WO2025046750A1 - Aerosol generation apparatus and method for authenticating aerosol generation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To further improve user convenience while securing accuracy of authentication by biological information. [Solution] An aerosol generation apparatus comprising: a biological sensor that acquires biological information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biological information to a server and receives, from the server, association information indicating that the transmitted biological information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by collating the biological information of the user authenticated by means of the association information with the biological information acquired by the biological sensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function when the authentication of the user is successful.

Description

Aerosol generating device and method for authenticating aerosol generating device

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device and a method for authenticating an aerosol generating device.

Inhalation devices such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers that generate substances to be inhaled by users are widely used. Inhalation devices can generate aerosols by heating an aerosol source. This allows users to taste the flavor of the aerosol by inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.

In recent years, the installation of a biosensor capable of sensing biometric information in an inhalation device has been considered. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses that user authentication is performed using a biosensor installed in an electronic cigarette device. In addition, the following Patent Document 2 discloses that biometric information is acquired by a wearable terminal wirelessly connected to an inhalation device that generates an aerosol, and the operation of the inhalation device is controlled based on biometric authentication using the acquired biometric information.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0175846 International Publication No. 2023/026473

However, the invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 does not guarantee that the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor is the biometric information of the user himself/herself, making it difficult to guarantee the accuracy of user authentication based on biometric information.

The invention disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 uses biometric information acquired by a wearable device worn by the user, thereby ensuring that the acquired biometric information is that of the user himself. On the other hand, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2 requires connection to an external device such as a wearable device when performing user authentication using biometric information.

Therefore, this disclosure proposes a new and improved aerosol generating device and authentication method for an aerosol generating device that can further improve user convenience while ensuring the accuracy of authentication using biometric information.

According to the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generating device comprising: a biosensor that acquires biometric information of a user; a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives from the server association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information has been associated with personal information of the user stored in the server; an authentication unit that authenticates the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with the biometric information acquired by the biosensor; and a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generating function if authentication of the user is successful.

The device may further include a non-volatile storage unit that stores the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information, and the biometric information may be written to the storage unit only when connected to the server.

The storage unit may store the biometric information of a plurality of individuals, including the user, each of whom has been authenticated by the association information, and the authentication unit may perform the authentication of each of the plurality of individuals using the biometric information of the plurality of individuals stored in the storage unit.

The device control unit may unlock the aerosol generation function when each of the multiple individuals, including the user, is successfully authenticated.

The device control unit may output a notification to a terminal device carried by the user if authentication of a specific individual different from the user is successful.

If new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor after successful authentication of the user, the authentication unit may regard the new biometric information as the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual, and if authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit may unlock the aerosol generation function.

The authentication unit may consider the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined period of time starting from the time the new biometric information was acquired.

The authentication unit may consider the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined range centered on the position where the new biometric information was acquired.

The device control unit may lock the aerosol generation function if the aerosol generation function has not been used for a predetermined period of time.

The communication unit may send and receive data directly to and from the server.

The communication unit may transmit and receive data to and from the server via a terminal device owned by the user.

The biometric information may be information relating to a fingerprint.

The present disclosure also provides a method for authenticating an aerosol generating device, including the steps of acquiring biometric information of a user with a biometric sensor, transmitting the biometric information to a server, receiving from the server association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server, authenticating the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, and unlocking an aerosol generating function if authentication of the user is successful.

This disclosure makes it possible to improve user convenience while ensuring the accuracy of authentication using biometric information.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first configuration example of a suction device. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second configuration example of the suction device. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the system according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first example of a suction device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second example of the suction device according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a third example of the suction device according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fourth example of the suction device according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fourth example of the suction device according to the 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.

(1) First Configuration Example Fig. 1A is a schematic diagram showing a first configuration example of an inhalation device. As shown in Fig. 1A, an inhalation device 100A according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a flavoring cartridge 130. The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply section 111A, a sensor section 112A, a notification section 113A, a memory section 114A, a communication section 115A, and a control section 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating section 121A, a liquid guiding section 122, and a liquid storage section 123. The flavoring cartridge 130 includes a flavor source 131 and a mouthpiece 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavoring cartridge 130.

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

The sensor unit 112A acquires various information related to the suction device 100A. As one example, the sensor unit 112A 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 112A is configured with an input device such as a button or switch that accepts information input from the user.

The notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113A 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 114A stores various information for the operation of the suction device 100A. The storage unit 114A is configured, for example, with a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such communication standards may include, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, mobile communication such as 4G or 5G, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area-network).

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

The liquid storage unit 123 stores the aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source is, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and water. The aerosol source may contain a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler, such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a medicine.

The liquid guide section 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is a liquid stored in the liquid storage section 123, from the liquid storage section 123. The liquid guide section 122 is, for example, a wick formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage section 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

The heating unit 121A generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1A, the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil and is wound around the liquid guide unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, and an aerosol is generated. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. As an example, when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and/or that specific information has been input, the heating unit 121A may be powered by the power supply unit 111A. Also, when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and/or that specific information has been input, the power supply from the power supply unit 111A to the heating unit 121A may be stopped.

The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may include tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components.

The air flow path 180 is a flow path for air inhaled by the user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inlet hole 181, which is an entrance of air into the air flow path 180, and an air outlet hole 182, which is an exit of air from the air flow path 180, at both ends. In the middle of the air flow path 180, the liquid guide section 122 is arranged on the upstream side (the side closer to the air inlet hole 181), and the flavor source 131 is arranged on the downstream side (the side closer to the air outlet hole 182). The air flowing in from the air inlet hole 181 as the user inhales is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating section 121A, and as shown by the arrow 190, is transported through the flavor source 131 to the air outlet hole 182. When the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, the flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol.

The mouthpiece 124 is a member that is held in the mouth of the user when inhaling. An air outlet hole 182 is arranged in the mouthpiece 124. By holding the mouthpiece 124 in the mouth and inhaling, the user can take in the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air into the mouth.

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

As an example, the inhalation device 100A may not include a flavoring cartridge 130. In that case, the cartridge 120 is provided with a mouthpiece 124.

As another example, the suction device 100A may include multiple types of aerosol sources. Multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed in the air flow path 180 and undergo a chemical reaction to generate further types of aerosols.

Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121A. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be vibration atomization or induction heating.

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

Each of the power supply unit 111B, the sensor unit 112B, the notification unit 113B, the memory unit 114B, the communication unit 115B, and the control unit 116B is substantially the same as the corresponding components included in the suction device 100A according to the first configuration example.

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

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

The heating unit 121B has a configuration similar to that of the heating unit 121A according to the first configuration example. However, in the example shown in FIG. 1B, the heating unit 121B is configured in a film shape and is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the holding unit 140. When the heating unit 121B generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

The insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121B 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 100B. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those shown below are possible.

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

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

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

The suction device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air outlet hole 182 of the air flow path 180 may also serve as an air inlet hole to the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the heating unit 121A flows into the internal space 141 and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the user's oral cavity.

2. First embodiment
(2.1. Configuration example)
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 2, the system 1 according to the present embodiment includes at least a suction device 100 and a server 300. The suction device 100 and the server 300 can communicate with each other directly or via a terminal device 200.

The inhalation device 100 is an aerosol generating device that can take any of the first and second configuration examples described above. The inhalation device 100 generates an aerosol using a substrate that includes at least one of an aerosol source that is a source of aerosol generation, or a flavor source that is a source of flavor to be imparted to the aerosol. For example, the above-mentioned cartridge 120, flavor imparting cartridge 130, and stick-type substrate 150 are examples of substrates in this embodiment. In the first configuration example, the combination of the power supply unit 110, the cartridge 120, and the flavor imparting cartridge 130 may be regarded as one aerosol generating system in that the aerosol can be generated by combining the power supply unit 110, the cartridge 120, and the flavor imparting cartridge 130. Similarly, in the second configuration example, the combination of the inhalation device 100 and the stick-type substrate 150 may be regarded as one aerosol generating system in that the aerosol can be generated by combining the inhalation device 100 and the stick-type substrate 150. Furthermore, the entire system 1 may be considered as an aerosol generation system.

The server 300 stores a database in which personal information of users of the suction device 100 is registered. Examples of personal information of users registered in the database include user identification information that can identify an individual (such as name, date of birth, age, sex, and address) and attribute information about the individual (information regarding preferences).

The terminal device 200 is an information processing device carried by a user of the suction device 100. The terminal device 200 may be, for example, a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The terminal device 200 can transmit and receive data between the suction device 100 and the server 300 via wireless communication.

The suction device 100 may transmit and receive data to and from the server 300 via the terminal device 200 by transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal device 200 via, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark), infrared communication, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Alternatively, the suction device 100 may transmit and receive data directly to and from the server 300 via mobile communication such as 4G or 5G, or wide area communication such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area-network).

The suction device 100 according to this embodiment transmits the acquired biometric information of the user to the server 300, and by associating the user's biometric information with the user's personal information registered in the server 300, it is possible to guarantee that the acquired biometric information is the user's biometric information. In this way, the suction device 100 can authenticate the user by biometric information by comparing the biometric information that has been guaranteed to be the user's biometric information with newly acquired biometric information.

More specifically, the suction device 100 includes a biosensor 161, a communication unit 115, a memory unit 114, an authentication unit 162, and a device control unit 163. The authentication unit 162 and the device control unit 163 may be provided as a single authentication control unit. In such a case, the authentication control unit can execute both the processing of the authentication unit 162 and the device control unit 163 described below. Furthermore, when the suction device 100 is connected to the server 300 via the communication unit 115, the function of the authentication unit 162 may be executed by the server 300.

The biometric sensor 161 is a sensor capable of sensing biometric information of a user. For example, the biometric sensor 161 may be a sensor that senses biometric information such as a fingerprint that can identify an individual. The biometric sensor 161 may also be a sensor that senses biometric information such as a palm print, vein, voiceprint, iris, or face shape.

The communication unit 115 is a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal device 200 or the server 300. As an example, the communication unit 115 may be a communication interface such as a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (registered trademark), infrared communication, or WUSB (Wireless USB) capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the terminal device 200. As another example, the communication unit 115 may be a communication interface such as a mobile communication such as 4G or 5G, or a wide area communication such as LPWA (Low Power Wide Area-network), capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the server 300. The communication unit 115 transmits the user's biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 to the server 300, and receives association information from the server 300 indicating that the transmitted biometric information has been associated with the user's personal information.

The storage unit 114 stores biometric information that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information by being associated with the user's personal information by the server 300. The storage unit 114 may be, for example, a non-volatile semiconductor storage device such as a flash memory. The biometric information stored in the storage unit 114 is used to authenticate the user of the suction device 100. For this reason, it is desirable that the storage unit 114 be able to write biometric information only when the suction device 100 is connected to the server 300.

The authentication unit 162 authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 with the biometric information stored in the memory unit 114. Specifically, the authentication unit 162 compares the biometric information that has been associated with the user's personal information in the server 300 and stored in the memory unit 114 with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161, and if the two match, it determines that the user has been successfully authenticated. Note that the authentication of the biometric information by the authentication unit 162 can be performed using a known method according to the biometric information. For example, if the biometric information is information about a fingerprint, the authentication unit 162 can determine whether the fingerprints match by comparing the feature points present in the fingerprints.

The authentication unit 162 is able to perform highly accurate authentication by using biometric information that is associated with the user's personal information and is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information for matching. In addition, the authentication unit 162 is able to perform highly accurate authentication even when not connected to the server 300 by storing the biometric information associated with the user's personal information in the storage unit 114.

The device control unit 163 controls the operation of the suction device 100 based on the authentication result by the authentication unit 162. Specifically, the device control unit 163 locks the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100 if the aerosol generation function has not been used for a predetermined period of time, and unlocks the aerosol generation function if the authentication unit 162 successfully authenticates the user. In this way, the suction device 100 can prevent others from using the aerosol generation function by locking the aerosol generation function when the user has finished inhaling aerosol. On the other hand, the suction device 100 can unlock the aerosol generation function when the user has successfully been authenticated using biometric information, allowing the user to start inhaling aerosol.

More specifically, the server 300 includes a communication unit 315, a memory unit 314, and an association unit 310.

The communication unit 315 is a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200. The communication unit 315 may be, for example, a communication interface capable of transmitting and receiving data to and from the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200 via wireless communication. The communication unit 315 receives the user's biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 from the suction device 100, and transmits association information to the suction device 100 indicating that the received biometric information has been associated with the user's personal information.

The memory unit 314 is a data storage device in which a database in which the user's personal information is registered is constructed. That is, the user's personal information is stored in the memory unit 314. Specifically, the database may register identification information capable of identifying the user (such as name, date of birth, age, sex, and address) and attribute information (information regarding preferences) relating to the user. The memory unit 314 may be configured, for example, with a magnetic memory device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a semiconductor memory device, an optical memory device, or a magneto-optical memory device.

The association unit 310 associates the biometric information of the user received from the suction device 100 with the personal information of the user stored in the storage unit 314. For example, the association unit 310 may have the user transmit biometric information from the suction device 100 to the server 300 while logged in to the server 300, and associate the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the logged-in user. The association unit 310 may also have the user register the identification information of the suction device 100 used by the user in a database as the user's personal information, and associate the biometric information transmitted from the suction device 100 of the registered identification information with the user's personal information.

When the user's personal information and the transmitted biometric information are associated by the association unit 310, the server 300 transmits association information indicating that the user's personal information and the transmitted biometric information have been associated to the suction device 100. The server 300 may also transmit the biometric information that has been associated with the user's personal information together with the association information to the suction device 100.

With the above configuration, the system 1 according to this embodiment can ensure that the biometric information acquired by the suction device 100 is the user's biometric information by associating the biometric information with the user's personal information stored in the server 300. Furthermore, the system 1 according to this embodiment can authenticate the user using the biometric information without connecting to the server 300 by storing in the suction device 100 the biometric information that is guaranteed to be the user's biometric information by associating it with the user's personal information.

(2.2. Operation example)
3 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of operations of the system 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the system 1 according to this embodiment is executed by the suction device 100 and the server 300 in cooperation with each other.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the biometric information of the user U is sensed by the biometric sensor 161 of the suction device 100 (S101). The biometric information may be, for example, information related to the fingerprint of the user U. Next, the sensed biometric information is transmitted from the suction device 100 to the server 300 (S103).

Then, the association unit 310 of the server 300 associates the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the user U stored in the memory unit 314 (S105). For example, the server 300 may have the user U log in, thereby associating the transmitted biometric information with the personal information of the logged-in user U. Next, association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information has been associated with the stored personal information of the user U is transmitted from the server 300 to the suction device 100 (S107). As a result, the suction device 100 stores the biometric information, which is guaranteed to be the biometric information of the user U by the association information, in the memory unit 114 (S109).

After that, when the suction device 100 authenticates the user U, first, the biosensor 161 of the suction device 100 senses the biometric information of the user U (S111). Next, the authentication unit 162 of the suction device 100 compares the sensed biometric information with the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114 (S113). If the sensed biometric information matches the biometric information stored in the storage unit 114, the authentication unit 162 determines that the authentication of the user U has been successful (S115). This causes the device control unit 163 to unlock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100 (S117). The suction device 100 notifies the user U of the unlocking (S119), thereby allowing the user U to start inhaling aerosols using the suction device 100 (S121).

According to the above operational example, the system 1 according to this embodiment can authenticate the user U by associating the biometric information of the user U with the personal information of the user U stored in the server 300, and can authenticate the user U by the biometric information using only the suction device 100 without connecting to the server 300.

(2.3. Modifications)
Next, a modified example of the system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the modified example of the system 1 according to the present embodiment, biometric information of a plurality of individuals including a user is stored in the storage unit 114 of the suction device 100. The suction device 100 is capable of performing various operations described below by authenticating the biometric information of a plurality of individuals including a user.

(First Modification)
For example, the device control unit 163 may unlock the aerosol generation function when authentication of each of a plurality of individuals including the user is successful. Specifically, the storage unit 114 of the inhalation device 100 stores biometric information of a plurality of individuals including the user, and the authentication unit 162 compares the stored biometric information of the plurality of individuals including the user with the biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. As a result, when authentication of all of the plurality of individuals including the user is successful, the device control unit 163 may unlock the aerosol generation function.

As an example, the biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user, stored in memory unit 114 may be associated with the personal information of each of the multiple individuals stored in memory unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of each of the multiple individuals, including the user, is registered in a database constructed in memory unit 314 of server 300, and the biometric information of the multiple individuals is associated with the registered personal information of each of the multiple individuals.

As another example, biometric information of multiple individuals, including the user, stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with personal information of the user stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the user's personal information is registered in a database constructed in storage unit 314 of server 300, and biometric information of individuals other than the user (e.g., the user's family members) is associated with the registered personal information of the user.

According to the first modified example, when a user inhales an aerosol, it is necessary to successfully authenticate both the user and another person (e.g., the user's family member) whose biometric information is stored in the memory unit 114. In other words, when the user inhales an aerosol, it is necessary to obtain the consent of the other person. In this way, the inhalation device 100 can control the frequency with which the user inhales an aerosol based on the consent of the other person.

(Second Modification)
For example, when the authentication of a specific individual different from the user is successful, the device control unit 163 may output a notification to the terminal device 200 carried by the user to inform the user that the authentication of the specific individual has been performed. Specifically, in addition to the biometric information of the user, the storage unit 114 of the suction device 100 stores biometric information of the specific individual different from the user, and the authentication unit 162 compares the stored biometric information of the specific individual different from the user with the biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. As a result, when the authentication of the specific individual different from the user is successful, the device control unit 163 may output a notification to the terminal device 200 carried by the user to inform the user that the authentication of the specific individual has been performed. At this time, the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100 remains locked.

As an example, biometric information of a specific individual different from the user stored in storage unit 114 may be associated with personal information of that individual stored in storage unit 314 of server 300. In such a case, the personal information of that individual is registered in the database stored in storage unit 314 of server 300, and the biometric information of the specific individual is associated with the registered personal information of that individual.

As another example, biometric information of a specific individual other than the user stored in the memory unit 114 may be associated with the user's personal information stored in the memory unit 314 of the server 300. In such a case, the user's personal information is registered in a database constructed in the memory unit 314 of the server 300, and the biometric information of a specific individual other than the user (e.g., the user's family member) is associated with the registered personal information of the user.

According to the second modified example, for example, if a family member of the user touches the suction device 100, it is possible to output a notification to the user's terminal device 200 informing the user that authentication of the family member has been performed. By notifying the user that a family member has touched the suction device 100, the suction device 100 can warn the user to reconsider the storage and management status of the suction device 100. Therefore, the suction device 100 can further increase the safety of others around the user.

(Third Modification)
For example, when new biometric information is sensed by the biometric sensor 161 in a state where authentication of a user has been successful, the authentication unit 162 may temporarily regard the new biometric information as biometric information of the authenticated individual. The biometric information regarded as the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual is temporarily stored in the storage unit 114. The suction device 100 may regard the biometric information temporarily stored in the storage unit 114 as biometric information having the same effect as the biometric information associated with the personal information of the user in the server 300 within at least one condition within a predetermined time or a predetermined position range. According to this, the device control unit 163 can unlock the aerosol generation function when authentication by matching the biometric information temporarily stored in the storage unit 114 with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor 161 is successful.

In other words, when the suction device 100 has successfully authenticated the user, it can temporarily grant the same rights as the user to another person who possesses new biometric information sensed by the biometric sensor 161. This allows the user to temporarily lend the suction device 100 to another person within a specified time period or within a specified location range under at least one of the following conditions.

The "within a specified time" may be, for example, a specified time (e.g., 2 to 3 hours) starting from the time when the biometric sensor 161 acquires new biometric information after successful authentication of the user. Also, the "within a specified positional range" may be, for example, a specified range (e.g., a range of several tens of meters in diameter) centered on the position where new biometric information was acquired after successful authentication of the user.

According to the third modified example, the user can temporarily lend the suction device 100 to others, making it easier to share the suction experience with the suction device 100 with others.

3. Second embodiment
An example of the suction device 100 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The suction device 100 according to the present embodiment is capable of authenticating a user based on biometric information and transmitting the result of the authentication to the outside.

(First embodiment)
4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the suction device 100 can communicate with a management server 300A via a terminal device 200 carried by a user of the suction device 100.

The management server 300A is a server that manages the heating profile of the substrate used to generate the aerosol. When the suction device 100 authenticates a user using biometric information and is connected to the management server 300A, the management server 300A may change the heating profile of the substrate by the suction device 100 according to the authenticated user.

Specifically, the management server 300A may acquire information such as brand information of the substrate, suction experience history information, or charging history information of the suction device 100 from the suction device 100, and change the heating profile of the substrate based on this acquired user-specific information. The management server 300A may also change the heating profile of the substrate based on personal information of the user stored in the server 300.

The base material brand information may be obtained, for example, by sensing the base material with a sensor (such as a camera) mounted on the suction device 100. The base material brand information may be information on the brand of the base material most recently used, or may be information obtained by aggregating the brands of base materials used within a specified period in the past. The inhalation experience history information may be information on, for example, the interval between inhalation experiences, the interval between inhalations (puffs) during one inhalation experience, the timing of an inhalation experience within a day, or the time required for one inhalation experience. The charging history information of the suction device 100 may be information on, for example, the interval between charging, the time required for one charge, or the timing of charging within a day. The user's personal information may be user attribute information, for example, the user's gender or age.

By taking this information into consideration, the management server 300A can generate a heating profile for the substrate that is more suitable for the user, who has been authenticated by biometric information. The management server 300A can provide the user with a more satisfying suction experience by having the suction device 100 use the generated heating profile to heat the substrate.

Second Example
5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a second example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the suction device 100 may transmit brand information of the substrate sensed from the substrate to an external device. For example, the suction device 100 may transmit the brand information of the substrate to a fixture 410A or a vending machine 410B for selling the substrate.

In the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B, various brands of base materials are displayed so that they can be seen. When the suction device 100 authenticates the user using biometric information and connects to the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B, the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B may perform a process to purchase the most recently used brand of base material.

For example, the suction device 100 is equipped with a sensor that can obtain brand information of a substrate by sensing the substrate, and a payment function that can purchase a product or service. With this, the suction device 100 transmits the brand information sensed from the most recently used substrate to the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B, and it is possible to purchase the substrate indicated by the transmitted brand information from the fixture 410A or the vending machine 410B using the payment function.

The suction device 100 may also be connected to a cash processing device such as a cash register to transmit brand information sensed from the most recently used substrate to the cash processing device. This allows the user to more efficiently communicate brand information of the substrate they wish to purchase to the store clerk operating the cash processing device.

Furthermore, the suction device 100 may transmit brand information of the most recently used substrate to the terminal device 200 carried by the user. In such a case, the user can use the terminal device 200 to obtain, via the Internet, information on the stock of substrates at nearby stores, or a list of the brands of substrates being sold. This allows the user to easily know the brand of substrate they are using, and also to more easily know the stores that sell the substrate brand they are using and the stock situation.

(Third Example)
6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a third example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the suction device 100 can communicate with a storage case 420 that stores a base material.

The storage case 420 is a container that stores the base material used in the suction device 100. The storage case 420 is provided so as to be lockable in order to prevent anyone other than the user from removing the base material. For example, the storage case 420 may be unlocked by communicating with the suction device 100 after the user has been authenticated using biometric information.

Alternatively, the storage case 420 may be provided so that a biosensor can be used to authenticate the user using biometric information in the same manner as the suction device 100. In such a case, the storage case 420 may be unlocked when the storage case 420 has successfully authenticated the user using the biometric information. At this time, the storage case 420 may transmit to the suction device 100 that the user has been successfully authenticated using the biometric information, thereby allowing the suction device 100 to omit the authentication of the user using the biometric information.

This allows the user to store the base material used in the suction device 100 more safely in the lockable storage case 420. Therefore, the user can more reliably prevent the base material used in the suction device 100 from being handled by others or accidentally ingested, etc.

(Fourth Example)
7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating a fourth example of the suction device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7A and 7B, the suction device 100 can communicate with an entrance/exit management device of a management space 430 in which the availability of aerosol suction is controlled.

The managed space 430 is an indoor space such as a restaurant, store, rest area, cafeteria, or conference room, and whether or not aerosols can be inhaled inside is controlled based on the time of day, the attributes of the user entering, or the administrator's settings. In the managed space 430, the entry and exit of users is managed by authentication using a card key, for example. In addition, for users who possess an suction device 100, the managed space 430 can also manage the entry and exit of users by mutual communication with the suction device 100, which has been authenticated by biometric information.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, assume that the inside of the managed space 430 is set to not allow the inhalation of aerosols. In this case, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when entering the managed space 430, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may lock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100. Also, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when leaving the managed space 430, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may unlock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100. Also, as another example, if authentication is performed using the suction device 100 when entering the managed space 430, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may refuse entry to the aspirator S, who is the user of the suction device 100.

As a result, the entrance/exit management device for the managed space 430 can physically prevent the suction of aerosols inside the managed space 430. Therefore, the entrance/exit management device for the managed space 430 can effectively set the suction of aerosols not to be allowed inside the managed space 430.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, assume that the inside of the managed space 430 is set to allow the inhalation of aerosols. In this case, when authentication is performed when entering the managed space 430 using the suction device 100, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may not lock the aerosol generation function of the suction device 100, and may allow the entry of the aspirator S, who is the user of the suction device 100. On the other hand, when a user who does not wish to inhale aerosols performs authentication to enter the managed space 430, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may notify the user that the inside of the managed space 430 is set to allow the inhalation of aerosols. As another example, when a user who does not wish to inhale aerosols performs authentication to enter the managed space 430, the entry/exit management device of the managed space 430 may deny the user entry to the managed space 430.

As a result, the entry/exit management device for the managed space 430 can appropriately manage the entry and exit of the aspirator S, who is the user of the suction device 100, when the possibility of inhaling aerosols inside the managed space 430 is controlled. Therefore, the entry/exit management device for the managed space 430 can prevent a person who does not wish to inhale aerosols inside the managed space 430 from unintentionally and passively inhaling aerosols.

The above describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the attached drawings, but the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modified or revised examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, the series of processes performed by each device described in this specification may be realized using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, in a recording medium (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device. The programs constituting the software are loaded into RAM, for example, when executed by a computer, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The recording medium on which the programs are stored may be, for example, a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or flash memory. Furthermore, the above programs may not be stored in a recording medium, but may be distributed, for example, via a network.

Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1)
A biosensor for acquiring biometric information of a user;
a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives from the server association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server;
an authentication unit that authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor;
An aerosol generating device comprising a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful.
(2)
a non-volatile storage unit that stores the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information;
The aerosol generating device described in (1) above, wherein the biometric information is written to the memory unit only when connected to the server.
(3)
the storage unit stores the biometric information of a plurality of individuals including the user, each of whom is authenticated by the association information;
The aerosol generating device described in (2) above, wherein the authentication unit performs the authentication of each of the multiple individuals using the biometric information of the multiple individuals stored in the memory unit.
(4)
The aerosol generating device described in (3), wherein the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function when authentication of each of the multiple individuals including the user is successful.
(5)
The aerosol generating device described in (3) or (4), wherein the device control unit outputs a notification to a terminal device carried by the user when authentication of a specific individual other than the user is successful.
(6)
When new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor in a state where the authentication of the user has been successful, the authentication unit temporarily regards the new biometric information as the biometric information of the authenticated individual,
An aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (5), wherein if authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function.
(7)
The aerosol generating device described in (6), wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a specified period of time starting from the time the new biometric information was acquired.
(8)
The aerosol generating device described in (6) or (7), wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a specified range centered on the position where the new biometric information was acquired.
(9)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (8), wherein the device control unit locks the aerosol generation function if the aerosol generation function has not been used for a predetermined period of time.
(10)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (9), wherein the communication unit directly transmits and receives data with the server.
(11)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (10), wherein the communication unit transmits and receives data with the server via a terminal device carried by the user.
(12)
The aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (11), wherein the biometric information is information regarding a fingerprint.
(13)
acquiring biometric information of a user by a biometric sensor;
transmitting the biometric information to a server;
receiving, from the server, association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server;
authenticating the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor;
unlocking an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful;
A method for authenticating an aerosol generating device, comprising:

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 System 100 Suction device 114 Memory unit 115 Communication unit 161 Biometric sensor 162 Authentication unit 163 Device control unit 200 Terminal device 300 Server 310 Correspondence unit 314 Memory unit 315 Communication unit 300A Management server 410A Fixture 410B Vending machine 420 Storage case 430 Management space

Claims (13)

A biosensor for acquiring biometric information of a user;
a communication unit that transmits the biometric information to a server and receives from the server association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server;
an authentication unit that authenticates the user by comparing the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor;
An aerosol generating device comprising a device control unit that unlocks an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful. a non-volatile storage unit that stores the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the biometric information is written to the memory unit only when the memory unit is connected to the server. the storage unit stores the biometric information of a plurality of individuals including the user, each of whom is authenticated by the association information;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 2 , wherein the authentication unit performs the authentication of each of the plurality of individuals using the biometric information of the plurality of individuals stored in the memory unit. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generating function when authentication of each of the multiple individuals, including the user, is successful. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the device control unit outputs a notification to a terminal device carried by the user when authentication of a specific individual different from the user is successful. When new biometric information is acquired by the biometric sensor in a state where the authentication of the user has been successful, the authentication unit temporarily regards the new biometric information as the biometric information of the authenticated individual,
An aerosol generating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when authentication is successful by comparing the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual with the biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor, the device control unit unlocks the aerosol generation function. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6, wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined period of time starting from the time the new biometric information was acquired. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the authentication unit considers the new biometric information to be the biometric information of the temporarily authenticated individual only within a predetermined range centered on the position where the new biometric information was acquired. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the device control unit locks the aerosol generating function if the aerosol generating function has not been used for a predetermined period of time. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the communication unit directly transmits and receives data to and from the server. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the communication unit transmits and receives data to and from the server via a terminal device carried by the user. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the biometric information is information relating to a fingerprint. acquiring biometric information of a user by a biometric sensor;
transmitting the biometric information to a server;
receiving, from the server, association information indicating that the transmitted biometric information is associated with personal information of the user stored in the server;
authenticating the user by matching the biometric information of the user authenticated by the association information with biometric information acquired by the biometric sensor;
unlocking an aerosol generation function if authentication of the user is successful;
A method for authenticating an aerosol generating device, comprising:

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