Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
  • A24F40/53—Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/10—Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
  • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
  • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
  • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a program.
• the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source that contains fragrances, etc., and uses a secondary battery built into the main unit as its power source. If the secondary battery runs out of power while the aerosol source is being heated, the user must discard the aerosol source, even if there is still an aerosol source capable of generating aerosol. Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that determines whether there is a remaining amount of power required to use up the aerosol source before starting to heat the aerosol source.
• the present disclosure provides a technology that increases the number of aerosol sources that can be used up on a single full charge compared to current devices.
• an aerosol generating device has a control unit, a secondary battery, and a heating unit that heats an aerosol source, and the control unit corrects a threshold value used to determine whether or not there is a remaining amount sufficient to use up one unused aerosol source, depending on the deterioration state of the secondary battery.
• the threshold value may be increased as the secondary battery deteriorates.
• the threshold value may be increased linearly as the deterioration of the secondary battery progresses.
• the initial threshold value may be determined based on the remaining charge of a secondary battery with almost no degradation that can generate the guaranteed operating voltage for the aerosol generating device.
• the threshold value may be set according to the minimum remaining charge required for the current secondary battery to generate the guaranteed operating voltage of the aerosol generating device.
• a program is provided for a computer provided in an aerosol generating device having a secondary battery and a heating unit that heats an aerosol source to achieve the following functions: correcting a threshold value used to determine whether or not there is a remaining charge sufficient to use up one unused aerosol source in accordance with the deterioration state of the secondary battery; determining whether or not the current remaining charge of the secondary battery exceeds the threshold value; permitting heating of the aerosol source by the heating unit when the current remaining charge of the secondary battery exceeds the threshold value; and prohibiting heating of the aerosol source by the heating unit when the current remaining charge of the secondary battery falls below the threshold value.
• the number of aerosol sources that can be used up on a single full charge can be increased compared to current devices.
• FIG. 2 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device observed from diagonally above.
• FIG. 2 is a view of the upper surface of the aerosol generating device observed from above.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a main unit device.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the connection relationship of electronic circuits in the main unit.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control profile used in the aerosol generating device.
• FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a threshold value used to determine whether or not there is a remaining charge of a secondary battery required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate.
• 11 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device in embodiment 1.
• FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device in embodiment 2.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in step 11 of FIG. 8 .
• 13 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in embodiment 3.
• 13 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in embodiment 4.
• FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in step 31 of FIG. 11 .
• the aerosol generation device is a form of electronic cigarette.
• the substance generated by the aerosol generating device is called an aerosol.
• An aerosol is a mixture of air or other gas and minute liquid or solid particles suspended in gas.
• an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol without combustion will be described.
• the act of a user inhaling the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device is referred to as "inhaling" or "puffing.”
• an aerosol generating device to which a solid aerosol source can be attached will be described.
• a container for storing a solid aerosol source is called a "capsule” or a "stick-type substrate” depending on the product form. Capsules and stick-type substrates are consumables. For this reason, a replacement guideline is set for the capsule and stick-type substrate.
• FIG. 1 is a diagram of the front side of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from obliquely above.
• FIG. 2 is a diagram of the upper surface of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from above.
• the aerosol generating device 1 is composed of a main body device 10 and a slide cover 20 that can be slid along the top surface of the main body device 10.
• Fig. 1 shows a state in which the slide cover 20 is removed from the top surface of the main body device 10.
• the surface on which the power button 11 is provided is referred to as the "front surface.”
• the surface on which the insertion port 13 into which the stick-shaped substrate is inserted (hereinafter referred to as “insertion port for stick-shaped substrate") is provided is referred to as the "upper surface”.
• the surface opposite to the top surface is called the “bottom surface,” and the other three surfaces are called the “side surfaces.”
• an LED lamp 12 is provided on the front surface of the main unit 10.
• the power button 11 is used, for example, to instruct the start of heating the stick-shaped substrate, to reset the device, and to instruct pairing with Bluetooth (registered trademark). Pressing the power button 11 for a long time (e.g., pressing for 5 seconds or more) executes a reset.
• BLE Bluetooth Low Energy
• the LED lamp 12 is used, for example, to notify the operating state of the main device 10 and the remaining charge of the secondary battery.
• the surface of the LED lamp 12 is covered with a light-transmitting material, so that the lighting state of the LED lamp 12 can be observed by the user.
• the operating status may include, for example, heating cycle progress, charging progress, and errors.
• the remaining available time is indicated by the length of time that the LED lamp 12 is lit. When the remaining time is running short, the LED lamp 12 will flash slowly. In the case of notifying the progress of charging, the LED lamp 12 flashes during charging, and the length of the flashing portion increases as the amount of electricity stored by charging increases. When charging is completed, the LED lamp 12 goes out or stays lit.
• the remaining charge of the secondary battery is displayed by the length of the dot of the LED lamp 12 .
• the LED lamp 12 flashes.
• the remaining charge of the secondary battery is not enough to smoke even one unused stick-shaped substrate, the LED lamp 12 flashes quickly.
• the slide cover 20 has dimensions that cover approximately half of the top surface. When the slide cover 20 is opened, it hides the entire USB cable socket 14, and when it is closed, it hides the entire stick-shaped base material socket 13. In other words, the slide cover 20 alternately hides either the stick-shaped base material socket 13 or the USB cable socket 14.
• Figure 2 shows the slide cover 20 opened.
• the shape of the insertion port 13 of the stick-type substrate is shown in both Figures 1 and 2 as a circle that is substantially the same as that of the stick-type substrate 30.
• the diameter of the opening of the insertion port 13 of the stick-type substrate is a dimension that allows the insertion of the stick-type substrate.
• the diameter of the stick-type substrate is a dimension that allows the substrate to be inserted into the insertion port 13 of the stick-type substrate.
• the USB cable socket 14 is compatible with Type C. However, this does not mean that the shape of the terminal used for charging the secondary battery is limited to Type C or to USB.
• the terminal of the power cable used for charging the secondary battery may be of another type.
• a magnet is attached to the back surface of the slide cover 20.
• a Hall IC is attached to the main unit 10 within the movable range of the slide cover 20.
• the Hall IC is a magnetic sensor that is composed of a Hall element and an operational amplifier, and outputs a voltage according to the strength of the magnetic field that crosses the Hall element.
• the opening and closing of the slide cover 20 is detected from a change in voltage output from the Hall IC accompanying the sliding of the slide cover 20. That is, it is detected whether the slide cover 20 is in the open position or the closed position.
• the aerosol generation device 1 in this embodiment has a size that allows a user to hold it in one hand.
• the main device 10 has various electronic components required for generating aerosol built therein. In this sense, the main device 10 is an example of an electronic device specialized for generating aerosol. In the narrow sense, the main device 10 is called an aerosol generating device.
• Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic internal configuration of the main device 10.
• Fig. 3 shows a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 30 is attached to the main device 10.
• the internal configuration shown in Fig. 3 is intended to explain the components provided in the main device 10 and their positional relationships. For this reason, the appearance of the components, etc. shown in Fig. 3 does not necessarily match the appearance diagram described above.
• the main body device 10 is composed of a power supply unit 101 , a sensor unit 102 , a notification unit 103 , a memory unit 104 , a communication unit 105 , a control unit 106 , a heating unit 107 , a heat insulation unit 108 , and a holding unit 109 .
• 3 shows a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 30 is held by the holding part 109. In this state, the user inhales the aerosol.
• the power supply unit 101 is a unit that supplies power to each unit.
• the power supply unit 101 stores power in, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery.
• a lithium ion secondary battery is used.
• the secondary battery can be charged from an external power source.
• the external power source is assumed to be, for example, a commercial power source or a mobile battery.
• the sensor unit 102 is an electronic component that detects various types of information related to the main unit 10 .
• the sensor unit 102 includes, for example, a pressure sensor such as a microphone condenser and a flow sensor.
• the sensor unit 102 outputs detected information to the control unit 106. For example, when detecting a change in air pressure or air flow associated with inhalation, the sensor unit 102 outputs a numerical value indicating the inhalation of aerosol by the user to the control unit 106.
• the sensor unit 102 is provided in association with, for example, a button or switch used to receive an operation from a user.
• the button here is the power button 11 (see FIG. 1) described above.
• the switch is the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 2) described above.
• the sensor unit 102 outputs the detection of the operation to the control unit 106 .
• the sensor unit 102 has a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heating unit 107.
• the temperature sensor detects the temperature of the heating unit 107 based on, for example, the electrical resistance value of the conductive track of the heating unit 107.
• the detected electrical resistance value is output from the sensor unit 102 to the control unit 106.
• the control unit 106 calculates the temperature of the heating unit 107 based on the electrical resistance value. In other words, the control unit 106 calculates the temperature of the stick-type substrate 30 held by the holding unit 109.
• the notification unit 103 is an electronic component that notifies the user of various information related to the main device 10.
• the notification unit 103 includes, for example, an LED lamp 12 (see FIG. 1 ).
• the LED lamp 12 emits light in different patterns when the power supply unit 101 needs to be charged, when the power supply unit 101 is being charged, and when an abnormality has occurred in the main device 10.
• the patterns here include different colors, different timings for turning on/off the lights, etc.
• the LED lamp 12 is an example of a light-emitting device.
• the notification unit 103 may include other devices used together with or in place of the light-emitting device. Such devices include a display device that displays text, images, and other information, a sound output device that outputs sound, a vibration device that vibrates the main unit 10, and the like. A light-emitting device, a display device, a sound output device, a vibration device, etc. are examples of a notification unit that notifies information.
• the notification unit 103 may notify the user that it is now possible to inhale the aerosol. This notification indicates that the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 30 heated by the heating unit 107 has reached a predetermined temperature.
• the storage unit 104 stores various information related to the operation of the main unit 10.
• the storage unit 104 is configured with a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.
• the information stored in the storage unit 104 includes, for example, an OS (Operating System), FW (FirmWare), and other programs.
• the information stored in the storage unit 104 includes, for example, information related to the control of electronic components.
• the communication unit 105 is a communication interface for realizing communication between the main device 10 and other devices.
• the communication unit 105 communicates with other devices in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards include wireless LAN (Local Area Network), serial signal line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark).
• Examples of communication standards include wireless LAN (Local Area Network), serial signal line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark).
• the communication unit 105 transmits information about the inhalation by the user to the smartphone.
• the communication unit 105 also downloads, from the server, update programs and a control profile that defines the temperature change of the heating unit 107 in the heating mode.
• the control unit 106 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the operation of the main unit 10 in accordance with various programs.
• the control signal is transmitted through a signal line different from the power line.
• the communication within the main unit 10 uses a serial communication method such as an I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication method, an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) communication method, or a UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter) communication method.
• the control unit 106 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor).
• the control unit 106 may include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores programs, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores parameters that change as appropriate.
• the control unit 106 executes various processes and controls through the execution of programs.
• the processing and control here include, for example, power supply by power supply unit 101, charging of power supply unit 101, detection of information by sensor unit 102, notification of information using notification unit 103, writing of information to memory unit 104 or reading of information from memory unit 104, and sending and receiving of information using communication unit 105.
• the control unit 106 also controls the input of information to the electronic components, and processing based on information output from the electronic components.
• the holding portion 109 is a generally cylindrical container.
• the internal space 109A is generally columnar.
• the holding part 109 is provided with an opening 109B that connects the internal space 109A to the outside.
• the stick-shaped substrate 30 is inserted into the internal space 109A from this opening 109B.
• the opening 109B here corresponds to the insertion port 13 for the stick-shaped substrate in Fig. 1.
• the stick-shaped substrate 30 is inserted until its tip hits the bottom 109C. Only a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 30 is accommodated in the internal space 109A. When the stick-shaped substrate 30 is accommodated in the internal space 109A, the stick-shaped substrate 30 is said to be held in the internal space 109A.
• the holding portion 109 is formed so that the inner diameter of at least a portion of the holding portion 109 in the axial direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 30 . For this reason, the outer peripheral surface of the stick-shaped substrate 30 inserted into the internal space 109A receives pressure from the inner wall of the holding part 109. Due to this pressure, the stick-shaped substrate 30 is held in the internal space 109A.
• the holder 109 also has the function of defining an air flow path that passes through the stick-shaped substrate 30.
• An air inlet hole which is an air inlet to the flow path, is disposed, for example, in the bottom 109C. Note that the opening 109B corresponds to an air outlet hole, which is an air outlet.
• the portion held by holding portion 109 is referred to as substrate portion 30A
• the portion protruding from the housing is referred to as suction mouth portion 30B.
• At least the base portion 30A contains an aerosol source.
• the aerosol source is a substance that is atomized by heating to generate an aerosol. Aerosol sources include tobacco cuts, processed products made from tobacco raw materials in the form of granules, sheets, or powder, and other tobacco-derived substances.
• the aerosol source may include non-tobacco derived substances made from plants other than tobacco, such as mints, herbs, etc.
• the aerosol source may include flavoring ingredients such as menthol.
• the aerosol source may contain a medicine for the patient to inhale.
• the aerosol source is not limited to a solid, and may be, for example, a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water.
• At least a portion of the suction mouth portion 30B is held in the user's mouth when inhaling.
• the air that flows in passes through the internal space 109A and the base portion 30A and reaches the user's mouth.
• the air that reaches the user's mouth contains aerosol generated in the base portion 30A.
• the heating unit 107 is composed of a heater or other heat generating element.
• the heating unit 107 is composed of any material such as metal, polyimide, etc.
• the heating unit 107 is, for example, in the form of a film, and is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the holding unit 109.
• the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 30 is heated and atomized by the heat generated by the heating unit 107.
• the atomized aerosol source is mixed with air or the like to generate an aerosol.
• the vicinity of the periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 30 is heated first, and the heated range gradually moves toward the center.
• the heating unit 107 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 101. For example, when a predetermined operation by the user is detected by the sensor unit 102, power supply to the heating unit 107 is permitted.
• the predetermined operation by the user here includes an operation on the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 2) or the power button 11 (see FIG. 1).
• the user can inhale the aerosol.
• the inhalation of the aerosol by the user is detected by a flow rate sensor or the like of the sensor unit 102 and stored in the memory unit 104. Thereafter, when a predetermined operation by the user is detected, the power supply to the heating unit 107 is stopped.
• the predetermined operation by the user includes the operation of closing the slide cover 20. Even if a predetermined operation by the user is not detected, when the heating time defined in the control profile expires, the power supply to the heating unit 107 is stopped.
• a method may be employed in which power is supplied to the heating unit 107 while inhalation by the user is detected, and power supply to the heating unit 107 is stopped when inhalation by the user is no longer detected.
• the heating unit 107 is disposed on the outer periphery of the stick-shaped substrate 30, but the heating unit 107 may be a blade-shaped metal piece inserted into the stick-shaped substrate 30, or a metal piece built into the stick-shaped substrate 30.
• a coil for induction heating may be disposed around the holding unit 109.
• the heat insulating section 108 is a member that reduces the propagation of heat generated in the heating section 107 to the surroundings. For this reason, the heat insulating section 108 is disposed so as to cover at least the outer circumferential surface of the heating section 107.
• the heat insulating section 108 is composed of, for example, a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, etc.
• the vacuum heat insulating material is a heat insulating material in which, for example, glass wool and silica (silicon powder) are wrapped in a resin film and placed in a high vacuum state, thereby reducing the thermal conduction of gas to as close to zero as possible.
• Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of connections between electronic circuits of the main unit 10.
• Fig. 4 illustrates connections between representative components, which differ from the functional configuration described in Fig. 3.
• Figure 4 shows an MCU 201 as the control unit 106 (see Figure 3), a heating coil 202 as the heating unit 107 (see Figure 3), a secondary battery 203 as the power supply unit 101 (see Figure 3), a charging IC 204, a battery protection IC 205, a remaining capacity gauge IC 206, a step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit 207, a step-up DC/DC circuit 208, and switches 209 and 210.
• the charging IC 204 is a circuit that controls distribution of power supplied from the secondary battery 203 and supply of power from an external power source to the secondary battery 203 during charging.
• the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 is high when it is fully charged, but decreases as the remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 decreases. Meanwhile, various voltage values are required by each part of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the system power supply VCC33 required for the operation of the MCU 201, etc. is constant at 3.3 V.
• the output terminal of the charging IC 204 shown in FIG. 4 is connected to a step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit 207 through a power supply line.
• the step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit 207 steps up or steps down the output voltage of the secondary battery 203, and outputs a voltage of 3.3 V (i.e., VCC33) to the power supply line.
• the charging IC 204 applies a 5V voltage to a power supply line connected to the LED lamp 12 (not shown in FIG. 1).
• the battery protection IC 205 is a protection circuit for the secondary battery 203, and when protection becomes necessary, it controls the switch 210 to an open state to stop charging or discharging the secondary battery 203.
• the switch 210 is provided between the secondary battery 203 and a ground wiring.
• the battery protection IC 205 stops charging when it detects overcharging, stops discharging when it detects overdischarging, and stops large current discharging when it detects a short circuit.
• the fuel gauge IC 206 is a circuit that receives the system power supply VCC 33 from the step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit 207, and calculates information indicating the state of the secondary battery 203 from the values of the output voltage and output current of the secondary battery 203.
• the SOC is the charging rate when the capacity of the secondary battery 203 in a fully charged state is 100% and the capacity of the fully discharged state is 0%.
• the current fully charged capacity of the secondary battery 203 is calculated using the output voltage and output current of the secondary battery 203 when charging is complete.
• the current remaining capacity of the secondary battery 203 is calculated using the output voltage and output current of the secondary battery 203 at each point in time.
• SOH is the ratio of the full charge capacity (Ah) of the secondary battery 203 at the present time (in a deteriorated state) to the full charge capacity (Ah) of the secondary battery 203 at the start of use (when it is new or in an undegraded state) taken as 100%.
• the full charge capacity at the start of use is stored in the non-volatile storage unit 104 (see FIG. 3).
• the "undegraded state” here refers to, for example, a state in which the full charge capacity (Ah) is the same or nearly the same as when it was new (e.g., 98% or more of when it was new).
• a value for the secondary battery 203 defined in, for example, the design specifications is used for the full charge capacity (Ah) when it was new or nearly the same as when it was new.
• the calculated SOH and remaining amount are read out to the MCU 201 .
• the boost DC/DC circuit 208 is a circuit that boosts the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 to supply power to the heating coil 202.
• a switch 209 is provided between the boost DC/DC circuit 208 and the heating coil 202, and the boosted voltage is applied to the heating coil 202 only when the switch 209 is controlled to the closed state (on state) by the MCU 201.
• ⁇ Heating cycle> 5 is a diagram for explaining an example of a control profile employed in the aerosol generating device 1.
• the vertical axis represents the target temperature [° C.], and the horizontal axis represents time “s”.
• the temperature of the heating coil 202 (see FIG. 4) is controlled by the MCU 201 (see FIG. 4) based on the control profile.
• the heating of the heating coil 202 based on the control profile is started by operating the power button 11 (see FIG. 1).
• the temperature of the heating coil 202 and the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 30 (see FIG. 3) immediately after the operation of the power button 11 is detected are approximately the same as the air temperature of the environment in which the aerosol generating device 1 is used. From this state, the temperature of the heating coil 202 starts to rise.
• the aerosol generating device 1 there are various seasons and temperatures when the aerosol generating device 1 is used.
• the temperature difference between the surrounding air temperature and the target temperature is large, so that the time it takes for the heating coil 202 (or the stick-shaped substrate 30) to reach the target temperature is longer than in a standard usage environment.
• the standard usage environment refers to, for example, an air temperature of 25°C. Therefore, in the aerosol generation device 1 used in this embodiment, a "preheating period" is provided at the beginning of the control profile.
• the preheating period is a period during which the temperature of the heating coil 202 is raised all at once to the maximum target temperature T1. This arrangement of the preheating period makes it possible to raise the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 30 to the maximum target temperature T1 within a predetermined period, regardless of differences in the environment during use.
• the control profile transitions to the “inhalable period.” When the inhalable period begins, the aerosol generated from the aerosol source of the stick-type substrate 30 can be inhaled. In the control profile shown in FIG. 5, when the inhalation period begins, the temperature of the heating coil 202 is reduced to the minimum target temperature T3 ( ⁇ T1) to prevent excessive aerosol generation.
• the MCU 201 When the temperature of the heating coil 202 drops to the minimum target temperature T3, the MCU 201 maintains that temperature for a while. When the second half of the control profile begins, the MCU 201 raises the temperature of the heating coil 202 to a target temperature T2 (lower than T1 and higher than T3) and maintains that temperature. This temperature increase makes it possible to use up all of the aerosol source remaining in the stick-shaped substrate 30. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the suction enabled period, the MCU 201 ends the heating control of the heating coil 202. As a result, the temperature of the heating coil 202 gradually drops to the ambient temperature.
• the secondary battery 203 deteriorates due to repeated charging and discharging.
• the internal resistance of the secondary battery 203 increases.
• the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 becomes lower than in the initial state (i.e., in a state without deterioration). Even if the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 drops, the voltage required for heating the system power supply VCC 33 and the heating coil 202 can be generated by the step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit 207 and the step-up DC/DC circuit 208 .
• the operational voltage is defined as the minimum voltage that the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 must satisfy while the heating coil 202 is heating, for example.
• the guaranteed operating voltage is the same regardless of the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 203, but the internal resistance value of a deteriorated secondary battery 203 is larger than that of the initial state, so that it becomes difficult for a current to flow output from the secondary battery 203.
• the more deterioration progresses the smaller the current value supplied from the deteriorated secondary battery 203 becomes than in the initial state, even if the output voltage is the same. In other words, the power supplied from the secondary battery 203 near the guaranteed operating voltage decreases as deterioration progresses.
• the power consumed by the aerosol generation device 1 is the same whether the secondary battery 203 is deteriorated or in an initial state. Therefore, the more the secondary battery 203 deteriorates, the more the remaining capacity required to supply the necessary power to each part becomes necessary for the secondary battery 203 that outputs an output voltage close to the guaranteed operating voltage than in the initial state. In other words, the remaining capacity required for the initial state secondary battery 203 to output an output voltage close to the guaranteed operating voltage is less than that of a deteriorated secondary battery 203.
• the threshold value used to determine whether or not there remains a remaining capacity in the secondary battery 203 sufficient to use up an unused stick-shaped substrate 30 is determined based on the remaining capacity required to maintain the guaranteed operating voltage in an advanced deteriorated state and the capacity consumed by a standard user to use up an unused stick-shaped substrate 30.
• the remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 required to generate the guaranteed operating voltage is significantly small.
• the SOH is used as an index of the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 203. Note that the correction of the threshold value based on the SOH is executed by the MCU 201 (see FIG. 4).
• FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a threshold value used to determine whether or not there is a remaining charge in the secondary battery 203 required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30.
• the determination of whether or not it is possible to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30 based on the current remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 is also referred to as the “last one determination.”
• the threshold value used in this determination is also referred to as the “last one determination threshold value.”
• the horizontal axis represents the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked with one full charge.
• the thick dashed lines in the figure represent the lower and upper limit values of the threshold value for determining the last stick. The difference between the lower and upper limits here is set to be equal to or greater than the volume required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30.
• FIG. 6 shows a graph (broken line) in which the threshold value decreases as the number of bottles that can be sucked increases, but this threshold value graph is drawn from the perspective of explaining the relationship with a straight line that shows the change in remaining capacity as the number of bottles that can be sucked increases at each SOH of the secondary battery 203.
• the lower limit of the threshold value for the final one determination applied to the secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 100% is approximately 105 mAh
• the upper limit is approximately 230 mAh.
• the lower limit here is defined as the remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 when the output voltage becomes an operable voltage. That is, the lower limit here is the remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 that can generate an operable voltage. Therefore, it is affected by the operable voltage specified in the aerosol generating device 1 and the type and characteristics of the secondary battery 203 used. Therefore, the initial value of 105 mAh is merely an example of a value used for convenience of explanation. The same applies to other values.
• the upper limit is defined as the lower limit plus a predetermined value.
• the predetermined value in this embodiment is given as the sum of the capacity of the secondary battery 203 required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30 and a margin.
• the capacity of the secondary battery 203 required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30 is set to 105 mAh, with a margin of 20 mAh. Therefore, the predetermined value is 125 mAh.
• the margin is set to 0 mAh
• the predetermined value is 105 mAh
• the predetermined value is 135 mAh.
• the lower limit of the threshold for the last line determination is approximately 320 mAh
• the upper limit is approximately 445 mAh.
• the upper limit is also given by adding a predetermined value of 125 mAh to the lower limit.
• the lower limit of the threshold between 80% and 100% SOH is determined by linear interpolation between approximately 105 mAh and approximately 320 mAh.
• the upper limit of the threshold between 80% and 100% SOH is determined by adding a predetermined value (i.e., 125 mAh) to the lower limit determined by linear interpolation. These lower limits indicate the minimum remaining capacity required for the current secondary battery 203 to generate the guaranteed operating voltage.
• the lower limit of the threshold for an SOH of 80% or less is fixed at 320 mAh, and the upper limit is fixed at 445 mAh.
• the increase in the lower and upper limits of the threshold value is not limited to linear, but may be in accordance with an approximation formula or a data table.
• the previous threshold value for determination is a fixed value of approximately 320 mAh, regardless of the degree of deterioration of the secondary battery 203.
• this previous threshold value for determination is indicated by a thin dashed line.
• the MCU 201 obtains the SOH and current remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 from the charge gauge IC 206 (see Figure 4), and if the current remaining charge falls below a threshold value corresponding to the SOH, it prohibits the heating coil 202 from heating the stick-shaped substrate 30.
• the straight line showing the change in remaining capacity when the SOH is 100% falls between the lower and upper limit values of the judgment threshold when the number of sucked bottles is 22.
• the remaining capacity of the secondary battery 203 with a SOH of 100% only reaches 320 mAh or more up to 20 bottles.
• the determination threshold value employed in this embodiment the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in by a secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 100% increases from 20 to 22.
• the line showing the change in remaining capacity when the SOH is 90% falls between the lower and upper limit values of the judgment threshold when the number of sucked bottles is 19.
• the remaining capacity of the secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 90% only reaches 320 mAh or more up to 18 bottles.
• the determination threshold value employed in this embodiment the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in by a secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 90% increases from 18 to 19.
• the straight line showing the change in remaining capacity when the SOH is 80% falls between the lower and upper limit values of the judgment threshold when the number of sucked bottles is 16.
• the remaining capacity of the secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 80% only meets 320 mAh or more up to 16 bottles. For this reason, whether the judgment threshold value adopted in this embodiment is used or the previous judgment threshold value is used, the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in by a secondary battery 203 with an SOH of 80% remains at 16.
• ⁇ Processing operation example> 7 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in the embodiment 1. Note that the symbol S in the drawing indicates a step.
• the processing operation shown in FIG. 7 is executed by the MCU 201 (see FIG. 4).
• the MCU 201 determines whether or not an opening operation of the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 1) has been detected (step 1). If the opening operation of the slide cover 20 is not detected, a negative result is obtained in step 1. In this case, the MCU 201 repeats the determination in step 1. On the other hand, if an opening operation of the slide cover 20 is detected, a positive result is obtained in step 1.
• the MCU 201 obtains the current SOH (step 2).
• the current SOH is read from the fuel gauge IC 206 to the MCU 201.
• the MCU 201 calculates the upper limit of the threshold for the final line determination based on the SOH (step 3). For example, when the SOH is 100%, the upper limit is set to approximately 230 mAh. The upper limit here is the initial value of the threshold. If the SOH is 80% or less, the upper limit is set to 445mAh. If the SOH is between 80% and 100%, the upper limit is calculated as an intermediate value between 230mAh and 445mAh by linear interpolation.
• the MCU 201 obtains the current remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 (step 4).
• the current remaining charge of the secondary battery 203 is the value read from the charge gauge IC 206 corrected by the battery voltage.
• the correction calculation here is performed by the MCU 201.
• the correction calculation makes it possible to obtain an accurate remaining charge.
• the content of the correction calculation is known, so a description thereof will be omitted.
• the MCU 201 determines whether the current remaining amount is equal to or greater than the upper limit of the threshold (step 5). If the current remaining amount is equal to or greater than the upper threshold value, a positive result is obtained in step 5. In this case, the MCU 201 transitions to a mode permitting heating of the stick-shaped substrate 30 (step 6). On the other hand, if the current remaining amount is smaller than the upper limit of the threshold, a negative result is obtained in step 5. In this case, the MCU 201 transitions to a mode in which heating of the stick-shaped substrate 30 is prohibited (step 7).
• the aerosol generating device 1 By using the aerosol generating device 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be used up in one full charge, as compared to the current device, which is a device in which the threshold value for determining the last stick is given as a fixed value. As described above, in the aerosol generating device 1 of this embodiment, when the SOH of the secondary battery 203 is close to 100%, it is possible to increase the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be used up on a single full charge by about two compared to the current device.
• the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be used up in one full charge can be increased by about one compared to the current device.
• the SOH of the secondary battery 203 is about 80%, the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be used up in one full charge becomes the same as that of the current device.
• the number of stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be used up on a single full charge can be increased as the deterioration of the secondary battery 203 decreases.
• Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in the embodiment 2.
• parts corresponding to those in Fig. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• the MCU 201 determines whether or not an opening operation of the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 2) has been detected (step 1), and if an opening operation has been detected, obtains the current SOH (step 2).
• the MCU 201 reads out the upper limit of the threshold value corresponding to the acquired SOH from the table (step 11).
• the table here is a table that records the relationship between the SOH and the threshold value for the last line determination, and is stored in, for example, the non-volatile storage unit 104. If the current SOH read from the fuel gauge IC 206 (see FIG. 4) does not exist in the table, a threshold value calculated by an interpolation operation is used. The subsequent processing operations are the same as those in FIG.
• Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in step 11 of Fig. 8.
• the left column of the table shown in Fig. 9 lists SOH values in 1% increments, and the right column of the table lists values that give the corresponding lower limit values of the threshold.
• a 1% difference in SOH results in a change in the lower limit value of the threshold by 21.5 mAh.
• the increment size of the SOH may be 2%, 5%, 0.1%, or 0.5%.
• the SOH read from the fuel gauge IC 206 may be used by discarding any decimal places or by rounding up or down.
• the aerosol generating device 1 of this embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in that the threshold value for the last one judgment is read from a table, but it is the same as embodiment 1 in that a threshold value corresponding to the SOH is used for the last one judgment. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the less the deterioration of the secondary battery 203, the more stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in on a single full charge can be increased compared to the current device.
• Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in the embodiment 3.
• parts corresponding to those in Fig. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• the MCU 201 determines whether or not an opening operation of the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 2) has been detected (step 1), and if an opening operation has been detected, obtains the current SOH (step 2).
• the MCU 201 calculates the lower limit of the threshold for the final single-line determination based on the SOH (step 11). For example, when the SOH is 100%, the lower limit is set to 105 mAh, and when the SOH is 80% or less, the lower limit is set to 320 mAh. When the SOH is between 80% and 100%, the lower limit is calculated as the intermediate value between 105 mAh and 320 mAh by linear interpolation.
• the MCU 201 calculates the upper limit of the threshold for determining the last stick based on the lower limit (step 22). Specifically, the MCU 201 adds a predetermined value (the sum of the capacity required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30 (see FIG. 3) and a margin) to the lower limit calculated in step 21. Here, 125 mAh is used as the value to be added to the lower limit.
• a predetermined value the sum of the capacity required to use up one unused stick-shaped substrate 30 (see FIG. 3) and a margin
• 125 mAh is used as the value to be added to the lower limit.
• the aerosol generating device 1 of this embodiment differs from embodiment 1 in that the upper threshold value for the final bottle judgment is calculated using the lower limit value, but is the same as embodiment 1 in that a threshold value corresponding to the SOH is used for the final bottle judgment. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the less the deterioration of the secondary battery 203, the more stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in on a single full charge can be increased compared to the current device.
• Fig. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the last bottle determination process performed by the aerosol generation device 1 in the embodiment 4.
• parts corresponding to those in Fig. 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
• the MCU 201 determines whether or not an opening operation of the slide cover 20 (see FIG. 2) has been detected (step 1), and if an opening operation has been detected, obtains the current SOH (step 2).
• the MCU 201 reads out the lower limit of the threshold value corresponding to the obtained SOH from the table (step 31).
• the table here is a table that records the relationship between the SOH and the threshold value for the last line determination, and is stored in, for example, the non-volatile storage unit 104. If the current SOH read from the fuel gauge IC 206 (see FIG. 4) does not exist in the table, a threshold value calculated by an interpolation operation is used. The subsequent processing operations are the same as those in FIG.
• Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in step 31 of Fig. 11.
• the left column of the table shown in Fig. 12 lists SOH values in 1% increments, and the right column of the table lists values that give the corresponding lower limit values of the threshold.
• the SOH may be 2%, 5%, 0.1%, or 0.5%.
• the SOH read from the fuel gauge IC 206 may be used by discarding any decimal places or by rounding up or down.
• the aerosol generating device 1 of this embodiment differs from embodiment 3 in that the threshold value for the last one judgment is read from a table, but it is the same as embodiment 3 in that a threshold value corresponding to the SOH is used for the last one judgment. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the less the deterioration of the secondary battery 203, the more stick-shaped substrates 30 that can be sucked in on a single full charge can be increased compared to the current device.
• the SOH is used as an index representing the deterioration state of the secondary battery 203, but the predicted lifespan or other information may be used.
• the predicted lifespan is the number of charge/discharge cycles or the length of time expected until replacement is required.
• the threshold value for determining whether or not the battery is the last one is increased linearly as the deterioration of the secondary battery 203 progresses, but this does not have to be limited to linear.
• the increase in the threshold value as the deterioration progresses may be expressed by a nonlinear simple increasing function.
• the threshold value may increase in a step-like manner as the deterioration progresses.
• the remaining charge at the time when the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 with a SOH of 100% is reduced to the guaranteed operating voltage is defined as the initial threshold value.
• the initial threshold value may be defined for a secondary battery 203 with almost no degradation, and the SOH does not have to be 100%.
• the remaining capacity at the time when the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 with a SOH of 100% has decreased to the guaranteed operating voltage is defined as the initial threshold value.
• a value obtained by adding a margin to the lower limit of the remaining capacity at the time when the output voltage of the secondary battery 203 with a SOH of 100% has decreased to the guaranteed operating voltage may be used.
• the aerosol source is described as being solid, but the aerosol source may be liquid.
• the aerosol source is liquid, a method is adopted in which the aerosol source is guided to a thin tube called a wick by using capillary action, and the aerosol source is evaporated by heating a coil wound around the wick.
• the aerosol source is a liquid, heating of the aerosol source is linked to detection of inhalation instead of the control profile shown in FIG. That is, when the sensor unit 102 (see FIG. 3) detects inhalation by the user, the aerosol source is heated.
• an upper limit e.g., 2.5 seconds
• heating of the aerosol source is stopped when the upper limit is reached.
• a preheating period may also be provided when heating a liquid aerosol source, provided that in the case of a liquid aerosol source, the target temperature for the preheating period is set to a temperature lower than the boiling point of the aerosol source.
• an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by heating a solid aerosol source has been described.
• an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by separately heating a solid aerosol source and a liquid aerosol source may also be used.
• This type of aerosol generating device is also called a hybrid aerosol generating device.
• a stick-shaped substrate 30 was given as an example of a solid aerosol source, but a capsule-shaped or other aerosol source may also be used.
• the present disclosure includes the following configurations.
• An aerosol generating device having a control unit, a secondary battery, and a heating unit that heats an aerosol source, wherein the control unit corrects a threshold value used to determine whether there is remaining capacity sufficient to use up one unused aerosol source in accordance with the state of deterioration of the secondary battery.
• the aerosol generating device described in (1) wherein the threshold value increases as the deterioration of the secondary battery progresses.
• 1...aerosol generating device 10...main body device, 11...power button, 12...LED lamp, 13...insertion port for stick-shaped substrate, 14...USB cable insertion port, 20...slide cover, 101...power supply unit, 102...sensor unit, 103...notification unit, 104...storage unit, 105...communication unit, 106...control unit, 107...heating unit, 108...insulation unit, 109...holding unit, 30...stick-shaped substrate, 201...MCU, 202...heating coil, 203...secondary battery, 204...charging IC, 205...battery protection IC, 206...gauge IC, 207...step-up/step-down DC/DC circuit, 208...step-up DC/DC circuit, 209, 210...switch

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• 2022
  • 2022-12-20 EP EP22969152.2A patent/EP4640092A1/en active Pending
  • 2022-12-20 JP JP2024565441A patent/JPWO2024134763A1/ja active Pending
  • 2022-12-20 WO PCT/JP2022/046877 patent/WO2024134763A1/ja not_active Ceased
  • 2022-12-20 CN CN202280102592.0A patent/CN120344171A/zh active Pending
  • 2022-12-20 KR KR1020257019969A patent/KR20250099753A/ko active Pending

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