EP4635347A1

EP4635347A1 - Inhalation device configured to execute heating operation by using heating profile, method executed by said inhalation device, and program for said inhalation device

Info

Publication number: EP4635347A1
Application number: EP22968396.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Shuhei Tagaya; Toru Nagahama
Original assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Current assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date: 2022-12-13
Filing date: 2022-12-13
Publication date: 2025-10-22
Also published as: WO2024127484A1; TW202423329A; CN120265171A; JPWO2024127484A1; KR20250114062A

Abstract

Provided is an inhalation device that transmits a heating profile to another inhalation device.The inhalation device is configured to control a heating operation by using a heating profile, and is further configured to transmit the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls a heating operation by using a heating profile.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an inhalation device for aerosols, gases, and the like. Examples of the inhalation device may be, but are not limited to, an electronic cigarette, a heated cigarette, a medical nebulizer, and the like. Also, the inhalation device is a so-called Reduced Risk Product (RRP).

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years, techniques have been developed for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication between electronic cigarettes.
For example, in PTL 1 ( WO 2015/149339 A1 ), it is disclosed that one electronic cigarette transmits request information for requesting tobacco tar flavor information, and another electronic cigarette that has received the request information generates response information conveying the tobacco tar flavor according to the request information and replies.
However, the electronic cigarette described in PTL 1 does not transmit a heating profile to control the heating operation to the other electronic cigarette.
Further, according to the technology described in PTL 1, the tar taste information of the tobacco is not transmitted unless the receiving side sends a request to the transmitting side. The document does not disclose the transmission of information triggered by the sender.

CITATION LIST

PATENT LITERATURE

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

The present disclosure has been made in view of the foregoing.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide an inhalation device that transmits a heating profile to other inhalation devices.

SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

In order to solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an inhalation device configured to control a heating operation using a heating profile, the inhalation device being further configured to transmit the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to generate a transmitted heating profile based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device, a characteristic of a heater provided to the inhalation device, and a characteristic of a heater provided to the other inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to receive, from the other inhalation device, a characteristic of the heater provided to the other inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to receive a second heating profile from another inhalation device in which a first heating profile is stored and, if the second heating profile received from the other inhalation device is set to be used when the first heating profile is set to be used, to revert the setting to use the first heating profile in response to completion of use of the second heating profile.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may have a region for storing a plurality of heating profiles which can be selected by a user of the inhalation device and include the first heating profile, wherein the selected heating profile is set to be used, and may be further configured to store the second heating profile in the region in response to a predetermined condition being met.
In one embodiment, the predetermined condition may be one or more of a condition that a predetermined action is detected in the inhalation device and a condition that a predetermined operation is performed in an external device connected to the inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to transmit the heating profile used by the inhalation device to the other inhalation device and to transmit the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the characteristics of the heater may represent the relationship between the temperature of the heater and the resistance value of the heater.
In one embodiment, the characteristics of the heater may include the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near a first temperature, the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near a second temperature, the resistance value of the heater when the heater is at the first temperature, the standard resistance value at room temperature of a heater manufactured on the same line as the heater, and the highest temperature output by one or more temperature sensors in proximity to the heater when the heater is at the first temperature.
In one embodiment, the heating profile may represent a target temperature or a target resistance value of the heater over time.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to control the heating operation for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into a plurality of periods, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device may include a target resistance value of the heater provided to the inhalation device for each of the divided periods.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to heat the heater for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into a plurality of periods, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device may include a target temperature for each of the divided periods.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device can be further configured to connect with the other inhalation device via peer to peer (P2P) connection and perform transmission and reception with the other inhalation device through the P2P connection.
To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method executed by an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, including a step of transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a program for an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, wherein the inhalation device is caused to execute a step of transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an inhalation device configured to control a heating operation using a heating profile, further configured to initiate a heating profile transmission process in response to detecting a predetermined action, wherein the heating profile transmission process includes a step of the inhalation device transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
In one embodiment, the heating profile transmission process may include a step of the inhalation device transmitting a first signal indicating the initiation of the heating profile transmission process to the other inhalation device; a step of the inhalation device transmitting a second signal requesting the transmission of the characteristics of the heater to the other inhalation device upon receiving an acknowledgment response to the first signal from the other inhalation device; a step of the inhalation device generating the heating profile upon receiving the characteristics of the heater from the other inhalation device; and a step of the inhalation device transmitting the generated heating profile to the other inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to transmit an acknowledgment response to the first signal received from the other inhalation device back to the other inhalation device, and to transmit the characteristics of the heater to the other inhalation device upon receiving the second signal from the other inhalation device.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured not to respond to further detections of the predetermined action until the heating profile transmission process is completed, after responding to the detection of the predetermined action.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured to include a sensor for detecting the movement of the inhalation device and to detect that the inhalation device has been shaken as the predetermined action using the sensor.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device can be further configured to connect with the other inhalation device via peer to peer (P2P) connection and perform transmission and reception with the other inhalation device through the P2P connection.
In one embodiment, the inhalation device may be further configured, after transmitting the first signal to the other inhalation device, to determine which of the inhalation device and the other inhalation device should be prioritized when the first signal is received from the other inhalation device before receiving the acknowledgment response to the first signal, and if it is determined that the inhalation device should be prioritized, not to transmit the acknowledgment response to the first signal received from the other inhalation device.
In one embodiment, a further configuration is possible in which during the establishment of the P2P connection, one of the inhalation device and the other inhalation device is set as a central, and the other is set as a peripheral, and the inhalation device determines that the inhalation device should be prioritized when the inhalation device is set as the central.
To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method executed by an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, including a step of initiating a heating profile transmission process in response to detecting a predetermined action, wherein the heating profile transmission process includes a step of the inhalation device transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
To solve the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a program for an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, including a step of causing the inhalation device to execute the initiation of a heating profile transmission process in response to detecting a predetermined action, wherein the heating profile transmission process includes a step of the inhalation device transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the embodiments of the present disclosure, an inhalation device capable of transmitting a heating profile to another inhalation device can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Figure 1A is a schematic diagram schematically showing a first configuration example of the inhalation device.
Figure 1B is a schematic diagram schematically showing a second configuration example of the inhalation device.
Figure 1C is a schematic diagram schematically showing a third configuration example of the inhalation device.
Figure 1D is a schematic diagram schematically showing a fourth configuration example of the inhalation device.
Figure 2 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of an exemplary process for initiating a heating profile transmission process.
Figure 3 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of an exemplary heating profile transmission process.
Figure 4 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of another exemplary heating profile transmission process.
Figure 5 is a graph plotting an exemplary temperature change of the heater.
Figure 6 shows an exemplary data structure of the heating profile.
Figure 7 shows another exemplary data structure of the heating profile.
Figure 8 is a schematic diagram representing an exemplary storage mode of the heating profile.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

1. Configuration of the Inhalation Device

Below, a configuration example of an inhalation device, which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described.
An inhalation device is a device for generating a substance to be inhaled by a user. Hereinafter, the substance generated by the inhalation device will be described as being an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas. Below, configuration examples of the inhalation device will be described.

1-1. First Configuration Example

The inhalation device according to this configuration example generates an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source from within the substrate. Below, this configuration example will be described with reference to Figure 1A.
Figure 1A is a schematic diagram schematically showing a first configuration example of the inhalation device. As shown in Figure 1A, an inhalation device 100A according to this configuration example includes a power source unit 111A, a sensor unit 112A, a notification unit 113A, a memory unit 114A, a communication unit 115A, a control unit 116A, a heating unit 121A, and a holding section 140A. Inhalation by the user is performed with a stick-shaped substrate 150A held in the holding section 140A. The components will be described in order below.
The power source unit 111A stores electrical power. The power source unit 111A supplies electric power to each component of the inhalation device 100A. The power source unit 111A may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power source unit 111 may be charged by being connected to an external power source by means of a USB (universal serial bus) cable or the like. Furthermore, the power source unit 111 may also be charged by means of wireless power transmission technology, without being connected to a power transmission-side device. Alternatively, only the power source unit 111A may be removed from the inhalation device 100A, and may be replaced with a new power source unit 111A.
The sensor unit 112A acquires various types of information relating to the inhalation device 100A. The sensor unit 112A then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116A. As an example, the sensor unit 112A is configured by a pressure sensor such as a capacitor microphone, a flow rate sensor or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112A has detected a numerical value associated with inhalation by the user, the sensor unit 112A then outputs to the control unit 116A information indicating that the user has inhaled. As another example, the sensor unit 112A is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, for accepting input of information from the user. The sensor unit 112A may in particular comprise a button for instructing starting/stopping of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112A then outputs to the control unit 116A the information input by the user. As a further example, the sensor unit 112A may be configured by a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating unit 121A. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the heating unit 121A on the basis of an electrical resistance value of a conductive track of the heating unit 121A, for example. Alternatively, the temperature sensor may be a thermistor that measures the temperature of the heating unit 121A. The sensor unit 112A may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150A held by the holding section 140A on the basis of the temperature of the heating part 121A. The sensor unit 112A may include a sensor, namely a motion sensor, for detecting the movement of the inhalation device 100A (for example, movement caused by an action of the user shaking the inhalation device 100A). An example of such a sensor is, but is not limited to, an acceleration sensor.
The notification unit 113A notifies the user of the information. As an example, the notification unit 113A is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (light-emitting diode). In this way, when the power source unit 111A is in a state of requiring charging, when the power source unit 111A is in the process of charging, or when an abnormality has occurred in the inhalation device 100, etc., the notification unit 113A may emit light in a different light emission pattern for each case. The light emission patterns as referred to here generally include colors and timing of illumination/extinguishing. The notification unit 113A may be constituted by a display device (for example, a display) for displaying images, a sound output device (for example, a speaker) for outputting sound, and a vibration device (for example, a vibration motor) for vibrating, either in conjunction with or instead of the light-emitting device. Additionally, the notification unit 113A may transmit information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible. The information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible may be transmitted when the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150A heated by means of the heating unit 121A has reached a predetermined temperature.
The memory unit 114A stores various types of information for the operation of the inhalation device 100A. The memory unit 114A is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example. Information relating to the operating system (OS) of the generating device 1, such as the content of control by the control unit 116A of various types of components, is an example of the information stored in the memory unit 140. Another example of information stored in the memory unit 114A is information related to inhalation by the user, such as the number of inhalations, inhalation times, and cumulative inhalation duration. As will be described below, the memory unit 114A may store one or more heating profiles for controlling the heating operation in the inhalation device 100A. It is preferable that the memory unit 114A be configured to be able to store a plurality of heating profiles.
The communication unit 115A is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the inhalation device 100A and another device. The communication unit 115A performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards which may be used include wireless LAN (local area network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. As one example, the communication unit 115A may send information relating to inhalation by the user to a smartphone in order to cause the smartphone to display the information relating to inhalation by the user. As another example, the communication unit 115A receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 114A.
The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operation within the inhalation device 100A in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116A is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an electronic circuit such as a microprocessor, for example. The control unit 116A may also include a ROM (read-only memory) for storing programs and computation parameters, etc. which are used, and a RAM (random access memory) for temporarily storing suitably changing parameters, etc. The inhalation device 100A implements various types of processing on the basis of control performed by the control unit 116A. Examples of processing controlled by the control unit 116A include: supply of electricity from the power source unit 111A to other components; charging of the power source unit 111A; detection of information by the sensor unit 112A; notification of information by the notification unit 113A; storage and reading of information by the memory unit 114A; and sending/receiving of information by the communication unit 115A. Other processing implemented by the inhalation device 100A, such as processing based on input of information to each component and information output from each component, is also controlled by means of the control unit 116A.
The holding section 140A has an internal space 141A, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150A while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150A in the internal space 141A. The holding section 140A has an opening 142A allowing the internal space 141A to communicate with the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150A which has been inserted into the internal space 141A from the opening 142A. For example, the holding section 140A is a cylindrical body comprising the opening 142A and a bottom portion 143A serving as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141A. The holding section 140A is configured so that the inner diameter of at least part of the cylindrical body in a height direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 150A, and is capable of holding the stick-shaped substrate 150A, which has been inserted into the internal space 141A, so as to press the stick-shaped substrate 150A away from the outer circumference thereof. The holding section 140A also has a function for defining a flow path for air passing through the stick-shaped substrate 150A. An air inflow hole which is an inlet for air into the flow path is disposed in the bottom portion 143A, for example. Meanwhile, the opening 142A is an air outflow hole, being an outlet for air from the flow path.
The substrate 150A is a stick-shaped member. The stick-shaped substrate 150A comprises a substrate portion 151A and a mouthpiece portion 152A.
The substrate portion 151A includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating so as to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may be, for example, a tobacco-derived substance such as shredded tobacco, or a processed product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular form, a sheet form, or a powder form. Furthermore, the aerosol source may also contain a non-tobacco-derived substance produced from a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint or herb, etc.). As one example, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring component such as menthol. When the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a drug to be inhaled by a patient. It should be noted that the aerosol source is not limited to a solid, and may equally be a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water, for example. In a state in which the stick-shaped substrate 150A is being held in the holding section 140A, at least part of the substrate portion 151A is accommodated in the internal space 141A of the holding section 140A.
The mouthpiece portion 152A is a member which is held in the user's mouth during inhalation. With the stick-shaped substrate 150A held in the holding section 140A, at least part of the mouthpiece portion 152A protrudes from the opening 142A. When the user then inhales with the mouthpiece portion 152A, which protrudes from the opening 142A, held in the mouth, air flows into the holding section 140A from the air inflow hole which is not depicted. The air which has flowed in passes through the internal space 141a of the holding section 140A, that is, through the substrate portion 151A, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151A.
The heating unit 121A heats the aerosol source to atomize the aerosol source, thereby generating the aerosol. The heating unit 121A is formed by any material such as a metal or polyimide. The heating unit 121A has a blade-like form and is arranged so as to protrude into the internal space 141A from the bottom portion 143A of the holding section 140A. When the stick-shaped substrate 150A is inserted into the holding section 140A, the blade-like heating unit 121A therefore pierces the substrate portion 151A of the stick-shaped substrate 150A and is inserted inside the stick-shaped substrate 150A. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150A is then heated from the inside of the stick-shaped substrate 150A and atomized, generating the aerosol. The heating unit 121A generates heat when supplied with electricity from the power source unit 111A. As an example, when it is detected by the sensor unit 112A that a predetermined user input has been made, power may be supplied, and the aerosol may be generated. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150A heated by the heating unit 121A has reached a predetermined temperature, inhalation by the user is then possible. After this, the electrical supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112A has detected that there has been predetermined user input. As another example, power may be supplied and the aerosol may be generated during a period in which the sensor unit 112A detects that there is inhalation by the user. The heating part 121A is in structure an electric heater.

1-2. Second Configuration Example

The inhalation device according to this configuration example generates an aerosol by heating a substrate, which contains an aerosol source, from outside the substrate. This configuration example will be described below with reference to Figure 1B.
Figure 1B is a schematic diagram schematically showing a second configuration example of the inhalation device. As shown in Figure 1B, an inhalation device 100B according to this configuration example includes a power source unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a memory unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a holding section 140B, and a heat insulating section 144B. A user inhales with a stick-shaped substrate 150B held by the holding section 140B. The components will be described in order below.
The power source unit 111B stores electrical power. The power source unit 111B supplies electrical power to each component of the inhalation device 100B. The power source unit 111B may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power source unit 111B may be charged by being connected to an external power source by means of a USB (universal serial bus) cable or the like. Furthermore, the power source unit 111B may also be charged by means of wireless power transmission technology, without being connected to a power transmission-side device. Alternatively, the power supply unit 111B alone may be removed from the inhalation device 100B, and may be replaced with a new power supply unit 111B.
The sensor unit 112B acquires various types of information relating to the inhalation device 100B. The sensor unit 112B then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116B. As an example, the sensor unit 112B is configured by a pressure sensor such as a capacitor microphone, a flow rate sensor or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112B has detected a numerical value associated with inhalation by a user, the sensor unit 112B then outputs to the control unit 116B information indicating that the user has inhaled. As another example, the sensor unit 112B is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, for accepting input of information from the user. The sensor unit 112B may especially comprise a button for instructing starting/stopping of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112B then outputs to the control unit 116B the information input by the user. As a further example, the sensor unit 112B may be configured by a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating unit 121B. The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the heating unit 121B on the basis of an electrical resistance value of a conductive track of the heating unit 121B, for example. Alternatively, the temperature sensor may be a thermistor that measures the temperature of the heating unit 121A. The sensor part 121B may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped base material 150B held by the holding section 140B on the basis of the temperature of the heating part 121B. The sensor unit 112B may also include a sensor, namely a motion sensor, for detecting the movement of the inhalation device 100B (for example, movement caused by an action of the user shaking the inhalation device 100B). An example of such a sensor is, but is not limited to, an acceleration sensor.
The notification unit 113B notifies the user of the information. As an example, the notification unit 113B is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (light-emitting diode). In that case, the notification unit 113B emits light in different light emission patterns for each case when the power source unit 111B is in a state of requiring charging, when the power source unit 111B is in the process of charging, and when an abnormality has occurred in the inhalation device 100B, etc. The light emission patterns as referred to here generally include colors and timing of illumination/extinguishing. The notification unit 113B may be constituted by a display device (for example, a display) for displaying images, a sound output device (for example, a speaker) for outputting sound, and a vibration device (for example, a vibration motor) for vibrating, either in conjunction with or instead of the light-emitting device. Additionally, the notification unit 113B may transmit information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible. The information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible may be notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150B heated by means of the heating unit 121B has reached a predetermined temperature.
The memory unit 114B stores various types of information for the operation of the inhalation device 100B. The memory unit 114B can be configured by a non-volatile storage medium (storage) such as a flash memory, for example. An example of information stored in the memory unit 114B is information related to the operating system (OS) of the inhalation device 100B, such as the content of control by the control unit 116B of various components. Another example of the information stored in the memory unit 114B is information relating to inhalation by the user, such as number of inhalations, times of inhalation, and cumulative inhalation duration. As will be described below, the memory unit 114B may store one or more heating profiles for controlling the heating operation in the inhalation device B. The memory unit 114B is preferably configured to be able to store a plurality of heating profiles.
The communication unit 115B is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the inhalation device 100B and another device. The communication unit 115B performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards which may be used include wireless LAN (local area network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. As one example, the communication unit 115B may send information relating to inhalation by the user to a smartphone in order to cause the smartphone to display the information relating to inhalation by the user. As another example, the communication unit 115B receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 114B.
The control unit 116B functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operation within the inhalation device 100B in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116B is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an electronic circuit such as a microprocessor, for example. The control unit 116B may also include a ROM (read-only memory) for storing programs and computation parameters, etc., which are used, and a RAM (random access memory) for temporarily storing suitably changing parameters, etc. The inhalation device 100B implements various types of processing on the basis of control performed by the control unit 116B. Examples of processing controlled by the control unit 116B include: supply of electricity from the power source unit 111B to other components; charging of the power source unit 111B; detection of information by the sensor unit 112B; notification of information by the notification unit 113B; storage and reading of information by the memory unit 114B; and sending/receiving of information by the communication unit 115B. Other processing carried out by the inhalation device 100B, such as processing based on input of information to each component and information output from each component, are also controlled by means of the control unit 116B.
The holding section 140B has an internal space 141B, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150B while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150B in the internal space 141B. The holding section 140B has an opening 142B allowing the internal space 141B to communicate with the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150B which has been inserted into the internal space 141B from the opening 142B. For example, the holding section 140B is a cylindrical body comprising the opening 142B and a bottom portion 143B serving as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141B. The holding section 140B is configured so that the inner diameter of at least part of the cylindrical body in a height direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 150B, and is capable of holding the stick-shaped substrate 150B, which has been inserted into the internal space 141B, so as to press the stick-shaped substrate 150B from the outer circumference thereof. The holding section 140B also has a function for defining a flow path for air passing through the stick-shaped substrate 150B. An air inflow hole which is an inlet for air into the flow path is disposed in the bottom portion 143B, for example. On the other hand, an opening 142B forms an air outflow hole, which is an outlet for air from the flow path.
The stick-shaped substrate 150B is a stick-shaped member. The stick-shaped substrate 150B comprises a substrate portion 151B and a mouthpiece portion 152B.
The substrate portion 151B includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating so as to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may be, for example, a tobacco-derived substance such as shredded tobacco, or a processed product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular form, a sheet form, or a powder form. Furthermore, the aerosol source may also contain a non-tobacco-derived substance produced from a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint or herb, etc.). As one example, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring component such as menthol. When the inhalation device 100B is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a drug to be inhaled by a patient. It should be noted that the aerosol source is not limited to a solid, and may equally be a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water, for example. With the stick-shaped substrate 150B held in the holding section 140B, at least part of the substrate portion 151B is accommodated in the internal space 141B of the holding section 140B.
The mouthpiece portion 152B is a member which is held in the user's mouth during inhalation. With the stick-shaped substrate 150B held in the holding section 140, at least part of the mouthpiece portion 152B protrudes from the opening 142B. When the user inhales with the mouthpiece portion 152B, which protrudes from the opening 142B, held in the mouth, air flows into the holding section 140B from the air inflow hole which is not depicted. The air which has flowed in passes through the internal space 141B of the holding section 140B, that is, through the substrate portion 151B, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151B.
The heating unit 121B heats the aerosol source to atomize the aerosol source, thereby generating the aerosol. The heating unit 121B is formed by any material such as a metal or polyimide. For example, the heating unit 121B is configured as a film and disposed so as to cover the outer circumference of the holding section 140B. When the heating unit 121B generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150B is then heated from the outer circumference of the stick-shaped substrate 150B and atomized, generating the aerosol. The heating unit 121B generates heat when supplied with electricity from the power source unit 111B. After this, the electrical supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112B has detected that there has been predetermined user input. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150B heated the heating unit 121B has reached a predetermined temperature, inhalation by the user is then possible. After this, the electrical supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112B has detected that there has been predetermined user input. As another example, during the period in which inhalation by the user is detected by the sensor unit 112B, power may be supplied, and an aerosol may be generated. The heating part 121B is in structure an electric heater.
A heat insulating portion 144B prevents heat transfer from the heating unit 121B to other components. The heat insulating portion 144B is disposed so as to cover at least the outer circumference of the heating unit 121B. For example, the heat insulating portion 144B is configured by a vacuum insulating material or an aerogel insulating material, etc. It should be noted that a vacuum insulating material is a heat insulating material in which a state of high vacuum is created by wrapping glass wool and silica (silicon powder), etc. in a resin film, for example, so that heat conduction by gas is as close as possible to zero.

1-3. Third Configuration Example

The inhalation device according to this configuration example generates an aerosol by heating a substrate containing an aerosol source from inside the substrate and from outside the substrate. This configuration example will be described below with reference to Figure 1C.
Figure 1C is a schematic diagram schematically showing a third configuration example of the inhalation device. As shown in Figure 1C, an inhalation device 100C according to this configuration example includes a power source unit 111C, a sensor unit 112C, a notification unit 113C, a memory unit 114C, a communication unit 115C, a control unit 116C, a heating unit 121C-1, a heating unit 121C-2, a holding section 140C, and a heat insulating section 144C. A user inhales with a stick-shaped substrate 150C accommodated in the holding section 140. The components will be described in order below.
The power source unit 111C stores electrical power. The power source unit 111C then supplies electrical power to each component of the inhalation device 100C. The power source unit 111C may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power source unit 111C may be charged by being connected to an external power source by means of a USB (universal serial bus) cable or the like. Furthermore, the power source unit 111C may also be charged by means of wireless power transmission technology, without being connected to a power transmission-side device. Alternatively, just the power source 111C may be removed from the inhalation device 100C, and may be replaced with a new power source 111C.
The sensor unit 112C acquires various types of information relating to the inhalation device 100C. The sensor unit 112C then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116C. As an example, the sensor unit 112C is configured by a pressure sensor such as a capacitor microphone, a flow rate sensor or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112C has detected a numerical value associated with inhalation by a user, the sensor unit 112C then outputs to the control unit 116C information indicating that the user has inhaled. As another example, the sensor unit 112C is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, for accepting input of information from the user. The sensor unit 112C may especially comprise a button for instructing starting/stopping of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112C then outputs to the control unit 116C the information input by the user. As a further example, the sensor unit 112C may be configured by a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2. Such a temperature sensor detects the temperature of each of the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 based on the electrical resistance value of each conductive track of the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2, for example. Alternatively, the temperature sensor may be a thermistor that measures the temperature of the heating unit 121A. The sensor part 121C may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150C held by the holding section 140C based on the temperature of the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2. The sensor unit 112C may also include a sensor, namely a motion sensor, for detecting the movement of the inhalation device 100C (for example, movement caused by an action of the user shaking the inhalation device 100C). An example of such a sensor is, but is not limited to, an acceleration sensor.
The notification unit 113C notifies the user of the information. As an example, the notification unit 113C is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (light-emitting diode). In this way, when the power source unit 111C is in a state of requiring charging, when the power source unit 111C is in the process of charging, or when an abnormality has occurred in the inhalation device 100C, etc., the notification unit 113C emits light in a different light emission pattern for each case. The light emission patterns as referred to here generally include colors and timing of illumination/extinguishing. The notification unit 113C may be constituted by a display device (for example, a display) for displaying images, a sound output device (for example, a speaker) for outputting sound, and a vibration device (for example, a vibration motor) for vibrating, either in conjunction with or instead of the light-emitting device. Additionally, the notification unit 113C may notify information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible. The information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible may be notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150C heated by means of the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 has reached a predetermined temperature.
The memory unit 114C stores various types of information for the operation of the inhalation device 100C. The memory unit 114C can be configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example. An example of information stored in the memory unit 114C is information related to the operating system (OS) of the inhalation device 100C, such as the content of control of various components performed by the control unit 116C. Another example of the information stored in the memory unit 114C is information relating to inhalation by the user, such as number of inhalations, times of inhalation, and cumulative inhalation duration. As described below, the memory unit 114C may store one or more heating profiles for controlling the heating operation in the inhalation device 100C. Preferably, the memory unit 114C is configured to be able to store a plurality of heating profiles.
The communication unit 115C is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the inhalation device 100C and another device. The communication unit 115C performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards which may be used include wireless LAN (local area network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. As one example, the communication unit 115C may send information relating to inhalation by the user to a smartphone in order to cause the smartphone to display the information relating to inhalation by the user. As another example, the communication unit 115C receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 114C.
The control unit 116C functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operation within the inhalation device 100C in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116C is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an electronic circuit such as a microprocessor, for example. The control unit 116C may also include a ROM (read-only memory) for storing programs and computation parameters, etc. which are used, and a RAM (random access memory) for temporarily storing suitably changing parameters, etc. The inhalation device 100C implements various types of processing on the basis of control performed by the control unit 116C. Examples of processing controlled by the control unit 116C include: supply of electricity from the power source unit 111C to other components; charging of the power source unit 111C; detection of information by the sensor unit 112C; notification of information by the notification unit 113C; storage and reading of information by the memory unit 114C; and sending/receiving of information by the communication unit 115C. Other processing implemented by the inhalation device 100C, such as processing based on input of information to each component and information output from each component, is also controlled by means of the control unit 116C.
The holding section 140C has an internal space 141C, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150C while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150C in the internal space 141C. The holding section 140C has an opening 142C allowing the internal space 141C to communicate with the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150C which has been inserted into the internal space 141C from the opening 142C. For example, the holding section 140C is a cylindrical body comprising the opening 142C and a bottom portion 143C serving as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141C. The holding section 140C is configured so that the inner diameter of at least part of the cylindrical body in a height direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 150C, and is capable of holding the stick-shaped substrate 150C, which has been inserted into the internal space 141C, so as to press the stick-shaped substrate 150C from the outer circumference thereof. The holding section 140C also has a function for defining a flow path for air passing through the stick-shaped substrate 150C. An air inflow hole which is an inlet for air into the flow path is disposed in the bottom portion 143C, for example. Meanwhile, the opening 142C forms an air outflow hole, which is an outlet for air from the flow path.
The stick-shaped substrate 150C is a stick-shaped member. The stick-shaped substrate 150C comprises a substrate portion 151C and a mouthpiece portion 152C.
The substrate portion 151C includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating so as to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may be, for example, a tobacco-derived substance such as shredded tobacco, or a processed product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular form, a sheet form, or a powder form. Furthermore, the aerosol source may also contain a non-tobacco-derived substance produced from a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint or herb, etc.). As one example, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring component such as menthol. When the inhalation device 100C is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a drug to be inhaled by a patient. It should be noted that the aerosol source is not limited to a solid, and may equally be a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water, for example. With the stick-shaped substrate 150C held in the holding section 140C, at least part of the substrate portion 151C is accommodated in the internal space 141C of the holding section 140C.
The mouthpiece portion 152C is a member which is held in the user's mouth during inhalation. With the stick-shaped substrate 150C held in the holding section 140C, at least part of the mouthpiece portion 152C protrudes from the opening 142C. When the user then inhales with the mouthpiece portion 152C, which protrudes from the opening 142C, held in the mouth, air flows into the holding section 140C from the air inflow hole which is not depicted. The air which has flowed in passes through the internal space 141C of the holding section 140C, that is, through the substrate portion 151C, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151C.
The heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 heat the aerosol source to atomize the aerosol source, thereby generating the aerosol. The heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 are formed by any material such as a metal or polyimide.
The heating unit 121C-1 has a blade-like form and is arranged so as to protrude into the internal space 141C from the bottom portion 143C of the holding section 140C. When the stick-shaped substrate 150C is inserted into the holding section 140C, the blade-like heating unit 121C-1 therefore pierces the substrate portion 151C of the stick-shaped substrate 150C and is inserted inside the stick-shaped substrate 150C. When the heating unit 121C-1 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150C is then heated from the inside of the stick-shaped substrate 150C and atomized, generating the aerosol.
The heating unit 121C-2 is configured as a film and disposed so as to cover the outer circumference of a holding section 140C-2. When the heating unit 121C-1 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150C is then heated from the outer circumference of the stick-shaped substrate 150C and atomized, generating the aerosol.
Typically, the temperature of the heating unit 121C-2 is controlled to be lower than the temperature of the heating unit 121C-1. This is because the heat emitted from the heating section 121C-2 is more likely to propagate to other components of the inhalation device 100C than the heat emitted from the heating section 121C-1.
The heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 generate heat when supplied with electricity from the power source unit 111C. As an example, when it is detected by the sensor unit 112C that a predetermined user input has been made, power may be supplied. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150C heated by the heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-2 reaches a predetermined temperature, inhalation by the user becomes possible. After this, the electrical supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112C has detected that there has been predetermined user input. As another example, during the period in which inhalation by the user is detected by the sensor unit 112C, power may be supplied, and an aerosol may be generated. The heating unit 121C-1 and the heating unit 121C-1 are in structure electric heaters.
The heat insulating portion 144C prevents heat transfer from the heating unit 121C-2 to other components of the inhalation device 100. The heat insulating portion 144C is disposed so as to cover at least the outer circumference of the heating unit 121C-2. For example, the heat insulating portion 144C is configured by a vacuum insulating material or an aerogel insulating material, etc. It should be noted that a vacuum insulating material is a heat insulating material in which a state of high vacuum is created by wrapping glass wool and silica (silicon powder), etc. in a resin film, for example, so that heat conduction by gas is as close as possible to zero.
While Fig. 1C shows an example in which the heating unit 121C-2 are disposed on the outer circumference of the holding section 140C, the present configuration example is not limited to this example. As another example, the heating unit 121C-2 may be arranged so as to cover the bottom portion 143C of the accommodating portion 140C.

1-4. Fourth Configuration Example

The inhalation device according to this configuration example is a substrate-external type inhalation device that generates an aerosol through induction heating. This configuration example will be described below with reference to Figure 1D.
Figure 1D is a schematic diagram schematically showing a fourth configuration example of the inhalation device. As shown in Figure 1D, an inhalation device 100D according to this configuration example includes a power source unit 111D, a sensor unit 112D, a notification unit 113D, a memory unit 114D, a communication unit 115D, a control unit 116D, a susceptor 161D, an electromagnetic induction source 162D, and a holding section 140D. A user inhales with a stick-shaped substrate 150D held by the holding section 140D. The components will be described in order below.
The power source unit 111D stores electrical power. The power source unit 111D then supplies electrical power to each component of the inhalation device 100D. The power source unit 111D may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery. The power source unit 111D may be charged by being connected to an external power source by means of a USB (universal serial bus) cable or the like. Furthermore, the power source unit 111D may also be charged by means of wireless power transmission technology, without being connected to a power transmission-side device. Alternatively, just the power source unit 111D may be removed from the inhalation device 100D, and may be replaced with a new power source 111D.
The sensor unit 112D acquires various types of information relating to the inhalation device 100D. The sensor unit 112D then outputs the detected information to the control unit 116D. As an example, the sensor unit 112D is configured by a pressure sensor such as a capacitor microphone, a flow rate sensor or a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 112D has detected a numerical value associated with inhalation by a user, the sensor unit 112C then outputs to the control unit 116D information indicating that the user has inhaled. As another example, the sensor unit 112D is configured by an input device, such as a button or switch, for accepting input of information from the user. The sensor unit 112D may especially comprise a button for instructing starting/stopping of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 112D then outputs to the control unit 116D the information input by the user. As a further example, the sensor unit 112D may be configured by a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the susceptor 161D. Such a temperature sensor detects the temperature of the susceptor 161D based on the electrical resistance value of the electromagnetic induction source 162D, for example. Alternatively, such a temperature sensor may be a thermistor that directly measures the temperature of the susceptor 161D. The sensor unit 121D may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150D held by the holding section 140D based on the temperature of the susceptor 161D. The sensor unit 112D may also include a sensor, namely a motion sensor, for detecting the movement of the inhalation device 100D (for example, movement caused by an action of the user shaking the inhalation device 100D). An example of such a sensor is, but is not limited to, an acceleration sensor.
The notification unit 113D notifies the user of the information. As an example, the notification unit 113D is configured by a light-emitting device such as an LED (light-emitting diode). In this way, when the power source unit 111D is in a state of requiring charging, when the power source unit 111D is in the process of charging, or when an abnormality has occurred in the inhalation device 100D, etc., the notification unit 113D emits light in a different light emission pattern for each case. The light emission patterns as referred to here generally include colors and timing of illumination/extinguishing. The notification unit 113D may be constituted by a display device (for example, a display) for displaying images, a sound output device (for example, a speaker) for outputting sound, and a vibration device (for example, a vibration motor) for vibrating, either in conjunction with or instead of the light-emitting device. Additionally, the notification unit 113D may notify information indicating that inhalation by the user is possible. Information indicating that inhalation by the user has become possible is notified when the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150D, heated by electromagnetic induction, reaches a predetermined temperature.
The memory unit 114D stores various types of information for the operation of the inhalation device 100D. The memory unit 114D can be configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example. Information relating to the operating system (OS) of the generating device 100D, such as the content of control by the control unit 116D of various types of components, is an example of the information stored in the memory unit 114D. Another example of the information stored in the memory unit 114D is information relating to inhalation by the user, such as number of inhalations, times of inhalation, and cumulative inhalation duration. As will be described below, the memory unit 114D may store one or more heating profiles for controlling the heating operation in the inhalation device 100D. Preferably, the memory unit 114D is configured to be able to store a plurality of heating profiles.
The communication unit 115D is a communication interface for sending and receiving information between the inhalation device 100D and another device. The communication unit 115D performs communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of communication standards which may be used include wireless LAN (local area network), wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. As one example, the communication unit 115D may send information relating to inhalation by the user to a smartphone in order to cause the smartphone to display the information relating to inhalation by the user. As another example, the communication unit 115D receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the memory unit 114D.
The control unit 116D functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls overall operation within the inhalation device 100D in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116D is realized by a CPU (Central
Processing Unit) and an electronic circuit such as a microprocessor, for example. The control unit 116D may also include a ROM (read-only memory) for storing programs and computation parameters, etc. which are used, and a RAM (random access memory) for temporarily storing suitably changing parameters, etc. The inhalation device 100D implements various types of processing on the basis of control performed by the control unit 116D. Examples of processing controlled by the control unit 116D include: supply of electricity from the power source unit 111D to other components; charging of the power source unit 111D; detection of information by the sensor unit 112D; notification of information by the notification unit 113D; storage and reading of information by the memory unit 114D; and sending/receiving of information by the communication unit 115D. Other processing implemented by the inhalation device 100D, such as processing based on input of information to each component and information output from each component, is also controlled by means of the control unit 116D.
The holding section 140D has an internal space 141D, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150D while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150D in the internal space 141D. The holding section 140D has an opening 142D allowing the internal space 141D to communicate with the outside, and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150D which has been inserted into the internal space 141D from the opening 142D. For example, the holding section 140D is a cylindrical body comprising the opening 142D and a bottom portion 143D serving as a bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141D. The holding section 140D is configured so that the inner diameter of at least part of the cylindrical body in a height direction is smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped substrate 150D, and is capable of holding the stick-shaped substrate 150D, which has been inserted into the internal space 141D, so as to press the stick-shaped substrate 150D from the outer circumference thereof. The holding section 140D also has a function for defining a flow path for air passing through the stick-shaped substrate 150D. An air inflow hole which is an inlet for air into the flow path is disposed in the bottom portion 143D, for example. Meanwhile, the opening 142D forms an air outflow hole, which is an outlet for air from the flow path.
The stick-shaped substrate 150D is a stick-shaped member. The stick-shaped substrate 150D comprises a substrate portion 151D and a mouthpiece portion 152D.
The substrate portion 151D includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating so as to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source may be, for example, a tobacco-derived substance such as shredded tobacco, or a processed product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular form, a sheet form, or a powder form. Furthermore, the aerosol source may also contain a non-tobacco-derived substance produced from a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint or herb, etc.). As one example, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring component such as menthol. When the inhalation device 100D is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may contain a drug to be inhaled by a patient. It should be noted that the aerosol source is not limited to a solid, and may equally be a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol or propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water, for example. With the stick-shaped substrate 150D held in the holding section 140D, at least part of the substrate portion 151D is accommodated in the internal space 141D of the holding section 140D.
The mouthpiece portion 152D is a member which is held in the user's mouth during inhalation. With the stick-shaped substrate 150D held in the holding section 140D, at least part of the mouthpiece portion 152D protrudes from the opening 142D. When the user then inhales with the mouthpiece portion 152D, which protrudes from the opening 142D, held in the mouth, air flows into the holding section 140D from the air inflow hole which is not depicted. The air which has flowed in passes through the internal space 141D of the holding section 140D, that is, through the substrate portion 151D, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151D.
Furthermore, the stick-shaped substrate 150D comprises a susceptor 161D. The susceptor 161D generates heat by electromagnetic induction. The susceptor 161D is made of a conductive material, such as a metal. As an example, the susceptor 161D is a metal piece. The susceptor 161D is disposed adjacent to the aerosol source. In the example shown in Figure 1D, the susceptor 161D is included in the substrate portion 151D of the stick-shaped substrate 150D.
The electromagnetic induction source 162D generates heat in the susceptor 161D by electromagnetic induction. The electromagnetic induction source 162D comprises, for example, a coil-shaped conductor, and is arranged so as to wind around the outer circumference of the holding section 140D. The electromagnetic induction source 162D generates a magnetic field when supplied with an AC current from the power supply unit 111D. The electromagnetic induction source 162D is arranged at a position where the internal space 141D of the holding section 140D overlaps with the generated magnetic field. Accordingly, when a magnetic field is generated in a state where the stick-shaped base material 150D is held by the holding section 140D, an eddy current is generated in the susceptor 161D, and Joule heating is generated. Then, the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150D is heated and atomized by the Joule heat, generating an aerosol. As an example, when it is detected by the sensor unit 112D that a predetermined user input has been made, power may be supplied. When the temperature of the stick-shaped substrate 150D, which is induction heated by the susceptor 161D and the electromagnetic induction source 162D, reaches a predetermined temperature, inhalation by the user becomes possible. After this, the electrical supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112D has detected that there has been predetermined user input. As another example, during the period in which inhalation by the user is detected by the sensor unit 112D, power may be supplied, and an aerosol may be generated. The electromagnetic induction source 162D is in structure an induction heating type heater.
While Figure 1D shows an example in which the susceptor 161D is included in the substrate portion 151D of the stick-shaped substrate 150D, the present example configuration is not limited to this example. For example, the holding section 140D may perform the function of the susceptor 161D. In this case, an eddy current is generated in the holding section 140D by means of a magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic induction source 162D, and Joule heating is generated. The aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped substrate 150D is then heated and atomized by the Joule heating, generating an aerosol.

1-5. Further Configuration Example

In the above described configuration examples, the substrate comprising the aerosol source was stick-shaped. However, the shape of the substrate is not limited to this.
Further, in the above described configuration examples, the aerosol source was included in a substrate that was a solid body. However, in the present disclosure, there is no intention to exclude inhalation devices using liquid as the aerosol source.
Furthermore, the heating method of the heating unit of the inhalation device may be any heating method, such as heating by microwaves, as long as the substrate can be heated.

2. Processing Executed by the Inhalation Device

The inhalation device 100A, etc., according to the embodiments of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as the "inhalation device 100" without distinction) is configured to control the heating operation using a heating profile.
Below, an example of processing that can be executed by the inhalation device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, specifically by the control unit 116A, etc., of the inhalation device 100 (hereinafter referred to as "control unit 116" without distinction) will be described. Note that the exemplary processing described below may be executed by a program that causes the inhalation device 100 to perform the processing. Furthermore, the program can be stored in the memory unit 114A, etc., of the inhalation device 100 (hereinafter referred to as "memory unit 114" without distinction).
As described above, the heating units 121A to 121C and the electromagnetic induction source 162D are structures that perform heating and therefore will be referred to as "heaters" without distinction hereinafter. However, when the heater is the electromagnetic induction source 162D, the electrical resistance value of the heater (including the target resistance value) is the electrical resistance value of the electromagnetic induction source 162D, while the temperature of the heater (including the target temperature) may be the temperature of the susceptor 161D heated by the electromagnetic induction source 162D induction. Also, hereinafter, "electrical resistance value" will be referred to as "resistance value."

2-1. Exemplary Processing for Initiating Heating Profile Transmission

Figure 2 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of exemplary processing 200 for initiating a heating profile transmission process. In this pseudo-sequence diagram, the flow of exemplary operations of two inhalation devices 100 (hereinafter referred to as "inhalation device A" and "inhalation device B") is represented, including interactions with the users of these inhalation devices (hereinafter referred to as "user A" and "user B"). Note that in the following description, inhalation device A and user A and inhalation device B and user B are interchangeable.
The timing for initiating the execution of the exemplary processing 200 (more specifically, step 210 described later) is arbitrary. For example, the exemplary processing 200 may be initiated in response to, but is not limited to, at least one of the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B detecting any predetermined action.
210 indicates a step of establishing a connection between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B. Hereinafter, transmission and reception between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are assumed to be conducted via the established connection. This connection may be, but is not limited to, a P2P connection conforming to known Bluetooth technology. In the case of a P2P connection conforming to known Bluetooth technology, during the establishment of the connection, one of the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B is set as the central (master), and the other is set as the peripheral (slave).
Therefore, according to the exemplary processing 200, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be configured to connect with another inhalation device (inhalation device B) via a P2P connection and perform transmission and reception with the other inhalation device through the P2P connection.
215 indicates a step where the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B each start a timer to disconnect the established connection due to a timeout.
220 indicates a processing block where the heating profile transmission process is initiated.
222 indicates the step where user A performs any first predetermined action, and the inhalation device A detects the action. An example of the first predetermined action is, but is not limited to, user A shaking the inhalation device A. Note that the action of user A shaking the inhalation device A can be detected by a motion sensor that can be included in the sensor unit 112 of the inhalation device A.
That is, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) includes a sensor (motion sensor) for detecting the movement of the inhalation device, and can be further configured to detect that the inhalation device has been shaken as a predetermined action (first predetermined action) using the sensor.
230 indicates the step where the inhalation device A initiates the heating profile transmission process in response to detecting the first predetermined action. The heating profile transmission process will be described later, but the heating profile transmission process can include a step where the inhalation device A transmits the heating profile to the inhalation device B.
Therefore, according to the exemplary processing 200, the inhalation device (inhalation device A), which is configured to control the heating operation using a heating profile, can be further configured to transmit the heating profile to another inhalation device (inhalation device B) that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
According to such a configuration, the heating profile can be transmitted from the inhalation device A to the inhalation device B, thereby allowing the inhalation device A to convey the content of the heating operation control to the inhalation device B.
Moreover, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are interchangeable, according to such a configuration the heating profile can be mutually transmitted between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B.
Furthermore, according to the exemplary processing 200, the inhalation device (inhalation device A), which is configured to control the heating operation using a heating profile, can be further configured to initiate the heating profile transmission process in response to detecting a predetermined action (the first predetermined action), and the heating profile transmission process can include a step where the inhalation device transmits the heating profile to another inhalation device (inhalation device B) that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.
According to such a configuration, the inhalation device A is capable of transmitting the heating profile.
Note that the heating profile transmission process may include a step where the inhalation device A receives a heating profile transmitted from the inhalation device B, instead of a step where the inhalation device A transmits the heating profile to the inhalation device B. Based on the above, by initiating the heating profile transmission process in response to a predetermined action, it is possible to determine which of the connected inhalation device A and inhalation device B will transmit the heating profile. This is particularly useful when a connection without distinction between the transmitting side and the receiving side is established between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B.
It is preferable that once a response to the detection of the first predetermined action has been made, no response is made to any further detection of the predetermined action until the heating profile transmission process is completed. This is to prevent the heating profile transmission process from being unintentionally initiated multiple times. Note that the completion of the heating profile transmission process may include the normal completion of the heating profile transmission process described later, the termination of the heating profile transmission process due to interaction with the user, and the termination of the heating profile transmission process due to a timeout.
That is, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be configured not to respond to further detection of the predetermined action after responding to the detection of the predetermined action (first predetermined action) until the heating profile transmission process is completed.
240 indicates a processing block where the initiation of the heating profile transmission process is canceled due to interaction from the user.
242 indicates a step where user A performs any second predetermined action, and the inhalation device A detects the action.
244 indicates a step where the inhalation device A, in response to detecting the second predetermined action, transmits a signal requesting the disconnection of the established connection (hereinafter referred to as "connection disconnection signal") to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.
246 indicates a step where the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B execute processing for disconnecting the established connection (hereinafter referred to as "connection disconnection processing"). Step 246 can include steps for transmitting and receiving one or more signals necessary to disconnect the established connection between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B.
248 indicates the step where, in response to the completion of the disconnection of the established connection, the inhalation device A displays any user interface (UI) indicating that the initiation of the heating profile transmission process has been canceled for user A, and the inhalation device B displays the UI for user B on the notification unit 113A, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "notification unit 113" without distinction). Note that the displayed UI may be the same or different between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B.
Note that the initiation of the heating profile transmission process may be canceled by user B performing the second predetermined action. In this case, it will be understood that in processing block 240, steps with the inhalation device A and user A exchanged with the inhalation device B and user B will be executed.
250 indicates a processing block where the initiation of the heating profile transmission process is canceled due to a timeout.
252 indicates the step where the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B determine that the established connection should be disconnected due to a timeout based on the timer started in step 215.
254 indicates the step where the inhalation device A, in response to determining that the established connection should be disconnected due to a timeout, transmits the connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal. Note that step 254 may also be a step where the inhalation device B, in response to determining that the established connection should be disconnected due to a timeout, transmits the connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
256 and 258 indicate steps similar to step 246 and step 248, respectively.

2-2 Exemplary Heating Profile Transmission Process

Figure 3 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of an exemplary heating profile transmission process 300. The exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 includes a step where the inhalation device A transmits the heating profile to the inhalation device B.
302 indicates a step where the inhalation device A transmits a first signal indicating the initiation of the heating profile transmission process to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal. The first signal may include a signal notifying the transmission of the heating profile. When transmitting a signal notifying the transmission of the heating profile, the inhalation device A executes the transmission process of the heating profile as the inhalation device transmitting the heating profile. When receiving the first signal notifying the transmission of the heating profile from the inhalation device A, the inhalation device B executes the reception process of the heating profile as the inhalation device receiving the heating profile.
304 indicates a step where the inhalation device B transmits an acknowledgment response to the first signal received from the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the acknowledgment response.
As mentioned above, the inhalation device A and user A and the inhalation device B and user B are interchangeable. Therefore, there is a possibility that the inhalation device B may transmit the first signal almost simultaneously with the inhalation device A transmitting the first signal. In such cases, to prevent unintended situations, such as both the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B becoming the transmitting side of the heating profile, it is preferable to determine which of the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B should be prioritized.
That is, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to determine which of the inhalation device and the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) should be prioritized when the inhalation device receives the first signal from the other inhalation device after transmitting the first signal to the other inhalation device and before receiving the acknowledgment response to the first signal, and not to transmit the acknowledgment response to the first signal received from the other inhalation device if it is determined that the inhalation device should be prioritized.
Note that the method for determining which of the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B should be prioritized is arbitrary. For example, when a P2P connection conforming to known Bluetooth technology as described above is established between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B, it can be determined by utilizing whether the inhalation device A is set as the central (master) (and the inhalation device B as the peripheral (slave)).
That is a further configuration is possible in which, during the establishment of the P2P connection, one of the inhalation device (inhalation device A) and the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) is set as the central (master), and the other is set as the peripheral (slave), and the inhalation device determines that the inhalation device should be prioritized when the inhalation device is set as the central (master).
Note that after transmitting the first signal to the inhalation device B, if the inhalation device A receives the first signal from the inhalation device B before receiving the acknowledgment response to the first signal, it may execute any error processing to prevent unintended situations.
306 indicates a step where, in response to the inhalation device A receiving the acknowledgment response to the transmitted first signal for user A, and the inhalation device B transmitting the acknowledgment response for user B, any UI indicating that the heating profile transmission process is initiated is displayed on the notification unit 113 for each user. Note that the displayed UI may be the same or different between the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B.
308 indicates a step where the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B each start a timer to cancel the heating profile transmission process due to a timeout.
310 indicates a processing block where the heating profile transmission process is completed successfully.
312 indicates a step where the inhalation device A transmits a second signal requesting the transmission of the characteristics of the heater to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal. Note that step 312 is executed when the inhalation device A receives the acknowledgment response in step 304.
314 indicates a step where, upon receiving the second signal from the inhalation device A, the inhalation device B transmits the characteristics of the heater to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the characteristics of the heater. Note that the characteristics of the heater transmitted in step 314 are the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B.
316 indicates a step where, upon receiving the characteristics of the heater from the inhalation device B, the inhalation device A generates the heating profile. More specifically, the inhalation device A can generate the heating profile based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A, the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A, and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B. The heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A may be pre-stored in the memory unit 114 of the inhalation device A. The characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B can be received from the inhalation device B in step 314.
Note that steps 312 to 316 assume that the heating profile includes a target resistance value, as will be described later. Steps 312 to 316 may be unnecessary in cases where the heating profile includes a target temperature, as will be described later.
That is, when the heating profile used by the inhalation devices A and B includes a target temperature, the heating profile may simply be transmitted from the inhalation device A to the inhalation device B.
Note that while the heating profile used by the inhalation device A includes a target temperature, the heating profile used by the inhalation device B may include a target resistance value. In this case, the heating profile used by the inhalation device B can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B. The characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B in this case may be a pre-provided "correspondence relationship (correspondence table) between the target temperature and the target resistance value." Specifically, the target resistance value of the inhalation device B can be calculated from the target temperature included in the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided to the inhalation device B.
In this case, as a response to the second signal, the inhalation device A may receive the correspondence relationship from the inhalation device B. The inhalation device A can generate the heating profile used by the inhalation device B based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the correspondence relationship received from the inhalation device B. Additionally, the inhalation device A may transmit only its own heating profile to the inhalation device B. In this case, the inhalation device B may generate the heating profile the inhalation device B uses based on the heating profile received from the inhalation device A and the pre-provided "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value."
Furthermore, while the heating profiles used by the inhalation devices A and B include a target resistance value, the transmitted heating profile may include a target temperature. In this case, the transmitted heating profile can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device B can be generated based on the transmitted heating profile and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B. The characteristics of the heater in this case may be the pre-provided "correspondence relationship (correspondence table) between the target temperature and the target resistance value" for both inhalation devices A and B. Specifically, the target temperature of the transmitted heating profile can be calculated by the inhalation device A from the target resistance value included in the heating profile it uses and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device A, and the target resistance value of the inhalation device B can be calculated from the target temperature included in the transmitted heating profile and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device B.
318 indicates a step where the inhalation device A transmits the heating profile to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the heating profile. The transmitted heating profile is the one generated in step 316. However, if step 316 is not included as described above, the transmitted heating profile may be a copy of the one used by the inhalation device A.
Therefore, the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 can include a step where the inhalation device (inhalation device A) transmits a first signal indicating the initiation of the heating profile transmission process to another inhalation device (inhalation device B), a step where the inhalation device transmits a second signal requesting the transmission of the characteristics of the heater to the other inhalation device upon receiving an acknowledgment response to the first signal from the other inhalation device, a step where the inhalation device generates the heating profile upon receiving the characteristics of the heater from the other inhalation device, and a step where the inhalation device transmits the generated heating profile to the other inhalation device.
Moreover, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are interchangeable, according to the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to transmit an acknowledgment response to the first signal from the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) and to transmit the characteristics of the heater to the other inhalation device upon receiving the second signal from the other inhalation device.
Additionally, according to the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to generate the transmitted heating profile based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device, the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device, and the characteristics of the heater provided to the other inhalation device (inhalation device B).
Furthermore, according to the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to receive the characteristics of the heater provided to the other inhalation device (inhalation device B).
According to such a configuration, user A's (user B's) inhalation experience following the heating operation using the heating profile can be experienced by user B (user A).
Note that in the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, the generation of the heating profile is performed on the side of the inhalation device A, but the generation of the heating profile may also be performed on the side of the inhalation device B. That is, the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 can be modified to include, instead of steps 312 to 318, a step where the inhalation device A transmits the heating profile the inhalation device A uses and the characteristics of the heater it provides to the inhalation device B, a step where the inhalation device B receives the heating profile and the characteristics of the heater, and a step where the inhalation device B generates the heating profile.
Therefore, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are interchangeable, according to the modified exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be configured to transmit the heating profile the inhalation device uses and the characteristics of the heater the inhalation device is provided with to another inhalation device (inhalation device B).
Hereinafter, in this section, the heating profile generated in the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 (step 316) or the modified exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 is referred to as the "generated heating profile."
320 indicates a step where the inhalation device A transmits a signal requesting that the generated heating profile be set to be used (hereinafter referred to as "setting signal") to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.
322 indicates a step where the inhalation device B stores the generated heating profile in a predetermined region, for example, a region 850 described later in Figure 8, and 324 indicates a step where the inhalation device B sets the generated heating profile to be used. As a result, the generated heating profile will be used in the next heating operation in the inhalation device B.
Note that in the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300, steps 322 and 324 are executed when the inhalation device B receives the setting signal. However, steps 322 and 324 may be executed in response to the generated heating profile becoming available in the inhalation device B without the setting signal being transmitted and received (including receiving the generated heating profile from the inhalation device A when the generation of the heating profile is performed on the side of the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device B generating the heating profile when the generation of the heating profile is performed on the side of the inhalation device B).
326 indicates a step where the inhalation device B, in response to the generated heating profile being set to be used, transmits a signal indicating that the setting is complete (hereinafter referred to as "setting completion signal") to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
328 indicates a step where the inhalation device B, upon completion of the series of processes related to the reception of the heating profile (including the reception, storage, and setting of the heating profile), transmits a signal indicating the completion (hereinafter referred to as "reception completion signal") to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
330 indicates a step where the inhalation device A, in response to receiving the reception completion signal, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal. Note that step 330 may also be a step where the inhalation device B, in response to transmitting the reception completion signal, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
332 and 334 indicate steps similar to step 246 and step 248 in Figure 2, respectively.
340 indicates a processing block where the heating profile transmission process is canceled due to a timeout on the transmitting side of the heating profile.
342 indicates a step where the inhalation device A determines that the heating profile transmission process should be canceled due to a timeout based on the timer started in step 308.
344 indicates a step where the inhalation device A, in response to determining that the heating profile transmission process should be canceled due to a timeout, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.
346 and 348 indicate steps similar to step 246 and step 248 in Figure 2, respectively.
350 indicates a processing block where the heating profile transmission process is canceled due to a timeout on the receiving side of the heating profile.
352 indicates a step where the inhalation device B determines that the heating profile transmission process should be canceled due to a timeout based on the timer started in step 308.
354 indicates a step where the inhalation device B, in response to determining that the heating profile transmission process should be canceled due to a timeout, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
356 and 358 indicate steps similar to step 246 and step 248 in Figure 2, respectively.
2-3 Another Exemplary Heating Profile Transmission Process
Figure 4 is a pseudo-sequence diagram showing the flow of another exemplary heating profile transmission process. Another exemplary heating profile transmission process 400 includes a step where the inhalation device A receives a heating profile transmitted from the inhalation device B.
Note that in the other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400, the same reference numerals are assigned to steps similar to those in the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300. However, the first signal may include a signal notifying the reception of the heating profile. When the inhalation device A transmits a signal notifying the reception of the heating profile, it executes the reception process of the heating profile as the inhalation device receiving the heating profile. When the inhalation device B receives the first signal notifying the reception of the heating profile from the inhalation device A, it executes the transmission process of the heating profile as the inhalation device transmitting the heating profile. Below, the differences from the exemplary heating profile transmission process 300 will be described.
410 indicates a processing block where the heating profile transmission process is completed successfully.
412 indicates a step where the inhalation device B transmits a second signal requesting the transmission of the characteristics of the heater to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal. Note that step 412 is executed when the inhalation device B transmits the acknowledgment response in step 304.
414 indicates a step where, upon receiving the second signal from the inhalation device B, the inhalation device A transmits the characteristics of the heater to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the characteristics of the heater. Note that the characteristics of the heater transmitted in step 414 are the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A.
416 indicates a step where, upon receiving the characteristics of the heater from the inhalation device A, the inhalation device B generates the heating profile. More specifically, the inhalation device B can generate the heating profile based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device B, the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B, and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A. The heating profile used by the inhalation device B and the characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device B may be pre-stored in the memory unit 114 of the inhalation device B. The characteristics of the heater provided in the inhalation device A can be received from the inhalation device A in step 414.
Note that steps 412 to 416 assume that the heating profile includes a target resistance value, as will be described later. Steps 412 to 416 may be unnecessary in cases where the heating profile includes a target temperature, as will be described later.
That is, when the heating profiles used by the inhalation devices A and B include a target temperature, the heating profile may simply be transmitted from the inhalation device B to the inhalation device A.
Note that while the heating profile used by the inhalation device B includes a target temperature, the heating profile used by the inhalation device A may include a target resistance value. In this case, the heating profile used by the inhalation device A can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device B and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A. The characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A in this case may be the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device A. Specifically, the target resistance value of the inhalation device A can be calculated from the target temperature included in the heating profile used by the inhalation device B and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device A.
In this case, as a response to the second signal, the inhalation device B may receive the correspondence relationship from the inhalation device A. The inhalation device B can generate the heating profile used by the inhalation device A based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device B and the correspondence relationship received from the inhalation device A. Additionally, the inhalation device B may transmit only its own heating profile to the inhalation device A. In this case, the inhalation device A may generate the heating profile it uses based on the heating profile received from the inhalation device B and the pre-provided "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value."
Furthermore, while the heating profiles used by the inhalation devices A and B include a target resistance value, the transmitted heating profile may include a target temperature. In this case, the transmitted heating profile can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device B and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device A can be generated based on the transmitted heating profile and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A. The characteristics of the heater in this case may be the pre-provided "correspondence relationship (correspondence table) between the target temperature and the target resistance value" for both inhalation devices A and B. Specifically, the target temperature of the transmitted heating profile can be calculated by the inhalation device B from the target resistance value included in the heating profile it uses and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device B, and the target resistance value of the inhalation device A can be calculated by the inhalation device A from the target temperature included in the transmitted heating profile and the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device A.
418 indicates a step where the inhalation device B transmits the heating profile to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the heating profile. The transmitted heating profile is the one generated in step 416. However, if step 416 is not included as described above, the transmitted heating profile may be a copy of the one used by the inhalation device B.
Note that in the other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400, the generation of the heating profile is performed on the side of the inhalation device B, but the generation of the heating profile may also be performed on the side of the inhalation device A. That is, the other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400 can be modified to include, instead of steps 412 to 418, a step where the inhalation device B transmits the heating profile the inhalation device B uses and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B to the inhalation device A, and also where the inhalation device A receives the heating profile and the characteristics of the heater, and a step where the inhalation device A generates the heating profile.
Hereinafter, in this section, the heating profile generated in the other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400 (step 416) or the modified other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400 are referred to as the "generated heating profile."
420 indicates a step where the inhalation device B transmits a setting signal to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal.
422 indicates a step where the inhalation device A stores the generated heating profile in a predetermined region, for example, the region 850 in Figure 8, and 424 indicates a step where the inhalation device A sets the generated heating profile to be used.
Note that in the other exemplary heating profile transmission process 400, steps 422 and 424 are executed when the inhalation device A receives the setting signal, but these steps may also be executed in response to the generated heating profile becoming available in the inhalation device A without the setting signal being transmitted and received.
426 indicates a step where the inhalation device A, in response to the generated heating profile being set to be used, transmits a setting completion signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.
428 indicates a step where the inhalation device A, upon completion of the series of processes related to the reception of the heating profile (including the reception, storage, and setting of the heating profile), transmits a reception completion signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.
430 indicates a step where the inhalation device B, in response to receiving the reception completion signal, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device A, and the inhalation device A receives the signal. Note that step 430 may also be a step where the inhalation device A, in response to transmitting the reception completion signal, transmits a connection disconnection signal to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B receives the signal.

3. Heating Profile

3-1 Definition of Heating Profile

The inhalation devices A and B control the heating operation using a heating profile. The heating operation refers to the operation of changing the temperature of the heaters provided in the inhalation devices A and B, respectively. Therefore, the heating profile may represent the target temperature of the heater over time. Alternatively, if the resistance value of the heater changes according to the temperature of the heater, the heating profile may represent the target resistance value of the heater over time.
That is, the heating profile can represent the target temperature or target resistance value of the heater over time.
Note that the heating operation may include an operation to lower the temperature of the heater by not supplying power to the heater in order to reach the target temperature.
Figure 5 is a graph 500 plotting an exemplary temperature change 510 of the heater provided in the inhalation device A, obtained as a result of controlling the heating operation using a certain heating profile. The horizontal axis of graph 500 represents time, and the vertical axis represents the temperature of the heater. According to graph 500, it can be understood that the inhalation device A is configured to control the heating operation during a period 520 by using the heating profile. Note that this exemplary temperature change 510 is simplified for the sake of explanation.
The period 520 for controlling the heating operation can be divided into multiple periods. For example, in graph 500, the period 520 for controlling the heating operation is divided into 10 periods (Step 0 to Step 9), but the number of divisions of period 520 is not limited to this. To represent the target temperature or target resistance value of the heater over time, a target temperature or target resistance value can be set for each divided period.
That is, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to control the heating operation for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into multiple periods, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device can include a target resistance value of the heater provided to the inhalation device for each of the divided periods.
The relationship between the temperature and resistance value of the heater may vary for each individual heater. To this end, when the inhalation device A controls the heating operation, it may derive the resistance value, i.e., the target resistance value, when the heater provided in the inhalation device A reaches the target temperature from the target temperature. In this case, the inhalation device records the correspondence relationship between the target temperature and its own target resistance value required to achieve the target temperature. The target resistance value of the device is a resistance value calculated considering the characteristics of the heater of the device, which is necessary to achieve the target temperature. The inhalation device can determine the target resistance value considering the characteristics of the heater of the device using the target temperature and the correspondence relationship.
That is, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to control the heating operation for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into multiple periods, and the heating profile can include a target temperature for each of the divided periods.
Each divided period may be defined by, but is not limited to, the length of the period. That is, a certain divided period may end when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the period. Alternatively, a certain period may end when the temperature of the heater reaches the target temperature for that period. For example, the period of step 0 in graph 500 may end when the temperature of the heater reaches a target temperature T_A, while the period of step 1 (target temperature T_A) may end when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the period.
Note that the control unit 126 measures the temperature of the heater several times and can determine that the temperature of the heater has reached the target temperature if the measured temperature becomes equal to or greater than a value obtained by multiplying the target temperature by a predetermined ratio less than 1 (e.g., 0.98) for a predetermined number of times. Alternatively, the control unit 126 measures the temperature of the heater several times and can determine that the temperature of the heater has reached the target temperature if the measured temperature becomes equal to or less than a value obtained by multiplying the target temperature by a predetermined ratio greater than 1 (e.g., 1.02) for a predetermined number of times.
Information defining each of these divided periods (such as the length of the period and other conditions for the end of the period) may be pre-stored in the memory unit 114 independently of the heating profile, and in some cases, as part of a program. Alternatively, such information defining each of these divided periods may be included in the heating profile. Alternatively, part of the information defining each of these divided periods may be pre-stored independently in the memory unit 114, while the remainder may be included in the heating profile.
Note that in a certain divided period defined by the length of the period, the heating operation may be controlled so that the heater reaches the target temperature or target resistance value at the end of the period. Whether such control is performed in each divided period may be pre-stored independently in the memory unit 114 or included in the heating profile.
Furthermore, in each divided period, the voltage applied to the heater or the power supplied to the heater can be varied. The voltage applied or the power supplied to the heater in each divided period may be pre-stored independently in the memory unit 114 or included in the heating profile.
The heating profile described above is merely exemplary, and it should be noted that the information included in the heating profile is not limited to what is described above.
Figure 6 shows an exemplary data structure 600 of the heating profile.
610 indicates a field for storing the target resistance value of the heater in each divided period. 620 indicates a field for storing the length of each divided period. 630 indicates a field for storing any other information regarding each divided period.
640 indicates a field for storing the number of periods used in the heating profile. For example, a value of 10 in field 640 can indicate that the period 520 of the heating operation controlled by using the heating profile is divided into 10 periods. According to field 640, while the number of divisions of period 520 can be variable for each heating profile, the data structure of the heating profile itself can remain constant. 650 indicates a field for storing any other information regarding the heating profile.
Figure 7 shows another exemplary data structure 700 of the heating profile. Note that in the exemplary data structure 700, fields similar to those in the exemplary data structure 600 are assigned the same reference numerals.
710 indicates a field for storing the target temperature in each divided period.
The data structures of the heating profiles described above are merely exemplary, and it should be noted that the fields included in these data structures are not limited to those described above, and the heating profile can be represented by any data structure.

3-2 Storage Mode of Heating Profile

Figure 8 is a schematic diagram representing an exemplary storage mode 800 of the heating profile in the memory unit 114. 810 to 850 each indicate a region for storing one heating profile.
The regions 810 to 840 may be regions for storing heating profiles that can be selected by the user of the inhalation device B. For example, the inhalation device B can be configured to sequentially select the heating profiles stored in the regions 810 to 840 by detecting a predetermined action (e.g., selecting the heating profile stored in the region 810 → the heating profile stored in the region 820 → the heating profile stored in the region 830 → the heating profile stored in the region 840 → back to the heating profile stored in the region 810, and so on). Alternatively, the inhalation device B can be configured to select one of the heating profiles stored in the regions 810 to 840 based on a predetermined operation performed on an external device connected via the communication unit 115, such as a smartphone. The inhalation device B can be configured to use the selected heating profile. Note that the number of the regions for storing heating profiles that can be selected by the user of the inhalation device B is not limited to four.
The region 850 may be an area for storing heating profiles that cannot be selected by the user. The inhalation device B can be configured to at least temporarily store a newly acquired heating profile (including the heating profile received from the inhalation device A and the heating profile generated by the inhalation device B, as described above, hereinafter referred to as "new heating profile") in the region 850 and set it to be used after it becomes available. Additionally, the inhalation device B can be further configured to revert the setting to use the originally set heating profile (one of the heating profiles stored in the regions 810 to 840) in response to the completion of the use of the new heating profile.
That is, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are interchangeable, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured such that when a first heating profile (one of the heating profiles stored in the regions 810 to 840) is stored and set to be used, and then a second heating profile (new heating profile) is received from another inhalation device (inhalation device B) and set to be used, the setting reverts to using the first heating profile in response to the completion of the use of the second heating profile.
According to such a configuration, user A can quickly and temporarily experience user B's inhalation experience in accordance with the heating operation using the heating profile.
Note that the completion of the use of the heating profile may be the end of the period of control of the heating operation using the heating profile (e.g., period 520 in Figure 5).
Additionally, it is preferable that the generated heating profile can be used again in the inhalation device B if user B likes it.
That is, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and the inhalation device B are interchangeable, the inhalation device (inhalation device A) can be further configured to have regions (the regions 810 to 840) for storing a plurality of heating profiles which can be selected, including the first heating profile (one of the heating profiles stored in the regions 810 to 840), with the selected heating profile set to be used, and to store the second heating profile (new heating profile) in the region in response to a predetermined condition being met.
At this time, the predetermined condition may be arbitrary, but it is preferable that it can be met by the intention of user B.
Therefore, as mentioned above, since the inhalation device A and user A and the inhalation device B and user B are interchangeable, the predetermined condition may be one or more of a condition that a predetermined action (e.g., user A shaking the inhalation device A or pressing a button that may be included in the sensor unit 112 of the inhalation device A) is detected in the inhalation device (inhalation device A), and a condition that a predetermined operation is performed in an external device connected to the inhalation device (e.g., user A's smartphone).
According to such a configuration, user A can continuously experience user B's inhalation experience following the heating operation using the heating profile.
The storage mode of the heating profile in the memory unit 114 described above is merely exemplary, and it should be noted that the storage mode of the heating profile is not limited to what is described above.

4. Characteristics of the Heater

The characteristics of the heater in this disclosure refer to information that enables the mutual conversion between the temperature of the heater and the resistance value of the heater.
That is, the characteristics of the heater may represent the relationship between the temperature of the heater and the resistance value of the heater.
The method for converting the temperature of the heater to the resistance value of the heater is arbitrary, but for example, the temperature of the heater can be converted to the resistance value of the heater using the following method.
First, the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature K_T [mΩ/°C] of the heater when the temperature of the heater is near T is derived using formula (1).
[Math 1] $K_{T} = K_{T 1} \frac{T 2 - T}{T 2 - T 1} + K_{T 2} \frac{T - T 1}{T 2 - T 1}$
Here, K_T1 is the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature [mΩ/°C] of the heater when the temperature of the heater is near T1 (e.g., 230°C), and K_T2 is the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature [mΩ/°C] of the heater when the temperature of the heater is near T2 (e.g., 295°C). Formula (1) derives K_T by interpolation from K_T1 and K_T2.
Next, the resistance value R_T[mΩ] of the heater when the temperature of the heater is T is derived using formula (2).
[Math 2] $R_{T} = R_{T 1} + K_{T} (T - {TH}_{1}) (\frac{R_{0}}{R_{ref}})$
Here, R_T1 is the resistance value of the heater when the temperature of the heater is T1, R₀ is the resistance value of the heater when the temperature of the heater is at room temperature, and R_ref is the standard resistance value at room temperature of a heater manufactured on the same line as the heater. Also, TH₁ is the highest temperature output by one or more temperature sensors (thermistors, which may be included in the sensor unit 112A, hereinafter referred to as "sensor unit 112" without distinction) in proximity to the heater when the temperature of the heater is T1. Note that the "room temperature" mentioned above may be defined as a predetermined temperature such as 25°C. Also, the "standard resistance value at room temperature" mentioned above may be the resistance value at room temperature of a predetermined one of the heaters manufactured on the same line as the heater.
The method for converting the resistance value of the heater to the temperature of the heater is arbitrary, but for example, by solving formulas (1) and (2) inversely for T, the resistance value of the heater can be converted to the temperature of the heater.
That is, the characteristics of the heater can include the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near the first temperature (T1) (K_T1), the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near the second temperature (T2) (K_T2), the resistance value of the heater when the heater is at the first temperature (T1) (R_T1), the standard resistance value at room temperature of the heater manufactured on the same line as the heater (R_ref), and the highest temperature output by one or more temperature sensors in proximity to the heater when the heater is at the first temperature (T1) (TH₁).
Note that, as mentioned above, the characteristics of the heater may also be a correspondence relationship (correspondence table) between the target temperature and the target resistance value. In this case, the characteristics of the heater can include multiple temperatures and the resistance values corresponding to each of these temperatures.

5. Generation of Heating Profile

As described above, the heating profile used by the inhalation device B can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A, the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A, and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B.
The generation may be performed using any method that depends on the information included in the heating profile and the characteristics of the heater.
For example, if the heating profile includes the target resistance value of the heater for each divided period of the heating operation, it can be generated using the following method.
First, each target resistance value included in the heating profile used by the inhalation device A is converted to a temperature using the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A.
Next, each converted temperature is converted to a resistance value using the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B.
Finally, by using each converted resistance value as the target resistance value included in the heating profile, the heating profile used by the inhalation device B is generated. Note that information other than the target resistance value in the heating profile used by the inhalation device B may be copied from the heating profile used by the inhalation device A.
Note that if the heating profile used by the inhalation device A includes a target temperature, while the heating profile used by the inhalation device B includes a target resistance value, then, as described above, the heating profile used by the inhalation device B can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B. The characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B in this case may be the "correspondence relationship between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in the inhalation device B. In this case, the inhalation device A can receive the correspondence relationship from the inhalation device B and generate the heating profile used by the inhalation device B. Additionally, the inhalation device A may transmit its heating profile to the inhalation device B, and the inhalation device B may generate the heating profile it uses by using the correspondence relationship.
Furthermore, if the heating profiles used by the inhalation devices A and B include a target resistance value, while the transmitted heating profile includes a target temperature, then, as described above, the transmitted heating profile can be generated based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device A and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device A, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device B can be generated based on the transmitted heating profile and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device B. The characteristics of the heater in this case may be the "correspondence relationship (correspondence table) between the target temperature and the target resistance value" pre-provided in both inhalation devices A and B.
In the embodiments of the present disclosure, when one inhalation device (for example, inhalation device A) receives a reception completion signal from the other inhalation device (for example, inhalation device B), a connection disconnection signal is transmitted to the other inhalation device, and the communication connection between the inhalation devices is disconnected (for example, 330 in Figure 3 and 430 in Figure 4). In the embodiments of the present disclosure, instead of this, when one inhalation device (for example, inhalation device A) receives a reception completion signal from the other inhalation device (for example, inhalation device B), the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) may transmit the heating profile used by that device (inhalation device B) to the one inhalation device (inhalation device A). In this case, in one P2P connection process, the one inhalation device (inhalation device A) can not only transmit its heating profile to the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) but also receive the heating profile used by the other inhalation device (inhalation device B) from the other inhalation device (inhalation device B).

6. Conclusion

Several examples of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, but these are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the technical scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that modifications, additions, improvements, and the like can be made to the embodiments as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The technical scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the embodiments described above, but should be defined only by the claims and their equivalents.
Finally, some features of the present disclosure are described below.

Feature 1

An inhalation device configured to control a heating operation using a heating profile, further configured to transmit the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls the heating operation using the heating profile.

Feature 2

The inhalation device according to feature 1, further configured to generate a transmitted heating profile based on the heating profile used by the inhalation device, the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device, and the characteristics of the heater provided to the other inhalation device.

Feature 3

The inhalation device according to feature 2, further configured to receive the characteristics of the heater provided to the other inhalation device from the other inhalation device.

Feature 4

The inhalation device according to any one of features 1 to 3, further configured to receive a second heating profile from another inhalation device in which a first heating profile is stored and, if the second heating profile received from the other inhalation device is set to be used when the first heating profile is set to be used, to revert the setting to use the first heating profile in response to completion of use of the second heating profile.

Feature 5

The inhalation device according to feature 4, further configured to have a region for storing a plurality of heating profiles which can be selected by the user of the inhalation device and include the first heating profile, wherein the selected heating profile is set to be used, and to store the second heating profile in the region in response to a predetermined condition being met.

Feature 6

The inhalation device according to feature 5, wherein the predetermined condition is one or more of a condition that a predetermined action is detected in the inhalation device and a condition that a predetermined operation is performed in an external device connected to the inhalation device.

Feature 7

The inhalation device according to feature 1, further configured to transmit the heating profile used by the inhalation device and the characteristics of the heater provided to the inhalation device to the other inhalation device.

Feature 8

The inhalation device according to any one of features 2 to 7, wherein the characteristics of the heater represent the relationship between the temperature of the heater and the resistance value of the heater.

Feature 9

The inhalation device according to feature 8, wherein the characteristics of the heater include the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near a first temperature, the rate of change in resistance per unit temperature of the heater when the heater is near a second temperature, the resistance value of the heater when the heater is at the first temperature, the standard resistance value at room temperature of a heater manufactured on the same line as the heater, and the highest temperature output by one or more temperature sensors in proximity to the heater when the heater is at the first temperature.

Feature 10

The inhalation device according to any one of features 1 to 9, wherein the heating profile represents the target temperature or target resistance value of the heater over time.

Feature 11

The inhalation device according to feature 10, wherein the inhalation device is further configured to control the heating operation for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into a plurality of periods, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device includes a target resistance value of the heater provided to the inhalation device for each of the divided periods.

Feature 12

The inhalation device according to feature 10, wherein the inhalation device is further configured to heat the heater for a certain period by using the heating profile, where the certain period is divided into a plurality of periods, and the heating profile used by the inhalation device includes a target temperature for each of the divided periods.

Feature 13

The inhalation device according to any one of features 1 to 12, further configured to connect with the other inhalation device via a peer-to-peer (P2P) connection and perform transmission and reception with the other inhalation device through the P2P connection.

Feature 14

A method executed by an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, including a step of transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls a heating operation using the heating profile.

Feature 15

A program for an inhalation device that controls a heating operation using a heating profile, wherein the inhalation device is caused to execute a step of transmitting the heating profile to another inhalation device that controls a heating operation using the heating profile.
Additionally, some other features of the present disclosure are described below.