WO2025203252A1 - Aerosol generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a mechanism making it possible to further improve the quality of user experience. [Solution] An aerosol generation device is provided with: an accommodating section in an interior space of which a substrate containing an aerosol source is accommodated; a load for heating the substrate; an impedance circuit comprising a pair of electrodes for detecting the capacitance of the interior space of the accommodating section; a signal generator for generating an input signal to be inputted to the impedance circuit; and a control unit for starting the heating by the load on the basis of the voltage of an output signal from the impedance circuit. The pair of electrodes are arranged further up than the load; and the vertical length of the pair of electrodes and/or the frequency of the input signal is set on the basis of the vertical length of a portion of the substrate where the aerosol source is distributed.

Description

Aerosol Generator

This disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device.

Aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols to be inhaled by users are widely used. For example, aerosol generating devices generate aerosols imparted with flavor components using a base material containing an aerosol source for generating aerosol and a flavor source for imparting flavor components to the generated aerosol. Users can enjoy the flavor by inhaling the aerosol imparted with flavor components generated by the aerosol generating device. The action of a user inhaling the aerosol is hereinafter also referred to as a puff or puffing action. One example of a device classified as an aerosol generating device is a heated tobacco product, which is used instead of a cigarette. A heated tobacco product is a type of aerosol generating device that generates aerosol by heating an aerosol source.

Technology has been developed to detect the insertion of a substrate in an aerosol generating device that heats an inserted substrate. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses technology in which electrodes are placed in positions surrounding the inserted substrate, and whether or not a substrate has been inserted is determined based on the rate at which the voltage increases or decreases when the process of applying a voltage to the electrode and releasing the voltage from the electrode is repeated.

Patent No. 6348985

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has only recently been developed, and there is still room for improvement in many areas.

This disclosure has been made in light of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the user experience.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an aerosol generation device comprising: a storage unit having an opening on its upper side through which a substrate containing an aerosol source can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction and which stores the substrate in its internal space; a load that generates energy for heating the aerosol source of the substrate stored in the storage unit; an impedance circuit including a pair of electrodes that detects the capacitance of the internal space of the storage unit; a signal generator that generates an input signal to be input to the impedance circuit; a comparator that compares the voltage of the output signal from the impedance circuit with a threshold voltage; and a control unit that controls the operation of the load based on the output from the comparator, wherein the pair of electrodes are positioned above the load, and at least one of the vertical length of the pair of electrodes and the frequency of at least one signal among the one or more signals that make up the input signal is set based on the vertical length of a portion of the substrate in which the aerosol source is distributed, and the control unit starts the generation of energy by the load when the output from the comparator satisfies a predetermined condition.

The pair of electrodes may be positioned above a portion of the substrate where the aerosol source is distributed when the substrate has been completely inserted into the housing.

The signal generator may set the frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal so that one or more periods are included in the determination period during which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is at its maximum, calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of the portion of the substrate where the aerosol source is distributed, and the estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section.

The control unit may set the frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal based on the time during which the capacitance of the pair of electrodes changes, measured when the user inserts the substrate into the storage unit.

The impedance circuit may be a filter circuit.

The filter circuit may be designed so that the cutoff frequency when the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is at a maximum corresponds to the frequency of at least one of the one or more signals that make up the input signal.

The signal generator, the pair of electrodes, and the comparator may form part of a series circuit.

The wiring between the pair of electrodes may be shielded by GND potential.

The impedance circuit may further include an amplifier that amplifies the output signal.

The amplifier may operate intermittently.

The amplifier may operate intermittently at a cycle corresponding to the length of a determination period during which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is at its maximum, calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of the portion of the substrate where the aerosol source is distributed, and the estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section.

The input signal may be a single sine wave.

The load may be a heating unit.

As explained above, this disclosure provides a mechanism that can further improve the quality of the user experience.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an aerosol generating device. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control circuit. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of an impedance circuit. 5 is a graph showing an example of a gain characteristic of the impedance circuit shown in FIG. 4 . 10 is a graph showing an example of time-series changes in output voltage accompanying the insertion of a stick-shaped substrate. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of an impedance circuit. 8 is a graph showing an example of a gain characteristic of the impedance circuit shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of an impedance circuit. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of an impedance circuit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a processing flow executed by the aerosol generating device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a problem related to an impedance circuit. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of an impedance circuit according to a modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of an impedance circuit according to a modified example. 10 is a time chart for explaining an intermittent operation by an amplifier. 10 is a graph showing experimental results when an amplifier is operated intermittently with a timing portion disposed between a pair of electrodes. 10 is a graph showing the experimental results when an amplifier is operated intermittently with a hand placed close to a pair of electrodes without a marking between them.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

<1. Configuration example of aerosol generating device>
An aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol that is inhaled by a user.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of an aerosol generating device. As shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating 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 then supplies power to each component of the aerosol generating device 100 based on control by 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 aerosol generating device 100. As one example, the sensor unit 112 is configured with a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor, and acquires values associated with inhalation 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 images, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

The memory unit 114 stores various information for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The memory unit 114 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as 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 control device, and controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating 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 unit 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 storage unit 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside, and accommodates the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage unit 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and bottom 143 as its 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 unit 140. An air inlet, which is the air inlet to the air flow path, is located, for example, on the side of the aerosol generation device 100. An air outlet, which is the air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is located, for example, on the bottom 143.

The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components. When the aerosol generating device 100 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicament. The aerosol source may be a liquid, such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water, containing tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components, or a solid containing tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is contained in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds the suction mouthpiece 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and sucks, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth along with the aerosol generated from the base material 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, generating aerosol. 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 predetermined information has been input. Power supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112 detects that the user has stopped inhaling and/or that predetermined information has been input.

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

The above describes an example configuration of the aerosol generating device 100. Of course, the configuration of the aerosol generating 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 arranged to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121 is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121 may be arranged to cover the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121 may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the storage unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering 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 clamp and accommodate the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141. 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.

Furthermore, 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 aerosol generating 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 aerosol generating device 100, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

<2. Technical Features>
2.1 Overview
Hereinafter, an outline of the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 shows the state in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the storage section 140. As shown in FIG. 2, the direction in which the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted is also referred to as "downward," and the direction in which it is removed is also referred to as "upward."

The storage section 140 has an opening 142 on the upper side through which the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and stores the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141.

The heating unit 121 is disposed on the bottom 143 side of the storage unit 140 and heats the stick-shaped substrate 150 stored in the storage unit 140.

The portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 where the aerosol source is distributed is also referred to as the notched portion 153. The notched portion 153 is at least a part of the substrate portion 151 shown in Figure 1. The heating portion 121 and the notched portion 153 are positioned so that they are thermally close to each other when housed in the housing portion 140.

The aerosol generating device 100 is equipped with a pair of electrodes C that are arranged to sandwich the internal space 141 and detect the capacitance of the internal space 141 of the storage section 140.

The aerosol generation device 100 is equipped with a control circuit 10 that controls the operation of the aerosol generation device 100. The control circuit 10 corresponds to at least the control unit 116 among the components shown in Figure 1. The control circuit 10 is connected to a pair of electrodes C, and detects the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage unit 140 based on the capacitance detected by the pair of electrodes C. The control circuit 10 is also connected to the heating unit 121, and controls the operation of the heating unit 121. For convenience, the control circuit 10, the pair of electrodes C, and the heating unit 121 are shown separately in Figure 2, but below it will be assumed that the control circuit 10 includes the pair of electrodes C and the heating unit 121.

The control circuit 10 may have an auto-start function. That is, the control circuit 10 may start heating by the heating unit 121 when it determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted into the storage unit 140 based on the capacitance detected by the pair of electrodes C.

Here, the pair of electrodes C is positioned above the heating unit 121. In particular, the pair of electrodes C is positioned above the notched portion 153 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is contained in the containing portion 140 (i.e., when the tip of the stick-shaped substrate 150 has reached the bottom portion 143 and insertion is complete). Therefore, the notched portion 153 passes through the pair of electrodes C (more precisely, the space between the pair of electrodes C) as the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted into the containing portion 140. Here, the notched portion 153 has a higher dielectric constant than other portions of the stick-shaped substrate 150 where the aerosol source is not distributed, because the notched portion 153 contains the aerosol source. Therefore, when the notched portion 153 passes through the pair of electrodes C, the capacitance changes significantly depending on whether the notched portion 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C or not. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to accurately detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 based on this change in capacitance.

The control circuit 10 determines whether the notch 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C, i.e., whether the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted, based on the capacitance during the period T (hereinafter also referred to as the determination period) when the amount of the notch 153 (i.e., the aerosol source) present between the pair of electrodes C is at its maximum. The determination period T is calculated using the following formula, using the vertical length Le [mm] of the pair of electrodes C, the vertical length Lk [mm] of the notch 153, and the insertion speed V [mm/s] of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the storage section 140.

In the following, for ease of explanation, the state in which the amount of notches 153 present between a pair of electrodes C is at its maximum will also be referred to as "not having notches 153 between the pair of electrodes C." On the other hand, the state in which the amount of notches 153 present between a pair of electrodes C is not its maximum will also be referred to as "not having notches 153 between the pair of electrodes C."

The above provides an overview of the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment.

Various other technologies have been proposed for detecting the insertion of a stick, such as the stick-shaped substrate 150, into a device, such as the aerosol generating device 100.

As an example, for induction heating devices, a technology has been proposed that detects the insertion of a stick containing a susceptor into the device based on the change in inductance when the stick is inserted. However, if the stick contains a susceptor, there is a risk that the susceptor could damage the digestive system if the stick is accidentally swallowed. Furthermore, this technology can only be used with induction heating devices, making it difficult to apply to heated devices such as the aerosol generating device 100.

In this regard, the technology according to this embodiment described above does not require a susceptor to be built into the stick, and is applicable to both induction heating and heating devices. In this way, it is possible to improve the quality of the user experience.

Furthermore, technology has already been proposed that detects the insertion of a stick based on capacitance, as in Patent Document 1 above. However, existing technologies, including Patent Document 1, detect the stick based on capacitance after the stick has been inserted. More specifically, even with existing technologies, the aerosol source is distributed in a position close to the heater or induction coil after the stick has been inserted. However, the sensor for measuring capacitance is often positioned away from the heater or induction coil to prevent noise from being mixed in from the heater or induction coil. As a result, after the stick has been inserted, the area where the aerosol source is distributed is far from the sensor, limiting the accuracy of stick insertion detection. Furthermore, even if it were possible to place the sensor for measuring capacitance outside the heater or induction coil, there are concerns about noise mixing and an increase in the size of the device.

In this regard, the technology according to the present embodiment described above can accurately detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 by referencing the change in capacitance when the notched portion 153, which has a high dielectric constant, passes through the pair of electrodes C. Furthermore, because the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can be detected during insertion rather than after it has been completed, the auto-start function can be executed more quickly. Furthermore, because the pair of electrodes C can be positioned away from the heating unit 121, restrictions on sensor placement are relaxed, making it possible to further miniaturize the aerosol generation device 100. In this way, it is possible to improve the quality of the user experience.

2.2. Configuration of control circuit 10
3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control circuit 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the control circuit 10 includes a signal generator 11, an impedance circuit 12, a comparator 13, and a heating circuit 14.

The signal generator 11 generates a signal (hereinafter also referred to as the input signal) that is input to the impedance circuit 12. For example, the signal generator 11 generates a single sine wave as the input signal.

The impedance circuit 12 is an AC circuit that includes a pair of electrodes C. An input signal generated by a signal generator 11 is input to the impedance circuit 12, and the impedance circuit 12 outputs an output signal. The relationship between the voltage of the input signal to the impedance circuit 12 (hereinafter also referred to as the input voltage) Vin and the voltage of the output signal from the impedance circuit 12 (hereinafter also referred to as the output voltage) Vout differs depending on whether or not there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C. This is because the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C changes depending on whether or not there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C, and the gain characteristics of the impedance circuit 12 change.

Comparator 13 compares the voltage Vout of the output signal from impedance circuit 12 with threshold voltage Vth and outputs the comparison result. The threshold voltage Vth is set to a value that can distinguish between the voltage Vout of the output signal from impedance circuit 12 when there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C and when there is not. Therefore, comparator 13 outputs information indicating whether or not there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C as the comparison result.

The heating circuit 14 controls the operation of the heating unit 121 based on the output from the comparator 13. The heating circuit 14 may be considered as the control unit 116.

In particular, the heating circuit 14 starts heating by the heating unit 121 when the output from the comparator 13 meets a predetermined condition. More specifically, when the heating circuit 14 obtains a comparison result indicating that the notched portion 153 is present between a pair of electrodes C, it determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted and starts heating by the heating unit 121. On the other hand, the heating circuit 14 determines that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted and waits for heating by the heating unit 121 to begin until it obtains a comparison result indicating that the notched portion 153 is present between a pair of electrodes C.

2.3. Specific examples
The impedance circuit 12 may be a filter circuit. Specific examples in which the impedance circuit 12 is configured as an RC high-pass filter circuit or an RC low-pass filter circuit will be described below with reference to FIGS.

(RC high-pass filter)
Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the impedance circuit 12. As shown in Fig. 4, the impedance circuit 12a may be configured as an RC high-pass filter circuit having a pair of electrodes C and a resistor R.

The relationship between the input voltage Vin and output voltage Vout of the impedance circuit 12a shown in Figure 4 is expressed by the following equation:

C is the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C. R is the resistance value of resistor R. f is the frequency of the input signal.

The gain for each frequency, |G(jω)|, is calculated using the following formula:

The cutoff frequency fc is calculated using the following formula:

For example, it is assumed that the parameters of the impedance circuit 12a are set as follows:
Resistance value R: 510 [kΩ]
Capacitance C
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 6.7 pF
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 5.1 pF
Input signal frequency f: 5 [kHz]
Input signal amplitude: 1 [Vp-p]

The gain characteristics of the impedance circuit 12a in the above parameter settings are shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a graph showing an example of the gain characteristics of the impedance circuit 12a shown in Figure 4. The vertical axis of this graph is gain [dB], and the horizontal axis is frequency [Hz]. The graph also shows the frequency characteristics of the gain of the output signal when there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C and when there is not. Looking at this graph, it can be seen that when the frequency f of the input signal is 5 [kHz] as shown in the above parameter settings, the gain of the output signal when there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C is higher than the gain of the output signal when there is not a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

The amplitude of the output signal of the impedance circuit 12a with the above parameter settings is as follows:
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 0.73 [Vp-p]
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 0.63 [Vp-p]

As such, there is a difference of 0.1 [V] in the amplitude of the output signal depending on whether or not there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C. In this case, the threshold voltage Vth can be set to 0.68 [V]. That is, if the output voltage Vout is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth of 0.68 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C. On the other hand, if the output voltage Vout is less than the threshold voltage Vth of 0.68 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that there is no notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

Here, the frequency f of the input signal is set based on the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C and the vertical length Lk of the notch 153. With this configuration, as explained below, it is possible to accurately detect changes in capacitance that occur when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted.

In more detail, the signal generator 11 sets the frequency f of the input signal so that one or more periods are included in the determination period T during which the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of notched portion 153) is at its maximum, calculated based on the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C, the vertical length Lk of the notched portion 153, and the expected insertion speed V of the stick-shaped substrate 150. With this configuration, during the determination period T during which the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of notched portion 153) remains constant, a change in the output voltage Vout occurs due to a change in capacitance associated with the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. This point will be explained with reference to Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a graph showing an example of the time series change in the output voltage Vout associated with the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. The vertical axis of this graph represents voltage, and the horizontal axis represents time, with time progressing from left to right. As shown in Figure 6, the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the housing portion 140 progresses in the following order: Inserting (no marking 153 between the pair of electrodes C), Inserting (marking 153 present between the pair of electrodes C), and Insertion Complete. By setting the frequency f of the input signal as described above, as shown in Figure 6, there will be at least one opportunity during the determination period T for the output voltage Vout to be equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth. Therefore, the comparator 13 can reliably detect the presence of the marking 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

A specific example of the determination period T calculated based on the vertical length Le of a pair of electrodes C, the vertical length Lk of the notch 153, the expected insertion speed V of the stick-shaped substrate 150, and the above formula 1 is shown below.
Le: 5 [mm]
Lk: 20 [mm]
V: 75 [m/s]
T: 2 [ms]

In the above parameter settings, the insertion speed V of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is assumed to be 75 m/s, which is the speed of fingers when snapping, and is considered to be the fastest speed in the human body. By adopting this speed, the shortest determination period T can be assumed. In other words, no matter how quickly the user inserts the stick-shaped substrate 150, the comparator 13 will be able to detect the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150.

If the input signal is a sine wave, it is desirable that there be at least one peak of the sine wave during the determination period T (i.e., that there be one or more cycles). In other words, it is desirable that the frequency f≧1/T [Hz]. Even more preferably, it is desirable that there be multiple peaks of the sine wave (e.g., 10 or more) during the determination period T, and for example, it is desirable that the frequency f≧10/T [Hz].

In the parameter settings described above, T = 0.002 [s], so it is desirable to set the frequency f ≧ 10/T = 5 [kHz].

The impedance circuit 12a is designed so that the cutoff frequency fc when the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of notched portion 153) is at its maximum corresponds to the frequency f of the input signal. For example, if the frequency f of the input signal is 5 kHz, the capacitance C of the pair of electrodes C and the resistance value R of the resistor R are set so that the cutoff frequency fc when the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of notched portion 153) is at its maximum is 5 kHz or greater. This configuration makes it possible to improve the detection accuracy of the notched portion 153.

(RC low-pass filter)
Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of the impedance circuit 12. As shown in Fig. 7, the impedance circuit 12b may be configured as an RC low-pass filter circuit having a pair of electrodes C and a resistor R.

The relationship between the input voltage Vin and output voltage Vout of the impedance circuit 12b shown in Figure 7 is expressed by the following equation:

C is the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C. R is the resistance value of resistor R. f is the frequency of the input signal.

The gain for each frequency, |G(jω)|, is calculated using the following formula:

The cutoff frequency fc is calculated using the following formula:

For example, it is assumed that the parameters of the impedance circuit 12b are set as follows:
Resistance value R: 510 [kΩ]
Capacitance C
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 6.7 pF
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 5.1 pF
Input signal frequency f: 5 [kHz]
Input signal amplitude: 1 [Vp-p]

The gain characteristics of the impedance circuit 12b in the above parameter settings are shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a graph showing an example of the gain characteristics of the impedance circuit 12b shown in Figure 7. The vertical axis of this graph is gain [dB], and the horizontal axis is frequency [Hz]. The graph shows the frequency characteristics of the gain of the output signal when there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C and when there is not. Looking at this graph, it can be seen that when the frequency f of the input signal is 5 [kHz] as shown in the above parameter settings, the gain of the output signal when there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C is lower than the gain of the output signal when there is not a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

The amplitude of the output signal of the impedance circuit 12b with the above parameter settings is as follows:
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 0.68 [Vp-p]
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 0.77 [Vp-p]

As such, there is a difference of approximately 0.1 [V] in the amplitude of the output signal depending on whether or not there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C. In this case, the threshold voltage Vth can be set to 0.73 [V]. That is, if the output voltage Vout is less than the threshold voltage Vth of 0.73 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that there is a notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C. On the other hand, if the output voltage Vout is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth of 0.73 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that there is no notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

The frequency f of the input signal may be set as described above for the RC high-pass filter. Similarly, the cutoff frequency fc during the determination period T, when the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of notched portion 153) is at its maximum, may also be set as described above for the RC high-pass filter.

(Circuit using an operational amplifier)
The impedance circuit 12 may further include an amplifier for amplifying the output signal. An example of the circuit configuration in this case is shown in FIGS.

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of the impedance circuit 12. As shown in FIG. 9, the impedance circuit 12c may be a high-pass filter circuit configured from an operational amplifier OA, an amplifier circuit 15 configured with resistors R1 and R2, and a pair of electrodes C. Note that if the resistance value of resistor R1 is equal to the resistance value of resistor R2, the impedance circuit 12c shown in FIG. 9 is equivalent to the impedance circuit 12a configured as an RC high-pass filter circuit shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically illustrating another example of the configuration of the impedance circuit 12. As shown in FIG. 10, the impedance circuit 12d may be a low-pass filter circuit configured from an operational amplifier OA, an amplifier circuit 15 configured with resistors R1 and R2, and a pair of electrodes C. Note that if the resistance value of resistor R1 is equal to the resistance value of resistor R2, the impedance circuit 12d shown in FIG. 10 is equivalent to the impedance circuit 12b configured as an RC low-pass filter circuit shown in FIG. 7.

With these circuit configurations, the output voltage Vout is amplified, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the timer 153.

2.4. Processing flow
Next, an example of the flow of processing for detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow executed by the aerosol generating device 100 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, first, the signal generator 11 starts supplying a signal to the impedance circuit 12 (step S102). For example, the signal generator 11 generates a sine wave as an input signal and supplies it to the impedance circuit 12. As a result, the impedance circuit 12 outputs the output voltage Vout, and the comparator 13 outputs the comparison result between the output voltage Vout and the threshold voltage Vth to the heating circuit 14.

Next, the heating circuit 14 determines whether the output from the comparator 13 satisfies a predetermined condition (step S104). As an example, for the impedance circuit 12a configured as an RC high-pass filter shown in FIG. 4, the heating circuit 14 determines that the predetermined condition is that the output voltage Vout is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth. As another example, for the impedance circuit 12b configured as an RC low-pass filter shown in FIG. 7, the heating circuit 14 determines that the predetermined condition is that the output voltage Vout is less than the threshold voltage Vth.

If it is determined that the output from the comparator 13 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (step S104: NO), the heating circuit 14 determines that there is no notched portion 153 between the pair of electrodes C, i.e., that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has not been inserted (step S106). The heating circuit 14 then waits until the output from the comparator 13 satisfies the predetermined condition.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the output from the comparator 13 satisfies the predetermined condition (step S104: YES), the heating circuit 14 determines that the notch 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C, i.e., that the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been inserted (step S108). The heating circuit 14 then starts heating using the heating unit 121 (step S110).

3. Modified Examples
<3.1. Modifications of the Impedance Circuit 12>
Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the problem associated with the impedance circuit 12. Fig. 12 illustrates, as an example, the problem associated with the impedance circuit 12b configured as the RC low-pass filter shown in Fig. 7.

The first issue with the impedance circuit 12b is a reduction in the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 due to the electrostatic capacitance Human of the human body. As shown in FIG. 12, in the impedance circuit 12b, the electrostatic capacitance Human that the human body has to GND forms a capacitance in parallel with the pair of electrodes C. Therefore, when the user's fingers approach the pair of electrodes C, such as when inserting the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the housing portion 140, the electrostatic capacitance Human of the human body increases the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C to GND. As a result, there is a risk that the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 will decrease.

A second issue with the impedance circuit 12b is a reduction in the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 due to the parasitic capacitance Cline between the wires of a pair of electrodes C. As shown in FIG. 12, in the impedance circuit 12b, the parasitic capacitance Cline between the wires is a capacitance in parallel with the pair of electrodes C. Therefore, when the parasitic capacitance Cline between the wires is large, there is less difference in the capacitance measured by the pair of electrodes C between when there is a notch 153 between the pair of electrodes C and when there is not. As a result, the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 can decrease.

If the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 decreases, there is a possibility of malfunctions such as auto-starting before insertion or not auto-starting after insertion.

Below, a modified example that solves these problems will be described with reference to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a diagram that schematically shows an example of the configuration of an impedance circuit 12 relating to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 13, the impedance circuit 12e may be configured with a resistor R connected in parallel to the input signal and a pair of electrodes C connected in series to the input signal. In other words, the signal generator 11, the pair of electrodes C, and the comparator 13 may form part of a series circuit. With this configuration, the electrostatic capacitance of the human body, Human, does not become a capacitance in parallel with the pair of electrodes C. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C to GND caused by the electrostatic capacitance of the human body, Human. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the accuracy of detecting the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In this way, the first problem described above is solved.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, in the impedance circuit 12e, the wiring between the pair of electrodes C is shielded at GND potential. More specifically, the wiring between the pair of electrodes C and a circuit for detecting the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C (e.g., comparator 13) is shielded at GND potential. This prevents the parasitic capacitance Cline between the wiring from becoming a capacitance in parallel with the pair of electrodes C. Therefore, even if the parasitic capacitance Cline between the wiring is large, a clear difference can be made in the capacitance measured by the pair of electrodes C depending on whether or not there is a notch 153 between the pair of electrodes C. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the detection accuracy of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150. In this way, the second problem described above is solved.

The first problem mentioned above can also be solved by the impedance circuit 12a configured as an RC high-pass filter circuit shown in Figure 4. This is because, in the impedance circuit 12a as well, the signal generator 11, the pair of electrodes C, and the comparator 13 form part of a series circuit.

3.2. Modified circuit using an amplifier
A modified example of the impedance circuit 12 including an amplifier that amplifies an output signal will be described below with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the configuration of the impedance circuit 12 according to the modified example.

As shown in FIG. 14, the impedance circuit 12f may be composed of a pair of electrodes C connected in series with the input signal, a first amplifier circuit 15-1, a capacitor C', and a second amplifier circuit 15-2. The first amplifier circuit 15-1 is composed of resistors R1 and R2, and an operational amplifier OA1. The second amplifier circuit 15-2 is composed of resistors R3 and R4, and an operational amplifier OA2.

The impedance Z of the impedance circuit 12f shown in Figure 14 when there is no notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C is calculated using the following formula:

On the other hand, when there is a notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C, the impedance Z is calculated using the following formula:

Here, ΔC is the capacitance of the notch 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

The relationship between the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout is expressed by the following equation:

Here, R1 to R4 are the resistance values of resistors R1 to R4.

The gain for each frequency, |G(jω)|, is calculated using the following formula:

Incidentally, an ideal op-amp would be able to amplify frequencies up to infinity. However, in reality, there is a limit to the frequencies that an op-amp can amplify.

For example, it is assumed that the parameters of the impedance circuit 12f are set as follows:
Input signal frequency f: 32.768 [kHz]
Input signal amplitude: 5 [V]
Impedance Z
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 13.88 [MΩ]
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 9.17 [MΩ]
Resistance R1: 51 [kΩ]
Resistance R2: 330 [kΩ]
Resistance R3: 5.1 [kΩ]
Resistance R4: 82 [kΩ]

The amplitude of the output signal of the impedance circuit 12a with the above parameter settings is as follows:
With notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 3.5072 [Vp-p]
No notch 153 between a pair of electrodes C: 3.9965 [Vp-p]

As such, there is a difference of 0.49 [V] in the amplitude of the output signal between when the notched portion 153 is present and when it is not present between the pair of electrodes C. In this case, the threshold voltage Vth can be set to 3.75 [V]. That is, if the output voltage Vout is less than the threshold voltage Vth of 3.75 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that the notched portion 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C. On the other hand, if the output voltage Vout is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage Vth of 3.75 [V], the heating circuit 14 determines that the notched portion 153 is not present between the pair of electrodes C.

In this way, compared to circuits without amplifiers such as impedance circuits 12a and 12b, impedance circuit 12f can amplify the difference in amplitude of the output signal between when there is a notched portion 153 between a pair of electrodes C and when there is not. This makes it possible to improve the detection accuracy of the notched portion 153.

3.3. Modifications related to intermittent operation
The control circuit 10 may intermittently detect the stick-shaped substrate 150. For example, in the impedance circuit 12 having an amplifier, the amplifier may operate intermittently. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

In particular, the amplifier may operate intermittently at a cycle corresponding to the length of the determination period T. For example, the amplifier's ON/OFF cycle is set to be equal to or shorter than the determination period T. However, if the input signal is a sine wave, it is desirable to set the ON/OFF cycle so that the period in which the amplifier is ON includes at least one peak of the sine wave. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce power consumption while maintaining the detection accuracy of the clock unit 153.

Below, the intermittent operation of the amplifier circuits 15-1 and 15-2 (more specifically, the operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2) serving as amplifiers in the impedance circuit 12f shown in FIG. 14 will be explained with reference to FIG. 15.

Figure 15 is a time chart for explaining the intermittent operation of the amplifier. The top time chart shows the clock ON/OFF of the RTC (Real Time Clock) installed in the control circuit 10. The middle time chart shows the ON/OFF of the amplifier (i.e., operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2). When the amplifier is ON, an output voltage Vout corresponding to the presence or absence of the clock 153 between the pair of electrodes C is output from the impedance circuit 12f, making it possible to determine the presence or absence of the clock 153 between the pair of electrodes C. The bottom time chart shows the time series progression of whether or not the clock 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C when the stick-shaped substrate 150 is inserted. In other words, YES indicates that the clock 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C, and NO indicates that the clock 153 is not present between the pair of electrodes C.

As shown in Figure 15, operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2 turn ON/OFF in synchronization with the RTC clock ON/OFF. Operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2 alternate between being ON for 244 μs and OFF for 1.756 ms. In this case, the period of operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2 is 2 ms, which matches the length of the determination period T, 2 ms. With this configuration, operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2 turn ON at least once during the determination period T, making it possible to determine whether or not a clock portion 153 exists between a pair of electrodes C.

A specific example of parameter settings for the impedance circuit 12f is shown below.
Current consumption when amplifier is on: 1.2 [mA]
Current consumption when amplifier is off: 1.1 [μA]
Judgment target period T: 2 [ms]
Amplifier ON period: 244 [μs]
Amplifier OFF period: 1.756 [ms]

With the above parameter settings, the total average current consumption I is calculated using the following formula:

In this way, by operating the amplifier intermittently, it is possible to reduce current consumption compared to when the amplifier is always on. By adjusting the ON/OFF duty ratio, it is possible to balance maintaining detection accuracy with reducing current consumption.

The experimental results for this modified example will be explained with reference to Figures 16 and 17.

Figure 16 is a graph showing the experimental results when the amplifier (i.e., operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2) was operated intermittently with clock 153 placed between a pair of electrodes C. The vertical axis of this graph is voltage, and the horizontal axis is time, with time flowing from left to right. Waveform 21 shows the waveform of the input signal. Waveform 22 shows the output from comparator 13. As shown in waveform 21, there are periodic periods during which the amplifier is OFF and the input signal voltage Vin does not change, and periods during which the amplifier is ON and the input signal voltage Vin changes. Then, as shown in waveform 22, the output from comparator 13 changes during the period when the amplifier is ON. In other words, comparator 13 outputs that clock 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C.

Figure 17 is a graph showing the experimental results when the amplifier (i.e., operational amplifiers OA1 and OA2) was operated intermittently with a hand placed close to a pair of electrodes C without the clock 153 positioned between them. The vertical axis of this graph is voltage, and the horizontal axis is time, with time flowing from left to right. Waveform 21 shows the waveform of the input signal. Waveform 22 shows the output from comparator 13. As shown in waveform 21, there are periodic periods during which the amplifier is OFF and the input signal voltage Vin does not change, and periods during which the amplifier is ON and the input signal voltage Vin changes. Furthermore, as shown in waveform 22, the output from comparator 13 does not change even during the period when the amplifier is ON. In other words, comparator 13 is outputting the signal that there is no clock 153 between the pair of electrodes C.

<4. Supplementary Information>
Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have 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 skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modifications or alterations 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.

The heating unit 121 described in the above embodiment is an example of a load that generates heat, which is the energy for heating the aerosol source of the stick-shaped substrate 150 housed in the housing unit 140. The load is not limited to the heating unit 121. If the means for heating the aerosol source is induction heating, the load may be an induction coil that generates a magnetic field, which is the energy for induction heating a susceptor that is thermally close to the aerosol source.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the insertion speed V of the stick-shaped substrate 150 was assumed to be 75 m/s, which is the finger speed during a finger snap, and the frequency f of the input signal was set, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. For example, the signal generator 11 may set the frequency f of the input signal based on the time during which the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C changes, measured when the user inserts the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the housing portion 140. Here, the time during which the capacitance of the pair of electrodes C changes is the time during which the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of the notch 153) is at its maximum. For example, the time during which it is determined that the notch 153 is present between the pair of electrodes C by comparing the output voltage Vout with the threshold voltage Vth when the aerosol generation device 100 is actually used may be used as this time.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C was assumed to be given, and the frequency f of the input signal was set based on the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C and the vertical length Lk of the notched portion 153. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. At least one of the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C and the frequency f of the input signal may be set based on the vertical length Lk of the notched portion 153. As an example, when the frequency f of the input signal is given, the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C may be set based on the frequency f of the input signal and the vertical length Lk of the notched portion 153. In this case, the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C is set to a value that includes one or more periods determined from the frequency f of the input signal during the determination period T in which the amount of aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes C (i.e., the amount of the notched portion 153) is at its maximum.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the pair of electrodes C are positioned above the notched portion 153 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been completely inserted into the housing portion 140, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The pair of electrodes C may be positioned so as to overlap the notched portion 153 when the stick-shaped substrate 150 has been completely inserted into the housing portion 140.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the auto-start function was executed using the detection of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 as a trigger, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. The detection of the insertion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 may also be used as a trigger to execute a wake-up function (return from a low-power standby mode).

The above describes an example in which the signal generator 11 generates a single sine wave, but the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. As one example, the signal generator 11 may generate a single square wave. As another example, the signal generator 11 may generate a composite signal by combining multiple signals as the input signal. In this case, it is sufficient that at least one of the one or more signals that make up the input signal has the technical features related to the input signal described above. For example, the signal generator 11 may set the frequency of at least one of the one or more signals that make up the input signal based on the vertical length Le of the pair of electrodes C and the vertical length Lk of the notch 153.

The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. The programs constituting the software are stored in advance, for example, on a recording medium (more specifically, a non-transitory storage medium readable by a computer) located inside or outside each device. Each program is then loaded into RAM (Random Access Memory) and executed by a processing circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) when executed by a computer controlling each device described herein. Examples of the recording medium include a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, and flash memory. The computer programs may also be distributed over a network without using a recording medium. The computer may be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose processor that executes functions by loading a software program, or a computer on a server used in cloud computing. The series of processes performed by each device described herein may be centrally processed by a single computer, or distributed across multiple computers. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, two or more communication means present in one device may be physically realized using a single medium.

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

The following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.
(1)
a storage section having an opening on an upper side through which a substrate containing an aerosol source can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and storing the substrate in an internal space;
a load that generates energy to heat the aerosol source of the substrate contained in the container; and
an impedance circuit including a pair of electrodes for detecting the capacitance of the internal space of the housing;
a signal generator that generates an input signal to be input to the impedance circuit;
a comparator that compares the voltage of the output signal from the impedance circuit with a threshold voltage;
a control unit that controls the operation of the load based on the output from the comparator;
Equipped with
the pair of electrodes is disposed above the load;
at least one of a vertical length of the pair of electrodes and a frequency of at least one signal among the one or more signals constituting the input signal is set based on a vertical length of a portion of the substrate in which an aerosol source is distributed;
the control unit starts generating energy by the load when the output from the comparator satisfies a predetermined condition.
Aerosol generator.
(2)
the pair of electrodes are disposed above a portion of the substrate where an aerosol source is distributed when the substrate is completely inserted into the housing portion;
The aerosol generating device according to (1) above.
(3)
the signal generator sets a frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal so that one or more periods are included in a determination period in which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum, the determination period being calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of the portion of the substrate in which the aerosol source is distributed, and an estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section;
The aerosol generating device according to (1) or (2).
(4)
the control unit sets a frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal based on a time period during which the capacitance of the pair of electrodes changes, which is measured when the user inserts the substrate into the housing unit.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (3).
(5)
the impedance circuit is a filter circuit;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (4).
(6)
the filter circuit is designed so that a cutoff frequency when the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum corresponds to a frequency of at least one signal among the one or more signals constituting the input signal;
The aerosol generating device according to (5) above.
(7)
the signal generator, the pair of electrodes, and the comparator form part of a series circuit;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (6).
(8)
The wiring between the pair of electrodes is shielded by a GND potential.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (7).
(9)
the impedance circuit further comprises an amplifier that amplifies the output signal;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (8).
(10)
The amplifier operates intermittently.
The aerosol generating device according to (9) above.
(11)
the amplifier operates intermittently at a cycle corresponding to the length of a determination period during which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum, the determination period being calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of a portion of the substrate in which the aerosol source is distributed, and an estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section;
The aerosol generating device according to (10) above.
(12)
The input signal is a single sine wave.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (11).
(13)
The load is a heating unit.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (12).

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Aerosol generating 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 144 Heat insulating unit 150 Stick-shaped substrate 151 Substrate unit 152 Suction nozzle unit 10 Control circuit 11 Signal generator 12 Impedance circuit 13 Comparator 14 Heating circuit 15 Amplification circuit

Claims (13)

a storage section having an opening on an upper side through which a substrate containing an aerosol source can be inserted and removed in the vertical direction, and storing the substrate in an internal space;
a load that generates energy to heat the aerosol source of the substrate contained in the container; and
an impedance circuit including a pair of electrodes for detecting the capacitance of the internal space of the housing;
a signal generator that generates an input signal to be input to the impedance circuit;
a comparator that compares the voltage of the output signal from the impedance circuit with a threshold voltage;
a control unit that controls the operation of the load based on the output from the comparator;
Equipped with
the pair of electrodes is disposed above the load;
at least one of a vertical length of the pair of electrodes and a frequency of at least one signal among the one or more signals constituting the input signal is set based on a vertical length of a portion of the substrate in which an aerosol source is distributed;
the control unit starts the generation of energy by the load when the output from the comparator satisfies a predetermined condition.
Aerosol generator. the pair of electrodes are disposed above a portion of the substrate where an aerosol source is distributed when the substrate is completely inserted into the housing portion;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 . the signal generator sets a frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal so that one or more periods are included in a determination period in which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum, the determination period being calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of the portion of the substrate in which the aerosol source is distributed, and an estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2. the control unit sets a frequency of at least one of the one or more signals constituting the input signal based on a time period during which the capacitance of the pair of electrodes changes, which is measured when the user inserts the substrate into the housing unit.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the impedance circuit is a filter circuit;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. the filter circuit is designed so that a cutoff frequency when the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum corresponds to a frequency of at least one signal among the one or more signals constituting the input signal;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 5 . the signal generator, the pair of electrodes, and the comparator form part of a series circuit;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The wiring between the pair of electrodes is shielded by a GND potential.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. the impedance circuit further comprises an amplifier that amplifies the output signal;
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The amplifier operates intermittently.
The aerosol generating device according to claim 9. the amplifier operates intermittently at a cycle corresponding to the length of a determination period during which the amount of the aerosol source present between the pair of electrodes is maximum, the determination period being calculated based on the vertical length of the pair of electrodes, the vertical length of a portion of the substrate in which the aerosol source is distributed, and an estimated insertion speed of the substrate into the storage section;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 10. The input signal is a single sine wave.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. The load is a heating unit.
The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 12.