WO2025028908A1 - Aerosol-generating device and method for protecting aerosol-generating device by using drop detection - Google Patents

Abstract

The aerosol-generating device and the method for protecting the aerosol-generating device by using drop detection detect vertical acceleration regarding the aerosol-generating device, determine whether the aerosol-generating device has entered a predetermined drop state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration, and execute a protection process for preserving system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol-generating device before a detachable battery provided in the aerosol-generating device is separated by an impact upon determining that the aerosol-generating device has entered a predetermined drop state.

Description

Method for protecting an aerosol generating device using an aerosol generating device and drop detection

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device and a method for protecting the aerosol generating device using drop detection.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for methods in which aerosol is generated by heating an aerosol-generating material rather than by burning a cigarette to generate aerosol. Accordingly, research on heated aerosol generating devices is actively underway.

Meanwhile, as interest in environmental issues increases worldwide, environmental friendliness and safety are being demanded throughout the entire life cycle from battery production to recycling. Accordingly, in the field of electronic cigarettes, research on detachable batteries is being conducted while developing related technologies such as battery reuse and recycling.

If the aerosol generating device is equipped with a removable battery, the removable battery may be unintentionally separated due to external impact. At this time, abnormal separation of the removable battery may shorten the life of the aerosol generating device or cause a malfunction, and the safety of use of the aerosol generating device may not be guaranteed. Therefore, a method is required that can protect the system of the aerosol generating device before the removable battery is abnormally separated due to impact.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

According to the present disclosure, in order to prevent safety degradation, device failure, etc. of an aerosol generating device due to abnormal separation of a detachable battery caused by impact, a method is provided that can protect the system function of an aerosol generating device before impact occurs by predicting a situation in which an impact will occur in advance.

According to one aspect, an aerosol generating device includes: a motion detection unit that detects vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device; and a processor that determines whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration, wherein, if the processor determines that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state, the processor executes a protection process for preserving system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol generating device before a removable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached due to an impact.

According to another aspect, a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using fall detection includes: a step of detecting vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device using a motion detection unit; a step of determining whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration using a processor; and a step of executing a protection process for preserving system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol generating device before a removable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached due to an impact, if it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state using the processor.

According to the above, by performing a protection process to prevent a failure of the aerosol generating device that may be caused by situations such as dropping or impact of the aerosol generating device, and thereby preserving system data, it is possible to ensure safe use of the device.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIGS. 2A to 2E are drawings illustrating embodiments of the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1 implemented in various types.

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating mounting a new removable battery on an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining changes in vertical acceleration of an aerosol generating device as a user carrying the aerosol generating device walks according to one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a state in which an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment is falling.

FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining drop detection of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using drop detection according to one embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining execution of a protection process upon detection of a drop of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining execution of a protection process by impact detection according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using impact detection according to one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining the impact history of impacts generated in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using drop detection according to one embodiment.

According to one aspect, an aerosol generating device includes: a motion detection unit that detects vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device; and a processor that determines whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration, wherein, if the processor determines that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state, the processor executes a protection process for preserving system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol generating device before a removable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached due to an impact.

The terms used in the examples are selected from commonly used terms as much as possible while considering the functions in the present example, but this may vary depending on the intention of engineers working in the field, precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the corresponding description section. Therefore, the terms used in the present example should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall contents of the present example, rather than simply the names of the terms.

When a part of the specification is said to "include" a component, this does not mean that it excludes other components, but rather that it may include other components, unless otherwise specifically stated. In addition, terms such as "-unit", "-module", etc. described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, when an expression such as "at least one" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array of elements rather than each individual element in the array. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted to include a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c.

Below, the present embodiment is described in detail with reference to the attached drawings so that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present embodiment belongs can easily implement the present embodiment. However, the present embodiment can be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, the present embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device (100) may include a removable battery (110), a heater (120), a processor (130), a user interface (140), a memory (150), a sensor (160), a motion detector (170), and a voltage detector (180). However, the hardware components inside the aerosol generating device (100) are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art will understand that, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device (100), some of the hardware components illustrated in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new components (e.g., a communication module, etc.) may be added.

Below, the operation of each component included in the aerosol generating device (100) will be described without limiting the space in which the components are located.

The removable battery (110) supplies power used to operate the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the removable battery (110) may supply power so that the heater (120) may be heated. In addition, the removable battery (110) may continuously supply power for acceleration monitoring of the motion detection unit (170) even when the aerosol generating device (100) is not in use. That is, the removable battery (110) may supply power required for the operation of other hardware components provided in the aerosol generating device (100), such as the heater (120), the processor (130), the user interface (140), the memory (150), the sensor (160), or the motion detection unit (170). The removable battery (110) may be, for example, a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery or a lithium ion battery, but is not limited thereto.

The removable battery (110) is a replaceable type (separate) power source, and can be mounted in a battery receiving portion provided in the aerosol generating device (100) or removed from the battery receiving portion. The removable battery (110) is provided with an electrical contact, and when the removable battery (110) is mounted in the aerosol generating device (100), an electrical contact of the removable battery (110) may be electrically connected to an electrical contact of a battery connecting portion provided in the aerosol generating device (100) to provide battery-related data or supply power to the aerosol generating device (100). As another example, the removable battery (110) may be provided with a charging coil (transmitting/receiving coil) for supplying power to the aerosol generating device (100) in a wireless charging manner instead of a separate electrical contact, and in this case, the battery connecting portion may be implemented as a transmitting/receiving coil. That is, the power supply method of the removable battery (110) may vary, and the electrical connection method between the removable battery (110) and the battery connection part of the aerosol generating device (100) may vary depending on the power supply method supported by the removable battery (110).

The removable battery (110) may be provided with a charger interface (not shown) that can be connected to an external charger. Power for charging the removable battery (110) may be provided to the removable battery (110) through the charger interface. The removable battery (110) may be charged by an external charger while connected to the aerosol generating device (100) or while being uninstalled from the aerosol generating device (100).

The removable battery (110) may optionally be equipped with a wireless tag, such as an RFID tag, an NFC tag, etc. The wireless tag equipped in the removable battery (110) can be read through a protocol of short-range communication with a wireless module, such as an RFID module, an NFC module, etc. If the removable battery (110) is equipped with a wireless tag, identification information, battery capacity information, etc. related to the removable battery (110) may be recorded in the wireless tag. In this case, the aerosol generating device (100) can acquire various pieces of information of the removable battery (110) by tagging the wireless tag of the removable battery (110).

The heater (120) receives power from the removable battery (110) under the control of the processor (130). The heater (120) can perform a heating function of heating a cigarette inserted into the aerosol generating device (100) or heating a cartridge mounted on the aerosol generating device (100) using the power supplied from the removable battery (110). That is, the heater (120) can generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating material provided in the cigarette or cartridge.

The heater (120) may be located in the body of the aerosol generating device (100). Alternatively, if the aerosol generating device (100) is composed of a body and a cartridge, the heater (120) may be located in the cartridge. If the heater (120) is located in the cartridge, the heater (120) may be powered from a removable battery (110) located in the body.

The heater (120) may be implemented as an electrically resistive heating type heater formed of an electrically resistive material. For example, the electrically resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. The heater (120) may be implemented as, but not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate having electrically conductive tracks arranged thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

The heater (120) may be implemented as an induction heating type heater. The heater (120) may correspond to a heater assembly implemented as a set of an electrically conductive coil and a susceptor for heating a cigarette or cartridge by induction heating.

The heater (120) can heat a cigarette inserted into a receiving space provided in the aerosol generating device (100). As the cigarette is received in the receiving space of the aerosol generating device (100), the heater (120) can be located inside and/or outside the cigarette. Accordingly, the heater (120) can heat an aerosol generating material inside the cigarette to generate an aerosol.

Meanwhile, the heater (120) may be implemented as a coil heater provided only in the cartridge. The cartridge includes a coil heater, a liquid delivery means, and a liquid storage, and can transfer an aerosol generating material contained in the liquid storage means through the liquid delivery means, and the coil heater can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol generating material absorbed in the liquid delivery means. For example, if the heater (120) is a coil heater, it can be manufactured from a material such as nickel chromium and wound around the liquid delivery means or placed adjacent to the liquid delivery means.

The processor (130) is a hardware that controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (100). The processor (130) may include at least one processing unit, such as an MCU (Micro Controller Unit). The processor (130) may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed in the microprocessor. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present embodiment belongs that the processor (130) may be implemented as other types of hardware.

The processor (130) can analyze the result sensed by the sensor (160) or the result detected by the motion detection unit (170), and control the processes to be performed subsequently based on the analyzed result. For example, the processor (130) can control the power supplied to the heater (120) so that the operation of the heater (120) is started or ended based on the result sensed by the sensor (160). In addition, the processor (130) can control the amount of power supplied to the heater (120) and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater (120) can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the result sensed by the sensor (160). Alternatively, the processor (130) can perform drop detection for the aerosol generating device (100) based on the result detected by the motion detection unit (170).

The processor (130) can control the operation of the heater (120) based on a pre-stored temperature profile. In addition, the processor (130) can sense the user's puff using the puff sensor in the sensor (160) and then control the temperature of the heater (120). In addition, the processor (130) can count the number of puffs using the puff sensor and then stop supplying power to the heater (120) when the number of puffs reaches a preset number.

The processor (130) may also control the user interface (140) based on the sensing results. For example, when the number of puffs is counted using a puff sensor and the number of puffs reaches a preset number, the processor (130) may use a lamp, a motor, or a speaker to notify the user that the aerosol generating device (100) will soon be terminated.

Meanwhile, the processor (130) can recognize or detect that the removable battery (110) is detached or mounted through the voltage detection unit (180). In addition, the processor (130) can also monitor whether the removable battery (110) is normally connected based on the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit (180).

The user interface (140) can provide the user with information about the status of the aerosol generating device (100). The user interface (140) can include various interfacing means, such as a display or lamp that outputs visual information (UI (user interface) screen), a motor that outputs tactile information, a speaker that outputs sound information, input/output (I/O) interfacing means (e.g., a button or a touch screen) that receives information input from a user or outputs information to the user, and terminals for supplying charging power.

Memory (150) is a hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device (100), and memory (150) can store data processed by the processor (130) and data to be processed. Memory (150) can be implemented in various types, such as RAM (random access memory) such as DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), etc.

The memory (150) may store data necessary for controlling the heating operation of the heater (120), such as the operation time of the aerosol generating device (100), the maximum number of puffs, the temperature profile, etc., and various usage data, such as the user's smoking information and information for battery authentication, stored while the aerosol generating device (100) is in use.

Meanwhile, the memory (150) can also store backup and restoration data for performing a backup process and restoration process to maintain various data in the aerosol generating device (100) before and after battery replacement during the replacement process of the removable battery (110). In addition, the memory (150) can store backup and restoration data for preventing data loss due to abnormal separation of the removable battery (110).

The sensor (160) may include a puff sensor. The puff sensor may detect a user's puff based on at least one of a change in the flow of air flowing in from the outside, a change in pressure, and detection of sound. The processor (130) may count the number of puffs by detecting the start timing and end timing of the user's puff using the puff sensor.

The sensor (160) may include a user input sensor. The user input sensor may be a sensor capable of receiving user input, such as a switch, a physical button, a touch sensor, etc.

The sensor (160) may include a cigarette detection sensor capable of detecting whether a cigarette has been inserted or removed. The cigarette detection sensor may refer to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a cigarette without mechanical contact by measuring a change in an electrical signal according to interaction with the cigarette, such as an inductance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an infrared sensor, a color sensor, etc.

The sensor (160) may include various sensors that measure information about the surrounding environment of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the sensor (160) may include a temperature sensor that can measure the temperature of the surrounding environment, a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the surrounding environment, a moisture sensor that detects leakage or submersion of the aerosol generating device (100), an atmospheric pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the surrounding environment, etc.

The sensors (160) that can be equipped in the aerosol generating device (100) are not limited to the types described above, and may further include various sensors. For example, the aerosol generating device (100) may include a fingerprint sensor that can obtain fingerprint information from a user's finger for user authentication and security, an iris recognition sensor that analyzes the iris pattern of the eye, a vein recognition sensor that detects the amount of infrared absorption of reduced hemoglobin in a vein from an image of a palm, a facial recognition sensor that recognizes features such as eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours in a 2D or 3D manner, or an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) sensor.

In the aerosol generating device (100), only some of the examples of the various sensors (160) exemplified above may be selectively implemented. In other words, the aerosol generating device (100) may utilize a combination of information sensed by at least one of the sensors described above.

When a removable battery (110) is mounted on the aerosol generating device (100), the voltage detection unit (180) can detect the voltage applied by the removable battery (110) based on the electrical connection formed through the connector connected to the removable battery (110). For example, the voltage detection unit (180) can detect the voltage applied by the removable battery (110) by forming an electrical connection with a protection circuit module (PCM) equipped in the removable battery (110).

The aerosol generating device (100) can be powered from the removable battery (110) or access the protection circuit module of the removable battery (110) through connector contact (or connector engagement) with the removable battery (110).

The removable battery (110) may be coupled to the aerosol generating device (100) by being fixed to a battery receiving portion (not shown) having a hook structure, for example. In another example, the removable battery (110) may be implemented in a manner in which a magnetic body provided in a part of the battery receiving portion is magnetically coupled to a magnetic body region or an electromagnet region provided in a part of the battery receiving portion. That is, the manner in which the removable battery (110) according to the present embodiment is mounted to the aerosol generating device (100) is not limited to any one, and may be implemented in various ways.

The motion detection unit (170) is a hardware configuration that acquires data on the position and movement of the device, such as an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). For example, the motion sensor may include an acceleration sensor that can measure acceleration in three directions, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, a gyro sensor that can measure angular velocity in three directions, etc.

The motion detection unit (170) can detect acceleration or motion of the aerosol generating device (100). That is, the motion detection unit (170) can measure acceleration or current orientation currently applied to the aerosol generating device (100). The motion detection unit (170) can collect motion data continuously or periodically over a certain period of time, or in response to a trigger event. Here, the motion detection unit (170) can also be controlled to collect motion data for a specific direction (for example, toward the ground surface).

The aerosol generating device (100) can be moved together with the user by being carried, and at this time, the motion detection unit (170) provided in the aerosol generating device (100) can continuously or periodically collect motion data (i.e., acceleration) regarding acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100). The motion data can be measured at a predetermined sampling frequency and can be acquired in the form of acceleration change with respect to time change.

The motion detection unit (170) detects vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) to detect a fall of the aerosol generating device (100), and the processor (130) monitors changes in the detected vertical acceleration to determine whether the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state. The vertical acceleration refers to acceleration in the direction in which gravity acts on the aerosol generating device (100).

Specifically, the processor (130) may determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state when the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) is monitored to exceed a threshold acceleration. Here, the threshold acceleration may be set to a value corresponding to a predetermined ratio (e.g., an 80% value, a 90% value, or a 100% value) of the gravitational acceleration (1g, approximately 9.8 m/s ² ), and the predetermined ratio may be determined in various ways depending on the design characteristics of the aerosol generating device (100).

If the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, there is a high probability that the aerosol generating device (100) is separated from the user and is falling alone. Therefore, if the processor (130) monitors that the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, it determines that the aerosol generating device (100) is in a state of free fall.

When the aerosol generating device (100) is dropped, the detachable battery (110) may be unintentionally separated from the aerosol generating device (100) due to the impact. When such an abnormal separation occurs, the power supply to the detachable battery (110) is momentarily cut off, thereby interrupting the power supply to the hardware components provided in the aerosol generating device (100), which may cause a software or hardware failure. In order to prevent such a phenomenon, the aerosol generating device (100) according to the present embodiment detects a drop by the motion detection unit (170), and performs a process in advance to protect the system data of the aerosol generating device (100) before an impact due to the drop occurs to the aerosol generating device (100). Accordingly, even if the detachable battery (110) is separated by the impact, the system of the aerosol generating device (100) can be safely protected.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device (100) may also form an aerosol generating system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to store the aerosol generating device (100) while charging the removable battery (110) of the aerosol generating device (100). That is, the cradle may be a dedicated device for the aerosol generating device (100) to charge the removable battery (110) of the aerosol generating device (100) by receiving power from the battery of the cradle while the aerosol generating device (100) of the cradle is accommodated in the accommodation space inside the cradle.

FIGS. 2A to 2E are drawings illustrating embodiments of the aerosol generating device of FIG. 1 implemented in various types. Referring to FIGS. 2A to 2E, the aerosol generating device (100) can be implemented as various types of aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e), such as a method using an electric resistance heating method or an induction heating method, a method additionally providing a vaporizer, or a cartridge method. Only some elements for explaining the types of aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) are illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2E, and other general-purpose elements may be further included in the aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) in addition to the elements illustrated in FIGS. 2A to 2E.

In FIGS. 2a to 2e, the removable battery (110), heater (120a to 120e), and processor (130) are components corresponding to the removable battery (110), heater (120), and processor (130) of FIG. 1, respectively, and can perform the functions of the removable battery (110), heater (120), and processor (130) described above in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a is a drawing for explaining an aerosol generating device (200a) of an electrical resistance type according to an exemplary embodiment. The aerosol generating device (200a) may be a type of the aerosol generating device (100).

Referring to FIG. 2a, the aerosol generating device (200a) may include a removable battery (110), a heater (120a), and a processor (130).

A cigarette (20a) can be inserted into the receiving space inside the aerosol generating device (200a). When the cigarette (20a) is inserted into the aerosol generating device (200a), the aerosol generating device (200a) can generate an aerosol from the cigarette (20a) by heating the cigarette (20a) using the heater (120a). The generated aerosol passes through the cigarette (20a) and is delivered to the user, so that the user can smoke the cigarette (20a).

The heater (120a) can be heated by power supplied from the removable battery (110). The heater (120a) can be an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater (120a) includes an electrically conductive track, and the heater (120a) can be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track.

The electrically conductive track of the heater (120a) is made of an electrically resistive material, so that the heating temperature can be determined according to the power consumption of the resistor, and the resistance value of the electrically conductive track can be set based on the power consumption of the resistor of the electrically conductive track. The resistance value of the electrically conductive track can be set in various ways according to the constituent material, length, width, thickness, or pattern of the electrically resistive material.

The electrically conductive track may have an internal resistance that increases as the temperature increases, depending on the resistance temperature coefficient characteristic. For example, the temperature and the resistance of the electrically conductive track may be proportional in a given temperature range. Using this principle, a heater (120a) made of an electrically conductive track may heat a cigarette (20a) in an electrical resistance manner.

The electrically conductive tracks can be made of tungsten, gold, platinum, silver copper, nickel palladium, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the electrically conductive tracks can be doped with a suitable doping agent and can include an alloy.

The shape of the heater (120a) can be manufactured in various ways, such as a tube shape, a plate shape, a needle shape, or a rod shape. In addition, a plurality of heaters (120a) can be arranged. The heater (120a) can be inserted into the interior of the cigarette (20a) and used as an internal heating method to heat the interior of the cigarette (20a).

The removable battery (110) can be separated from or mounted on the aerosol generating device (200a), and when the removable battery (110) is mounted on the aerosol generating device (200a), power can be supplied from the removable battery (110) to the heater (120a) for heating operation of the heater (120d), thereby controlling the temperature of the electrically conductive track.

The processor (130) can control the heating operation of the heater (120a) by controlling the power supplied to the heater (120a). For example, the processor (130) can control the temperature at which the cigarette (20a) is heated by the heater (120a) according to the temperature profile.

FIGS. 2b and 2c are drawings for explaining aerosol generating devices (200b, 200c) additionally equipped with a vaporizer (125b, 125c) according to exemplary embodiments. Each of the aerosol generating devices (200b, 200c) may be a type of aerosol generating device (100).

Referring to FIGS. 2b and 2c, the aerosol generating device (200b, 200c) further includes a vaporizer (125b, 125c). A cigarette (20b, 20c) can be inserted into the internal space of the aerosol generating device (200b, 200c).

In Fig. 2b, the vaporizer (125b) and the heater (120b) are depicted as being arranged in a row. However, in Fig. 2c, the vaporizer (125c) and the heater (120c) are depicted as being arranged in parallel. That is, the aerosol generating devices (200b, 200c) can be distinguished depending on the way the vaporizer (125b) is arranged.

The heater (120b, 120c) can be heated by power supplied from a removable battery (110). The heater (120b, 120c) is an electrical resistive heater and may include, for example, an electrically conductive track.

Unlike the heater (120a) described in Fig. 2a, the heaters (120b, 120c) of Figs. 2b and 2c can be implemented in an external heating manner by being placed around the outer perimeter of the cigarette (20b, 20c) to heat the outer surface of the cigarette (20b, 20c).

The vaporizer (125b, 125c) can heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to a user through a cigarette (20b, 20c). That is, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer (125b, 125c) can be transported along the airflow passage of the aerosol generating device (200b, 200c), and the airflow passage can be configured so that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer (125b, 125c) can be delivered to a user through a cigarette (20b, 20c).

The vaporizer (125b, 125c) may include a liquid storage, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element (or vaporization element). However, each of the liquid storage, the liquid delivery means, and the heating element may be positioned as an independent module at a different location within the aerosol generating device (100) rather than within the vaporizer (125b, 125c).

The liquid reservoir can store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition can be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavoring component, or can be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. The liquid reservoir can be constructed to be detachable from/attachable to the vaporizer (125b, 125c), or can be constructed integrally with the vaporizer (125b, 125c). For example, the liquid composition can contain water, a solvent, ethanol, a plant extract, a flavoring agent, a flavoring agent, or a vitamin mixture. In addition, the liquid composition can contain an aerosol forming agent such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid transfer means can transfer the liquid composition from the liquid storage to the heating element. For example, the liquid transfer means can be a wick such as, but not limited to, cotton fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, or porous ceramics.

The heating element provided in the vaporizer (125b, 125c) is an element for heating (vaporizing) a liquid composition delivered by a liquid delivery means. For example, the heating element may be, but is not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, a ceramic heater, etc. In addition, the heating element may be composed of a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, and may be arranged in a structure that is wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element may be heated by supplying current, and may transfer heat to a liquid composition in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated. Accordingly, the vaporizer (125b, 125c) may also be referred to as other terms such as a cartomizer or an atomizer.

The removable battery (110) can be separated from or mounted on the aerosol generating device (200b, 200c), and when the removable battery (110) is mounted on the aerosol generating device (200b, 200c), power can be supplied from the removable battery (110) to the heater (120b, 120c) and the vaporizer (125b, 125c) for heating operation of the heater (120b, 120c) and the vaporizer (125b, 125c).

The processor (130) can control the heating operation of the heater (120b, 120c) and the vaporizer (125b, 125c) by controlling the power supplied to the heater (120b, 120c) and the vaporizer (125b, 125c). For example, the processor (130) can control the temperature at which the cigarette (20b, 20c) is heated by the heater (120b, 120c) and the vaporizer (125b, 125c) according to the temperature profile.

FIG. 2d is a drawing for explaining an aerosol generating device (200d) of an induction heating method according to an exemplary embodiment. The aerosol generating device (200d) may be a type of the aerosol generating device (100).

Referring to FIG. 2d, the aerosol generating device (200d) may include a heater (120d) including a coil (121d) and a susceptor (122d), a removable battery (110), and a processor (130).

The aerosol generating device (200d) can generate an aerosol by heating a cigarette (20d) accommodated in the aerosol generating device (200d) by an induction heating method. The induction heating method may refer to a method of applying an alternating magnetic field, the direction of which changes periodically, to a magnetic body that generates heat by an external magnetic field to heat the magnetic body. Accordingly, the aerosol generating device (200d) can release heat energy from the magnetic body by applying an alternating magnetic field to the magnetic body, and can heat the cigarette (20d) by transferring the heat energy released from the magnetic body to the cigarette. Here, the magnetic body that generates heat by the external magnetic field may be a susceptor (122d). The susceptor (122d) may be provided in the aerosol generating device (200d). Alternatively, the susceptor (122d) may be provided inside the cigarette (20d) in the shape of a piece, a thin piece, a strip, etc. instead of being provided in the aerosol generating device (200d).

The susceptor (122d) may be formed of a ferromagnetic substance. For example, the material of the susceptor (122d) may include a metal or carbon. The material of the susceptor (122d) may include at least one of ferrite, a ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). In addition, the material of the susceptor (122d) may include at least one of a ceramic such as graphite or zirconia, a transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), and a metalloid such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P).

The aerosol generating device (200d) can accommodate a cigarette (20d). A space for accommodating the cigarette (20d) can be formed in the aerosol generating device (200d). A susceptor (122d) can be arranged around the periphery of the space accommodating the cigarette (20d). For example, the susceptor (122d) can have a cylindrical shape surrounding the outside of the cigarette (20d). Therefore, when the cigarette (20d) is accommodated in the aerosol generating device (200d), the cigarette (20d) can be accommodated in the accommodation space of the susceptor (122d), and the susceptor (122d) can be arranged at a position surrounding at least a portion of the outer surface of the cigarette (20d). However, the shape of the susceptor (122d) is not limited thereto and can vary.

The heater (120d) is an induction heating method, and the heater (120d) can heat a cigarette (20d) accommodated in an aerosol generating device (200d) by using a susceptor (122d) that generates heat by an external magnetic field generated by a coil (121d).

The coil (121d) is arranged to be wound along the outer surface of the susceptor (122d), so that an alternating magnetic field can be applied to the susceptor (122d). When power is supplied to the coil (121d) from the aerosol generating device (200d), a magnetic field can be formed in an internal region of the coil (121d). When an alternating current is applied to the coil (121d), the direction of the magnetic field formed inside the coil (121d) can be continuously changed. When the susceptor (122d) is positioned inside the coil (121d) and exposed to an alternating magnetic field whose direction changes periodically, the susceptor (122d) can generate heat, and a cigarette accommodated in the susceptor (122d) can be heated. The shape of the coil (121d) may be a cylindrical shape wound along the length direction of the cigarette (20d), but is not limited thereto and the coil (121d) may be implemented in various types such as a flat coil.

The removable battery (110) can be separated from or mounted on the aerosol generating device (200d), and when the aerosol generating device (200d) is equipped with the removable battery (110), it can supply power to the coil (121d) for heating operation of the heater (120d), for example.

The processor (130) can control the heating operation of the heater (120d) by controlling the power supplied to the coil (121d). For example, the processor (130) can control the temperature at which the cigarette (20d) is heated by induction heating of the susceptor (122d) by adjusting the strength of the magnetic field induced by the coil (121d) according to the temperature profile.

Meanwhile, in Fig. 2d, it is assumed that the heater (120d) is implemented by an induction heating method using a coil (121d) and a susceptor (122d). However, as another embodiment, the heater (120d) may be implemented by manufacturing it as an electric resistance heater (e.g., a cylindrical film heater) as described in Figs. 2b and 2c to heat the outside of the cigarette (20d). That is, when the heater (120d) is manufactured as an electric resistance heater, the aerosol generating device (200d) of Fig. 2d may be implemented by generating an aerosol from the cigarette (20d) only by using an electric resistance heater (heater (120d)) without the vaporizers (125b, 125c) of Figs. 2b and 2c.

FIG. 2e is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device (200e) having a replaceable cartridge (210e) containing an aerosol generating substance (20e) according to an exemplary embodiment.

The aerosol generating device (200e) of Fig. 2e includes a cartridge (210e) containing an aerosol generating material (20e) and a main body (220e) supporting the cartridge (210e). The aerosol generating device (200e) may correspond to one type of the aerosol generating device (100) of Fig. 1. At this time, the hardware components included in the aerosol generating device (100) of Fig. 1 may be divided and positioned in the main body (220e) and the cartridge (210e).

The cartridge (210e) can be coupled to the main body (220e) while containing an aerosol generating substance (20e) therein. The cartridge (210e) can be mounted on the main body (210) by inserting a portion of the cartridge (210e) into a receptacle of the main body (210).

The cartridge (210e) may contain an aerosol generating material (20e) of a liquid composition, but is not limited thereto, and may contain an aerosol generating material (20e) in any one of a solid state, a gaseous state, or a gel state. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material.

The heater (120e) provided in the cartridge (210e) performs a heating operation by an electric signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body (220e). Accordingly, an aerosol can be generated by vaporizing the aerosol generating material (20e) inside the cartridge (210e) due to heating by the heater (120e).

The heater (120e) may be implemented with a conductive filament made of a metal material such as copper, nickel, or tungsten, or a ceramic heating element, to heat an aerosol generating substance delivered to a liquid delivery means by generating heat through electrical resistance, and may be wound around the liquid delivery means or placed adjacent to the liquid delivery means.

The removable battery (110) can be separated from or mounted on the aerosol generating device (200e), and when the removable battery (110) is mounted on the aerosol generating device (200e), power can be supplied to the heater (120e) from the removable battery (110) for heating operation of the heater (120e).

The processor (130) can control the heating operation of the heater (120e) by controlling the power supplied to the heater (120e). For example, the processor (130) can control the temperature at which the aerosol generating material (20e) is heated by the heater (120e) according to the temperature profile.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIGS. 2A to 2E, the aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) may also form a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may store the aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) or charge the removable battery (110) of the aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e).

According to various embodiments, the aerosol generating device (100) of FIG. 1 may be implemented as at least one of the types of aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) of FIGS. 2a to 2e, but is not necessarily limited thereto and may be implemented as other types as well.

The aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e) of FIGS. 2a to 2e can commonly use a removable battery (110) as a power source. The removable battery (110) is a battery that can be replaced by being mounted or detached from the aerosol generating devices (200a to 200e).

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating mounting a new removable battery on an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device (100) may not currently have a battery installed. This may be because the battery has been removed from the aerosol generating device (100) when the user wants to replace it with a new battery, either because the battery's lifespan has ended, because the user wants to use a battery with a different battery capacity, or for other reasons. At this time, the user may want to install a first removable battery (110-1) as a new battery in the aerosol generating device (100).

When the first removable battery (110-1) is fixed to the battery receiving portion (not shown) of the aerosol generating device (100) and mounted on the aerosol generating device (100), an electrical connection can be formed by the terminal (connector) of the removable battery (110) coming into contact with the terminal (connector) of the aerosol generating device (100). The voltage detection unit (180) can detect the connection or disconnection of the removable battery (110) by detecting the voltage applied from the removable battery (110) through the terminal (connector). For example, the voltage detection unit (180) can detect a voltage of 3.5 to 4 [V] when the removable battery (110) is connected, and can detect a voltage of 0 [V] when the removable battery (110) is disconnected. In this way, the processor (130) can detect the attachment or detachment of the removable battery (110) by monitoring the voltage change.

FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining changes in vertical acceleration of an aerosol generating device as a user carrying the aerosol generating device walks according to one embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 4, a situation is illustrated where a user (40) is walking while holding an aerosol generating device (100) in his hand. In addition, a graph (400) of changes in vertical acceleration (g) of the aerosol generating device (100) according to the walking of the user (40) is illustrated at the bottom of Fig. 4.

At time t ₁ , a user (40) holding an aerosol generating device (100) may be in a stationary state. When the user (40) starts walking, the user (40) naturally swings his or her arms back and forth, and accordingly, the aerosol generating device (100) performs a pendulum motion. At time t ₂ , the aerosol generating device (100) reaches a highest point in the walking direction and stops momentarily. After time t ₂ , the aerosol generating device (1) moves in the opposite direction of the walking direction and reaches a lowest point at time t ₃ . At time t ₄ , the aerosol generating device (100) reaches a highest point in the opposite direction of the walking direction and stops momentarily. After time t ₄ , the aerosol generating device (100) moves in the walking direction and reaches a lowest point at time t ₅ . At time t ₆ , the aerosol generating device (100) reaches its highest point in the walking direction and stops momentarily.

That is, during the process of the user (40) walking, the aerosol generating device (100) performs a pendulum motion along the movement path shown at time points t ₂ to t ₆ . At this time, the aerosol generating device (100) can detect the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) using the motion detection unit (170) and monitor the change in the vertical acceleration.

The motion detection unit (170) may be implemented by a combination of one or more of various sensors, such as an acceleration sensor that measures x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis acceleration values, a gyro sensor that measures angular velocity, a tilt sensor, or an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

The motion detection unit (170) can detect acceleration (i.e., vertical acceleration) of the aerosol generating device (100) in the ground direction. The processor (130) can calculate vertical acceleration based on acceleration, angular velocity, inclination, orientation, etc. of various axes measured by an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. of the motion detection unit (170).

The x-axis of the graph (400) represents time (s), and the y-axis of the graph (400) represents vertical acceleration (g) detected by the motion detection unit (170). Each of time points t ₁ to t ₆ indicated on the x-axis of the graph (400) corresponds to time points during walking.

Until time t ₁ , the user (40) holding the aerosol generating device (100) is stationary. When the user (40) starts walking, the user (40) naturally swings his or her arms back and forth, and accordingly, the aerosol generating device (100) performs a pendulum motion, and accordingly, the vertical acceleration changes.

At time point t _{2 ,} the aerosol generating device (100) reaches its highest point in the walking direction. Since the aerosol generating device (100) stops momentarily when it reaches its highest point, the vertical acceleration value at time point t ₂ becomes 0.

After time t ₂ , the aerosol generating device (100) moves in the opposite direction of the walking direction and reaches the lowest point at time t ₃ . At this time, at time t ₃ when the aerosol generating device (100) reaches the lowest point, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) has a negative value.

At time t ₄ , the aerosol generating device (100) reaches its highest point in the opposite direction of the walking direction. Since the aerosol generating device (100) stops momentarily when it reaches its highest point, the acceleration value at time t ₄ becomes 0.

After time t ₄ , the aerosol generating device (100) moves along the walking direction and reaches the lowest point at time t ₅ . At time t ₅ when the aerosol generating device (100) reaches the lowest point, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) has a positive value. The fact that the vertical acceleration has a positive or negative value may indicate the moving direction of the aerosol generating device (100). That is, the sign of the vertical acceleration may change depending on which direction is used as a reference.

Time point t ₆ corresponds to the same situation as time point t ₂ . That is, at time point t ₆ , the aerosol generating device (100) reaches the highest point in the walking direction. When the aerosol generating device (100) reaches the highest point, it stops momentarily, so the acceleration value at time point t ₆ becomes 0.

When a user (40) walks while holding an aerosol generating device (100) in his/her hand, the motion detection unit (170) monitors changes in vertical acceleration from time point t ₁ to time point t ₆ . That is, when the aerosol generating device (100) is held and moved by the user (40), the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) can change within a predetermined vertical acceleration range. Accordingly, when the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) changes within a predetermined vertical acceleration range, the processor (130) can determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has not entered a predetermined falling state (e.g., a free falling state).

However, unlike the graph (400) of Fig. 4, if the vertical acceleration changes rapidly while reaching a preset critical acceleration, the aerosol generating device (100) may be in a falling state. The processor (130) may monitor the change in vertical acceleration, compare the vertical acceleration with the critical acceleration, and determine whether the vertical acceleration has reached the critical acceleration, thereby determining whether the device is in a falling state.

FIG. 5 is a drawing for explaining a state in which an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment is falling.

Referring to FIG. 5, a situation in which an aerosol generating device (100) falls from a table to the ground is illustrated. Here, it is assumed that the motion detection unit (170) detects a positive vertical acceleration value when moving in the direction of the ground. However, it is not limited thereto, and the sign of the vertical acceleration may be set to be the opposite. That is, according to the present embodiment, the sign of the vertical acceleration for an object moving in the direction of the ground may be set to an appropriate sign according to the design of the aerosol generating device (100).

At time t ₁ , the aerosol generating device (100) starts to fall from the edge of the table to the ground. At time t ₁ , the vertical acceleration is still 0. After time t ₁ , at time t _{2 ,} the aerosol generating device (100) is in a free fall to the ground. Between time t ₁ and time t ₂ , only gravity acts on the aerosol generating device (100), and the vertical acceleration rapidly increases. However, the processor (130) may not be able to accurately determine whether the change in the vertical acceleration measured by the motion detection unit (170) is due to free fall or whether the user applied force to the aerosol generating device (100) to move it.

At time t ₃ , the aerosol generating device (100) is in a state of free fall, and the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) finally reaches the critical acceleration. In Fig. 5, for convenience of explanation, the critical acceleration is exemplified as being about 90% of the gravitational acceleration, but the critical acceleration may be changed and set to other values (e.g., 100% of the gravitational acceleration, 80% of the gravitational acceleration, 70% of the gravitational acceleration, etc.).

The processor (130) determines that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state only when it is determined that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) has reached a critical acceleration. Here, the predetermined falling state means a state in which the aerosol generating device (100) is freely falling with only gravitational acceleration acting on it without an external force. Even before the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) reaches the critical acceleration, the aerosol generating device (100) is in a free falling state, but the processor (130) can perform falling detection through comparison with the critical acceleration in order to more accurately determine whether it is an actual free falling state.

After time t ₃ , the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) can reach the acceleration due to gravity.

At time t ₄ , the aerosol generating device (100) may collide with the ground. At this time, the vertical acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) may change while rapidly decreasing and converging to 0. In this way, when an impact due to a drop occurs on the aerosol generating device (100), the removable battery (110) may be unintentionally separated from the aerosol generating device (100) or the contact of the removable battery (110) within the aerosol generating device (100) may be released.

Accordingly, the aerosol generating device (100) according to the present embodiment can execute a protection process to preserve system data of the aerosol generating device (100) for a period of time (e.g., a time between time points t ₃ and t ₄ in FIG. 5) before an actual impact occurs after detecting a predetermined falling state.

FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining drop detection of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 6, as the aerosol generating device (100) moves, the vertical acceleration may change accordingly, and the motion detection unit (170) detects the vertical acceleration. The processor (130) continuously monitors the change in the detected vertical acceleration.

The processor (130) determines that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state if it is determined that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) has exceeded the threshold acceleration after reaching the threshold acceleration. That is, the processor (130) can perform falling detection from the time point t _start of FIG. 6, indicating that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the threshold acceleration is exemplified as corresponding to a value of about 90% of the gravitational acceleration (g) (i.e., 0.9 g), but the threshold acceleration may be changed and set to another value (e.g., a value of 100% of the gravitational acceleration, a value of 80% of the gravitational acceleration, a value of 70% of the gravitational acceleration, etc.).

Meanwhile, the processor (130) can execute a protection process if it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state.

In one example, the processor (130) can execute the protection process immediately at the time point (time point t _start ) when it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state.

In another example, the processor (130) may execute the protection process if the predetermined falling state is maintained for a predetermined time after entering the predetermined falling state. In other words, the processor (130) may execute the protection process if the predetermined falling state is maintained and a predetermined time (e.g., 10 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, etc.) elapses after the _time point t start. This is because there may be a case where the user holds the aerosol generating device (100) before the impact occurs even though the predetermined falling state is detected.

That is, the timing at which the protection process is executed by the processor (130) according to the present embodiment is not limited to a single point in time, and may be variously changed depending on the design of the aerosol generating device (100).

FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using drop detection according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 7, the method for protecting an aerosol generating device (100) using drop detection corresponds to a process that is processed in time series in the drawings described above (for example, the aerosol generating device (100) of FIG. 1).

In step 701, the motion detection unit (170) detects vertical acceleration for the aerosol generating device (100). Here, vertical acceleration means acceleration in the direction in which gravity acts on the object, and the motion detection unit (170) can detect acceleration of the aerosol generating device (100) in the ground direction (i.e., vertical acceleration).

At step 702, the processor (130) monitors changes in the detected vertical acceleration. In one example, the processor (130) may continuously monitor changes in the values of the vertical acceleration. In another example, the processor (130) may monitor changes in the values of the vertical acceleration at predetermined sampling periods (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 100 ms, etc.). That is, the acceleration monitoring method of the processor (130) is not limited to any one method.

In step 703, the processor (130) determines whether the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration as a result of the monitoring. If the detected vertical acceleration does not exceed the threshold acceleration, the acceleration monitoring of step 702 is performed again. However, if the detected vertical acceleration exceeds the threshold acceleration, the falling determination of step 703 may be performed.

At step 704, the processor (130) determines whether the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state. The predetermined falling state means a state in which the aerosol generating device (100) is freely falling with only gravitational acceleration acting on it without an external force.

In one example, the processor (130) may determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state immediately when it is determined that the detected vertical acceleration has exceeded the threshold acceleration after reaching the threshold acceleration.

In another example, the processor (130) may determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state if the detected vertical acceleration exceeds a threshold acceleration and remains for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, etc.).

If it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered the predetermined falling state, the processor (130) performs step 705. However, if it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has not entered the predetermined falling state, the processor (130) performs acceleration monitoring of step 702 again.

At step 705, if the processor (130) determines that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state, the processor (130) executes a protection process for preserving system data of the aerosol generating device (100) before the removable battery (110) provided in the aerosol generating device (100) is detached due to impact. Here, the system data to be preserved includes data for controlling the heating function of the heater (120). In addition, the system data may further include usage data, etc. stored while the aerosol generating device (100) is in use.

The processor (130) completes execution of the protection process during a short period of time between the fall detection and the impact. The protection process may include, for example, a process of resetting a currently running system in the aerosol generating device (100). Alternatively, the protection process may include a process of suspending currently running processes in the aerosol generating device (100) and backing up system data while the currently running processes are suspended. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process of performing a system shutdown to turn off the power. In other words, the protection process may be a process that combines one or more of the processes exemplified above, or may include another process.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining execution of a protection process when a drop is detected in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. Referring to FIG. 8, a situation in which the aerosol generating device (100) described in FIG. 5 is falling will be explained as an example.

The processor (130) determines that the vertical acceleration detected by the motion detection unit (170) has reached a critical acceleration as a state of free fall of the aerosol generating device (100) at time t ₃ .

The processor (130) can immediately execute a protection process at time t ₃ when it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state.

The protection process may mean a process for preserving the system of the aerosol generating device (100) before an impact in order to prevent a failure of the aerosol generating device (100) due to battery separation caused by an impact. Here, preserving the system may include preserving system data including data required for controlling the heating operation of the heater (120) provided in the aerosol generating device and usage data stored while the aerosol generating device (100) is in use.

A protection process may include one or more different processes. Examples of protection processes are described below.

Specifically, 'protection process A' may be a process for resetting a system currently being operated in the aerosol generating device (100). For example, 'protection process A' may mean a reset operation for stopping control of the heating operation of the heater (120) to initialize the operation of the heater (120) when the heater (120) is currently being heated. Alternatively, 'protection process A' may mean a reset operation for initializing sensing operations of various sensors provided in the aerosol generating device (100), display operations of a user interface, etc. That is, 'protection process A' may correspond to a process for initializing the system of the aerosol generating device (100) so that functions currently being operated in the aerosol generating device (100) do not generate errors due to a sudden power cut.

Next, 'protection process B' may include a process of suspending processes currently running in the aerosol generating device (100) and backing up system data while the currently running processes are suspended.

Specifically, 'protection process B' may be a process for storing the current system status and data status of the aerosol generating device (100) as they are. For example, 'protection process B' may correspond to a process for instantly backing up system data regarding what functions were being executed in the aerosol generating device (100) and accumulated usage data, log data, etc. according to the use of the aerosol generating device (100) to the memory (150). That is, 'protection process B' may be a process for backing up data stored in the aerosol generating device (100) so that the system data in the aerosol generating device (100) is not lost due to a sudden power outage. Meanwhile, when 'protection process B' is executed, the processor (130) may execute a restoration process for restoring the aerosol generating device (100) to a previous system state based on the backup data when the occurrence of an impact to the aerosol generating device (100) is terminated.

'Protection process C' may be a process of performing a system shutdown of the aerosol generating device (100) to turn off the power. That is, 'protection process C' may mean performing a normal power-off process in advance to prevent the power from being abnormally turned off due to battery separation caused by impact.

According to the present embodiment, execution of the protection process by drop detection may mean performing only one process among the protection processes A, B, and C mentioned as examples, or may mean performing a combination of two or more processes among the protection processes A, B, and C. Alternatively, execution of the protection process according to the present embodiment may include performing, in addition to the protection processes A, B, and C mentioned as examples, another process for protecting the system of the aerosol generating device (100) while preventing a failure of the aerosol generating device (100) due to impact.

Meanwhile, the processor (130) may cut off the power supply from the removable battery (110) when the execution of the protection process is completed. That is, when the aerosol generating device (100) is dropped and an impact occurs, the power supply from the removable battery (110) may be cut off so that the user can turn on the aerosol generating device (100) after checking the damage status of the aerosol generating device (100) or the removable battery (110).

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining execution of a protection process by impact detection according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9, the processor (130) can monitor a change in voltage applied from the attached removable battery (110) using the voltage detection unit (180). For example, the voltage detection unit (180) can detect a voltage of 3.5 to 4 [V] when the removable battery (110) is attached, and can detect a voltage of 0 [V] when the removable battery (110) is detached. Accordingly, the processor (130) can detect attachment or detachment of the removable battery (110) by monitoring a change in voltage detected by the voltage detection unit (180).

If the removable battery (110) is suddenly separated from the aerosol generating device (100) due to an impact, the voltage detection unit (180) can detect a sudden voltage drop. That is, if a sudden voltage drop is detected and monitored by the voltage detection unit (180) even though the user is not normally separating the removable battery (110), the processor (130) can determine that an abnormal separation situation has occurred.

The graph (900) shows the voltage change detected by the voltage detection unit (180) over time. The processor (130) according to the present embodiment can determine that an impact has been applied to the aerosol generating device (100) if a sudden voltage drop exceeding a threshold voltage change occurs while monitoring the voltage change.

Specifically, when the removable battery (110) is normally mounted in the aerosol generating device (100), the voltage detection unit (180) detects that a voltage of about 4 [V] is applied and maintained. However, when an impact (time point t _impact ) is applied to the aerosol generating device (100) and the removable battery (110) is separated, the voltage detection unit (180) detects a rapid voltage drop from 4 [V] to 0 [V].

If the voltage decreases from the time point at which the impact is applied (time point t _impact ) and exceeds the threshold voltage change amount, the processor (130) may determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered an impact state. Here, the threshold voltage change amount may be set to an arbitrary change amount (e.g., 1.5 [V], 2 [V], 2.3 [V], etc.) depending on the design of the aerosol generating device (100).

In one example, the processor (130) may determine that a shock state has been entered immediately when the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit (180) is monitored to change by exceeding a threshold voltage change amount.

In another example, the processor (130) may determine that the shock state has been entered only when the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit (180) exceeds the threshold voltage change amount and then monitors that the voltage does not rise again and continues to drop for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 50 ms, etc.). This is because the shock may have been applied, but the removable battery (110) may not have been completely detached and reattached. In other words, the shock determination method of the processor (130) is not limited to any one.

If it is determined that a shock state has been entered, the processor (130) may execute a protection process at time t _start before the removable battery (110) is completely separated. Here, the processor (130) may execute a protection process exemplarily described in FIG. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detailed flowchart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using impact detection according to one embodiment. Referring to Fig. 10, the method for protecting an aerosol generating device (100) using impact detection corresponds to a process that is processed in time series in the drawings described above (for example, the aerosol generating device (100) of Fig. 1).

In step 1001, the voltage detection unit (180) detects the voltage applied by the removable battery (110). For example, when the removable battery (110) is coupled within the aerosol generating device (100), the voltage detection unit (180) can detect a voltage of about 3.5 to 4 [V].

At step 1002, the processor (130) monitors changes in the detected voltage. In one example, the processor (130) may continuously monitor changes in the voltage values. In another example, the processor (130) may monitor changes in the voltage values at predetermined sampling periods (e.g., 5 ms, 10 ms, 100 ms, etc.). That is, the voltage monitoring method of the processor (130) is not limited to any one method.

In step 1003, the processor (130) determines whether the detected voltage change (voltage decrease) as a result of the monitoring exceeds the threshold voltage change amount. If the detected voltage change does not exceed the threshold voltage change amount, the voltage monitoring of step 1002 is performed again. However, if the detected voltage change exceeds the threshold voltage change amount, the impact determination of step 1003 may be performed.

At step 1004, the processor (130) determines whether the aerosol generating device (100) has entered an impact state.

In one example, the processor (130) may immediately determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a shock state if it is determined that the detected voltage change has exceeded the threshold voltage change amount after reaching the threshold voltage change amount.

In another example, the processor (130) may determine that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered an impact state if the voltage drop continues while the detected voltage change exceeds a threshold voltage change amount for a predetermined period of time (e.g., 10 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, etc.). That is, the impact determination method of the processor (130) is not limited to any one.

If it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a shock state, the processor (130) performs step 1005. However, if it is determined that the aerosol generating device (100) has not entered a shock state, the processor (130) performs voltage monitoring of step 1002 again.

At step 1005, if the processor (130) determines that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered an impact state, it executes a protection process to preserve system data of the aerosol generating device (100) before the removable battery (110) provided in the aerosol generating device (100) is detached due to the impact.

The processor (130) completes execution of the protection process during a short period of time after the impact detection is performed until the impact occurs. The protection process may include, for example, a process of resetting a currently running system in the aerosol generating device (100). Alternatively, the protection process may include a process of suspending currently running processes in the aerosol generating device (100) and backing up system data while the currently running processes are suspended. Alternatively, the protection process may include a process of performing a system shutdown to turn off the power. In other words, the protection process may be a process that combines one or more of the processes exemplified above, or may include another process.

Meanwhile, in FIGS. 9 and 10, it has been described that impact detection for the aerosol generating device (100) is performed based on a change in voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit (180). However, the aerosol generating device (100) according to the present embodiment may perform impact detection using a method other than voltage detection of the voltage detecting unit (180). For example, a shock detection method may be utilized in which a sheet-shaped detection sensor capable of detecting pressure applied from the outside is installed in the aerosol generating device (100) and an impact is determined to have occurred when a change in external pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold value is detected.

FIG. 11 is a drawing for explaining the impact history of impacts generated in an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11, the processor (130) can manage impact history information (1100) regarding impacts that occurred in the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the impact history information (1100) can include information about the number of impacts that occurred, the time and date of impact occurrence, whether a protection process is executed, whether a battery is separated, etc. The impact history information (1100) can be updated while being stored in the memory (150).

In the impact history information (1100), the number of times an impact has occurred may represent the number of times a drop has been detected that exceeded a threshold acceleration or the number of times an impact has been detected that exceeded a threshold voltage change. If impacts are repeatedly applied to the aerosol generating device (100) or the removable battery (110), the aerosol generating device (100) or the removable battery (110) may malfunction. In particular, the removable battery (110) is a component that is easily damaged due to reduced durability caused by repeated impacts. Therefore, if a large number of impacts are applied to the removable battery (110), it may be desirable to replace the battery.

Accordingly, the processor (130) can manage the impact history information (1100) and perform control to notify the user of the risk of battery durability when the number of impacts reaches a certain number of times (for example, n times). For example, the processor (130) can control to provide a battery replacement notification through the user interface (140).

Fig. 12 is a flow chart of a method for protecting an aerosol generating device using drop detection according to one embodiment. The method of Fig. 12 corresponds to the steps performed in time series in the drawings described above. Therefore, even if the contents are omitted below, the contents described in the drawings described above can also be applied to the method of Fig. 12.

At step 1201, the motion detection unit (170) detects vertical acceleration for the aerosol generating device (100).

At step 1202, the processor (130) determines whether the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring the change in the detected vertical acceleration.

At step 1203, if the processor (130) determines that the aerosol generating device (100) has entered a predetermined falling state, it executes a protection process to preserve system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generating device (100) before the removable battery (110) provided in the aerosol generating device (100) is detached due to impact.

The above-described method can be written as a program executable on a computer, and can be implemented on a general-purpose digital computer that operates the program using a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. In addition, the structure of data used in the above-described method can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium by various means. The computer-readable recording medium includes a storage medium such as a magnetic storage medium (e.g., ROM, RAM, USB, floppy disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical reading medium (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.).

Those skilled in the art related to the present invention will understand that the disclosed methods can be implemented in modified forms without departing from the essential characteristics of the above-described description. Therefore, the disclosed methods should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Claims (15)

In an aerosol generating device, A motion detection unit for detecting vertical acceleration for the aerosol generating device; and A processor is included that determines whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring the change in the detected vertical acceleration. The above processor If it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state, a protection process is executed to preserve system data for controlling the heating function of the heater of the aerosol generating device before the removable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached due to impact. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above processor If the detected vertical acceleration is monitored to exceed the threshold acceleration, it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state. Aerosol generating device. In the second paragraph, The above critical acceleration is set to a value corresponding to a predetermined ratio of the acceleration of gravity, The above-mentioned predetermined falling state corresponds to a state in which the aerosol generating device is in free fall. Aerosol generating device. In the second paragraph, The above processor After entering the above predetermined falling state, if the above predetermined falling state is maintained for a predetermined time, the above protection process is executed. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above protection process A process for resetting a currently operating system in said aerosol generating device, Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above protection process A process for suspending currently running processes in the aerosol generating device and backing up system data while the currently running processes are suspended. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 6, The above system data is Including data required for controlling the heating operation of the heater provided in the aerosol generating device and usage data stored while the aerosol generating device is in use. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above processor When the execution of the above protection process is completed, the power supply from the removable battery is cut off. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above processor When the occurrence of the shock to the above aerosol generating device is terminated, a restoration process is executed to restore the previous system state. Aerosol generating device. In paragraph 1, The above processor When the above impact occurs to the above aerosol generating device, the impact history is stored. Aerosol generating device. A method for protecting an aerosol generating device using drop detection, comprising: A step of detecting vertical acceleration for the aerosol generating device using a motion detection unit; A step of determining whether the aerosol generating device has entered a predetermined falling state by monitoring a change in the detected vertical acceleration using a processor; and A step of executing a protection process for preserving system data for controlling a heating function of a heater of the aerosol generating device before a removable battery provided in the aerosol generating device is detached due to an impact, when the aerosol generating device is determined to have entered the predetermined falling state using the processor, method. In Article 11, The above judging steps are If the detected vertical acceleration is monitored to exceed the threshold acceleration, it is determined that the aerosol generating device has entered the predetermined falling state. method. In Article 11, The above critical acceleration is set to a value of a predetermined ratio of the acceleration of gravity, The above-mentioned predetermined falling state corresponds to a state in which the aerosol generating device is in free fall. method. In Article 11, The above protection process A process comprising at least one of a process for resetting a currently running system in the aerosol generating device and a process for suspending currently running processes in the aerosol generating device to back up system data while the currently running processes are suspended. method. In Article 11, Further comprising the step of executing a restoration process to restore the previous system state when the occurrence of the shock to the aerosol generating device is terminated. method.

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