

<2. Configuration example>
<2.1. Configuration example of suction device>
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction device 100 according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a storage unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a susceptor 161, an electromagnetic induction source 162, and A retainer 140 is included. The user performs suction while the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held by the holding portion 140 . Each component will be described in order below.

The power supply unit 111 accumulates power. The power supply unit 111 supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100 . The power supply unit 111 may be composed of, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power supply unit 111 may be charged by being connected to an external power supply via a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like. Also, the power supply unit 111 may be charged in a state of being disconnected from the device on the power transmission side by wireless power transmission technology. Alternatively, only the power supply unit 111 may be detached from the suction device 100 or may be replaced with a new power supply unit 111 .

The sensor unit 112 detects various information regarding the suction device 100 . The sensor unit 112 then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116 . As an example, the sensor unit 112 is configured by a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112 detects a numerical value associated with the user's suction, the sensor unit 112 outputs information indicating that the user has performed suction to the control unit 116 . As another example, the sensor unit 112 is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, that receives information input from the user. Among other things, sensor unit 112 may include a button for instructing start/stop of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112 then outputs the information input by the user to the control unit 116 . As another example, the sensor section 112 is configured by a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the susceptor 161 . Such a temperature sensor detects the temperature of the susceptor 161 based on the electrical resistance value of the electromagnetic induction source 162, for example. The sensor section 112 may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 held by the holding section 140 based on the temperature of the susceptor 161 .

The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. As an example, the notification unit 113 is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In this case, the notification unit 113 emits light in different light emission patterns when the power supply unit 111 is in a charging required state, when the power supply unit 111 is being charged, when an abnormality occurs in the suction device 100, and the like. . The light emission pattern here is a concept including color, timing of lighting/lighting out, and the like. The notification unit 113 may be configured by a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, a vibration device that vibrates, or the like, together with or instead of the light emitting device. In addition, the notification unit 113 may notify information indicating that suction by the user has become possible. Information indicating that suction by the user is enabled is notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped base material 150 heated by electromagnetic induction reaches a predetermined temperature.

The storage unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100 . The storage unit 114 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory. An example of the information stored in the storage unit 114 is information regarding the OS (Operating System) of the suction device 100, such as control details of various components by the control unit 116. FIG. Another example of the information stored in the storage unit 114 is information related to suction by the user, such as the number of times of suction, suction time, total suction time, and the like.

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the suction device 100 and other devices. The communication unit 115 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. As such a communication standard, for example, wireless LAN (Local Area Network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like can be adopted. As an example, the communication unit 115 transmits information regarding suction by the user to the smartphone in order to display the information regarding suction by the user on the smartphone. As another example, the communication unit 115 receives new OS information from the server in order to update the OS information stored in the storage unit 114 .

The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the general operations within the suction device 100 according to various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 116 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters, etc. that change as appropriate. The suction device 100 executes various processes under the control of the controller 116 . Power supply from power supply unit 111 to other components, charging of power supply unit 111, detection of information by sensor unit 112, notification of information by notification unit 113, storage and reading of information by storage unit 114, and communication unit 115 Transmission and reception of information is an example of processing controlled by the control unit 116 . Other processes executed by the suction device 100, such as information input to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 116. FIG.

The holding part 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped base material 150 while accommodating a part of the stick-shaped base material 150 in the internal space 141 . The holding part 140 has an opening 142 that communicates the internal space 141 with the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142 . For example, the holding portion 140 is a cylindrical body having an opening 142 and a bottom portion 143 as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141 . The holding part 140 is configured such that the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped base material 150 at least in part in the height direction of the cylindrical body, and holds the stick-shaped base material 150 inserted into the internal space 141. The stick-shaped substrate 150 can be held by pressing from the outer periphery. The retainer 140 also functions to define air flow paths through the stick-shaped substrate 150 . An air inlet hole, which is an inlet for air into the flow path, is arranged, for example, in the bottom portion 143 . On the other hand, the air outflow hole, which is the exit of air from such a channel, is the opening 142 .

The stick-shaped base material 150 is a stick-shaped member. The stick-type substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152 .

The base material portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating to produce an aerosol. The aerosol source may be tobacco-derived, such as, for example, processed pieces of cut tobacco or tobacco material formed into granules, sheets, or powder. Aerosol sources may also include non-tobacco sources made from plants other than tobacco, such as mints and herbs. By way of example, the aerosol source may contain perfume ingredients such as menthol. If the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a medicament for inhalation by the patient. The aerosol source is not limited to solids, and may be, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and liquids such as water. At least part of the base material part 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141 of the holding part 140 in a state in which the stick-shaped base material 150 is held by the holding part 140.

The mouthpiece 152 is a member held by the user when inhaling. At least part of the mouthpiece 152 protrudes from the opening 142 when the stick-shaped base material 150 is held by the holding part 140 . Then, when the user holds the mouthpiece 152 protruding from the opening 142 and sucks, air flows into the inside of the holding part 140 from an air inlet hole (not shown). The air that has flowed in passes through the internal space 141 of the holding part 140 , that is, passes through the base material part 151 and reaches the inside of the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base material part 151 .

Furthermore, the stick-type base material 150 includes a susceptor 161 . The susceptor 161 generates heat by electromagnetic induction. The susceptor 161 is made of a conductive material such as metal. As an example, the susceptor 161 is a piece of metal. A susceptor 161 is placed in close proximity to the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the susceptor 161 is included in the base portion 151 of the stick-shaped base 150 .

Here, the susceptor 161 is placed in thermal proximity to the aerosol source. The susceptor 161 being thermally close to the aerosol source means that the susceptor 161 is arranged at a position where heat generated in the susceptor 161 is transferred to the aerosol source. For example, the susceptor 161 is contained in the substrate portion 151 along with the aerosol source and is surrounded by the aerosol source. With such a configuration, the heat generated from the susceptor 161 can be efficiently used to heat the aerosol source.

It should be noted that the susceptor 161 may not be accessible from the outside of the stick-shaped substrate 150 . For example, the susceptors 161 may be distributed in the central portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and not distributed near the periphery.

The electromagnetic induction source 162 causes the susceptor 161 to generate heat by electromagnetic induction. The electromagnetic induction source 162 is composed of, for example, a coiled conductor wire, and is arranged so as to wrap around the outer periphery of the holding portion 140 . The electromagnetic induction source 162 generates a magnetic field when alternating current is supplied from the power supply section 111 . The electromagnetic induction source 162 is arranged at a position where the internal space 141 of the holding section 140 overlaps the generated magnetic field. Therefore, when a magnetic field is generated while the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held by the holding portion 140, an eddy current is generated in the susceptor 161 and Joule heat is generated. Then, the Joule heat heats the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150 and atomizes it to generate an aerosol. As an example, power may be supplied and an aerosol may be generated when the sensor unit 112 detects that a predetermined user input has been performed. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 induction-heated by the susceptor 161 and the electromagnetic induction source 162 reaches a predetermined temperature, the suction by the user becomes possible. After that, when the sensor unit 112 detects that a predetermined user input has been performed, the power supply may be stopped. As another example, power may be supplied and aerosol may be generated during a period in which the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has inhaled.

Note that the combination of the suction device 100 and the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be regarded as one system in that aerosol can be generated by combining the suction device 100 and the stick-shaped substrate 150 .

<2.2. Configuration example of user terminal>
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the user terminal 200 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the user terminal 200 includes an input unit 210, an output unit 220, a detection unit 230, a communication unit 240, a storage unit 250, and a control unit 260.

The input unit 210 has a function of receiving input of various information. The input unit 210 may include an input device that receives input of information from the user. Input devices include, for example, buttons, keyboards, touch panels, and microphones. In addition, the input unit 210 may include various sensors such as an image sensor.

The output unit 220 has a function of outputting information. The output unit 220 may include an output device that outputs information to the user. Examples of the output device include a display device that displays information, a light emitting device that emits light, a vibration device that vibrates, and a sound output device that outputs sound. An example of a display device is a display. An example of a light emitting device is an LED (Light Emitting Diode). An example of a vibration device is an eccentric motor. An example of a sound output device is a speaker. The output unit 220 notifies the user of the information input from the control unit 260 by outputting the information.

The detection unit 230 has a function of detecting information regarding the user terminal 200 . The detection unit 230 may detect location information of the user terminal 200 . For example, the detection unit 230 receives GNSS signals from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites (for example, GPS signals from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites) and obtains position information consisting of the latitude, longitude and altitude of the device. To detect. The detection unit 230 may detect motion of the user terminal 200 . For example, the detection unit 230 includes a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor, and detects angular velocity and acceleration.

The communication unit 240 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the user terminal 200 and other devices. The communication unit 240 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. As such a communication standard, for example, USB (Universal Serial Bus), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or the like can be adopted.

The storage unit 250 stores various information. The storage unit 250 is configured by, for example, a non-volatile storage medium such as flash memory.

The control unit 260 functions as an arithmetic processing device or a control device, and controls overall operations within the user terminal 200 according to various programs. The control unit 260 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 260 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate. The user terminal 200 executes various processes under the control of the control section 260 . Processing of information input by the input unit 210, output of information by the output unit 220, detection of information by the detection unit 230, transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 240, and storage and reading of information by the storage unit 250 are performed by the control unit 260. It is an example of processing controlled by. Other processes executed by the user terminal 200, such as information input to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 260. FIG.

Note that the functions of the control unit 260 may be realized using an application. The application may be pre-installed or downloaded. Also, the functions of the control unit 260 may be realized by PWA (Progressive Web Apps).

<2.3. Configuration example of recovery device>
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a configuration example of the recovery device 300 according to this embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the collection device 300 according to the present embodiment includes an inlet 302, a transport path 304, a coil 306, a storage 308, a power supply circuit 310, a display unit 320, a communication unit 330, a storage unit 340, and a control unit. including section 350 .

The input port 302 is a hole having a diameter that allows the stick-shaped substrate 150 to be input.

The transport path 304 transports the stick-shaped base material 150 input to the input port 302 to the stocker 308 . The transport path 304 is, for example, a longitudinal tube, and is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the direction of gravity. In that case, the stick-type substrate 150 falls from the inlet 302 to the storage 308 while passing through the transport path 304 according to gravity.

The coil 306 is configured by spirally winding a metal wire. The coil 306 generates a magnetic field by applying current. The coil 306 is arranged at a position where the generated magnetic field is superimposed on the transport path 304 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3, coil 306 is arranged to wrap around transport path 304 . Therefore, the magnetic field generated by the coil 306 is temporarily superimposed on the stick-shaped substrate 150 passing through the transport path 304 .

The storage box 308 is a box for storing the stick-shaped base material 150 that has been collected (that is, thrown into the inlet 302).

A power supply circuit 310 is a circuit that controls power supply to the coil 306 . As an example, the power supply circuit 310 applies current to the coil 306 to generate a magnetic field in the coil 306 . At that time, the feeding circuit 310 may detect the inductance of the coil 306 . Since the stick-shaped substrate 150 contains the susceptor 161 , the inductance of the coil 306 changes when the stick-shaped substrate 150 passes through the magnetic field generated by the coil 306 . The number of times the inductance of the coil 306 changes, detected by the feeding circuit 310, corresponds to the number of stick-shaped substrates 150 collected.

The display unit 320 has a function of displaying information. The display unit 320 may be, for example, a display.

The communication unit 330 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the collection device 300 and other devices. The communication unit 330 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard.

The storage unit 340 stores various information for the operation of the collection device 300 . The storage unit 340 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

The control unit 350 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operations within the collection device 300 according to various programs. The control unit 350 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 350 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters, etc. that change as appropriate. The collection device 300 executes various processes under the control of the control section 350 . Power supply control by the power supply circuit 310 , display by the display unit 320 , transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 330 , and storage and reading of information by the storage unit 340 are examples of processing controlled by the control unit 350 . Other processes executed by the collection device 300, such as information input to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 350. FIG.

<2.4. Server configuration example>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the server 400 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the server 400 includes a communication section 410, a storage section 420, and a control section 430. FIG.

The communication unit 410 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the server 400 and other devices. The communication unit 410 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard.

The storage unit 420 stores various information for the operation of the server 400. The storage unit 420 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) and an SSD (Solid State Drive).

The control unit 430 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operations within the server 400 according to various programs. The control unit 430 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. In addition, the control unit 430 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) for storing programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing parameters, etc. that change as appropriate. The server 400 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 430 . Transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 410 and storage and reading of information by the storage unit 420 are examples of processing controlled by the control unit 430 . Other processes executed by the server 400 such as information input to each component and processing based on information output from each component are also controlled by the control unit 430 .

<3. Technical features>
Based on the received information, the server 400 controls processing for storing predetermined information in association with the identification information of the user corresponding to the stick-shaped base material 150 collected by the collecting device 300 . For example, the server 400 receives user information and collection information by communicating with at least one of the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300 . User information is information about the user of the user terminal 200 . User information includes, for example, user identification information. Collected information is information about the collected stick-type substrate 150 . The collection information includes, for example, identification information of the collection device 300 that collected the stick-shaped substrate 150 and the number of collected stick-shaped substrates 150 . Next, the server 400 identifies the user corresponding to the stick-shaped substrate 150 collected by the collecting device 300 . The user corresponding to the stick-shaped base material 150 collected by the collecting device 300 is the user who sent the stick-shaped base material 150 to be collected by the collecting device 300 . Then, the control unit 430 causes the storage unit 420 to store predetermined information in association with the identification information of the user corresponding to the stick-shaped base material 150 collected by the collecting device 300 . According to this configuration, it is possible to store the user who sent the stick-type base material 150 for collection and refer to it when taking measures to reduce the environmental load caused by the use of the suction device 100. Become.

The predetermined information may be information indicating an incentive given to the user. As an example, the incentive may be points that can be substituted for the purchase price of the stick-type substrate 150 . As another example, the incentive may be a character that can be used in a game or the like. By giving the incentive to the user, it becomes possible to motivate the user to collect the used stick-shaped substrate 150 .

The server 400 indicates the incentive to be given to the user in the identification information of the user corresponding to the stick-type base material 150 that has been successfully authenticated as the stick-type base material 150 to be collected among the collected base materials. Information is associated and stored. Stick-shaped substrates 150 to be collected include, for example, stick-shaped substrates 150 from which the susceptor 161 has not been removed, and regular products. According to such a configuration, an incentive is given only to the user who has collected the stick-type base material 150 that has been successfully authenticated. This makes it possible to prevent fraudulent acts such as removing the susceptor 161 and trying to obtain incentives with non-genuine products.

The collecting device 300 authenticates that the collected stick-shaped base material 150 is the stick-shaped base material 150 to be collected. As an example, stick-shaped substrate 150 may be authenticated based on the inductance of coil 306 when the magnetic field generated by coil 306 passes through stick-shaped substrate 150 . In that case, the collecting device 300 can authenticate the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the change in the inductance of the coil 306 that occurs when the stick-shaped substrate 150 passes through the transport path 304 . According to such a configuration, it is possible to determine success of authentication by limiting to stick-shaped substrates 150 that are genuine stick-shaped substrates 150 from which the susceptor 161 has not been removed. If the stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a different susceptor 161 for each type (hereinafter also referred to as a brand) of the stick-shaped substrate 150, the brand of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be identified based on the change in inductance. . The collection information generated and transmitted by the collection device 300 may include identification information (for example, information indicating the brand name) of the successfully authenticated stick-shaped substrate 150 . In other words, the collection information may be information about the stick-type substrate 150 that has been collected and successfully authenticated.

Various methods are conceivable for the server 400 to identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 . For example, when the information received from the user terminal 200 and the information received from the collecting device 300 correspond to each other, the server 400 determines that the user corresponding to the user terminal 200 is the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150. It may be specified that there is In that case, the user terminal 200 transmits user information to the server 400 . The collection device 300 also transmits collection information to the server 400 . At that time, the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300 transmit information for associating the user information with the collection information to the server 400 . An example of information for associating user information and collection information is a common password. When the server 400 receives collection information and user information with a common password, the user indicated by the user information is the user who sent the stick-shaped base material 150 indicated by the collection information for collection. Specify that there is. The flow of processing in this case will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system 1 according to this embodiment. The user terminal 200, collection device 300, and server 400 are involved in this sequence.

As shown in FIG. 6, the recovery device 300 first recovers the stick-shaped base material 150 (step S102). Specifically, the collection device 300 receives the input of the stick-shaped substrate 150 to the input port 302 .

Next, the collecting device 300 authenticates the collected stick-shaped base material 150 (step S104). For example, the retrieval device 300 authenticates the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the coil 306 inductance when the magnetic field generated by the coil 306 passes through the stick-shaped substrate 150 . Here, it is assumed that the authentication has succeeded.

Next, the collection device 300 generates a password (step S106). For example, the recovery device 300 generates a one-time password made up of symbols or alphanumeric characters, triggered by successful authentication of the stick-shaped substrate 150 .

Next, the collection device 300 transmits the generated password and collection information to the server 400 (step S108).

Next, the collection device 300 displays the generated password (step S110).

The user terminal 200 then accepts input of a password (step S112).

Next, the user terminal 200 transmits the entered password and user information to the server 400 (step S114).

The server 400 then verifies the passwords received from each of the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300 (step S116).

Then, when the password verification is successful, the server 400 gives incentives based on the collection information to the user indicated by the user information (step S118). For example, the server 400 stores user identification information included in the user information in association with information to the effect that an incentive corresponding to the brand and number of stick-shaped substrates 150 indicated by the collection information is provided.

<4. Variation>
(1) First Modification In the above embodiment, the user corresponding to the user terminal 200 that has sent the same password as the password sent by the collection device 300 is identified as the user who sent the stick-shaped base material 150 for collection. Although examples have been described, the invention is not limited to such examples.

As an example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the two-dimensional code. An example of a two-dimensional code is a barcode. In this case, the collection device 300 can generate a two-dimensional code and display and transmit the two-dimensional code to the server 400 . On the other hand, the user terminal 200 can read the two-dimensional code displayed on the collection device 300 with the camera of the user terminal 200 and transmit it to the server 400 .

As another example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the geometric shape. An example of a geometric shape is a pattern drawn by a user's finger on a touch panel. In this case, the collection device 300 may generate a random pattern and display and transmit information indicative of the generated pattern to the server 400 . On the other hand, the user can input the displayed pattern to the touch panel of the user terminal 200 , and the user terminal 200 can transmit information indicating the input pattern to the server 400 .

As another example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the user's biometric information. An example of biometric information is fingerprints and iris. In this case, the collection device 300 may include a sensor that detects biometric information and transmit the biometric information input by the user to the server 400 . On the other hand, the user terminal 200 also has a sensor that detects biometric information, and can transmit the biometric information input by the user to the server 400 .

As another example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the movement of the user terminal 200 . More simply, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the user's gesture to the user terminal 200, such as shaking the user terminal 200 by hand. . In this case, the collection device 300 can display and transmit to the server 400 information indicating the gesture that the user should make while holding the user terminal 200 in his or her hand. On the other hand, the user performs the displayed gesture on the user terminal 200, and the user terminal 200 transmits information indicating the gesture performed on the user terminal 200, such as acceleration and angular velocity of the user terminal 200, to the server 400. can send.

As another example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the position information of the user terminal 200 and the position information of the collection device 300 . More simply, the server 400 may identify the user of the user terminal 200 located near the collecting device 300 as the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped substrate 150 . In this case, the collection device 300 can transmit the location information of the collection device 300 to the server 400 . The recovery device 300 may receive GNSS signals from GNSS satellites and detect position information. Alternatively, the location information of the collection device 300 may be registered in the server 400 in advance. On the other hand, user terminal 200 may transmit location information of user terminal 200 to server 400 .

As another example, the server 400 may identify the user corresponding to the collected stick-shaped base material 150 based on the information transmitted and received between the user terminal 200 and the collecting device 300. For example, the collection device 300 may transmit the password to the user terminal 200 or the user terminal 200 may transmit the biometric information to the collection device 300 . Any communication method such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), NFC (Near field communication), and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) can be used for communication between the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300 .

(2) Second Modification In the above embodiment, the server 400 identifies the user who sent the stick-shaped substrate 150 for collection based on the information received from both the user terminal 200 and the collection device 300. Although described, the invention is not limited to such examples.

As an example, transmission of information by the user terminal 200 may be omitted. Specifically, the server 400 may identify the user indicated by the information received from the collecting device 300 as the user who sent the stick-shaped substrate 150 for collection. For example, the collection device 300 acquires user information, associates the acquired user information with the generated collection information, and transmits them. When the collection information and the user information are received from the collection device 300, the server 400 determines that the user indicated by the user information is the user who sent the stick-shaped substrate 150 indicated by the collection information for collection. Identify. The flow of processing in this case will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system 1 according to this embodiment. The user terminal 200, collection device 300, and server 400 are involved in this sequence.

As shown in FIG. 7, the recovery device 300 first recovers the stick-shaped substrate 150 (step S202).

Next, the collecting device 300 authenticates the collected stick-type substrate 150 (step S204).

Next, the collection device 300 acquires user information from the user terminal 200 (step S206). For example, the collection device 300 establishes a wireless connection with the user terminal 200 and transmits information requesting transmission of user information. On the other hand, the user terminal 200 transmits user information to the collection device 300 in response to the request. In addition, the collection device 300 may have an input device such as a touch panel, and the user may manually input user information to the collection device 300 .

The collection device 300 then transmits the received user information and collection information to the server 400 (step S208).

Then, the server 400 gives incentives based on the collection information to the user indicated by the user information (step S210).

The case where information transmission by the user terminal 200 is omitted has been described above.

As another example, transmission of information by the recovery device 300 may be omitted. Specifically, when the server 400 receives the collection information generated by the collection device 300 in association with the collection of the stick-type base material 150 from the user terminal 200, the user corresponding to the user terminal 200 receives the collected information. The user may be identified as a user corresponding to the stick-type substrate 150 . For example, the user terminal 200 acquires collection information, associates the acquired collection information with the user information, and transmits them. When the collection information and the user information are received from the user terminal 200, the server 400 determines that the user indicated by the user information is the user who sent the stick-shaped substrate 150 indicated by the collection information for collection. Identify. The flow of processing in this case will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of processing executed in the system 1 according to this embodiment. The user terminal 200, collection device 300, and server 400 are involved in this sequence.

As shown in FIG. 7, the recovery device 300 first recovers the stick-shaped base material 150 (step S302).

Next, the collecting device 300 authenticates the collected stick-shaped base material 150 (step S304).

Next, the collection device 300 transmits collection information to the user terminal 200 (step S306). For example, the collection device 300 establishes a wireless connection with the user terminal 200 and transmits collection information.

The user terminal 200 then transmits the user information and the received collection information to the server 400 (step S308).

Then, the server 400 gives incentives based on the collection information to the user indicated by the user information (step S310).

(3) Third Modification The server 400 may set the size of the incentive given to the user according to the location where the stick-shaped base material 150 was collected. In other words, the server 400 may set the size of the incentive given to the user according to the installation location of the collecting device 300 that collected the stick-shaped base material 150 . For example, the server 400 gives the user a greater incentive when the stick-type substrate 150 is collected at a more desirable location than when the stick-type substrate 150 is collected at another location. An example of a more desirable location is a smoking area. According to such a configuration, it is possible to strongly motivate the user to collect the used stick-type substrate 150 at a more desirable location.

The server 400 may transmit information indicating the location of the collection device 300 to the user terminal 200 . For example, the server 400 transmits to the user terminal 200 the location information of the collection device 300 closest to the current location of the user terminal 200 . By referring to such positional information, the user can easily collect the used stick-shaped substrate 150 .

Alternatively, the server 400 may set the size of the incentive given to the user according to the location where the stick-shaped base material 150 is used. For example, the server 400 provides a greater incentive when the stick-type substrate 150 is used at a location where the use of the suction device 100 is permitted, compared to when the stick-type substrate 150 is used at other locations. to give An example of a more desirable location is a smoking area. According to such a configuration, it is possible to strongly motivate the user to use the stick-type base material 150 at a more desirable location. Note that the location where the stick-type base material 150 was used can be pseudo-specified as, for example, the location indicated by the position information acquired by the user terminal 200 at the timing when the suction device 100 was used before collection. .

(4) Other Modifications In the above embodiment, an example is described in which authentication of the stick-shaped base material 150 is performed based on the inductance of the coil 306 when the magnetic field generated by the coil 306 passes through the stick-shaped base material 150. However, the invention is not limited to such examples. As an example, authentication of the stick-type base material 150 may be performed by image recognition of the color, pattern, or shape of the stick-type base material 150, or the appearance of the two-dimensional code attached to the stick-type base material 150. good. In this case, collection device 300 may have a camera instead of coil 306 . As another example, the storage 308 may be provided with a weight scale for measuring the weight of the contents of the storage 308, and based on the weight increase measured by the weight scale, the stick-type substrate 150 authentication may be performed. In this case, for example, the recovery device 300 determines successful authentication when the difference between the weight increase measured by the weighing scale and the known weight of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is less than the threshold, and is equal to or greater than the threshold. authentication failure is determined. Of course, any two or more authentication methods out of the plurality of authentication methods illustrated may be combined, in which case it is possible to further improve authentication accuracy.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the collection device 300 has the transport path 304 and the storage box 308 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. Collection device 300 is a portable device that contains coil 306 and may be operated by collection staff. In this case, the collection staff holds the portable collection device 300 over the stick-shaped substrate 150 handed over by the user, and causes the collection device 300 to authenticate the stick-shaped substrate 150 .

In the above embodiment, an example in which the user terminal 200 is configured separately from the suction device 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The suction device 100 may function as the user terminal 200 .

In the above embodiment, an example in which the recovery device 300 authenticates the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, authentication of stick-type substrate 150 may be performed by server 400 . In that case, the collecting device 300 transmits the information obtained from the stick-shaped base material 150 such as the inductance or the image to the server 400 . Then, the server 400 performs authentication based on the received information.

<5. Supplement>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It is understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

A series of processes by each device described in this specification may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. A program that constitutes software is stored in advance in a recording medium (more specifically, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium) provided inside or outside each device, for example. Each program, for example, is read into a RAM when executed by a computer that controls each device described in this specification, and is executed by a processing circuit 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 above computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium. Also, the computer may be an application-specific integrated circuit such as an ASIC, a general-purpose processor that performs functions by loading a software program, or a computer on a server used for cloud computing. Also, a series of processes by each device described in this specification may be distributed and processed by a plurality of computers.

Also, the processes described using the flowcharts and sequence diagrams in this specification do not necessarily have to be executed in the illustrated order. Some processing steps may be performed in parallel. Also, additional processing steps may be employed, and some processing steps may be omitted.

The following configuration also belongs to the technical scope of the present invention.
(1)
At least one of a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates the aerosol using a substrate that contributes to the generation of the aerosol, or a second terminal device that performs processing related to recovery of the substrate a communication unit that communicates with one;
a control unit that controls processing for storing predetermined information in association with user identification information corresponding to the collected base material based on the information received by the communication unit;
Information processing device.
(2)
The control unit stores the predetermined information in association with user identification information corresponding to the base material that has been successfully authenticated as the base material to be collected among the collected base materials. control the processing,
The information processing device according to (1) above.
(3)
The base material contains a susceptor,
The second terminal device comprises a coil,
The authentication of the recovered substrate is performed based on the inductance of the coil when the magnetic field generated by the coil passes through the substrate.
The information processing device according to (2) above.
(4)
The second terminal device performs the authentication for the collected base material,
The information processing device according to (3) above.
(5)
When the information received from the first terminal device and the information received from the second terminal device correspond, the control unit causes the user corresponding to the first terminal device to identifying a user corresponding to the substrate;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4) above.
(6)
The control unit specifies that the user indicated by the information received from the second terminal device is the user corresponding to the collected base material;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4) above.
(7)
When information generated by the second terminal device associated with the collection of the base material is received from the first terminal device, the control unit controls the user corresponding to the first terminal device. is the user corresponding to the recovered substrate,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4) above.
(8)
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected substrate based on at least one of a password, a two-dimensional code, or a geometric shape;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (7) above.
(9)
The control unit identifies the user corresponding to the collected base material based on the user's biological information.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (8) above.
(10)
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on the movement of the first terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (9) above.
(11)
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on the position information of the first terminal device and the position information of the second terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (10) above.
(12)
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on information transmitted and received between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (11) above.
(13)
The predetermined information is information indicating an incentive to be given to the user,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (12) above.
(14)
The control unit sets the size of the incentive according to the location where the substrate is collected.
The information processing device according to (13) above.
(15)
The control unit sets the size of the incentive according to the location where the base material is used.
The information processing apparatus according to (13) or (14).
(16)
The communication unit transmits information indicating the location of the second terminal device to the first terminal device,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (15) above.
(17)
a coil;
When the magnetic field generated from the coil passes through the substrate used by the aerosol generating device for generating the aerosol, the substrate contributing to the generation of the aerosol is authenticated as the substrate to be collected. a control unit that performs based on a change in the inductance of the coil of
terminal device.
(18)
The terminal device further comprises a communication unit that transmits information about the base material that has been successfully authenticated.
The terminal device according to (17) above.
(19)
At least one of a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol using a substrate that contributes to the generation of aerosol, and a second terminal device that performs processing related to recovery of the substrate communicating with
controlling, based on the received information, a process of associating predetermined information with identification information of a user corresponding to the collected base material and storing the information;
Information processing method including.

Reference Signs List 1 system 100 suction device 111 power supply unit 112 sensor unit 113 notification unit 114 storage unit 115 communication unit 116 control unit 140 holding unit 141 internal space 142 opening 143 bottom 150 stick-shaped substrate 151 substrate 152 mouthpiece 161 susceptor 162 electromagnetic induction Source 200 User terminal 210 Input unit 220 Output unit 230 Detection unit 240 Communication unit 250 Storage unit 260 Control unit 300 Collection device 302 Input port 304 Conveyance path 306 Coil 308 Storage 310 Power supply circuit 320 Display unit 330 Communication unit 340 Storage unit 350 Control Unit 400 Server 410 Communication Unit 420 Storage Unit 430 Control Unit 900 Network

Claims

At least one of a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates the aerosol using a substrate that contributes to the generation of the aerosol, or a second terminal device that performs processing related to recovery of the substrate a communication unit that communicates with one;
a control unit that controls processing for storing predetermined information in association with user identification information corresponding to the collected base material based on the information received by the communication unit;
Information processing device.
The control unit stores the predetermined information in association with user identification information corresponding to the base material that has been successfully authenticated as the base material to be collected among the collected base materials. control the processing,
The information processing device according to claim 1 .
The base material contains a susceptor,
The second terminal device comprises a coil,
The authentication of the recovered substrate is performed based on the inductance of the coil when the magnetic field generated by the coil passes through the substrate.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.
The second terminal device performs the authentication for the collected base material,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3.
When the information received from the first terminal device and the information received from the second terminal device correspond, the control unit causes the user corresponding to the first terminal device to identifying a user corresponding to the substrate;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The control unit specifies that the user indicated by the information received from the second terminal device is the user corresponding to the collected base material;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
When information generated by the second terminal device associated with the collection of the base material is received from the first terminal device, the control unit controls the user corresponding to the first terminal device. is the user corresponding to the recovered substrate,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected substrate based on at least one of a password, a two-dimensional code, or a geometric shape;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The control unit identifies the user corresponding to the collected base material based on the user's biological information.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on the movement of the first terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on the position information of the first terminal device and the position information of the second terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
The control unit identifies a user corresponding to the collected base material based on information transmitted and received between the first terminal device and the second terminal device.
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
The predetermined information is information indicating an incentive to be given to the user,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12.
The control unit sets the size of the incentive according to the location where the substrate is collected.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 13.
The control unit sets the size of the incentive according to the location where the base material is used.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 or 14.
The communication unit transmits information indicating the location of the second terminal device to the first terminal device,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15.
a coil;
When the magnetic field generated by the coil passes through the substrate, the substrate used by the aerosol-generating device for generating the aerosol is authenticated as the substrate to be collected. a control unit that performs based on a change in the inductance of the coil of
terminal device.
The terminal device further comprises a communication unit that transmits information about the base material that has been successfully authenticated.
The terminal device according to claim 17.
At least one of a first terminal device corresponding to a user of an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol using a substrate that contributes to the generation of aerosol, or a second terminal device that performs processing related to recovery of the substrate communicating with
controlling, based on the received information, a process of associating predetermined information with identification information of a user corresponding to the collected base material and storing the information;
Information processing method including.