WO2024089799A1 - Aerosol generation system, control method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a configuration capable of appropriately detecting living body information relating to a user. Provided is an aerosol generation system which uses a base material containing at least one of an aerosol source and a flavor source to generate aerosol to be inhaled by the user, the aerosol generation system comprising a living body information detection unit which detects living body information relating to the user and a control unit which controls operation of the living body information detection unit. The control unit controls the frequency of detection of the living body information by the living body information detection unit.

Description

Aerosol generation system, control method, and program

This disclosure relates to an aerosol generation system, a control method, and a program.

Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that generate substances to be inhaled by users are in widespread use. For example, inhalation devices generate aerosol imparted with flavor components using a substrate that includes an aerosol source for generating aerosol and a flavor source for imparting flavor components to the generated aerosol. Users can taste the flavor by inhaling the aerosol imparted with flavor components generated by the inhalation device. The action of a user inhaling an aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as a puff or a puffing action.

In recent years, there has been a study into detecting biometric information of users who use suction devices and using the information for various services. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that detects a user's biometric information from the contact point when the user's finger comes into contact with a suction device.

International Publication No. 2019/175810

However, the technology for detecting the biometric information of users of suction devices has only recently been developed, and further improvements are required.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism that can properly detect a user's biometric information.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aerosol generation system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, the aerosol generation system comprising a bioinformation detection unit that detects the bioinformation of the user, and a control unit that controls the operation of the bioinformation detection unit, the control unit controlling the frequency at which the bioinformation detection unit detects the bioinformation.

The control unit may increase the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information when a specified user operation is detected.

The specified user operation may include at least one of operating an operation unit that accepts user operations, setting the substrate in the aerosol generation system, and inhaling the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation system.

The control unit may increase the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects biometric information when it detects that the substrate has been set in the aerosol generation system as the specified user operation and authenticates that the substrate set in the aerosol generation system is a legitimate substrate.

The control unit may decrease the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information when a predetermined time has elapsed after increasing the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information.

The control unit may control the length of the predetermined time based on the detected predetermined user operation.

The control unit may increase the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information, and then decrease the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information based on the motion of the aerosol generation system.

The aerosol generating system may further include a power supply unit that stores and supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generating system, and the control unit may control the frequency at which the biometric information detection unit detects biometric information based on the state of the power supply unit.

The aerosol generating system may further include a memory unit that stores the bioinformation detected by the bioinformation detection unit, and the control unit may control the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit detects the bioinformation based on the free space in the memory unit.

The aerosol generating system may further include a communication unit that performs wireless communication with other devices, and the communication unit may transmit the bioinformation stored in the memory unit.

The aerosol generating system may further include a power supply unit that is used to operate the aerosol generating system and stores and supplies power, and the communication unit may transmit the bioinformation stored in the memory unit while the power supply unit is charging.

The control unit may operate the biometric information detection unit in either a first operation mode or a second operation mode, the second operation mode being an operation mode that detects biometric information more frequently than the first operation mode, and the storage unit may have a storage area divided into a first storage area that stores the biometric information detected in the first operation mode and a second storage area that stores the biometric information detected in the second operation mode.

The control unit may control the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit detects the bioinformation based on the state of a generation unit that generates an aerosol using the base material.

The generating unit may generate an aerosol by heating the substrate, and the control unit may increase the frequency with which the bioinformation detecting unit detects the bioinformation when the generating unit starts heating the substrate, and decrease the frequency with which the bioinformation detecting unit detects the bioinformation when the generating unit stops heating the substrate.

The biometric information detection unit may be capable of detecting multiple types of biometric information, and the control unit may control the type of biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit as well as the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information.

The biometric information detection unit may transmit a transmission wave, receive a reflected wave of the transmission wave reflected by the user's body, and detect biometric information based on the received reflected wave.

The biological information detected by the biological information detection unit may include at least one of blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen concentration, and oxygen saturation.

The aerosol generating system may further include the substrate.

In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method executed by a computer that controls an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, the aerosol generating system including a bioinformation detection unit that detects bioinformation of a user, the control method including controlling the operation of the bioinformation detection unit, and controlling the operation of the bioinformation detection unit including controlling the frequency at which the bioinformation detection unit detects the bioinformation.

In order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program executed by a computer to control an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, the aerosol generating system including a bioinformation detection unit that detects bioinformation of a user, the program including causing the computer to execute a process of controlling the operation of the bioinformation detection unit, and controlling the operation of the bioinformation detection unit including controlling the frequency at which the bioinformation detection unit detects the bioinformation.

As described above, the present disclosure provides a mechanism that can properly detect a user's biometric information.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail the configuration of a sensor unit according to the embodiment. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of an installation position of a biological information detection unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an example of state transitions of a control unit and a biological information detection unit according to the embodiment. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of a process executed by the suction device according to the present embodiment.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such communication standards may include, for example, standards using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

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

The storage section 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while storing a part of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The storage section 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside, and stores the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage section 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and the bottom 143 as the bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path that supplies air to the internal space 141 is connected to the storage section 140. An air inlet hole, which is an air inlet to the air flow path, is arranged, for example, on the side of the suction device 100. An air outlet hole, which is an air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is arranged, for example, on the bottom 143.

The stick-type substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco. When the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicine. The aerosol source may be, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and water, which includes a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco, or may be a solid containing a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco. When the stick-type substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a part of the substrate portion 151 is stored in the internal space 141, and at least a part of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds the mouthpiece portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in his/her mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

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

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

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

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

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

The means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In that case, the suction device 100 has at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil that generates a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121. A susceptor that generates heat by induction heating may be provided in the suction device 100, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

2. Technical features
(1) Overview The suction device 100 according to the present embodiment collects biometric information of a user. Collecting biometric information refers to detecting and storing the biometric information. Since there is a demand for miniaturization of the suction device 100, it is assumed that the battery capacity (i.e., the amount of power that the power supply unit 111 can store) and memory capacity (i.e., the amount of information that the memory unit 114 can store) of the suction device 100 are not so large. Therefore, it is desirable to accurately collect biometric information in order to suppress battery degradation (i.e., a decrease in the remaining power stored in the power supply unit 111) and tightness of the memory capacity (i.e., a decrease in the free space of the memory unit 114). Therefore, in the present embodiment, a mechanism for accurately collecting biometric information is provided.

(2) Heating Profile The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile. The control of the operation of the heating unit 121 is achieved by controlling the power supply from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121. The heating unit 121 heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 by using the power supplied from the power supply unit 111.

The heating profile is control information for controlling the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated. The heating profile specifies parameters related to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated. An example of the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated is the temperature of the heating unit 121. An example of the parameter related to the temperature at which the aerosol source is heated is the target value of the temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the target temperature). The temperature of the heating unit 121 may be controlled to change according to the elapsed time from the start of heating. In that case, the heating profile includes information that specifies the time series transition of the target temperature. As another example, the heating profile may include parameters that specify the method of supplying power to the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the power supply parameters). The power supply parameters include, for example, the voltage applied to the heating unit 121, ON/OFF of the power supply to the heating unit 121, or the feedback control method to be adopted. ON/OFF of the power supply to the heating unit 121 may be regarded as ON/OFF of the heating unit 121.

The control unit 116 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 so that the temperature of the heating unit 121 (hereinafter also referred to as the actual temperature) changes in the same manner as the target temperature defined in the heating profile. The heating profile is typically designed to optimize the flavor experienced by the user when the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150. Therefore, by controlling the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the heating profile, the flavor experienced by the user can be optimized.

The temperature control of the heating unit 121 can be realized, for example, by known feedback control. The feedback control may be, for example, PID control (Proportional-Integral-Differential Controller). The control unit 116 may supply power from the power supply unit 111 to the heating unit 121 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116 can control the temperature of the heating unit 121 by adjusting the duty ratio or frequency of the power pulse in the feedback control. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may perform simple on/off control in the feedback control. For example, the control unit 116 may perform heating by the heating unit 121 until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, interrupt heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and resume heating by the heating unit 121 when the actual temperature becomes lower than the target temperature.

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

The period from the start to the end of the process of generating aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150 is also referred to as a heating session below. In other words, a heating session is a period during which power supply to the heating unit 121 is controlled based on a heating profile. The start of a heating session is the timing when heating based on the heating profile is started. The end of a heating session is the timing when a sufficient amount of aerosol is no longer generated. A heating session includes a pre-heating period and a puffable period following the pre-heating period. The puffable period is a period during which a sufficient amount of aerosol is expected to be generated. The pre-heating period is the period from the start of heating to the start of the puffable period. Heating performed during the pre-heating period is also referred to as pre-heating.

(3) Detailed Configuration of Sensor Unit 112 Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing in more detail the configuration of the sensor unit 112 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the sensor unit 112 includes a user operation detection unit 201 and a biometric information detection unit 205. The control unit 116 controls the operations of the user operation detection unit 201 and the biometric information detection unit 205.

-User operation detection unit 201
The user operation detection unit 201 detects an operation performed by the user on the suction device 100 .

The suction device 100 may have an operation unit that accepts user operations. Examples of the operation unit include the button 13 described below, the lid unit 14 described below, and a touch panel. The user operation detection unit 201 may detect that the user has operated the operation unit. For example, the user operation detection unit 201 detects the pressing of the button 13 and the opening and closing of the lid unit 14.

The user operation detection unit 201 may detect that the user has inhaled the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100, i.e., that a puff has been performed. For example, the user operation detection unit 201 detects that a puff has been performed based on a value associated with the user's inhalation, which is acquired by a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor.

The user operation detection unit 201 may detect that the stick-type substrate 150 has been set in the suction device 100. Setting the stick-type substrate 150 in the suction device 100 refers to putting the suction device 100 in a state in which it is possible to generate an aerosol using the stick-type substrate 150. More specifically, setting the stick-type substrate 150 in the suction device 100 refers to inserting the stick-type substrate 150 into the storage unit 140. The user operation detection unit 201 may also detect that the setting of the stick-type substrate 150 in the suction device 100 has been released. Release of the setting of the stick-type substrate 150 in the suction device 100 refers to putting the suction device 100 in a state in which it is impossible to generate an aerosol using the stick-type substrate 150. More specifically, release of the setting of the stick-type substrate 150 in the suction device 100 refers to removing the stick-type substrate 150 from the storage unit 140. The insertion and removal of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage section 140 can be detected, for example, by a pressure sensor or a proximity sensor provided in the storage section 140.

Furthermore, the user operation detection unit 201 may authenticate whether the stick-type substrate 150 inserted into the storage unit 140 is a legitimate stick-type substrate 150. A legitimate stick-type substrate 150 is an authentic product. When the types of stick-type substrates 150 that can be used by the suction device 100 differ, a legitimate stick-type substrate 150 is an authentic product of the type of stick-type substrate 150 that can be used by the suction device 100. Authentication of whether the product is authentic is performed, for example, by performing image analysis of identification information such as a two-dimensional code affixed to the stick-type substrate 150 inserted into the storage unit 140.

The user operation detection unit 201 may detect the motion of the suction device 100. The motion of the suction device 100 refers to a change in the position or posture of the suction device 100. The user operation detection unit 201 may include a gyro sensor and may detect angular velocity as the motion of the suction device 100. The user operation detection unit 201 may include an acceleration sensor and may detect acceleration as the motion of the suction device 100. The user operation detection unit 201 detects that the user has picked up the suction device 100, or detects a gesture operation such as the user gripping and shaking the suction device 100.

Biometric information detection unit 205
The biometric information detection unit 205 detects the biometric information of the user. The biometric information refers to information related to the body in general. For example, the biometric information includes at least one of blood pressure, heart rate (or pulse), blood oxygen concentration, and oxygen saturation. In addition, the biometric information may include any other information such as body temperature and respiratory rate. The biometric information may also include secondarily acquired information such as drowsiness, which is obtained by processing primarily acquired information such as blood pressure. The secondarily acquired information may also include mental information such as the user's emotions, which is estimated from physical information such as blood pressure.

The biometric information detection unit 205 transmits a transmission wave, receives a reflected wave of the transmitted transmission wave reflected from the user's body, and can detect biometric information based on the received reflected wave. In more detail, the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information based on the reflected wave alone, or based on the relationship between the reflected wave and the transmitted wave. For example, the biometric information detection unit 205 detects information about blood vessels, such as blood pressure, based on the time series of blood vessel diameter indicated by the time series of reflected waves. Additionally, the biometric information detection unit 205 may include an infrared camera, and may detect body temperature as the temperature of the skin surface.

An example of a transmission wave is light. The transmission wave may be visible light or invisible light such as infrared or ultraviolet light. The biometric information detection unit 205 may transmit multiple types of transmission waves. Of course, the transmission wave may be any other wave capable of detecting biometric information based on the reflected wave reflected by the user's body. As an example, the transmission wave may be an electric wave.

The bioinformation detection unit 205 may be arranged exposed on the surface of the suction device 100. Alternatively, the surface of the suction device 100 may have a transparent portion that transmits the transmitted waves and the reflected waves, and the bioinformation detection unit 205 may be covered by the transparent portion. In this case, the bioinformation detection unit 205 transmits the transmitted waves and receives the reflected waves via the transparent portion. The transparent portion may be configured to be transparent or translucent. The transparent portion may be configured, for example, from glass or ceramic.

- Example of Installation Position of Biometric Information Detection Unit 205 Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of an installation position of the biological information detection unit 205 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 3, the suction device 100 is configured to a size that fits in a user's hand UH. The suction device 100 is used while being held by a user with the stick-type substrate 150 inserted from the opening 142. The opening 142 is provided in the top surface 12 of the suction device 100. Therefore, the user holds the side surface 11 of the suction device 100 so that the stick-type substrate 150 protruding from the top surface 12 of the suction device 100 faces the face UF (more specifically, the mouth).

A button 13 and a lid 14 are provided on the top surface 12 of the suction device 100. The button 13 is used to switch heating ON/OFF. For example, when the button 13 is pressed while the stick-type substrate 150 is inserted into the suction device 100, the suction device 100 starts heating the stick-type substrate 150. The lid 14 slides on the top surface 12 of the suction device 100 to open and close the opening 142. The user slides the lid 14 to expose the opening 142, then inserts the stick-type substrate 150 into the opening 142, and then presses the button 13 to start heating the stick-type substrate 150. The trigger for starting heating is not limited to pressing the button 13. As an example, the insertion of the stick-type substrate 150 into the suction device 100 may be used as a trigger to start heating the stick-type substrate 150. As another example, the stick-type substrate 150 may be inserted into the suction device 100 and the stick-type substrate 150 may be successfully authenticated, which may trigger the start of heating the stick-type substrate 150.

The biometric information detection unit 205 may be installed in a variety of locations.

As an example, the biometric information detection unit 205 may be disposed on the side surface 11 of the suction device 100. In that case, the biometric information detection unit 205 can acquire biometric information from the user's hand UH holding the suction device 100. In particular, the portion of the side surface 11 of the suction device 100 where the biometric information detection unit 205 is disposed may be recessed. For example, recesses may be provided at positions where the user's fingers come into contact in this figure, and in that case, the suction device 100 is used with the fingers placed in the recesses. This configuration makes it easier to hold the suction device 100, and enables the biometric information detection unit 205 disposed in the recess to detect biometric information with high accuracy from the fingers placed in the recess.

As another example, the biometric information detection unit 205 may be disposed on the top surface 12 of the suction device 100 where the opening 142 is provided. In this case, the biometric information detection unit 205 can acquire biometric information from the user's face UF facing the top surface 12 of the suction device 100.

As another example, the biometric information detection unit 205 may be disposed on the button 13 or the cover 14. In that case, the biometric information detection unit 205 can detect biometric information from the finger of the user operating the button 13 or the cover 14.

(4) Storage and Transmission of Biometric Information The communication unit 115 is an example of a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with another device. The communication unit 115 transmits the biometric information to the other device. An example of the other device is a terminal device such as a smartphone. The biometric information may be uploaded to a server via the terminal device. With this configuration, it becomes possible to execute processing according to the user's biometric information in a device with abundant computational resources such as a smartphone or a server.

One example of processing in response to a user's biometric information is an analysis of changes in the biometric information associated with a puff. The analysis results of how the biometric information has changed due to the influence of the aerosol taken in by the user with the puff can be used when implementing various measures to improve the quality of the user experience. For example, based on the analysis results, the heating profile can be improved or the stick-shaped base material 150 can be improved to further enhance the relaxing effect of the puff.

The communication unit 115 may transmit information related to the bioinformation in association with the bioinformation. The information related to the bioinformation includes, as an example, at least one of the following: the time when the bioinformation was detected, identification information of the base material used by the heating unit 121 to generate the aerosol, and identification information of the suction device 100. With this configuration, the receiving device can analyze the relationship between the information related to the bioinformation and the bioinformation.

The storage unit 114 may store bioinformation. With such a configuration, it is possible to accumulate bioinformation in the suction device 100. Furthermore, the storage unit 114 may store information related to the bioinformation in association with the bioinformation. With such a configuration, it is possible to later analyze the relationship between the information related to the bioinformation and the bioinformation based on the accumulated information.

The suction device 100 may switch between transmitting and storing the bioinformation depending on whether the communication unit 115 is wirelessly connected to the other device. For example, if bioinformation is detected when the communication unit 115 is wirelessly connected to the other device, the communication unit 115 may transmit the bioinformation. Also, if bioinformation is detected when the communication unit 115 is not wirelessly connected to the other device, the storage unit 114 may store the bioinformation. Thereafter, when the communication unit 115 is wirelessly connected to the other device, the communication unit 115 may transmit the bioinformation stored in the storage unit 114. Of course, in the above switching, information related to the bioinformation may be associated with the bioinformation and transmitted or stored. With this configuration, it is possible to immediately transmit the bioinformation when there is a wireless connection, and accumulate the bioinformation when there is no wireless connection, and transmit it all at once later.

The control unit 116 may delete the transmitted biometric information from the storage unit 114. Alternatively, the control unit 116 may overwrite the newly detected biometric information in the storage area in which the transmitted biometric information was stored. This configuration makes it possible to conserve storage capacity.

When the storage capacity becomes low, the control unit 116 may delete the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114 in ascending order of detection date and time. This configuration makes it possible to give priority to preserving newly detected biometric information.

The communication unit 115 may transmit the biometric information stored in the memory unit 114 while the power supply unit 111 is charging. With this configuration, the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 can be conserved for the operation of the biometric information detection unit 205. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which biometric information cannot be collected due to a low battery.

(5) Control of the detection frequency of biometric information The control unit 116 controls the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects the biometric information. More specifically, the control unit 116 increases the frequency with which the biometric information is detected, limited to a period including a timing when the biometric information is expected to change. On the other hand, the control unit 116 decreases the frequency with which the biometric information is detected, during a period when the biometric information is not expected to change. This configuration makes it possible to accurately collect biometric information that is effective for understanding changes in the biometric information.

Here, accurately collecting biometric information that is effective for grasping changes in biometric information means sampling and storing a large amount of biometric information that is effective for grasping changes in biometric information, i.e., biometric information that changes relatively greatly over time. Conversely, accurately collecting biometric information that is effective for grasping changes in biometric information means sampling and storing a small amount of biometric information that is not effective for grasping changes in biometric information, i.e., does not change significantly over time. The biometric information detection unit 205 operates using power supplied from the power supply unit 111, and the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 205 is stored in the storage unit 114. In this regard, the suction device 100 can reduce power consumption and save storage capacity by accurately collecting biometric information that is effective for grasping changes in biometric information. Therefore, the suction device 100 can prevent the occurrence of a situation in which biometric information cannot be collected due to a low battery or a shortage of storage capacity. In addition, considering that old biometric information may be deleted when storage capacity is limited, it is possible to extend the period during which biometric information can be stored by suppressing the shortage of storage capacity. As a result, it is possible to collect useful biometric information over a long period of time to understand changes in that information.

The control unit 116 may operate the biometric information detection unit 205 in one of the low-frequency mode and the high-frequency mode. The low-frequency mode is an operation mode in which biometric information is detected at a low frequency. The high-frequency mode is an operation mode in which biometric information is detected at a higher frequency than the low-frequency mode. The low-frequency mode is an example of a first operation mode, and the high-frequency mode is an example of a second operation mode. Note that the detection frequency of biometric information in the low-frequency mode may be 0. That is, the control unit 116 may switch ON/OFF of the periodic detection of biometric information. For example, the control unit 116 may operate the biometric information detection unit 205 in the low-frequency mode under normal circumstances, and switch the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to the high-frequency mode only during a period that includes a timing when the biometric information is expected to change. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately collect biometric information that is effective for grasping changes in the biometric information.

The control unit 116 acquires the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 205 from the biometric information detection unit 205. That is, the control unit 116 reads out the data of the detected biometric information from the biometric information detection unit 205. In this regard, the control unit 116 may control the frequency of acquiring data from the biometric information detection unit 205 (i.e., the interval at which data is acquired) according to the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205. As an example, the control unit 116 sets the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to a high frequency mode, and then increases the frequency of acquiring data per unit time from the biometric information detection unit 205 (i.e., shortens the data acquisition interval). As another example, the control unit 116 sets the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to a low frequency mode, and then decreases the frequency of acquiring data per unit time from the biometric information detection unit 205 (i.e., lengthens the data acquisition interval). As another example, when the control unit 116 turns off the periodic detection of biometric information by the biometric information detection unit 205, it stops acquiring data from the biometric information detection unit 205.

The storage unit 114 may have a storage area divided into a first storage area for storing biometric information detected in the low-frequency mode and a second storage area for storing biometric information detected in the high-frequency mode. The first storage area and the second storage area are physically or logically divided in advance. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the biometric information detected in the high-frequency mode from being overwritten by the biometric information detected in the low-frequency mode. As a result, it is possible to accurately collect biometric information that is effective for understanding changes in the biometric information.

When a specific user operation is detected, the control unit 116 increases the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information. As an example, when a specific user operation is detected, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 from a low frequency mode to a high frequency mode.

Another example of a specified user operation is when the user inhales the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100. For example, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode when the user operation detection unit 201 detects that a puff has been performed. With this configuration, the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 is switched to the high frequency mode at a timing when the bioinformation may change due to a puff. This makes it possible to accurately collect bioinformation that is effective for understanding changes in the bioinformation.

An example of a predetermined user operation is a user operating an operation unit that accepts user operations. For example, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode when the user operation detection unit 201 detects that the button 13 has been pressed or that the lid unit 14 has slid to expose the opening 142. Pressing the button 13 may trigger the start of heating of the stick-shaped substrate 150. After the lid unit 14 has slid to expose the opening 142, the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be inserted and heating may start. In this regard, according to this configuration, the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 is switched to the high frequency mode at the timing when a puff is about to be performed and the bioinformation may change. This makes it possible to accurately collect bioinformation that is effective for understanding changes in the bioinformation.

Another example of a predetermined user operation is when the user sets the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the inhalation device 100. For example, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high-frequency mode when the user operation detection unit 201 detects that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 as a trigger. After the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted, heating may begin. In this regard, with this configuration, the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 is switched to the high-frequency mode at the timing when a puff is about to be performed and the bioinformation may change. This makes it possible to accurately collect bioinformation that is effective for understanding changes in the bioinformation.

Another example of a specified user operation is when the motion of the suction device 100 satisfies a specified condition. One example of the specified condition is when the acceleration of the suction device 100 is equal to or greater than a threshold, or the rate of change of the angular velocity of the suction device 100 is equal to or greater than a threshold, such that it is assumed that the user has picked up the suction device 100 for the purpose of use. With this configuration, the operating mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 can be switched to the high frequency mode by limiting the state to one in which biometric information can be appropriately acquired, such as when the user is holding the suction device 100. This makes it possible to accurately collect biometric information that is effective for understanding changes in the biometric information.

When the control unit 116 detects that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been set in the inhalation device 100 as a specific user operation, and when it authenticates that the stick-shaped substrate 150 set in the inhalation device 100 is a legitimate stick-shaped substrate 150, the control unit 116 may increase the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects the biometric information. The changes in biometric information accompanying puffing may differ between genuine products and counterfeit products. Since measures to improve the quality of the user experience are implemented for genuine products, it is preferable to collect biometric information when the genuine product is used. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to collect biometric information that is effective for understanding changes in biometric information when the genuine product is used.

The control unit 116 may store information indicating whether the authentication was successful in the memory unit 114 in association with the biometric information. Furthermore, when the authentication of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is successful, the control unit 116 may store information indicating the type of the identified stick-shaped substrate 150 in association with the biometric information in the memory unit 114. This configuration makes it possible to more effectively analyze changes in the biometric information associated with puffing.

The control unit 116 may decrease the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information when a predetermined time has elapsed after the control unit 116 has increased the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information. As an example, the control unit 116 may change the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 back to the low-frequency mode when a predetermined time has elapsed after switching the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 from the low-frequency mode to the high-frequency mode. With this configuration, the time during which the biometric information detection unit 205 operates in the high-frequency mode is limited to a predetermined time. As a result, it is possible to suppress power consumption and save memory capacity.

The control unit 116 may control the length of the predetermined time based on the detected predetermined user operation. That is, when the control unit 116 detects a predetermined user operation, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode only for a time period corresponding to the predetermined user operation. In particular, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode only for a period during which a change in bioinformation associated with a puff may occur, which is estimated from the detected predetermined user operation. As an example, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode only for a period of three minutes (corresponding to the length of the heating session) triggered by the detection of the press of the button 13. As another example, the control unit 116 may switch the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode only for a period of ten seconds triggered by the detection of a puff. With this configuration, it is possible to accurately collect bioinformation that is effective for grasping a change in bioinformation.

After increasing the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit 205 detects the bioinformation, the control unit 116 may decrease the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit 205 detects the bioinformation based on the motion of the suction device 100 detected by the user operation detection unit 201. As an example, the control unit 116 may change the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 back to the low-frequency mode when the motion of the suction device 100 satisfies a predetermined condition after switching the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 from the low-frequency mode to the high-frequency mode. One example of the predetermined condition is that the acceleration of the suction device 100 is less than a threshold value, the rate of change in the angular velocity of the suction device 100 is less than a threshold value, and it is assumed that the user is not holding the suction device 100 for the purpose of use. With this configuration, the operation mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 can be switched to the low-frequency mode when a state in which it is difficult to appropriately obtain bioinformation, such as when the user is not holding the suction device 100, is triggered. As a result, it is possible to suppress power consumption and save memory capacity.

(6) Control of the type of bioinformation The bioinformation detection unit 205 may be capable of detecting multiple types of bioinformation. In this case, the control unit 116 may control the type of bioinformation detected by the bioinformation detection unit 205 in addition to or instead of the frequency at which the bioinformation detection unit 205 detects the bioinformation. As an example, the control unit 116 may control the bioinformation detection unit 205 to detect blood pressure and heart rate in the low frequency mode, and to detect blood oxygen concentration and oxygen saturation in addition to blood pressure and heart rate in the high frequency mode. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the amount of bioinformation stored in the low frequency mode and suppress the shortage of storage capacity. Note that the type of bioinformation detected in the low frequency mode and the type of bioinformation detected in the high frequency mode may overlap or may differ.

The trigger for switching the detection frequency may be different for each type of biometric information. As one example, the detection frequency of the blood oxygen concentration may increase when it is detected that the button 13 has been pressed, and the detection frequency of the heart rate may increase when it is detected that a puff has been taken.

(7) Sleep The control unit 116 and the biometric information detection unit 205 may operate while periodically returning from sleep. Sleep refers to operating with lower power consumption than normal, for example, stopping at least some functions. As an example, the control unit 116 stops control of the biometric information detection unit 205 in a sleep state, and controls the biometric information detection unit 205 when returning from sleep. As another example, the biometric information detection unit 205 stops detection of biometric information in a sleep state, and detects biometric information when returning from sleep. The operation of the control unit 116 and the biometric information detection unit 205 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of state transitions of the control unit 116 and biometric information detection unit 205 according to this embodiment. The upper part of the figure shows an example of state transitions of the biometric information detection unit 205. The lower part of the figure shows an example of state transitions of the control unit 116. The horizontal axis of the figure is the time axis, and time progresses from left to right. The control unit 116 and biometric information detection unit 205 operate during periods when rectangles overlap on the time axis, and sleep during other periods.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the control unit 116 returns from sleep, it causes the biometric information detection unit 205 to return from sleep (step S11). As an example, the control unit 116 may send a signal to the biometric information detection unit 205 to command it to return, and the biometric information detection unit 205 may return from sleep when the signal is received as a trigger. When the biometric information detection unit 205 returns from sleep, it performs a predetermined setting and then detects the biometric information. The detected biometric information is read by the control unit 116 (step S13). The control unit 116 stores the biometric information read from the biometric information detection unit 205 in the storage unit 114 and causes the biometric information detection unit 205 to sleep (step S15). As an example, the control unit 116 may send a signal to the biometric information detection unit 205 to command it to sleep, and the biometric information detection unit 205 may return from sleep when the signal is received as a trigger. The control unit 116 then goes to sleep. In this way, the control unit 116 and the biometric information detection unit 205 return from sleep mode only when the biometric information is detected, making it possible to reduce power consumption.

The control unit 116 repeatedly wakes up at a period corresponding to the set operation mode (high frequency mode or low frequency mode) and causes the biometric information detection unit 205 to detect the biometric information. For example, when going to sleep, the control unit 116 sets a timer with a length corresponding to the operation mode, and wakes up when the timer expires.

The control unit 116 may wake up from sleep when it receives a signal from another component. For example, the user operation detection unit 201 may send a signal to the control unit 116 instructing it to wake up when a predetermined motion is detected, and the control unit 116 may wake up from sleep when it receives the signal.

In the above, an example has been described in which the control unit 116 wakes up the biometric information detection unit 205 from sleep, but conversely, the biometric information detection unit 205 may wake up the control unit 116 from sleep. As an example, the biometric information detection unit 205 may wake up from sleep at a predetermined interval, or when triggered by receiving a signal from another component such as the user operation detection unit 201. Then, the biometric information detection unit 205 may wake up the control unit 116 from sleep.

(8) Process Flow FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the process flow executed by the suction device 100 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, first, the control unit 116 sets the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to the low frequency mode (step S102). The biometric information detection unit 205 detects the biometric information at a low frequency. Then, the control unit 116 stores the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 205 in the first storage area of the storage unit 114.

Then, the control unit 116 determines whether or not a specific user operation has been detected (step S104). If it is determined that a specific user operation has not been detected (step S104: NO), the control unit 116 continues the low frequency mode setting until a specific user operation is detected.

If it is determined that a specific user operation has been detected (step S104: YES), the control unit 116 switches the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to the high frequency mode (step S106). This causes the biometric information detection unit 205 to detect biometric information at a high frequency. The control unit 116 then stores the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 205 in the second storage area of the storage unit 114.

Then, the control unit 116 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 was switched to the high frequency mode (step S108). If it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S108: NO), the control unit 116 waits until the predetermined time has elapsed.

If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (step S108: YES), the control unit 116 switches the operation mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to the low-frequency mode (step S110). This causes the biometric information detection unit 205 to detect biometric information at a low frequency. The control unit 116 then stores the biometric information detected by the biometric information detection unit 205 in the first storage area of the storage unit 114.

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

(1) First Supplementary Note In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the detection frequency of the biological information is set in two ways, a high frequency in the high frequency mode and a low frequency in the low frequency mode, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The detection frequency of the biological information may be set to three or more frequencies. As an example, two or more detection frequencies of the biological information may be set in the high frequency mode. As another example, two or more detection frequencies of the biological information may be set in the low frequency mode.

(2) Second Supplementary Note In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the frequency at which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information is switched when a predetermined user operation is detected as a trigger, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. Another example will be described below.

The control unit 116 may control the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information based on the state of the power supply unit 111. As an example, the control unit 116 may reduce the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information when the remaining power of the power supply unit 111 is low. Specifically, the control unit 116 may reduce the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information to about half in the high frequency mode, or set the frequency with which the biometric information is detected in the low frequency mode to zero. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

The control unit 116 may control the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information based on the free space of the storage unit 114. The free space of the storage unit 114 refers to the capacity of unused storage space in the storage area of the storage unit 114. The free space of the storage unit 114 may include the capacity of the unused amount of storage space, as well as the capacity of the storage space that can be overwritten due to circumstances such as the storage of biometric information that has already been transmitted. As an example, the control unit 116 may reduce the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information when the free space of the storage unit 114 decreases. Specifically, the control unit 116 may reduce the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information to about half in the high frequency mode, or set the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information to zero in the low frequency mode. With this configuration, it is possible to save on storage capacity.

The control unit 116 may control the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information based on the state of the heating unit 121.

As an example, the control unit 116 may increase the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit 205 detects the bioinformation when the heating unit 121 starts heating the stick-shaped substrate 150. The control unit 116 may then decrease the frequency with which the bioinformation detection unit 205 detects the bioinformation when the heating unit 121 finishes heating the stick-shaped substrate 150. That is, the control unit 116 may switch the operating mode of the bioinformation detection unit 205 to a high-frequency mode only for the heating session. It is assumed that puffing occurs during the heating session. In this regard, with this configuration, it is possible to accurately collect bioinformation that is effective for understanding changes in the bioinformation.

As another example, the control unit 116 may control the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects the biometric information depending on the time that has elapsed since the heating unit 121 started heating. For example, the control unit 116 may switch the operating mode of the biometric information detection unit 205 to a high frequency mode only during the puffable period of the heating session. It is assumed that puffing will occur during the puffable period of the heating session in particular. In this regard, with this configuration, it becomes possible to accurately collect biometric information that is effective for understanding changes in the biometric information.

The control unit 116 may control the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information based on state transitions in the program executed by the control unit 116. As one example, the control unit 116 may increase the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information when the state of the program transitions to a first state. As another example, the control unit 116 may decrease the frequency with which the biometric information detection unit 205 detects biometric information when the state of the program transitions to a second state.

(3) Other supplementary notes At least a part of the functional configuration of the suction device 100 in the above embodiment may be included in another device. An example of such another device is a charging device that charges the suction device 100. The charging device has a mechanism that allows the suction device 100 to be attached and detached, and can charge the suction device 100 or transmit and receive information between the suction device 100 and the charging device when the suction device 100 is connected. As an example, the charging device may have a wireless communication function and may relay the transmission and reception of information between the suction device 100 and another device such as a smartphone. As another example, the charging device may have a memory function and may store information received from the suction device 100 or to be transmitted to the suction device 100.

The inhalation device 100 described above is an example of an aerosol generation system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing either an aerosol source or a flavor source. The flavor source is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The stick-shaped substrate 150 is an example of a substrate used by the aerosol generation system. The heating unit 121 is an example of a generation unit that generates an aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150. The combination of the inhalation device 100 and the stick-shaped substrate 150 may be regarded as an aerosol generation system. In addition, the combination of the inhalation device 100 and the charging device described above may also be regarded as an aerosol generation system.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol using the stick-type substrate 150 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The inhalation device 100 may be a so-called liquid atomization type device that generates an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol source as a liquid. As an example, the aerosol source as a liquid may contain a flavor component. In that case, the inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol using a substrate in which an aerosol source containing a flavor component is stored. As another example, the aerosol source as a liquid may not contain a flavor component. In that case, the inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol to which a flavor component is imparted using a substrate in which the aerosol source and the flavor source are separately stored, or by combining a substrate in which the aerosol source is stored with a substrate in which the flavor source is stored. In either case, the aerosol source is disposed on the upstream side and the flavor source is disposed on the downstream side, and the aerosol generated from the aerosol source is imparted with the flavor component as it passes through the flavor source and reaches the user's mouth. In addition to heating by resistance heating or induction heating, vibration atomization can be used as a means for atomizing the aerosol source as a liquid. Alternatively, the inhalation device 100 may generate aerosols using a substrate containing multiple types of aerosol sources. Then, the multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed together and a chemical reaction may occur to generate yet another type of aerosol.

The series of processes performed by each device described in this specification may be realized using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a recording medium (more specifically, a non-transient storage medium readable by a computer) provided inside or outside each device. Each program is loaded into a RAM when executed by a computer that controls each device described in this specification, and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU. The recording medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, etc. The computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a recording medium. The computer may be an application-specific integrated circuit such as an ASIC, a general-purpose processor that executes functions by reading a software program, or a computer on a server used in cloud computing. The series of processes performed by each device described in this specification may be distributed and processed by multiple computers.

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

Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1)
1. An aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, comprising:
A biometric information detection unit that detects biometric information of a user;
A control unit that controls an operation of the biological information detection unit;
Equipped with
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
Aerosol generation systems.
(2)
The control unit increases a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when a predetermined user operation is detected.
The aerosol generating system described in (1) above.
(3)
The predetermined user operation includes at least one of operating an operation unit that accepts user operations, setting the base material in the aerosol generation system, and inhaling the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation system.
The aerosol generating system described in (2) above.
(4)
the control unit increases a frequency at which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information when it is detected that the substrate has been set in the aerosol generation system as the predetermined user operation and when it is authenticated that the substrate set in the aerosol generation system is a legitimate substrate.
The aerosol generating system described in (3) above.
(5)
the control unit, when a predetermined time has elapsed after increasing a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information, reduces a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information;
An aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (4).
(6)
The control unit controls the length of the predetermined time based on the detected predetermined user operation.
The aerosol generating system described in (5) above.
(7)
The control unit increases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information, and then decreases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on the motion of the aerosol generation system.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (6).
(8)
The aerosol generation system further includes a power supply unit that stores and supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generation system,
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on a state of the power supply unit.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (7).
(9)
The aerosol generation system further includes a memory unit that stores the biological information detected by the biological information detection unit,
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on the free space of the storage unit.
An aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (8).
(10)
The aerosol generation system further includes a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with another device,
The communication unit transmits the biological information stored in the storage unit.
The aerosol generating system described in (9) above.
(11)
The aerosol generation system further includes a power supply unit that stores and supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generation system,
The communication unit transmits the biological information stored in the storage unit while the power supply unit is being charged.
The aerosol generating system described in (10) above.
(12)
the control unit operates the biological information detection unit in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode;
the second operation mode is an operation mode in which biological information is detected more frequently than in the first operation mode,
the storage unit has a storage area divided into a first storage area for storing the biological information detected in the first operation mode and a second storage area for storing the biological information detected in the second operation mode;
The aerosol generation system according to any one of (9) to (11).
(13)
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on a state of a generation unit that generates an aerosol using the base material.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (12).
(14)
The generating unit generates an aerosol by heating the base material,
The control unit increases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when the generation unit starts heating the base material, and decreases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when the generation unit stops heating the base material.
The aerosol generating system described in (13) above.
(15)
the biological information detection unit is capable of detecting a plurality of types of biological information;
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information and a type of the biological information to be detected by the biological information detection unit.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (14).
(16)
The biological information detection unit transmits a transmission wave, receives a reflected wave of the transmission wave reflected by the body of the user, and detects biological information based on the received reflected wave.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (15).
(17)
The biological information detected by the biological information detection unit includes at least one of blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen concentration, and oxygen saturation.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (16).
(18)
The aerosol generating system further comprises the substrate.
The aerosol generation system described in any one of (1) to (17).
(19)
1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, the method comprising:
The aerosol generation system includes a biological information detection unit that detects biological information of a user,
The control method includes controlling an operation of the biological information detection unit,
Controlling the operation of the biological information detection unit includes controlling a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
Control methods.
(20)
A program executed by a computer to control an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source,
The aerosol generation system includes a biological information detection unit that detects biological information of a user,
The program includes causing the computer to execute a process of controlling an operation of the biological information detection unit,
Controlling the operation of the biological information detection unit includes controlling a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
program.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Suction device 111 Power supply unit 112 Sensor unit 113 Notification unit 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 116 Control unit 121 Heating unit 140 Storage unit 141 Internal space 142 Opening 143 Bottom unit 144 Heat insulating unit 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Suction port unit 201 User operation detection unit 205 Biometric information detection unit

Claims (20)

1. An aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, comprising:
A biometric information detection unit that detects biometric information of a user;
A control unit that controls an operation of the biological information detection unit;
Equipped with
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
Aerosol generation systems. The control unit increases a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when a predetermined user operation is detected.
10. The aerosol generating system of claim 1. The predetermined user operation includes at least one of operating an operation unit that accepts user operations, setting the base material in the aerosol generation system, and inhaling the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation system.
3. The aerosol generating system of claim 2. the control unit increases a frequency at which the biometric information detection unit detects the biometric information when it is detected that the substrate has been set in the aerosol generation system as the predetermined user operation and when it is authenticated that the substrate set in the aerosol generation system is a legitimate substrate.
4. The aerosol generating system of claim 3. the control unit, when a predetermined time has elapsed after increasing a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information, reduces a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information;
5. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit controls the length of the predetermined time based on the detected predetermined user operation.
6. The aerosol generating system of claim 5. The control unit increases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information, and then decreases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on the motion of the aerosol generation system.
7. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The aerosol generation system further includes a power supply unit that stores and supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generation system,
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on a state of the power supply unit.
8. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The aerosol generation system further includes a memory unit that stores the biological information detected by the biological information detection unit,
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on the free space of the storage unit.
An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The aerosol generation system further includes a communication unit that wirelessly communicates with another device,
The communication unit transmits the biological information stored in the storage unit.
10. The aerosol generating system of claim 9. The aerosol generation system further includes a power supply unit that stores and supplies power used for the operation of the aerosol generation system,
The communication unit transmits the biological information stored in the storage unit while the power supply unit is being charged.
11. The aerosol generating system of claim 10. the control unit operates the biological information detection unit in one of a first operation mode and a second operation mode;
the second operation mode is an operation mode in which biological information is detected more frequently than in the first operation mode,
the storage unit has a storage area divided into a first storage area for storing the biological information detected in the first operation mode and a second storage area for storing the biological information detected in the second operation mode;
An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 9 to 11. The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information based on a state of a generation unit that generates an aerosol using the base material.
An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 12. The generating unit generates an aerosol by heating the base material,
The control unit increases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when the generation unit starts heating the base material, and decreases the frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information when the generation unit stops heating the base material.
14. The aerosol generating system of claim 13. the biological information detection unit is capable of detecting a plurality of types of biological information;
The control unit controls a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information and a type of the biological information to be detected by the biological information detection unit.
An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 14. The biological information detection unit transmits a transmission wave, receives a reflected wave of the transmission wave reflected by the body of the user, and detects biological information based on the received reflected wave.
16. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 15. The biological information detected by the biological information detection unit includes at least one of blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen concentration, and oxygen saturation.
An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 16. The aerosol generating system further comprises the substrate.
18. An aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 1 to 17. 1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source, the method comprising:
The aerosol generation system includes a biological information detection unit that detects biological information of a user,
The control method includes controlling an operation of the biological information detection unit,
Controlling the operation of the biological information detection unit includes controlling a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
Control methods. A program executed by a computer to control an aerosol generating system that generates an aerosol to be inhaled by a user using a substrate containing at least one of an aerosol source or a flavor source,
The aerosol generation system includes a biological information detection unit that detects biological information of a user,
The program includes causing the computer to execute a process of controlling an operation of the biological information detection unit,
Controlling the operation of the biological information detection unit includes controlling a frequency at which the biological information detection unit detects the biological information.
program.

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