JP7544860B2 - Suction device, terminal device, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a suction device, a terminal device, and a program.

Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that generate a substance to be inhaled by a user are in widespread use. For example, an inhalation device generates an aerosol imparted with a flavor component using a substrate that includes an aerosol source for generating an aerosol and a flavor source for imparting a flavor component to the generated aerosol. A user can taste the flavor by inhaling the aerosol imparted with the flavor component generated by the inhalation device.

The quality of the flavor experienced by the user is affected by how the base material is heated. In this regard, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for switchably setting a temperature setting that specifies the time series change in temperature of a heating device that heats the base material.

International Publication No. 2020/019122

However, the technology disclosed in the above-mentioned patent document 1 has only recently been developed, and there is still room for improvement in various respects.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the experience using a suction device.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an suction device comprising a communication unit that communicates with other devices, a heating unit that heats a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, and a control unit that controls the operation of the suction device, wherein the communication unit receives information indicating a detection criterion, and the control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user based on the detection criterion received by the communication unit.

The inhalation device may be equipped with a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature that changes when the aerosol is inhaled by a user, and the detection criterion may include a threshold value, and the control unit may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with the threshold value.

The detection criteria may include a threshold value and a filter coefficient, and the control unit may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied with the threshold value.

The detection criteria may include a plurality of thresholds set for each elapsed time from the start of heating, and the control unit may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on a threshold among the plurality of thresholds that corresponds to the elapsed time from the start of heating.

The communication unit may receive information indicating the operation settings of the suction device, including information indicating the detection criteria and a heating profile in which a time series progression of a target value of an actual measurement value measured for the heating unit is specified, and the control unit may control the operation of the suction device based on the received operation settings.

The detection criteria may be different for each heating profile.

The heating profile may first include an initial heating section, then an intermediate cooling section, and then a re-heating section, wherein the temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial heating section is higher than the initial temperature, the temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate cooling section is lower than the temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial heating section, and the temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the re-heating section is higher than the temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate cooling section.

The communication unit may receive first correction information for correcting the heating profile according to individual differences of the heating unit, and the control unit may correct the heating profile based on the first correction information and control the operation of the heating unit based on the corrected heating profile.

The communication unit receives second correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with deterioration of the heating unit, and the control unit may correct the heating profile based on the second correction information and control the operation of the suction device based on the corrected heating profile.

In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a terminal device in an inhalation device having a heating unit that heats a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, the terminal device including a communication unit that transmits information indicating a detection criterion used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user.

The detection criteria may include a threshold value, and the inhalation device may be equipped with a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature that changes when the aerosol is inhaled by a user, and may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with the threshold value.

The detection criteria may include a threshold value and a filter coefficient, and the suction device may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied with the threshold value.

The detection criteria may include a plurality of thresholds that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating, and the inhalation device may detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on a threshold among the plurality of thresholds that corresponds to the elapsed time from the start of heating.

The communication unit may transmit information indicating operation settings, which are information for setting the operation of the suction device, including information indicating the detection criteria and a heating profile in which a time series progression of a target value of an actual measured value measured for the heating unit is specified.

The detection criteria may be different for each heating profile.

The communication unit may transmit first correction information for correcting the heating profile according to individual differences of the heating unit.

The communication unit may transmit second correction information for correcting the heating profile in response to deterioration of the heating unit.

In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a program is provided for causing a computer to execute the following operation in an suction device having a heating unit that heats a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol: control a terminal device to transmit information indicating detection criteria used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user.

As described above, the present invention provides a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the experience using a suction device.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the internal configuration of a suction device. 1 is an overall perspective view of a suction device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a suction device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state in which a stick-shaped substrate is held. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 11 is a graph showing an example of a time series transition of an actual temperature of a heating unit operated based on the heating profile shown in Table 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by a terminal device according to the embodiment. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a switching process for operation settings to be used, which is executed in the system according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by a terminal device according to the embodiment. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a download process of an operation setting executed in the system according to the embodiment. FIG.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

<<1. Configuration example of suction device>>
The inhalation device is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas.

(1) Example of Internal Configuration Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a suction device. As shown in Fig. 1, a suction device 100 according to this example of configuration includes a power supply unit 111, a sensor unit 112, a notification unit 113, a storage unit 114, a communication unit 115, a control unit 116, a heating unit 121, a holding unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

The power supply unit 111 stores power. The power supply unit 111 then supplies power to each component of the suction device 100 based on the control of the control unit 116. The power supply unit 111 may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The sensor unit 112 acquires various information related to the suction device 100. As one example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with a pressure sensor such as a microphone capacitor, a flow sensor, or a temperature sensor, and acquires values associated with suction by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with an input device that accepts information input from the user, such as a button or switch.

The notification unit 113 notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

The memory unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100. The memory unit 114 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such a communication standard may be, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The control unit 116 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor.

The holding part 140 has an internal space 141, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while accommodating a part of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The holding part 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 from the opening 142. For example, the holding part 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and the bottom part 143 as the bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. The holding part 140 also has the function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the stick-shaped substrate 150. An air inlet hole, which is the entrance of air to such a flow path, is arranged in, for example, the bottom part 143. On the other hand, an air outlet hole, which is the exit of air from such a flow path, is the opening 142.

The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a suction mouth portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. In this configuration example, the aerosol source is not limited to a liquid, but may be a solid. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held by the holding portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is contained in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the suction mouth portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds the suction mouth portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in his/her mouth and sucks, air flows into the internal space 141 from an air inlet hole (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

The heating unit 121 generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the heating unit 121 is configured in a film shape and arranged to cover the outer periphery of the holding unit 140. When the heating unit 121 generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated. The heating unit 121 generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111. As an example, power may be supplied when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has started inhaling and/or that specific information has been input. When the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has stopped inhaling and/or that specific information has been input, power supply may be stopped.

The insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121 to other components. For example, the insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum insulating material or an aerogel insulating material.

The above describes an example configuration of the suction device 100. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100 is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

As one example, the heating unit 121 may be configured in a blade shape and arranged to protrude from the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140 into the internal space 141. In that case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be arranged to cover the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the holding unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the holding unit 140.

As another example, the holding unit 140 may include an opening/closing mechanism such as a hinge that opens and closes a portion of the outer shell that forms the internal space 141. The holding unit 140 may then clamp the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 by opening and closing the outer shell. In this case, the heating unit 121 may be provided at the clamping location in the holding unit 140, and may heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

In addition, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating.

(2) Exterior Configuration Example Fig. 2 is an overall perspective view of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is an overall perspective view of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment in a state in which a stick-type substrate 150 is held.

2 and 3, the inhalation device 100 has a top housing 11A, a bottom housing 11B, a cover 12, a switch 13, a lid portion 14, an air vent 15, and a cap 16. The top housing 11A and the bottom housing 11B are connected to each other to form the outermost outer housing 11 of the inhalation device 100. The outer housing 11 is sized to fit in the user's hand. When the user uses the inhalation device 100, the user can hold the inhalation device 100 in their hand and inhale the flavor.

The top housing 11A has an opening (not shown), and the cover 12 is coupled to the top housing 11A so as to close the opening. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 12 has an opening 142 into which the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be inserted. The lid 14 is configured to open and close the opening 142 of the cover 12. Specifically, the lid 14 is attached to the cover 12 and configured to be movable along the surface of the cover 12 between a first position that closes the opening 142 and a second position that opens the opening 142. This allows the lid 14 to permit or restrict access of the stick-shaped substrate 150 to the inside of the suction device 100 (the internal space 141 shown in FIG. 1). The state in which the lid 14 is in the second position and the lid 14 opens the opening 142 is also referred to as an open state below. The state in which the lid 14 is in the first position and the lid 14 closes the opening 142 is also referred to as a closed state below.

The switch 13 is used to switch the operation of the inhalation device 100 on and off. For example, the user can operate the switch 13 while inserting the stick-type substrate 150 into the internal space 141 from the opening 142 as shown in FIG. 3, whereby power is supplied from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121, and the stick-type substrate 150 can be heated without burning. When the stick-type substrate 150 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the stick-type substrate 150, and the flavor of the flavor source is taken into the aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol containing the flavor by inhaling the part of the stick-type substrate 150 protruding from the inhalation device 100 (the part shown in FIG. 3, i.e., the mouthpiece portion 152).

The vent 15 is a vent for introducing air into the internal space 141. The air taken into the inside of the suction device 100 from the vent 15 is introduced into the internal space 141 from an air inlet hole formed in the bottom 143 of the holding part 140, for example. The cap 16 is configured to be detachable from the bottom housing 11B. The cap 16 is attached to the bottom housing 11B to form the vent 15 between the bottom housing 11B and the cap 16. The cap 16 may have, for example, a through hole or a notch not shown. In this specification, the longitudinal direction of the suction device 100 refers to the direction in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the opening 142. In addition, in the suction device 100 of this specification, the side into which a fluid such as air flows in (for example, the vent 15 side) is the upstream side, and the side from which the fluid flows out (for example, the opening 142 side) is the downstream side.

＜＜2. Technical features＞＞
(1) System Configuration Example Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, the system 1 includes a suction device 100 and a terminal device 200.

-Configuration of inhalation device 100 The configuration of inhalation device 100 is as described above. Hereinafter, the inhalation of the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100 by the user will also be referred to simply as "inhalation" or "puffing." In addition, the action of the user inhaling will also be referred to hereinafter as a puffing action.

The inhalation device 100 according to this embodiment generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing an aerosol source. The heating unit 121 heats the substrate containing the aerosol source to generate an aerosol. The stick-shaped substrate 150 is an example of a substrate in this embodiment.

-Configuration of Terminal Device 200 The terminal device 200 is a device used by a user of the suction device 100. For example, the terminal device 200 is configured by any information processing device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a wearable device. As shown in Fig. 4, the terminal device 200 includes an input unit 210, an output unit 220, a communication unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a control unit 250.

The input unit 210 has a function of accepting input of various information. The input unit 210 may include an input device that accepts input of information from a user. Examples of the input device include a button, a keyboard, a touch panel, and a microphone. In addition, the input unit 210 may include various sensors such as an image sensor.

The output unit 220 has a function of outputting information. The output unit 220 may include an output device that outputs information to the user. Examples of the output device include a display device that displays information, a light-emitting device that emits light, a vibration device that vibrates, and a sound output device that outputs sound. An example of a display device is a display. An example of a light-emitting device is an LED (Light Emitting Diode). An example of a vibration device is an eccentric motor. An example of a sound output device is a speaker. The output unit 220 notifies the user of the information by outputting the information input from the control unit 250.

The communication unit 230 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the terminal device 200 and other devices. The communication unit 230 performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such communication standards may include, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The memory unit 240 stores various information for the operation of the terminal device 200. The memory unit 240 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

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

The functions of the control unit 250 may be realized using an application. The application may be pre-installed or may be downloaded. The functions of the control unit 250 may be realized by PWA (Progressive Web Apps).

-Inter-Device Communication The suction device 100 is capable of communicating with other devices. The communication link used for communication between the suction device 100 and other devices may be wireless or wired. In this specification, the communication link will be described as being wireless.

In particular, the suction device 100 establishes a connection with another paired device and transmits and receives information. Pairing is a process in which two devices exchange and store information with each other. One example of the information exchanged is the other party's identification information, such as the SSID (Service Set Identifier), and information regarding the encryption key used to encrypt the information transmitted and received.

The suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 first perform pairing, and then transmit and receive information. It is preferable that the wireless communication standard used for wireless communication between the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 is a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth. In that case, when the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are located within a range where short-range wireless communication is possible, they can establish a connection and communicate. In the following, it is assumed that the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 communicate in accordance with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)).

A connection between the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 may be established when a predetermined condition is satisfied. One example of a predetermined condition is that the state of the lid portion 14 has changed to an open state. Another example of a predetermined condition is that charging of the power supply unit 111 has started. When the suction device 100 is connected to an external power source, for example via a Universal Serial Bus (USB), the suction device 100 starts charging the power supply unit 111. When any of these predetermined conditions is satisfied, the suction device 100 starts transmitting an advertisement, establishes a connection with the terminal device 200 that has received the advertisement, and starts transmitting and receiving information.

The connection between the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 may be disconnected when a predetermined condition is satisfied. One example of the predetermined condition is when the state of the lid portion 14 has changed to the closed state. Another example of the predetermined condition is when charging of the power supply unit 111 has finished. The suction device 100 finishes charging the power supply unit 111 when, for example, the connection to the external power source is released. The suction device 100 disconnects the connection with the terminal device 200 when, for example, any of these predetermined conditions is satisfied, no operation by the user is detected for a predetermined period of time or more, and no information is being transmitted or received.

(2) Operation Settings The suction device 100 operates based on operation settings. An operation setting is information for setting the operation of the suction device 100. The suction device 100 may store one or more operation settings. Of the one or more operation settings stored in the suction device 100, the operation setting used by the suction device 100 is also referred to as the operation setting of the target of use. That is, the suction device 100 operates based on the operation setting of the target of use. More specifically, the control unit 116 controls the operation of each component of the suction device 100, including the heating unit 121, based on the operation setting of the target of use. An example of an operation setting is described below.

(2.1) Heating Profile The operation setting may include a heating profile. The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile. The heating profile is information indicating the time series transition of the target value of the value (hereinafter also referred to as the actual measurement value) measured for the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 so that the time series transition of the actual measurement value measured for the heating unit 121 is similar to the time series transition of the target value defined in the heating profile. As a result, the aerosol is generated as planned by the heating profile. The heating profile is typically designed so that the flavor tasted by the user when the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-type substrate 150 is optimized. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, the flavor tasted by the user can be optimized.

- Heating profile related to temperature The actual measurement value may be the temperature of the heating unit 121. In this case, the heating profile is information that specifies the time series transition of the target temperature, which is the target value of the temperature of the heating unit 121. The control unit 116 controls the temperature of the heating unit 121 so that the time series transition of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the actual temperature) becomes similar to the time series transition of the target temperature specified in the heating profile. This makes it possible to optimize the flavor that the user tastes.

The heating profile includes one or more combinations of the elapsed time since the start of heating and the target temperature to be reached at that elapsed time. The control unit 116 then controls the temperature of the heating unit 121 based on the deviation between the target temperature in the heating profile corresponding to the elapsed time since the start of the current heating and the current actual temperature. The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. Specifically, the control unit 116 causes the power from the power supply unit 111 to be supplied to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In that case, the control unit 116 can control the temperature of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

In feedback control, the control unit 116 may control the power supplied to the heating unit 121, for example the duty ratio described above, based on the difference between the actual temperature and the target temperature. The feedback control may be, for example, a proportional-integral-differential controller (PID) control. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may perform simple ON-OFF control. For example, the control unit 116 may perform heating by the heating unit 121 until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, stop heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and perform heating by the heating unit 121 again when the actual temperature becomes lower than the target temperature.

The temperature of the heating section 121 can be quantified, for example, by measuring or estimating the resistance value (more precisely, the electrical resistance value) of the heating section 121 (more precisely, the heating resistor that constitutes the heating section 121). This is because the resistance value of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The resistance value of the heating resistor can be estimated, for example, by measuring the amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor. The amount of voltage drop across the heating resistor can be measured by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. In another example, the temperature of the heating section 121 can be measured by a temperature sensor installed near the heating section 121.

The time period from the start to the end of the process of generating aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150, more specifically, the time period during which the heating unit 121 operates based on the heating profile, is also referred to as a heating session below. The start of a heating session is the timing when heating based on the heating profile starts. The end of a heating session is the timing when a sufficient amount of aerosol is no longer generated. A heating session consists of a pre-heating period in the first half and a puffable period in the second half. The puffable period is the period during which a sufficient amount of aerosol is expected to be generated. The pre-heating period is the period from the start of heating to the start of the puffable period. Heating performed in the pre-heating period is also referred to as pre-heating.

An example of a heating profile is shown in Table 1 below.

The time series transition of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 when the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 according to the heating profile shown in Table 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a graph showing an example of the time series transition of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 operating based on the heating profile shown in Table 1. The horizontal axis of this graph is time (seconds). The vertical axis of this graph is the temperature of the heating unit 121. Line 21 in this graph shows the time series transition of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121. Furthermore, points 22 (22A to 22F) in this graph show the target temperature specified in the heating profile. As shown in FIG. 5, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 transitions in the same way as the time series transition of the target temperature specified in the heating profile.

As shown in Table 1, the heating profile includes an initial heating section at the beginning. The initial heating section is a time section included at the beginning of the heating profile, and is a section in which the target temperature set at the end is higher than the initial temperature. The initial temperature is a temperature assumed as the temperature of the heating section 121 before the start of heating. An example of the initial temperature is an arbitrary temperature such as 0°C. Another example of the initial temperature is a temperature corresponding to the air temperature. As shown in FIG. 5, according to the target temperature set in the initial heating section, the actual temperature of the heating section 121 reaches 295°C 25 seconds after the start of heating and is maintained at 295°C until 35 seconds after the start of heating. This allows the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 to reach a temperature at which a sufficient amount of aerosol is generated. By raising the temperature to 295°C at once immediately after the start of heating, it is possible to end the preheating early and start the puffable period early. Note that, although an example in which the initial heating section and the preheating period coincide is shown in FIG. 5, they may be different.

As shown in Table 1, the heating profile next includes an intermediate temperature drop section. The intermediate temperature drop section is a time section following the initial temperature rise section, in which the target temperature set at the end is lower than the target temperature set at the end of the initial temperature rise section. As shown in FIG. 5, in accordance with the target temperature set in the intermediate temperature drop section, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 drops from 295°C to 230°C from 35 seconds to 45 seconds after the start of heating. In this section, power supply to the heating unit 121 may be stopped. Even in this case, a sufficient amount of aerosol is generated by the residual heat of the heating unit 121 and the stick-type substrate 150. Here, if the heating unit 121 is maintained at a high temperature, the aerosol source contained in the stick-type substrate 150 is rapidly consumed, which may cause inconveniences such as the user tasting an excessively strong flavor. In this regard, by providing an intermediate temperature drop section, such inconveniences can be avoided and the quality of the user's puff experience can be improved.

As shown in Table 1, the heating profile next includes a reheating section. The reheating section is a time section following the intermediate temperature drop section, in which the target temperature set at the end is higher than the target temperature set at the end of the intermediate temperature drop section. As shown in FIG. 5, in accordance with the target temperature set in the reheating section, the actual temperature of the heating section 121 rises stepwise from 230°C to 260°C from 45 seconds to 355 seconds after the start of heating. If the heating section 121 continues to be cooled, the stick-shaped substrate 150 also drops in temperature, which reduces the amount of aerosol generated and may deteriorate the flavor experienced by the user. In this regard, by raising the temperature again after lowering the temperature, it is possible to prevent the flavor experienced by the user from deteriorating even in the latter half of the heating session.

As shown in Table 1, the heating profile includes a heating end section at the end. The heating end section is a time section after the reheating section, in which heating is not performed. A target temperature does not have to be set. As shown in FIG. 5, the actual temperature of the heating section 121 drops after 355 seconds from the start of heating. Power supply to the heating section 121 may be terminated 355 seconds after the start of heating. Even in that case, a sufficient amount of aerosol is generated for a while due to the residual heat of the heating section 121 and the stick-shaped substrate 150. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the puffable period, i.e., the heating session, ends 365 seconds after the start of heating.

The user may be notified of the start and end timing of the puffable period. Furthermore, the user may be notified of the timing a predetermined time before the end of the puffable period (for example, the timing when power supply to the heating unit 121 ends). In this case, the user can use the notification as a reference to puff during the puffable period.

Heating Profile Regarding Resistance Value The actual measurement value may be the resistance value of the heating unit 121. This point will be described below.

As described above, when the resistance value of the heating unit 121 changes according to the temperature of the heating unit 121, it can be said that the temperature of the heating unit 121 is synonymous with the resistance value of the heating unit 121. Therefore, the target temperature of the heating unit 121 can also be indicated by the resistance value of the heating unit 121. That is, the parameter in the heating profile may be the resistance value of the heating unit 121 corresponding to the target temperature. In that case, the heating profile is information in which the time series transition of the target resistance value, which is the target value of the resistance value of the heating unit 121, is specified. The suction device 100 controls the resistance value of the heating unit 121 so that the time series transition of the actual resistance value of the heating unit 121 is similar to the time series transition of the target resistance value specified in the heating profile. The control of the resistance value of the heating unit 121 can be realized, for example, by known feedback control. Specifically, the control unit 116 supplies power from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116 can adjust the duty ratio of the power pulse to control the resistance value of the heating unit 121. With this configuration, it is possible to change the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 in the same way as in the case where the heating profile specifies the time series change of the target temperature.

Note that the temperature of the heating unit 121 corresponds to the resistance value of the heating unit 121, but the resistance value corresponding to the temperature of the heating unit 121 depends on the characteristics of the heating unit 121 and the environmental temperature. Therefore, if the characteristics or environmental temperature of the heating unit 121 are different, the target resistance value corresponding to the target temperature will be different even if the target temperature is the same.

Below, we will mainly explain an example in which the actual measured value is the resistance value of the heating section 121 and the target value in the heating profile is the target resistance value.

(2.2) High Temperature Protection Threshold The operation settings may include a high temperature protection threshold. The high temperature protection threshold is a threshold used to prevent inconvenience caused by high temperatures, which will be described later. The high temperature protection threshold will be described below.

The inhalation device 100 includes a first temperature detection unit that detects temperature as the sensor unit 112. An example of the first temperature detection unit is a thermistor. A thermistor is a resistor whose electrical resistance value changes in response to temperature changes, and is capable of detecting temperature based on the electrical resistance value. The first temperature detection unit detects the temperature of a portion of the inhalation device 100 that is expected to be touched by the user when inhaling the aerosol. As an example, the first temperature detection unit is provided near the outer housing 11 and detects the temperature of the outer housing 11. In that case, it is possible to detect the temperature felt by the user when the user holds the inhalation device 100 in his or her hand and uses it.

The control unit 116 then controls the operation of the heating unit 121 depending on whether the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit exceeds the high temperature protection threshold. With this configuration, it is possible to realize heating according to the temperature felt by the user's hand.

Specifically, the control unit 116 prohibits power supply to the heating unit 121 when the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit exceeds the high temperature protection threshold. Therefore, if heating by the heating unit 121 is in progress, heating is interrupted. Also, heating is not started before heating by the heating unit 121 is started. With this configuration, for example, heating can be interrupted before the outer housing 11 becomes excessively hot, or heating can be prevented from starting if it is expected that the outer housing 11 will become excessively hot. Therefore, it is possible to prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures, such as burns to the user.

On the other hand, the control unit 116 allows power to be supplied to the heating unit 121 when the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit is equal to or lower than the high temperature protection threshold. Therefore, if heating by the heating unit 121 is in progress, heating continues. Also, before heating by the heating unit 121 is in progress, heating is started in response to pressing the switch 13. With this configuration, it is possible to deliver an aerosol to the user by performing heating within a range that can prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures.

The operation setting may include a plurality of high temperature protection thresholds set for each elapsed time from the start of heating. In that case, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 depending on whether the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit exceeds a high temperature protection threshold corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of heating among the plurality of high temperature protection thresholds. As an example, the operation setting includes a high temperature protection threshold TH _A to be used after _TA seconds have elapsed since the start of heating based on the heating profile, and a high temperature protection threshold TH _B to be used after _TB seconds have elapsed. In that case, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the high temperature protection threshold TH _A after _TA seconds have elapsed since the start of heating based on the heating profile, and based on the high temperature protection threshold TH _B after _TB seconds have elapsed. The temperature of the heating unit 121 changes depending on the elapsed time from the start of heating based on the heating profile, and the temperature expected to be detected by the first temperature detection unit may also change accordingly. In this regard, according to such a configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures.

The high temperature protection threshold may be different for each heating profile. That is, a high temperature protection threshold may be set for each heating profile. The temperature expected to be detected by the first temperature detection unit may differ for each heating profile. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures.

(2.3) Puff Detection Criteria The operation settings may include puff detection criteria. The puff detection criteria are detection criteria used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user. The puff detection criteria will be described below.

The inhalation device 100 includes a second temperature detection unit as the sensor unit 112, which detects the temperature change when the aerosol is inhaled by the user. An example of the second temperature detection unit is a thermistor. The second temperature detection unit is disposed near the aerosol flow path, for example, near the holding unit 140. When the user puffs, in exchange for the aerosol being inhaled by the user, outside air that has not been affected by heating by the heating unit 121 flows into the aerosol flow path, and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit decreases. The puff detection criterion is a criterion for detecting that the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit has decreased due to a puff.

The puff detection criteria include a puff detection threshold. The puff detection threshold is a threshold used for puff detection. The control unit 116 detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit with the puff detection threshold. An example of a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit is an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit into a filter. Such an output value corresponds to the decrease in temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit. An example of a filter is a digital filter such as an FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filter and an IIR (Infinite Impulse Response) filter. For example, the control unit 116 may detect that a puff has been performed when the output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit into a filter exceeds the puff detection threshold. According to this configuration, it is possible to detect a puff based on the decrease in the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit due to a puff.

The puff detection criteria may further include a puff detection filter coefficient in addition to the puff detection threshold. The puff detection filter coefficient is a coefficient of a filter used for puff detection. The control unit 116 detects that aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit into a filter to which the puff detection filter coefficient is applied with the puff detection threshold. For example, the control unit 116 detects that a puff has been performed when an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit into a filter to which the puff detection filter coefficient is applied exceeds the puff detection threshold. By using a filter to which an appropriate puff detection filter coefficient is applied, it is possible to improve the accuracy of puff detection.

The puff detection criterion may include a plurality of puff detection thresholds set for each elapsed time from the start of heating. In that case, the control unit 116 detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on the puff detection threshold corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of heating among the plurality of puff detection thresholds. As an example, the puff detection criterion includes a puff detection threshold TH _A to be used after T _A seconds have elapsed since the start of heating based on the heating profile, and a puff detection threshold TH _B to be used after T _B seconds have elapsed. In that case, the inhalation device 100 detects a puff based on the puff detection threshold TH _A after T _A seconds have elapsed since the start of heating based on the heating profile, and based on the puff detection threshold TH _B after T _B seconds have elapsed. The temperature of the heating unit 121 changes according to the elapsed time from the start of heating based on the heating profile, and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit may change accordingly. In this regard, according to such a configuration, it is possible to improve the accuracy of puff detection.

The puff detection criteria may be different for each heating profile. That is, the puff detection criteria may be set for each heating profile. Considering that the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit may differ for each heating profile, such a configuration makes it possible to improve the puff detection accuracy.

(2.4) Threshold for determining low battery level The operation settings may include a threshold for determining low battery level. The threshold for determining low battery level is a threshold used to detect a decrease in the remaining amount of power stored in the power supply unit 111. The threshold for determining low battery level will be described below.

As an example, the threshold for determining a decrease in the remaining battery level is set as a value equal to or greater than the amount of power used by the heating unit 121 to perform a process of heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 to generate an aerosol a specified number of times. The process of heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 to generate an aerosol is performed once for each stick-shaped substrate 150, and the specified number of times corresponds to the number of stick-shaped substrates 150 consumed. Consumption here refers to heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on the heating profile from start to finish without interruption. In other words, the threshold for determining a decrease in the remaining battery level is a value equal to or greater than the amount of power used to consume a specified number of stick-shaped substrates 150. With this configuration, the suction device 100 can determine whether the power supply unit 111 has sufficient remaining power to consume a specified number of stick-shaped substrates 150.

The specified number may be 1. In that case, the suction device 100 can determine whether or not it has enough power remaining to consume one stick-shaped substrate 150.

The control unit 116 compares the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 with a threshold for judging a decrease in the remaining battery power, and controls the operation of the suction device 100 based on the comparison result. As an example, the control unit 116 may prohibit heating by the heating unit 121 when the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 falls below the threshold for judging a decrease in the remaining battery power. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is partially consumed due to insufficient remaining power. As another example, the control unit 116 may prohibit the execution of a procedure for establishing a connection between the suction device 100 and another device (e.g., the terminal device 200) when the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 falls below the threshold for judging a decrease in the remaining battery power. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the specified number of stick-shaped substrates 150 cannot be consumed due to insufficient remaining power even after the connection procedure is executed.

The remaining power of the power supply unit 111 is measured by any method. As one example, the control unit 116 may measure the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 based on the voltage of the power supply unit 111. As another example, the control unit 116 may measure the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 based on the SOC (State of Charge) or RC (Residual Charge) of a battery level gauge.

The threshold for determining whether the remaining battery power is low may be different for each heating profile. That is, a threshold for determining whether the remaining battery power is low may be set for each heating profile. The amount of power consumed to consume one stick-shaped substrate 150 may differ for each heating profile. Therefore, with this configuration, it becomes possible to more accurately determine the decrease in the remaining power power of the power supply unit 111.

(3) Switching of Operation Settings The suction device 100 is capable of switching the operation settings of the object to be used.

The appropriate operation settings may differ depending on the type of stick-type substrate 150. For example, the appropriate operation settings may differ depending on the type and composition of the aerosol source and flavor source contained in the stick-type substrate 150. In this regard, by switching the operation settings to be used depending on the type of stick-type substrate 150, it is possible to improve the quality of the user experience.

Operation settings according to the user's preferences may be used as the operation settings to be used. For example, between an operation setting that generates a large amount of aerosol per unit time and an operation setting that generates a small amount of aerosol per unit time, which operation setting is preferred may differ from user to user. In this regard, by switching the operation setting to be used according to the user's preferences, the quality of the user experience can be improved.

The switching method is arbitrary. As one example, the suction device 100 may switch the operation settings of the object to be used based on a user operation on the suction device 100. As another example, the suction device 100 may switch the operation settings of the object to be used based on a signal received from the terminal device 200. As another example, the suction device 100 may identify the inserted stick-type substrate 150 and switch the operation settings of the object to be used based on the identification result. The stick-type substrate 150 is identified, for example, by image recognition of a two-dimensional code or the like provided on the stick-type substrate 150.

Below, we will explain in detail an example in which the suction device 100 switches the operation settings of the target device based on a signal received from the terminal device 200.

- Transmission of information indicating operation settings stored in suction device 100 The suction device 100 transmits information indicating the operation settings stored in storage unit 114. Such information is received by terminal device 200. This allows terminal device 200 to grasp the operation settings stored in suction device 100.

The terminal device 200 may transmit information requesting the transmission of information indicating operation settings. When the suction device 100 receives information requesting the transmission of information indicating operation settings, the suction device 100 transmits the information indicating the operation settings requested to be transmitted in the received information. According to this configuration, the terminal device 200 can obtain information indicating operation settings from the suction device 100 as necessary.

The suction device 100 may transmit identification information corresponding to the operation setting as information indicating the operation setting. One example of the identification information is a number corresponding to the operation setting. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of communication compared to the case where the operation setting itself is transmitted.

When the terminal device 200 receives information indicating the operation settings stored in the suction device 100, the terminal device 200 performs processing based on the received information. As an example, the terminal device 200 outputs the information indicating the received operation settings. With this configuration, the user can easily understand the operation settings stored in the suction device 100.

- Display of usable operation settings The terminal device 200 outputs information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. One example of the information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used is information indicating operation settings that have already been stored in the suction device 100. Another example of the information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used is information indicating operation settings that can be downloaded to the suction device 100 (for example, transmitted from the terminal device 200 to the suction device 100). An example of a UI (User Interface) will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the terminal device 200 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 is capable of using "operation setting 1", "operation setting 2", and "operation setting 3" as the operation settings to be used. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the display screen 30A displays icons 31A to 31C indicating three operation settings as information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. This configuration allows the user to easily understand that the suction device 100 can use "operation setting 1", "operation setting 2", and "operation setting 3".

The terminal device 200 may store information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used in the storage unit 240. In this case, the terminal device 200 outputs information stored in the storage unit 240 indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. For example, each time the terminal device 200 downloads an operation setting to the suction device 100, it stores which operation setting has been downloaded to the suction device 100 and outputs information indicating the downloaded operation setting. With this configuration, even if the terminal device 200 is not communicating with the suction device 100, it is possible to output information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used.

Alternatively, the terminal device 200 may obtain and output information indicating all operation settings stored in the suction device 100 from the suction device 100. In this case, the terminal device 200 transmits information requesting transmission of information indicating all operation settings stored in the suction device 100. When the suction device 100 receives such information, it transmits information indicating all operation settings stored in the storage unit 114. Then, the terminal device 200 outputs the received information indicating all operation settings stored in the suction device 100 as information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. Considering that the suction device 100 may download operation settings from a device other than the terminal device 200, such a configuration enables the terminal device 200 to output accurate information.

Display of Operation Settings of the Target The terminal device 200 outputs information indicating the operation settings currently being used by the suction device 100, that is, the operation settings of the target. An example of the UI will be described with reference to FIG.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the terminal device 200 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 is assumed to be capable of using "operation setting 1", "operation setting 2" or "operation setting 3" as the operation setting to be used. Therefore, as shown in Figure 7, the display screen 30B displays icons 31A to 31C indicating three operation settings as information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. Furthermore, when the operation setting to be used by the suction device 100 is "operation setting 1", the terminal device 200 focuses on the icon 31A corresponding to "operation setting 1" as shown in Figure 7. With this configuration, the user can easily understand that the suction device 100 operates based on "operation setting 1".

The terminal device 200 may store information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100 in the storage unit 240. In this case, the terminal device 200 outputs the information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100 stored in the storage unit 240. For example, the terminal device 200 may transmit a request to switch the operation settings of the object to be used to the suction device 100, as described below, and may output information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100 based on the transmission history. With this configuration, the terminal device 200 is able to output information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100 even when it is not communicating with the suction device 100.

Alternatively, the terminal device 200 may obtain and output information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100 from the suction device 100. In this case, the terminal device 200 transmits information requesting the transmission of information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100. When the suction device 100 receives such information, it transmits information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used. Then, the terminal device 200 outputs the received information indicating the operation settings of the object to be used in the suction device 100. Considering that the suction device 100 may switch the operation settings of the object to be used due to factors other than instructions from the terminal device 200, this configuration enables the terminal device 200 to output accurate information.

- Switching of operation settings of the target of use The suction device 100 can switch the operation settings of the target of use from among the operation settings stored in the storage unit 114. For example, the suction device 100 can switch the operation settings of the target of use to operation settings suitable for the type of stick-type substrate 150, operation settings according to the user's preferences, etc., based on an instruction from the terminal device 200. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the quality of the user experience.

The terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to select a destination operation setting. For example, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to select an operation setting other than the currently targeted operation setting as a destination operation setting on a display screen that displays information indicating one or more operation settings that can be used as the target operation setting. In the display screen 30B shown in FIG. 7, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to select an icon 31B or 31C. The display screen 30B may be displayed on a touch panel that also serves as the input unit 210 and the output unit 220. In that case, the user can select a destination operation setting by touching the icon 31B or 31C.

When the terminal device 200 receives a user operation to select a destination operation setting, it transmits information instructing the operation setting to be used to be switched to the selected destination operation setting. For example, identification information indicating the destination operation setting may be transmitted as the information indicating the destination operation setting. When the suction device 100 receives such information, it switches the operation setting to be used to the destination operation setting instructed by the received information. The suction device 100 then operates based on the operation setting to be used after the switch. With this configuration, the user can switch to a desired operation setting via the terminal device 200.

When the switching of the operation settings of the target to be used is completed, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the switching of the operation settings of the target to be used is completed. When the terminal device 200 receives such information, it outputs information indicating the operation settings of the target to be used after the switching. For example, the terminal device 200 displays information indicating the operation settings of the target to be used after the switching on a display screen that displays information indicating one or more operation settings that can be used as the operation settings of the target to be used. For example, an example UI in the case where a user operation is performed to select the icon 31B corresponding to "operation setting 2" on the display screen 30B shown in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the terminal device 200 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 is assumed to be capable of using "operation setting 1", "operation setting 2" and "operation setting 3" as operation settings to be used. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the display screen 30C displays icons 31A to 31C indicating three operation settings as information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. Furthermore, since the operation setting to be used after the switch is "operation setting 2", the terminal device 200 focuses on the icon 31B corresponding to "operation setting 2" as shown in Figure 8. With this configuration, the user can easily understand that the operation setting to be used has been switched from "operation setting 1" to "operation setting 2".

9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a process for switching the operation settings of an object to be used, which is executed in the system 1 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are involved in this sequence.

As shown in FIG. 9, first, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 establish a connection (step S102).

Next, the terminal device 200 outputs information indicating one or more operation settings that can be used by the suction device 100 as the operation setting to be used (step S104). For example, the terminal device 200 outputs the display screen 30A shown in FIG. 6.

Next, the terminal device 200 transmits information requesting transmission of information indicating the operation settings of the target of use in the suction device 100 (step S106). When the suction device 100 receives such information, it transmits information indicating the operation settings of the target of use (step S108). Then, when the terminal device 200 receives such information, it outputs the received information indicating the operation settings of the target of use in the suction device 100 (step S110). For example, the terminal device 200 outputs the display screen 30B shown in FIG. 7.

Next, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to select a destination operation setting (step S112). The terminal device 200 then transmits information instructing the operation setting to be used to be switched to the selected destination operation setting (step S114). When the suction device 100 receives this information, it switches the operation setting to be used to the operation setting instructed by the received information (step S116).

Thereafter, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the switching of the operation settings of the target to be used has been completed (step S118). When the terminal device 200 receives such information, it outputs information indicating the operation settings of the target to be used after the switching (step S120). For example, the terminal device 200 outputs the display screen 30C shown in FIG. 8.

(4) Downloading of Operation Settings The terminal device 200 may transmit information indicating the operation settings to download new operation settings to the suction device 100. For example, the terminal device 200 transmits information indicating the operation settings downloaded from a server to the suction device 100. The suction device 100 then stores the operation settings indicated by the received information in the storage unit 114. Thereafter, when the newly stored operation settings are selected as the operation settings to be used, the suction device 100 operates based on the newly stored operation settings. With this configuration, the user can download a desired operation setting to the suction device 100 via the terminal device 200.

(4.1) Contents of Information Indicating Operation Settings An example of information indicating operation settings transmitted and received for downloading is shown in Table 2 below.

As shown in Table 2 above, the information indicating the operation setting includes the target resistance value, time, first correction information, and puff detection threshold as information for each step. A step is a time interval obtained by dividing the heating profile in the time direction. The information of a certain step is used when the time elapsed since heating based on the heating profile was started is included in the step. For example, a step is a time interval of a predetermined time length, such as 10 seconds. In that case, step 00 is a time interval from when heating based on the heating profile was started to when 10 seconds have elapsed. Therefore, the information of step 00 is used from when heating based on the heating profile was started to when 10 seconds have elapsed. Step 19 is a time interval of 10 seconds immediately before heating based on the heating profile is ended. Therefore, the information of step 19 is used for the 10 seconds immediately before heating based on the heating profile is ended. Note that the time length of each step may be different for each step. In addition, the number of steps is not limited to 20, from 00 to 19, shown in Table 2.

As shown in Table 2 above, the information indicating the operation settings also includes, as other information, the second correction information, the high temperature protection threshold, the puff detection filter coefficient, and the threshold for determining low battery level. These pieces of information are used throughout the time period during which heating based on the heating profile is performed.

The information indicating the operation settings may be divided into multiple pieces, each of which is transmitted and received at a different timing. As one example, information for each step consisting of a combination of a target resistance value, time, first correction information, and a puff detection threshold may be transmitted and received at a different timing. As another example, information for each step and other information may be transmitted and received at different timing. Such a configuration makes it possible to improve communication efficiency, such as by facilitating retries when a transmission/reception error occurs.

- Default heating profile As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes the target resistance value and time for each step. The time here is the elapsed time from the start of heating until the target resistance value is reached. The combination of the elapsed time from the start of heating and the target resistance value set for that elapsed time for all steps corresponds to the heating profile.

As described above, the information indicating the operation settings may be divided and transmitted/received. In particular, the information indicating the heating profile may be divided in the time direction, such as by steps, and transmitted/received. In this case, the information indicating the heating profile divided in the time direction includes at least one combination of the elapsed time from the start of heating and the target resistance value set for that elapsed time. With this configuration, it is possible to improve the communication efficiency regarding the transmission and reception of the heating profile.

However, the heating profile consisting of the combination of target resistance value and time for each step shown in Table 2 is the heating profile before correction (hereinafter also referred to as the default heating profile). The default heating profile is corrected based on the first correction information, as described later. The default heating profile can also be corrected based on the second correction information, as described later.

- First correction information As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes the first correction information. The first correction information is an example of correction information for correcting the operation settings according to the individual differences of the heating unit 121. An example of the individual differences of the heating unit 121 is the correspondence between temperature and resistance value. When the control unit 116 receives the first correction information, the control unit 116 may correct the operation settings based on the received first correction information. In this case, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the inhalation device 100 based on the corrected operation settings. With this configuration, the inhalation device 100 can perform an operation according to the individual differences of the heating unit 121. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality of the user's puff experience.

Specifically, the control unit 116 corrects the heating profile based on the first correction information. More specifically, the control unit 116 corrects the default heating profile based on the first correction information. The control unit 116 then controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the corrected heating profile. With this configuration, heating can be performed based on a heating profile corrected to suit the individual differences of the heating unit 121, making it possible to prevent inconveniences caused by individual differences in the heating unit 121. One example of an inconvenience caused by individual differences in the heating unit 121 is the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 deviating from the target temperature.

As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation setting includes a plurality of first correction information associated with each of a plurality of target resistance values included in the heating profile. Then, the control unit 116 corrects each of a plurality of target resistance values defined in the heating profile based on the associated first correction information. For example, the control unit 116 corrects the target resistance value included in the information of step 00 based on the first correction information included in the information of step 00. As an example, the first correction information may include an offset correction value that is a value used for offset correction. In that case, the control unit 116 adds the offset correction value to the target resistance value. As another example, the first correction information may include a gain correction value that is a value used for gain correction. In that case, the control unit 116 multiplies the target resistance value by the gain correction value. Note that the first correction information may include both the offset correction value and the gain correction value. With this configuration, it is possible to appropriately correct the target resistance value for each step.

The first correction information may be different for each heating profile. The degree to which inconveniences caused by individual differences in the heating unit 121 occur may differ for each heating profile. In this regard, such a configuration makes it possible to more reliably prevent inconveniences caused by individual differences in the heating unit 121.

In order to enable the terminal device 200 to generate the first correction information, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121 to the terminal device 200. For example, the suction device 100 stores information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121 during manufacturing in a factory, and transmits the stored information to the terminal device 200. With this configuration, the terminal device 200 can grasp the individual differences of the heating unit 121.

The terminal device 200 may transmit information requesting transmission of information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121. When the suction device 100 receives information requesting transmission of information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121, the suction device 100 transmits the information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121. With this configuration, the terminal device 200 can inquire of the suction device 100 about the individual differences of the heating unit 121 as a preliminary step to generating the first correction information. The terminal device 200 may store the information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121 received from the suction device 100, and thereafter reuse the stored information.

When the terminal device 200 receives the information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121, it generates first correction information based on the received information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121. Then, the terminal device 200 transmits the generated first correction information. The suction device 100 receives the first correction information transmitted from the terminal device 200 in this manner, and corrects the heating profile based on the received first correction information. With this configuration, it is possible to correct the heating profile based on the first correction information that is suited to the individual differences of the heating unit 121.

- Second Correction Information As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes the second correction information. The second correction information is an example of correction information for correcting the operation settings in accordance with the deterioration of the heating unit 121. The deterioration of the heating unit 121 is oxidation of the heating unit 121, which progresses each time heating by the heating unit 121 is repeated. When the control unit 116 receives the second correction information, the control unit 116 may correct the operation settings based on the received second correction information. In this case, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the inhalation device 100 based on the corrected operation settings. With this configuration, the inhalation device 100 can perform an operation in accordance with the deterioration of the heating unit 121. It is therefore possible to improve the quality of the user's puff experience.

Specifically, the control unit 116 may correct the heating profile based on the second correction information. More specifically, the control unit 116 may further correct the heating profile after correction based on the first correction information based on the second correction information. In this case, the control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the corrected heating profile. With this configuration, heating can be performed based on a heating profile that matches the degree of deterioration of the heating unit 121. This makes it possible to prevent inconveniences caused by deterioration of the heating unit 121.

The following describes in detail the correction of the heating profile based on the second correction information.

The control unit 116 accumulates a history value indicating the history of heating performed by the heating unit 121 based on the execution of heating by the heating unit 121. As an example, the control unit 116 accumulates a history value indicating the history of heating performed by the heating unit 121 each time heating is performed by the heating unit 121. As another example, the control unit 116 accumulates a history value indicating the history of heating performed by the heating unit 121 each time heating is performed by the heating unit 121 multiple times (for example, twice). As the number of heating times increases, the heating unit 121 oxidizes, and the resistance value of the heating unit 121 increases. In that case, even if the resistance value of the heating unit 121 reaches the target resistance value, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 does not reach the target temperature by the amount that the resistance value of the heating unit 121 has increased due to oxidation. Therefore, even if the operation of the heating unit 121 is controlled according to the heating profile, it may be difficult to deliver an appropriate flavor to the user. In this regard, with this configuration, it becomes possible to grasp the degree of oxidation of the heating portion 121 from the history value.

As an example, the history value may be an integrated value of the number of times that the heating unit 121 has heated (hereinafter also referred to as the number of heating times). Each time heating based on the heating profile is performed once, 1 may be added to the history value. That is, the history value may be an integrated value of the number of times that the heating unit 121 has heated based on the heating profile. During one heating based on the heating profile, heating may be performed and stopped multiple times for a short period of time, and 1 may be added to the history value each time that heating is performed once for a short period of time. In any case, the number of heating times makes it possible to grasp the degree of oxidation of the heating unit 121.

As another example, the history value may be an integrated value of the time that the heating unit 121 has been heating (hereinafter also referred to as the heating time). Each time heating based on the heating profile is performed once, the time for one heating based on the heating profile may be integrated into the history value. During one heating based on the heating profile, heating may be started and stopped multiple times for short periods of time, and the time required for these short periods of heating may be integrated into the history value. In any case, the heating time makes it possible to grasp the degree of oxidation of the heating unit 121.

The control unit 116 corrects the heating profile based on the accumulated history value and the second correction information. With this configuration, the heating profile is corrected according to the degree of oxidation of the heating unit 121 indicated by the history value. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems caused by oxidation of the heating unit 121.

Specifically, the control unit 116 corrects the target resistance value to be corrected, which is at least a part of the target resistance values among the multiple target resistance values defined in the heating profile, to a value corresponding to a higher temperature. If the resistance value of the heating unit 121 increases as the temperature of the heating unit 121 increases, the control unit 116 corrects the target resistance value to be corrected to a higher value. As described above, when the heating unit 121 is oxidized and the resistance of the heating unit 121 increases, even if the resistance value of the heating unit 121 reaches the target resistance value, the actual temperature of the heating unit 121 becomes lower than the target temperature. In this regard, by correcting the target resistance value to a value corresponding to a higher temperature, the decrease in temperature caused by the oxidation of the heating unit 121 can be offset by the correction of the target resistance value, and it is possible to realize temperature control that does not change before and after oxidation. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconveniences caused by the oxidation of the heating unit 121.

The second correction information may include information indicating the target resistance value to be corrected. In that case, the control unit 116 corrects the target resistance value to be corrected, which is indicated by the second correction information. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience described below by limiting the target resistance value to be corrected.

It is desirable that the target resistance value to be corrected includes a target resistance value corresponding to the lowest target temperature among the multiple target resistance values defined in the heating profile. One of the problems caused by oxidation of the heating section 121 is that the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150 drops too much even during heating, and aerosol is no longer generated. The stage at which such a problem is most likely to occur is the stage at which the target temperature corresponding to the target resistance value in the heating profile is the lowest. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to prevent such problems from occurring.

It is desirable that the target resistance value to be corrected does not include the target resistance value corresponding to the highest target temperature among the multiple target resistance values defined in the heating profile. If the heating profile is corrected when the oxidation of the heating section 121 is less advanced than expected, the actual temperature may exceed the target temperature before correction and become excessively high, which may damage the function of the suction device 100. The stage at which such a problem is most likely to occur is the stage at which the target temperature corresponding to the target resistance value in the heating profile is the highest. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to prevent such problems.

The second correction information may include information indicating a threshold value. In that case, the control unit 116 corrects the heating profile when the history value exceeds the threshold value indicated by the second correction information. As an example, the control unit 116 may correct the heating profile when the number of heating times exceeds 1,000. As another example, the control unit 116 may correct the heating profile every time the heating time exceeds 100,000 seconds. With such a configuration, the frequency of correction of the heating profile is suppressed, making it possible to reduce the processing load on the control unit 116.

The second correction information may include information indicating a method of correcting the heating profile. In that case, the control unit 116 corrects the heating profile based on the correction method indicated by the second correction information. As an example, the second correction information may include a value to be added to the target resistance value. In that case, the control unit 116 adds the value to be added to the target resistance value included in the second correction information to the target resistance value before correction. Such a configuration enables appropriate correction of the target resistance value.

The second correction information may be different for each heating profile. The temperature change of the heating section 121 may differ for each heating profile, and the degree of oxidation of the heating section 121 may differ. In this regard, such a configuration makes it possible to more reliably prevent problems caused by oxidation of the heating section 121.

Here, the history values may be accumulated for each heating profile. Then, the suction device 100 may store the history values and the second correction information for each heating profile and use them to correct the heating profile. In detail, the suction device 100 may accumulate corrections based on the history values and the second correction information for all heating profiles used up to now and apply them to the heating profile. It is considered that oxidation of the heating section 121 begins at the time of manufacture and progresses according to the heating profile used. In this regard, with such a configuration, it becomes possible to perform corrections according to the usage history of the suction device 100 up to now.

- High temperature protection threshold As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes information indicating the high temperature protection threshold. When the control unit 116 receives the information indicating the operation settings including the high temperature protection threshold, the control unit 116 may control the operation of the heating unit 121 depending on whether the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit exceeds the received high temperature protection threshold. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent inconvenience caused by high temperatures depending on the newly downloaded operation settings.

In Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes one high temperature protection threshold, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The information indicating the operation settings may include information indicating multiple high temperature protection thresholds set for each elapsed time from the start of heating. With respect to Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings may include a high temperature protection threshold for each step. In this case, the suction device 100 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 depending on whether the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit exceeds the high temperature protection threshold for the step corresponding to the elapsed time from the start of heating based on the heating profile. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures.

- Puff detection criteria As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes information indicating the puff detection criteria. That is, the information indicating the operation settings includes a puff detection threshold. In particular, the information indicating the operation settings includes a puff detection threshold for each step as information indicating a plurality of puff detection thresholds set for each elapsed time from the start of heating. Furthermore, the information indicating the operation settings includes a puff detection filter coefficient. When the control unit 116 receives information indicating the operation settings including information indicating the puff detection criteria, the control unit 116 may detect that aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on the received detection criteria. With this configuration, it is possible to detect puffs according to the newly downloaded operation settings.

- Threshold for determining low battery level As shown in Table 2, the information indicating the operation settings includes information indicating a threshold for determining low battery level. When the control unit 116 receives the information indicating the operation settings including the threshold for determining low battery level, the control unit 116 may control the operation of the suction device 100 based on the received threshold for determining low battery level. With this configuration, it becomes possible to perform control when the remaining power level of the power supply unit 111 decreases, according to the newly downloaded operation settings.

(4.2) UI for downloading operation settings
The terminal device 200 may output a UI related to downloading of operation settings. Then, the terminal device 200 may download the operation settings to the suction device 100 in response to a user operation on the UI. An example of such a UI will be described with reference to FIG. 10.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the terminal device 200 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 is capable of using "operation setting 1," "operation setting 2," and "operation setting 3" as operation settings to be used. Therefore, as shown in Figure 10, the display screen 30D displays icons 31A to 31C indicating three operation settings as information indicating one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as an operation setting to be used.

However, it is assumed that "operation setting 1" and "operation setting 2" have already been downloaded to the suction device 100, whereas "operation setting 3" has not yet been downloaded to the suction device 100. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, icons 31A and 31B are outlined with a solid line to indicate that they have been downloaded. On the other hand, icon 31C is outlined with a dashed line to indicate that it has not yet been downloaded. As in this example, it is desirable that information indicating downloaded operation settings and information indicating undownloaded operation settings be displayed in different ways.

The operation setting to be used for the suction device 100 is assumed to be "operation setting 1." Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the focus is on the icon 31A corresponding to "operation setting 1."

The terminal device 200 accepts an operation to select an operation setting to be sent to the suction device 100. The terminal device 200 then transmits information indicating the selected operation setting. For example, when the user touches icon 31C, the terminal device 200 transmits the information shown in Table 2 regarding "operation setting 3." This configuration allows the user to download a desired operation setting to the suction device 100 via the terminal device 200.

When the download of the operation settings is complete, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the download of the operation settings is complete. As an example, when the suction device 100 successfully receives the information shown in Table 2 regarding "operation setting 3", it transmits information indicating that the download of the operation settings is complete. The terminal device 200 can control the retransmission of the information indicating the operation settings depending on whether or not the information is received. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure that the download of the operation settings is successful.

In particular, when the correction of the heating profile based on the first correction information is completed, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the download of the operation settings is completed. That is, the information indicating that the download of the operation settings is completed may also serve as information indicating that the correction of the heating profile based on the first correction information is completed. With this configuration, it is possible to notify the user via the terminal device 200 that the suction device 100 can use the corrected heating profile.

The terminal device 200 receives information indicating that the download of the operation settings in the suction device 100 has been completed. This allows the terminal device 200 to understand that the newly downloaded operation settings can be used as the operation settings to be used.

When the terminal device 200 receives information indicating that the download of the operation setting in the suction device 100 has been completed, the terminal device 200 outputs information indicating that the download of the operation setting in the suction device 100 has been completed. This allows the user to understand that the newly downloaded operation setting can be used as the operation setting to be used. For example, a user operation is performed to select the icon 31C corresponding to "operation setting 3" on the display screen 30D shown in Fig. 10, and an example of a UI that is displayed when the download of "operation setting 3" is completed will be described with reference to Fig. 11.

11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen displayed by the terminal device 200 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the display screen 30E displays icons 31A to 31C showing three operation settings as information showing one or more operation settings that the suction device 100 can use as the operation setting to be used. In particular, since the download of "operation setting 3" has been completed, the icon 31C showing "operation setting 3" is outlined with a solid line indicating that it has been downloaded. In the display screen 30D shown in FIG. 10, the user's operation of selecting the icon 31C corresponding to "operation setting 3" may also serve as an operation of instructing to switch "operation setting 3" to the operation setting to be used. In that case, the suction device 100 switches the operation setting to be used to "operation setting 3" after the download is completed. Then, the terminal device 200 focuses on the icon 31C corresponding to "operation setting 3" as shown in FIG. 11. With this configuration, the user can easily understand that the download of "operation setting 3" has been completed and that the operation setting to be used has been switched from "operation setting 1" to "operation setting 3."

12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a download process of operation settings executed in the system 1 according to this embodiment. The suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are involved in this sequence.

As shown in FIG. 12, first, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 establish a connection (step S202).

Next, the terminal device 200 outputs information indicating the operation settings that can be downloaded to the suction device 100 (step S204). For example, the terminal device 200 outputs the display screen 30D shown in FIG. 10.

Next, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to select the operation setting to be downloaded (step S206). For example, the terminal device 200 accepts a user operation to touch the icon 31C corresponding to "Operation Setting 3" on the display screen 30D shown in FIG. 10.

Next, the terminal device 200 transmits information requesting transmission of information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121 (step S208). When the suction device 100 receives such information, it transmits the information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121 (step S210). Note that if the terminal device 200 has already stored the information indicating the individual differences of the heating unit 121, the processing relating to steps S208 and S210 may be omitted.

Next, the terminal device 200 generates information indicating the operation settings (step S212). For example, the terminal device 200 generates the information shown in Table 2. Specifically, the terminal device 200 generates first correction information based on the default heating profile in the selected "operation setting 3" and information indicating individual differences in the heating unit 121. In addition, the terminal device 200 generates second correction information, a high temperature protection threshold, a puff detection threshold, a puff detection filter coefficient, and a threshold for determining low battery level based on the default heating profile in the selected "operation setting 3".

Next, the terminal device 200 transmits information indicating the divided operation settings at different times (step S214). For example, the terminal device 200 transmits information for each step shown in Table 2 at different times, and then transmits other information.

Next, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the download of the operation settings is complete (step S216). For example, when the suction device 100 has successfully received all of the information indicating the divided operation settings and has completed the correction of the default heating profile based on the first correction information, the suction device 100 transmits information indicating that the download of the operation settings is complete.

Then, when the terminal device 200 receives the information indicating that the download of the operation settings is completed, the terminal device 200 outputs the information indicating that the download of the operation settings is completed (step S218). For example, the terminal device 200 outputs the display screen 30E shown in FIG. 11.

<<3. Supplementary Information>>
Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the information shown in Table 2 is transmitted and received to download the operation settings to the suction device 100, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The terminal device 200 may transmit information including at least one of the target resistance value, time, first correction information, second correction information, puff detection threshold, puff detection filter coefficient, high temperature protection threshold, and threshold for determining low battery level as information indicating the operation settings. That is, some of the information shown in Table 2 may be omitted. The suction device 100 uses default settings for the omitted information. For example, if the received information does not include a puff detection filter coefficient, the suction device 100 detects puffs using the default puff detection filter coefficient.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the first temperature detection unit detects the temperature of the outer housing 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. As an example, the first temperature detection unit may be provided near a processor such as the control unit 116 to detect the temperature of the processor. In that case, the suction device 100 prohibits power supply to the heating unit 121 when the temperature of the processor exceeds the high temperature protection threshold. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures, such as thermal runaway of the processor. As another example, the first temperature detection unit may be provided near the power supply unit 111 to detect the temperature of the power supply unit 111. In that case, the suction device 100 prohibits power supply to the heating unit 121 when the temperature of the power supply unit 111 exceeds the high temperature protection threshold. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent inconveniences caused by high temperatures, such as battery deterioration.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which a puff is detected by comparing the output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit to the filter with the puff detection threshold, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. As an example, the inhalation device 100 may detect that a puff has been performed when the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit falls below the puff detection threshold. As another example, the inhalation device 100 may detect that a puff has been performed when the deviation between the reference temperature and the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit exceeds the puff detection threshold. An example of the reference temperature is the temperature of the second temperature detection unit a predetermined time ago (for example, immediately before). In this case, the deviation corresponds to the decrease in the temperature detected by the second temperature detection unit.

In the above embodiment, an example is described in which the second temperature detection unit is a thermistor, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The second temperature detection unit may be the heating unit 121. In that case, the inhalation device 100 detects a puff based on a change in temperature indicated by the resistance value of the heating unit 121 or a change in the resistance value of the heating unit 121.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which information indicating a heating profile is divided in the time direction and transmitted and received, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, information indicating a heating profile may be divided in the direction of the target resistance value and transmitted and received. Specifically, information regarding a relatively high target resistance value and information regarding a relatively low target resistance value may be divided and transmitted and received. Even in this case, the information indicating the divided heating profile includes at least one combination of the elapsed time from the start of heating and the target resistance value set for that elapsed time. With this configuration, it is possible to restore the heating profile on the receiving side regardless of how it is divided.

The timing for correcting the heating profile described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and the heating profile may be corrected at any other timing. As one example, the suction device 100 may perform correction of the heating profile based on the first correction information when the control unit 116 is started. As another example, the suction device 100 may perform correction of the heating profile based on the second correction information when the control unit 116 is started.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol by heating the stick-shaped substrate 150 as a substrate containing an aerosol source, but the shape of the substrate is not limited to a stick shape. Another example of the substrate shape is a card shape. Another example of the substrate shape is a cube shape. The inhalation device 100 may also generate an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a capsule-shaped substrate that does not contain an aerosol source and contains, for example, only a flavor source. As an example, a capsule-shaped second substrate containing a flavor source is disposed downstream of a first substrate containing an aerosol source. Then, when the aerosol generated by heating the first substrate passes through the second substrate, the aerosol is imparted with flavor from the flavor source contained in the second substrate and delivered to the user.

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

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

The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.
(1)
1. A suction device comprising:
A communication unit for communicating with other devices;
a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the suction device;
Equipped with
The communication unit receives information indicating a detection criterion;
The control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on the detection criterion received by the communication unit.
Suction device.
(2)
The inhalation device includes a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature change when the aerosol is inhaled by a user,
The detection criteria include a threshold value;
The control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with the threshold value.
The suction device described in (1) above.
(3)
The detection criteria include a threshold and a filter coefficient;
the control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied with the threshold value.
The suction device described in (2) above.
(4)
the detection criterion includes a plurality of the threshold values that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating,
The control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user based on a threshold value corresponding to an elapsed time from the start of heating, among the plurality of threshold values.
The suction device according to (2) or (3).
(5)
the communication unit receives information indicating an operation setting of the suction device, the information including information indicating the detection standard and a heating profile in which a time series transition of a target value of an actual measurement value measured for the heating unit is defined;
The control unit controls the operation of the suction device based on the received operation setting.
The suction device according to any one of (1) to (4).
(6)
The detection criteria are different for each heating profile.
The suction device described in (5) above.
(7)
The heating profile first includes an initial heating section, then includes an intermediate temperature decreasing section, and then includes a re-heating section,
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial temperature rise section is higher than an initial temperature;
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate temperature-dropping section is lower than a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial temperature-rise section,
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the re-heating section is higher than a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate temperature decreasing section;
The suction device according to (5) or (6).
(8)
the communication unit receives first correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with an individual difference of the heating unit;
the control unit corrects the heating profile based on the first correction information, and controls an operation of the heating unit based on the corrected heating profile.
The suction device according to any one of (5) to (7).
(9)
the communication unit receives second correction information for correcting the heating profile in response to deterioration of the heating unit;
the control unit corrects the heating profile based on the second correction information, and controls the operation of the suction device based on the corrected heating profile.
The suction device according to any one of (5) to (8).
(10)
In an inhalation device having a heating unit that generates an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, a communication unit that transmits information indicating a detection criterion used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user;
A terminal device comprising:
(11)
The detection criteria include a threshold value;
The inhalation device includes a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature change when the aerosol is inhaled by a user, and detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with the threshold value.
The terminal device described in (10).
(12)
The detection criteria include a threshold and a filter coefficient;
the inhalation device detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied, with the threshold value.
The terminal device described in (11).
(13)
the detection criterion includes a plurality of the threshold values that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating,
The inhalation device detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user based on a threshold value corresponding to an elapsed time from the start of heating, among the plurality of threshold values.
A terminal device according to (11) or (12).
(14)
the communication unit transmits information indicating an operation setting, which is information for setting an operation of the suction device, including information indicating the detection standard and a heating profile in which a time series transition of a target value of an actual measurement value measured with respect to the heating unit is specified.
A terminal device according to any one of (10) to (13).
(15)
The detection criteria are different for each heating profile.
The terminal device described in (14).
(16)
the communication unit transmits first correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with an individual difference of the heating unit;
A terminal device according to (14) or (15).
(17)
the communication unit transmits second correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with deterioration of the heating unit.
A terminal device according to any one of (14) to (16).
(18)
On the computer,
In an inhalation device having a heating unit that generates an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, controlling a terminal device to transmit information indicating a detection criterion used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user;
A program for executing the above.

1 System 100 Suction device 111 Power supply unit 112 Sensor unit 113 Notification unit 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 116 Control unit 140 Holding unit 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom unit 144 Heat insulating unit 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Suction port unit 11 Outer housing 11A Top housing 11B Bottom housing 12 Cover 13 Switch 14 Lid unit 15 Vent 16 Cap 200 Terminal device 210 Input unit 220 Output unit 230 Communication unit 240 Memory unit 250 Control unit

Claims (16)

1. A suction device comprising:
A communication unit for communicating with other devices;
a heating section for heating a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
a temperature detection unit that detects a change in temperature when the aerosol is inhaled by a user;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the suction device;
Equipped with
The communication unit receives information indicating a detection criterion;
The detection criterion includes a plurality of threshold values that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating,
The control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with a threshold value corresponding to an elapsed time from the start of heating, among a plurality of threshold values included in the detection standard received by the communication unit .
Suction device. The detection criteria include a threshold and a filter coefficient;
the control unit detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied with the threshold value.
2. The suction device of claim 1 . the communication unit receives information indicating an operation setting of the suction device, the information including information indicating the detection standard and a heating profile in which a time series transition of a target value of an actual measurement value measured for the heating unit is defined;
The control unit controls the operation of the suction device based on the received operation setting.
3. A suction device according to claim 1 or 2 . The detection criteria are different for each heating profile.
4. The suction device according to claim 3 . The heating profile first includes an initial heating section, then includes an intermediate temperature decreasing section, and then includes a re-heating section,
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial temperature rise section is higher than an initial temperature;
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate temperature-dropping section is lower than a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the initial temperature-rise section,
a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the re-heating section is higher than a temperature corresponding to the target value set at the end of the intermediate temperature decreasing section;
5. A suction device according to claim 3 or 4 . the communication unit receives first correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with an individual difference of the heating unit;
the control unit corrects the heating profile based on the first correction information, and controls an operation of the heating unit based on the corrected heating profile.
The suction device according to any one of claims 3 to 5 . the communication unit receives second correction information for correcting the heating profile in response to deterioration of the heating unit;
the control unit corrects the heating profile based on the second correction information, and controls the operation of the suction device based on the corrected heating profile.
The suction device according to any one of claims 3 to 6 . The temperature detection unit is a thermistor.
A suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An input unit that accepts an operation to select an operation setting to be transmitted to a suction device having a heating unit that heats a substrate containing an aerosol source to generate an aerosol;
a communication unit that transmits information indicating a detection criterion used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user in the inhalation device, the detection criterion corresponding to the selected operation setting;
Equipped with
The detection criterion includes a plurality of threshold values that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating,
The inhalation device includes a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature change when the aerosol is inhaled by a user, and detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with one of the multiple thresholds that corresponds to the elapsed time from the start of heating.
Terminal device. The detection criteria include a threshold and a filter coefficient;
the inhalation device detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user by comparing an output value obtained by inputting the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit into a filter to which the filter coefficient has been applied, with the threshold value.
The terminal device according to claim 9 . the communication unit transmits information indicating an operation setting, which is information for setting an operation of the suction device, including information indicating the detection standard and a heating profile in which a time series transition of a target value of an actual measurement value measured for the heating unit is specified.
The terminal device according to claim 9 or 10 . The detection criteria are different for each heating profile.
The terminal device according to claim 11 . the communication unit transmits first correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with an individual difference of the heating unit;
13. A terminal device according to claim 11 or 12 . the communication unit transmits second correction information for correcting the heating profile in accordance with deterioration of the heating unit.
A terminal device according to any one of claims 11 to 13 . The terminal device
an output unit that outputs information indicating one or more of the operation settings that the suction device can use;
the input unit accepts an operation of selecting one of the one or more available operation settings output by the output unit;
A terminal device according to any one of claims 9 to 14. On the computer,
receiving an operation to select an operation setting to be transmitted to an aspirator having a heating unit that generates an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source, and controlling a terminal device to transmit information indicating a detection criterion that corresponds to the selected operation setting and is used to detect that the aerosol has been inhaled by a user in the aspirator;
Run the command,
The detection criterion includes a plurality of threshold values that are set for each elapsed time from the start of heating,
The inhalation device includes a temperature detection unit that detects a temperature change when the aerosol is inhaled by a user, and detects that the aerosol has been inhaled by the user by comparing a value corresponding to the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit with one of the multiple thresholds that corresponds to the elapsed time from the start of heating.
program.

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