AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE AND OPERATION METHOD THEREOF

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2024-0124900, filed on Sep. 12, 2024, and 10-2024-0182975, filed on Dec. 10, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device capable of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article by a dielectric heating method, and an operating method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that reduce disadvantages of general cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for a system that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette (or an “aerosol-generating article”) by using an aerosol generating device, instead of a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette.

Aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols by heating aerosol generating substances through resistance heating or induction heating have been common, but recently, aerosol generating devices using a dielectric heating method of heating aerosol generating substances with microwaves have been proposed.

A dielectric heating-type aerosol generating device refers to a device capable of generating heat in a dielectric material included in an aerosol generating substance through microwave resonance, and heating the aerosol generating substance through the heat generated from the dielectric material.

According to the state of a medium of an aerosol-generating article inserted into an aerosol generating device, a power profile for maintaining optimal atomization performance may vary. Water has a higher specific heat than air, and at the same temperature, water has a higher heat capacity than air. Accordingly, when a user inhales aerosol with a high moisture content, the user may experience a stronger sensation of heat compared to inhaling air at the same temperature.

SUMMARY

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, an induction heating-type aerosol generating device, in which a temperature profile corresponding to the state of a medium of an aerosol-generating article is applicable, may be provided.

Problems to be solved by the embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

An aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes an oscillating unit configured to generate microwaves, a resonating unit including an accommodation space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article and configured to resonate the microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating article, a sensor unit configured to identify a state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in the aerosol-generating article, and a processor configured to adjust a frequency of the microwaves according to the identified state of the medium. The processor is further configured to, when the state of the medium is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, in a preheating section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a first frequency corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a second frequency corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.

An operating method of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the disclosure includes, when insertion of an aerosol-generating article is detected, identifying a state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in the aerosol-generating article, and adjusting a frequency of microwaves according to the identified state of the medium. The adjusting of the frequency of the microwaves includes, when the state of the medium is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, in a preheating section, controlling an oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a first frequency corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section, controlling the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a second frequency corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of a heater assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining adjustment of a microwave frequency according to the state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in an aerosol-generating article;

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a lookup table including power profiles respectively corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an operating method of a dielectric heating-type aerosol generating device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the description of the drawings, similar or related components may be denoted by similar reference numerals.

In the following description, with respect to constituent elements used in the following description, the suffixes “module” and “unit” are used only in consideration of facilitation of description. The “module” and “unit” are do not have mutually distinguished meanings or functions. Meanwhile, the suffixes “module” or “unit” may include units implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logical blocks, components, or circuits. The “module” or “unit” may refer to an integrated component as a whole, or a minimum unit or a portion of the component that performs one or more functions. For example, the “module” or “unit” may be implemented in the form of an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit).

In addition, in the following description of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when the same may make the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification rather unclear. In addition, the accompanying drawings are provided only for a better understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification and are not intended to limit the technical ideas disclosed in the present specification. Therefore, it should be understood that the accompanying drawings include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions within the scope and sprit of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that the terms “first”, “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various components. However, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component.

It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another component, it may be directly connected to or coupled to another component. However, it will be understood that intervening components may be present. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, there are no intervening components present.

As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

The embodiments of disclosure may be implemented as software including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., memory) that is readable by a machine (e.g., an aerosol generating device 1). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor 170) of the machine (e.g., the aerosol generating device 1) may retrieve, from the storage medium, at least one instruction among the stored one or more instructions and execute the at least one instruction. This enables an operation of the machine to perform at least one function according to the retrieved at least one instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. In this regard, the term “non-transitory” means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored on the storage medium semi-permanently or temporarily.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a control unit 10, a source unit 20, and a radiating unit 30. The control unit 10 may refer to a circuit for controlling the basic operation of the aerosol generating device 1. The source unit 20 may refer to a circuit for generating a radio frequency (RF) signal under the control by the control unit 10. The radiating unit 30 may be a device for radiating an RF signal generated by the source unit 20 in the form of electromagnetic waves into a space into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted (hereinafter, “insertion space”). Charges or ions of a dielectric (e.g., glycerin) included in an aerosol-generating article may vibrate or rotate due to radiated electromagnetic waves (e.g., RF signals), and the aerosol-generating article may be heated as the dielectric generates heat due to frictional heat generated in the process of the charges or ions vibrating or rotating. In other words, the aerosol generating device 1 may be a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article in a dielectric heating manner.

In an embodiment, the control unit 10 may include a power connector 110, a charging circuit 120, a power supply 130, a first power converter 140, a second power converter 150, a third power converter 160, and/or a processor 170. Additionally, the source unit 20 may include an RF signal generation circuit 210, a drive amplifier 220, a power amplifier 230, a directional coupler 240, and/or a temperature sensing circuit 250. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment that some of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added according to the design of the aerosol generating device 1.

The power connector 110 may refer to a physical connection device that is electrically connected to an electronic device or system (e.g., an external power supply) outside the aerosol generating device 1 and used to transmit and receive power. For example, the power connector 110 may receive power from an external power supply and transmit the received power to a component requiring charging (e.g., the power supply 130). The power connector 110 may also provide a path for data transmission. In this case, the power connector 110 may be referred to as a data and power connector. The aerosol generating device 1 may transmit and receive data to or from an external electronic device or system (e.g., a smartphone, a computer, etc.) through the power connector 110. The power connector 110 may include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) power connector, a direct current (DC) power connector, etc. In an example, the power connector 110 may include, but is not limited to, a USB-C type connector capable of supplying 9 V of direct current (DC) voltage at a current of 1 A. The power connector 110 may also include an interface for transmitting and receiving power wirelessly.

The charging circuit 120 may refer to a circuit for charging the power supply 130. The charging circuit 120 may charge the power supply 130 by using power transmitted from the power connector 110. In an example, the charging circuit 120 may be implemented as a charger IC, which is an integrated circuit (IC) that performs functions for efficiently and safely charging the power supply 130. The charging circuit 120 may monitor the charging status of the power supply 130 or optimize the charging process by monitoring the voltage, current, and/or temperature of the power supply 130. For example, the charging circuit 120 may detect the status of the power supply 130 and prevent overcharging or overdischarging by providing an appropriate charging voltage and current.

The power supply 130 may supply power for the operation of the aerosol generating device 1. The power supply 130 may include one or more rechargeable batteries. The power supply 130 may supply power to the radiating unit 30 such that the radiating unit 30 may radiate electromagnetic waves (e.g., RF signals) into the insertion space to heat an aerosol-generating article. Here, power supply to the radiating unit 30 may indicate power supply to the source unit 20. Additionally, the power supply 130 may supply power required for the operation of the processor 170, the RF signal generation circuit 210, the drive amplifier 220, the power amplifier 230, the temperature sensing circuit 250, etc. In an example, the power supply 130 may include, but is not limited to, a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery. The power supply 130 may be a replaceable type (separated type) battery (hereinafter, a removable battery). The removable battery may be mounted in a battery holder provided within the aerosol generating device 1 or removed from the battery holder. The removable battery may be charged in a wired manner and/or wirelessly.

The aerosol generating device 1 may include a power conversion circuit for converting power supplied from the power supply 130 into power (e.g., voltage and/or current) suitable for other components. The power conversion circuit may include at least one of a buck converter, a buck-boost converter, a boost converter, a Zener diode, and a low-dropout (LDO) regulator. Additionally, the power conversion circuit may include a DC/AC converter (e.g., an inverter) as required.

In an example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160. The first power converter 140 may be an LDO regulator for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 3.3 V) suitable for the processor 170, the second power converter 150 may be a buck-boost converter for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 5 V) suitable for the temperature sensing circuit 250, the RF signal generation circuit 210, and the drive amplifier 220, and the third power converter 160 may be a boost converter for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 12 V/25 W) suitable for the power amplifier 230.

However, the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160 are not limited to the examples described above and may include other types of power conversion circuits. Additionally, although FIG. 1 illustrates the aerosol generating device 1 including three power converters, the aerosol generating device 1 may include more than three power converters or may include fewer power converters. In an example, at least some of the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160 may be integrated into a single power converter.

The processor 170 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the processor 170 may directly or indirectly control charging and discharging of the power supply 130 by using the charging circuit 120. Additionally, the processor 170 may control the voltage and/or current output by a power conversion circuit by controlling the frequency and/or duty ratio of a current pulse input to at least one switching element of the power conversion circuit. In addition to the components described above, the processor 170 may also control the overall operation of other components to be described later.

The processor 170 may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microcontroller unit (MCU) (or microprocessor) and a memory storing a program that may be executed in the MCU. Additionally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the processor 170 may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The RF signal generation circuit 210 may generate an RF signal based on power delivered from the power supply 130 or the second power converter 150. An RF signal may refer to a signal having a frequency within a range of about 300 MHz to about 300 GHz. In an example, the RF signal may have a frequency of about 1 GHz to about 100 GHz. Additionally, the RF signal may have a frequency in the Industrial Scientific and Medical equipment (ISM) band, for example, 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and/or 5.8 GHz.

The RF signal generation circuit 210 may include a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that generates an RF signal having a different frequency depending on an input voltage. The RF signal generation circuit 210 may receive a control signal (e.g., a DC signal) from the processor 170 and generate an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the received control signal. The processor 170 may store a control signal corresponding to a desired frequency in the form of a look-up table, or calculate a control signal corresponding to a desired frequency in real time through at least one operation.

In an example, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a digital to analog converter (D/A converter) for converting a digital control signal output from the processor 170 into an analog control signal. The RF signal generation circuit 210 may receive the analog control signal and generate an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the received analog control signal.

The drive amplifier 220 may amplify the RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210. For example, the drive amplifier 220 may provide an input signal suitable for a component of a next stage (e.g., the power amplifier 230) by amplifying the signal level (e.g., amplitude) of the RF signal. The drive amplifier 220 may minimize signal distortion by maintaining high linearity. However, since the drive amplifier 220 is an amplifier focused on increasing the signal level, the drive amplifier 220 may provide relatively low output power.

The power amplifier 230 may amplify power of an RF signal received from the drive amplifier 220. The power amplifier 230 may be an amplifier focused on providing sufficient power to a final output device (e.g., the radiating unit 30). For example, the power amplifier 230 may provide a high-power RF signal to the radiating unit 30 so that the radiating unit 30 may radiate electromagnetic waves into the insertion space to heat an aerosol-generating article. The power amplifier 230 may perform an amplification operation by using power received through the third power converter 160 that provides higher power and/or voltage than the second power converter 150.

The drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may include transistors such as a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field effect transistor (FET), or a vacuum tube. In an example, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be, but are not limited to, gallium nitride (GaN) transistors configured to handle high efficiency, high speed, and high voltage. The drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may also include an operational amplifier.

In FIG. 1, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 are illustrated as individual amplifiers, but the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be integrated into a single amplifier. Additionally, the drive amplifier 220 and/or the power amplifier 230 may be configured as a series connection, a parallel connection, and/or a combination thereof of a plurality of amplifiers.

The radiating unit 30 may include at least one antenna for radiating electromagnetic waves into space. At least one antenna may have a size and shape suitable for the size and shape of an aerosol-generating article. For example, if the aerosol-generating article is cylindrical in shape, at least one antenna may be tubular surrounding the aerosol-generating article that is cylindrical. Here, the shape of the antenna being tubular may indicate that the overall shape of the antenna is tubular. In other words, if the antenna is formed of a metal (e.g. SUS) track, this may indicate that the overall shape of the entire track is tubular. The shape of at least one antenna is not limited to the examples described above and may include various shapes such as a flat plate shape, a curved plate shape, etc.

The radiating unit 30 may heat the aerosol-generating article by radiating electromagnetic waves (e.g., an amplified RF signal or a transmitted RF signal) into the insertion space. For the heating efficiency of the aerosol-generating article to be maximized, resonance of electromagnetic waves is to occur within the insertion space. The resonance conditions (e.g., resonant frequency) of the insertion space may vary depending on the amount of dielectric contained in the inserted aerosol-generating article. The processor 170 may control the frequency of an RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 to correspond to or be close to the resonance condition of the insertion space by adjusting a control signal input to the RF signal generation circuit 210. The processor 170 may use the directional coupler 240 to obtain information about the resonance conditions of the insertion space.

The directional coupler 240 may refer to a passive element having a waveguide structure that separates an incident wave and a reflected wave from each other. The directional coupler 240 may receive an RF signal transmitted from the power amplifier 230 toward the radiating unit 30 and electromagnetic waves reflected from the insertion space after they are radiated by the radiating unit 30. The directional coupler 240 may separate the RF signal and the reflected electromagnetic waves, and provide them to the processor 170.

In an example, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) for converting an analog output of the directional coupler 240 into a digital output. The A/D converter may be built into the processor 170 or may exist as a separate component outside the processor 170. The processor 170 may analyze the characteristics (e.g., current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the transmitted RF signal and the characteristics (e.g., current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the reflected electromagnetic waves by monitoring the output of the directional coupler 240.

The processor 170 may determine whether the operation of the source unit 20 is being performed as intended, based on the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal. Additionally, the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may be used to determine the heating efficiency of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30, together with the characteristics of the reflected electromagnetic wave. The processor 170 may control the source unit 20 such that the heating efficiency of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30 is maximized. For example, the processor 170 may adjust the frequency of an RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 such that the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves is minimized. Minimizing the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves may indicate that the frequency of the RF signal is closer to the resonance conditions of the insertion space. The characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may provide a criterion for whether the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves is minimized.

Since resonance of electromagnetic waves may occur in the insertion space depending on the frequency of the RF signal, the insertion space may be referred to as a resonant section. At least a portion of the insertion space may be surrounded by at least one shielding member to prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking outside the aerosol generating device 1. In an embodiment, the insertion space may further include a physical structure to ensure that the resonance conditions are within a range controllable by the processor 170. The physical structure may include at least one conductor, and the resonance conditions of the insertion space may vary depending on the arrangement, thickness, and length of the conductor. Additionally, the physical structure may include a space for accommodating a dielectric having low electromagnetic absorption, separate from the dielectric contained in the aerosol-generating article. A dielectric with low electromagnetic absorption may change the resonant frequency of the entire resonant section without absorbing the energy that are to be transferred to the heated material. Accordingly, even if the resonant section is reduced in size, the resonance conditions may be determined within a range controllable by the processor 170.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may be arranged in contact with or adjacent to components included in the source unit 20 to measure the temperature of the source unit 20. For example, the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be arranged in contact with or adjacent to at least one of the RF signal generation circuit 210, the drive amplifier 220, and the power amplifier 230. Heat may be generated due to limited efficiency in the process of generating and/or amplifying RF signals, and if excessive heat is generated, this heat may have a negative impact on components included in the source unit 20 or other components included in the aerosol generating device 1. The temperature measured by the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be used to prevent overheating of the source unit 20.

The processor 170 may receive the temperature (or a value corresponding to the temperature) measured from the temperature sensing circuit 250, and if it is determined that the source unit 20 is overheated, the processor 70 may stop the operation of the source unit 20. For example, the processor 170 may stop the operation of the source unit 20 by cutting off the power supply to the source unit 20 or transmitting a control signal. Hereinafter, the term ‘power supply’ to the source unit 20 is used to indicate controlling whether the source unit 20 operates.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may include at least one temperature sensor among a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermistor, a semiconductor temperature sensor, and an optical temperature sensor. In an example, the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be implemented as a chip-type sensor (e.g., a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor) to minimize the area occupied, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating device 1 may include other components in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 1. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a sensor unit, an output unit, an input unit, a communication unit, and a memory. In addition, if the aerosol generating device 1 is a hybrid type device that uses both an aerosol-generating article and a cartridge, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a cartridge heater. The cartridge heater may receive power from the power supply 130 to heat a medium and/or an aerosol-generating material within the cartridge.

According to an embodiment, the sensor unit may detect the status of the aerosol generating device 1 or the status around the aerosol generating device 1 and transmit the detected information to the processor 170. For example, the sensor unit may include a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, an insertion detection sensor, a reuse detection sensor, an overly moist detection sensor, a cigarette identification sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, a cap detection sensor, and/or a motion detection sensor. The sensor unit may further include various sensors, such as a liquid remaining amount sensor for detecting the remaining liquid amount of the cartridge, and an immersion sensor for detecting immersion of the aerosol generating device 1.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article. The temperature sensor may be positioned in contact with or adjacent to the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article to directly measure the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article. Additionally, the temperature sensor may be positioned to be spaced apart from the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article to indirectly measure the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article (e.g., in a non-contact manner). In an example, the temperature sensor may include an optical temperature sensor (e.g., an infrared temperature sensor).

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the power supply 130. The temperature sensor may be arranged adjacent to the power supply 130. For example, the temperature sensor may be attached to one surface of the power supply 130 (e.g., a battery) and/or mounted on one surface of a printed circuit board. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a protection circuit module (PCM), and the temperature sensor may be positioned adjacent to the power supply 130 together with the PCM.

According to an embodiment, the temperature sensor may be arranged inside the housing (not shown) of the aerosol generating device 1 to detect the temperature inside the housing (not shown).

In an embodiment, the puff sensor may detect a user's puff.

As an example, the puff sensor may include a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may output a signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the aerosol generating device 1, and the processor 170 may detect a user's puff based on the signal corresponding to the internal pressure. The internal pressure of the aerosol generating device 1 may correspond to pressure of an airflow path on which gas flows. The puff sensor may be disposed to correspond to the airflow path, through which gas flows, in the aerosol generating device 1.

In another example, the puff sensor may include a temperature sensor. When a user puffs, a temporary temperature drop may occur in the airflow path, the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, etc. The processor 170 may detect the user's puff based on a signal corresponding to the temperature of an airflow path, etc. output from a temperature sensor.

In another example, the puff sensor may include both a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. In this case, the temperature sensor may measure the temperature which is used to correct the internal pressure measured by the pressure sensor. For example, the puff sensor may correct a signal corresponding to internal pressure based on a temperature measured by the temperature sensor and output the corrected signal. In another example, the puff sensor may output a signal corresponding to a temperature measured by the temperature sensor and a signal corresponding to the internal pressure measured by the puff sensor. In this case, the processor 170 may receive the signals and correct the signal corresponding to the internal pressure, based on the signal corresponding to the temperature.

In another example, the puff sensor may include a capacitance-based sensor. In the disclosure, the capacitance-based sensor may also be referred to as a capacitive sensor. When a user puffs, temperature changes and/or aerosol flow may occur within the insertion space, thereby changing the permittivity within the insertion space. The processor 170 may detect the user's puff based on a signal corresponding to the permittivity inside the insertion space output from the capacitive sensor.

The puff sensor is not limited to the examples described above and may be implemented with various sensors to detect the user's puff.

In an embodiment, the insertion detection sensor may detect insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article. The insertion detection sensor may be installed around the insertion space.

As an example, the insertion detection sensor may include a capacitive sensor. The capacitive sensor may include at least one conductor, wherein the at least one conductor may be positioned adjacent to the insertion space. When an aerosol-generating article is inserted or removed within the insertion space, the permittivity around the conductor may change. The processor 170 may detect insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article based on a signal corresponding to the permittivity inside the insertion space output from the capacitive sensor.

In another example, the insertion detection sensor may include an inductive sensor. The inductive sensor may include at least one coil, wherein the at least one coil may be positioned adjacent to the insertion space. When an aerosol-generating article (e.g., a wrapper for the aerosol-generating article) contains a conductor, a change in the magnetic field may occur around the current-carrying coil when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into or removed from the insertion space. The processor 170 may detect insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article including a conductor based on characteristics of a current output from or detected by an inductive sensor (e.g., frequency of an alternating current, current value, voltage value, inductance value, impedance value, etc.). Alternatively, the aerosol-generating article (e.g., the medium portion of the aerosol-generating article) may include a susceptor (e.g., SUS). Even in this case, a change in the magnetic field around the coil may occur based on the insertion or removal of a susceptor or the like within the insertion space, and the processor 170 may also detect the insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article based on the characteristics of the current of the inductive sensor.

The insertion detection sensor is not limited to the examples described above and may be implemented using various sensors (e.g., proximity sensors, etc.) for detecting insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article. Additionally, the insertion detection sensor may include any combination of the examples described above. In an embodiment, the insertion detection sensor may include a switch or the like for detecting compression by an aerosol-generating article.

In an embodiment, the reuse detection sensor may detect whether an aerosol-generating article has been reused. As an example, the reuse detection sensor may be a color sensor for detecting the color of the aerosol-generating article. When the aerosol-generating article is used by a user, a change in color of a portion of the wrapper surrounding the outside of the aerosol-generating article may occur due to the generated aerosol or heating. The color sensor may output a signal corresponding to optical characteristics (e.g., wavelength of light) corresponding to the color of the wrapper based on light reflected from the wrapper. The processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space has already been used if a change in color of a portion of the wrapper is detected.

In an embodiment, the overly moist detection sensor may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is overly moist. For example, the overly moist detection sensor may include a capacitive sensor. The capacitive sensor may include at least one conductor positioned adjacent to the insertion space. The processor 170 may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is overly moist, based on the level of a signal corresponding to a permittivity or the like output from the capacitive sensor. For example, the processor 170 may determine a level range within which the level of the signal is included, based on a look-up table, and determine the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article based on the determined level range.

In an embodiment, the cigarette identification sensor may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or detect the type of the aerosol-generating article.

As an example, the cigarette identification sensor may include an optical sensor for detecting an identification material (or identification tag) located on an outer surface of an aerosol-generating article (e.g., a wrapper). The optical sensor may irradiate light toward the identification material (or identification mark) of the aerosol-generating article and detect, based on the reflected light, the authenticity and/or type of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the identification material may include a material that emits light of a particular wavelength, based on the irradiated light. The processor 170 may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or the type of the article based on the range of the wavelength.

In another example, the cigarette identification sensor may include a capacitive sensor. Depending on the type of aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space, the permittivity inside the insertion space may vary. The processor 170 may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or the type thereof based on a signal corresponding to the permittivity inside the insertion space output from the capacitive sensor.

In another example, the cigarette identification sensor may include an inductive sensor. When a conductor is included in a wrapper and/or interior (e.g., medium portion) of an aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space, the characteristics of the current detected by the inductive sensor (e.g., frequency of AC current, current value, voltage value, inductance value, impedance value, etc.) may differ depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space. The processor 170 may detect whether the inserted aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or the type thereof based on the characteristics of the current output from or detected by the inductive sensor.

The cigarette identification sensor is not limited to the examples described above and may be implemented using various sensors to detect whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or to detect the type of the aerosol-generating article. Additionally, the cigarette identification sensor may include any combination of the examples described above.

In an embodiment, the cartridge detection sensor may detect mounting and/or removal of a cartridge. For example, the cartridge detection sensor may include an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC) and/or an optical sensor.

In an embodiment, the cap detection sensor may detect attachment and/or removal of a cap. For example, the cap detection sensor may include an inductive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, a contact sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC) and/or an optical sensor. The cap may include a structure that covers at least a portion of a cartridge mounted or inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, or covers at least a portion of the housing of the aerosol generating device 1. The cap detection sensor may output a signal corresponding to the mounting or removal of the cap when the cap is mounted on or removed from the housing, and the processor 170 may detect the mounting or removal of the cap based on the signal corresponding to the mounting or removal.

According to an embodiment, the motion detection sensor may detect movement of the aerosol generating device 1. The motion detection sensor may be implemented using at least one of an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor.

According to an embodiment, the sensor unit may further include, in addition to the sensors described above, at least one of a humidity sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a position sensor (global positioning system (GPS)), or a proximity sensor. The functions of the sensors would be instinctively understood by one of ordinary skill in the art in view of their names and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted herein.

According to an embodiment, the output unit may output information about the status of the aerosol generating device 1. The output unit may include, but is not limited to, a display, a haptic unit, and/or an audio output unit. For example, information about the aerosol generating device 1 may include the charging/discharging status of the power supply 130 of the aerosol generating device 1, the operating status of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30, the insertion/removal status of the aerosol-generating article and/or cartridge, the mounting and/or removal status of the cap, or the status in which the use of the aerosol generating device 1 is limited (e.g., detection of an abnormal article). The display may visually provide information to the user about the status of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the display may include a light-emitting diode (LED) light emitting element, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, etc. The display, if the display includes a touchpad, may also be used as an input device. The haptic unit may provide tactile information to the user about the status of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the haptic component may include a vibration motor, a piezoelectric element, an electrical stimulation device, and the like. The audio output unit may provide information about the aerosol generating device 1 to the user audibly. For example, the audio output unit may convert an electrical signal into an audio signal and output the same externally.

According to an embodiment, the input unit may receive information input from a user. For example, the input unit may include a touch panel, a button, a key pad, a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

According to an embodiment, the memory may be hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 1, and may store data processed by the processor 170 and data to be processed. For example, the memory may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., an SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. For example, the memory may store data about the operation time of the aerosol generating device 1, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

According to an embodiment, the communication unit may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device (e.g., a portable electronic device). For example, the communication unit may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field Communication unit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) communication unit, a wireless fidelity direct (WFD) communication unit, a ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Adaptive Network Topology (ANT)+ communication unit, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may control the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article by controlling an amplification factor of the source unit 20 (e.g., the power amplifier 230). The processor 170 may control the amplification factor of the source unit 20 (e.g., the power amplifier 230) based on the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article detected using the temperature sensor. The processor 170 may control the amplification factor of the source unit 20 (e.g., the power amplifier 230) based on the temperature profile and/or power profile stored in the memory.

Additionally, the processor 170 may control the temperature of the cartridge heater by controlling the supply of power from the power supply 130 to the cartridge heater. The processor 170 may control the temperature of the cartridge heater and/or power supplied to the cartridge heater, based on the temperature of the cartridge heater detected using the temperature sensor. The processor 170 may control the temperature of the cartridge heater and/or the power supplied to the cartridge heater based on the temperature profile and/or power profile stored in the memory.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may prevent the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, and/or the cartridge heater from overheating. For example, the processor 170 may control the operation of the power conversion circuit to reduce the amount of power supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, or to stop supplying power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, based on a determination that temperature of the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, and/or the cartridge heater exceeds a preset threshold temperature.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, based on a result detected by the sensor unit.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article into the insertion space. For example, the processor 170 may control power to be supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater when it is determined that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted into the insertion space using the insertion detection sensor. The processor 170 may cut off the power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater if it is determined that the aerosol-generating article has been removed from the insertion space using the insertion detection sensor. The processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been removed from the insertion space, if the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article is above a limited temperature or if the temperature change gradient of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article is equal to or above a set gradient.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control the power supply time and/or power supply amount of power supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, based on the state of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the processor 170 may increase the power supply time (e.g., preheating time) of power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, if it is determined that the aerosol-generating article is in an overly moist state by using the overly moist detection sensor.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the aerosol-generating article is to be reused. For example, the processor 170 may cut off power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater if it is determined that the aerosol-generating article has been used.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater, based on whether the cartridge is engaged and/or removed. For example, the processor 170 may, stop supplying power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater or control power not to be supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater if it is determined, by using the cartridge detection sensor, that the cartridge is removed.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the aerosol-generating material in the cartridge has been exhausted. For example, the processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating material in the cartridge is exhausted if it is determined that the temperature of the cartridge heater exceeds a limit temperature while preheating the cartridge heater (i.e., during the preheating period). If it is determined that the aerosol-generating material in the cartridge has been exhausted, the processor 170 may cut off the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on the availability of the cartridge. For example, the processor 170 may determine that the cartridge is no longer usable if it is determined that the current number of puffs is equal to or greater than the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge based on data stored in the memory. Alternatively, the processor 170 may determine that the cartridge is unusable if the total time that the cartridge heater has been heated is equal to or greater than a preset maximum time or the total amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater is equal to or greater than a preset maximum amount of power. In this case, the processor 170 may stop supplying power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater or control power not to be supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on the user's puff. For example, the processor 170 may use a puff sensor to determine whether a puff has occurred and/or the intensity of the puff. The processor 170 may cut off the power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater if the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs and/or if no puffs are detected for a preset period of time. The processor 170 may also control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater when a puff is detected.

In an embodiment, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on the authenticity and/or type of the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge). For example, the processor 170 may use the cigarette identification sensor to detect the authenticity and/or type of the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge). For example, the processor 170 may cut off power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater if the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is detected to be counterfeit. The processor 170 may control (e.g., initiate) the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater when the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is detected to be authentic. In another example, the processor 170 may control power supply to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater differently depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge). The processor 170 may control the amplification factor of the source unit 20 or the temperature and/or power of the cartridge heater, based on a first temperature profile (or a first power profile) when the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is detected to be a first aerosol-generating article (or a first cartridge), and may control the amplification factor of the source unit 20 or the temperature and/or power of the cartridge heater, based on a second temperature profile (or a second power profile) when the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is detected to be a second aerosol-generating article (or a second cartridge).

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may control the output unit based on a result detected by the sensor unit. For example, the processor 170 may control the output unit to provide visual, tactile and/or auditory information indicating that the aerosol generating device 1 is about to be terminated, when the number of puffs counted using the puff sensor reaches a preset number. For example, the processor 170 may control the output unit to provide visual, tactile and/or auditory information about the temperature of the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, or the cartridge heater.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may store and update a history of events that occurred in the memory based on the occurrence of a given event. For example, the event may include operations such as detection of insertion of an aerosol-generating article, initiation of heating of an aerosol-generating article, detection of a puff, termination of a puff, detection of overheating, detection of overvoltage application to a cartridge heater, termination of heating of an aerosol-generating article, turning on/off power of the aerosol generating device 1, initiation of charging of the power supply 130, detection of overcharge of the power supply 130, termination of charging of the power supply 130, etc., performed in the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the history of events may include the time an event occurred, log data corresponding to the event, etc. For example, if a given event is detection of insertion of an aerosol-generating article, log data corresponding to the event may include data about sensing values of an insertion detection sensor, etc. For example, if a given event is overheating detection of a cartridge heater, log data corresponding to the event may include data about a temperature of the cartridge heater, a voltage applied to the cartridge heater, a current flowing through the cartridge heater, etc.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may control the communication unit to form a communication link with an external device, such as a user's mobile terminal.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may release a restriction on the use of at least one function (e.g., a heating function) of the aerosol generating device 1 when data regarding authentication is received from an external device via a communications link. For example, data regarding authentication may include the user's date of birth, a unique number that identifies the user, whether the user has completed authentication, etc.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may transmit data about the status of the aerosol generating device 1 to an external device via a communication link (e.g., remaining capacity of the power supply 130, operating mode, etc.). The transmitted data may be output through a display of an external device, etc.

According to an embodiment, when a request for location search of the aerosol generating device 1 is received from an external device via a communication link, the processor 170 may control the output unit to perform an operation corresponding to the location search. For example, the processor 170 may control the haptic unit to generate vibration or control the display to output an object corresponding to the location search and search termination.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may perform a firmware update when firmware data is received from an external device via a communication link.

According to an embodiment, the processor 170 may transmit data on sensed values of at least one sensor unit to an external server (not shown) via a communication link, and receive and store a learning model generated by learning the sensed values through machine learning, such as deep learning, from the server. The processor 170 may perform operations such as determining a user's inhalation pattern and generating a temperature profile using a learning model received from a server.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a power protection circuit. The power protection circuit may include at least one switching element and may cut off the current path to the power supply 130 in response to overcharge and/or overdischarge of the power supply 130.

An aerosol-generating article as described herein may include at least one aerosol-generating rod (e.g., a medium portion) and at least one filter rod. The radiating unit 30 may be arranged to correspond to at least one aerosol-generating rod, and may be designed differently depending on the arrangement order and/or position of the aerosol-generating rod and the filter rod. The aerosol-generating rod may include at least one of nicotine, an aerosol-generating material, and an additive. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include glycerin (e.g., vegetable glycerin (VG)) and/or propylene glycol (PG), and may also include various other materials. For example, the additive may include flavoring agents and/or organic acids, and may also include various other substances. For example, the aerosol-generating rod may include an aerosol-generating substrate (e.g., a sheet) impregnated with a liquid non-tobacco material (e.g., an aerosol-generating material and/or nicotine), and/or may include a solid tobacco material (e.g., leaf tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, etc.). The tobacco material may be included in the aerosol-generating rod in various forms, such as cut tobacco, granules, or powder. In an embodiment, the additive of the aerosol-generating rod may include a basic substance. Based on the basic material, the nicotine of the tobacco material included in the aerosol-generating rod may have an alkaline pH (e.g., pH 7.0 or higher). In this case, freebase nicotine may be released from the aerosol-generating rod even at low temperatures. According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating rod may include two or more aerosol-generating rods, wherein the two or more aerosol-generating rods may each include tobacco material and/or non-tobacco material. Although not shown, at least one aerosol-generating rod and at least one filter rod may be individually and/or integrally wrapped by at least one wrapper. In the disclosure, the aerosol-generating article may be referred to as a stick.

The cartridge referred to in the disclosure may include an aerosol-generating material having any one of a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, or a gel state therein. The aerosol-generating material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid including a non-tobacco material. The cartridge may include a storage portion containing an aerosol-generating material and/or a liquid transfer means impregnated with (containing) the aerosol-generating material. For example, the liquid transfer medium may include a wick such as cotton fibers, ceramic fibers, glass fibers, porous ceramics, etc. The cartridge heater may be included in the cartridge in the form of a coil surrounding (or winding) the liquid transfer means or in a structure contacting one side of the liquid transfer means. Alternatively, the cartridge heater may be included in the aerosol generating device 1 that is separable from the cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include: a housing 100 capable of accommodating an aerosol-generating article 2; and a heater assembly 50 for heating the aerosol-generating article 2 accommodated in the housing 100.

The housing 100 may form an overall exterior of the aerosol generating device 1, and components of the aerosol generating device 1 may be arranged in an inner space (or a “mounting space”) of the housing 100. For example, the heater assembly 50, a battery, a processor, and/or a sensor may be arranged in the inner space of the housing 100, but the components arranged in the inner space are not limited thereto.

An insertion hole 100h may be formed in one area of the housing 100, and at least one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 may be inserted into the housing 100 through the insertion hole 100h. For example, the insertion hole 100h may be formed in one area of an upper surface (e.g., a surface in a y direction) of the housing 100, but the position of the insertion hole 100h is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion hole 100h may be formed in one area of a side surface (e.g., a surface in an x direction) of the housing 100.

The heater assembly 50 may be arranged in the inner space of the housing 100 and may heat the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into or accommodated in the housing 100 through the insertion hole 100h. For example, the heater assembly 50 may be arranged to surround at least one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into or accommodated in the housing 100, thus heating the aerosol-generating article 2.

In an embodiment, the heater assembly 50 may heat the aerosol-generating article 2 by a dielectric heating method. In the present specification, the term ‘dielectric heating method’ refers to a method of heating a dielectric material, which is a heating object, by utilizing resonance of microwaves and/or electric fields (which may include magnetic fields) of the microwaves. Microwaves are energy sources used to heat a heating object, and because the microwaves are generated by high-frequency power, and thus, the term ‘microwaves’ may hereinafter be used interchangeably with microwave power.

Charges or ions in a dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may vibrate or rotate due to microwave resonance within the heater assembly 50, and frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation of the charges or ions may cause heat to be generated from the dielectric material such that the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated.

As the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated by the heater assembly 50, an aerosol may be generated from the aerosol-generating article 2. In the present specification, the term ‘aerosol’ may refer to gaseous particles generated from a mixture of vapor and air that are produced as the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated.

The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating article 2 may pass through the aerosol-generating article 2 or may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 1 through an empty space between the aerosol-generating article 2 and the insertion hole 100h. A user may smoke by placing their mouth on one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 exposed to the outside of the housing 100, and inhaling the aerosol discharged from the aerosol generating device 1.

The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include a cover 101 that is movably disposed in the housing 100 to open or close the insertion hole 100h. For example, the cover 101 may be slidably coupled to the upper surface of the housing 100, thereby exposing the insertion hole 100h to the outside of the aerosol generating device 1 or covering the insertion hole 100h so that the insertion hole 100h is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 1.

In one example, the cover 101 may be positioned at a first position (or “open position”) to expose the insertion hole 100h to the outside of the aerosol generating device 1. When the insertion hole 100h is exposed to the outside, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be inserted into the housing 100 through the insertion hole 100h.

In another example, the cover 101 may be positioned at a second position (or “closed position”) to cover the insertion hole 100h, thereby preventing the insertion hole 100h from being exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 1. In this case, when the aerosol generating device 1 is not in use, the cover 101 may prevent external foreign substances from entering the heater assembly 50 through the insertion hole 100h.

Although FIG. 2 shows only an aerosol generating device 1 for heating the solid-state aerosol-generating article 2, the aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

An aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state, instead of the solid-state aerosol-generating article 2, through the heater assembly 50.

An aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may include both the heater assembly 50 for heating the aerosol-generating article 2 and a cartridge (or “vaporizer”) containing an aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state and being for heating the aerosol generating substance. An aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance may move to the aerosol-generating article 2 along an airflow passage communicating between the cartridge and the aerosol-generating article 2 and may then be mixed with an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating article 2, and then, the mixture may pass through the aerosol-generating article 2 and may then be transferred to a user.

FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the heater assembly 50 of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the heater assembly 50 may include an oscillating unit 510, an isolation unit 540, a power monitoring unit 550, a matching unit 560, a microwave output unit 530, and a resonating unit 520.

The oscillating unit 510 may generate high-frequency microwave power. In this case, the oscillating unit 510 may correspond to the RF signal generation circuit 210, the drive amplifier 220, and the power amplifier 230, which are shown in FIG. 1.

The oscillating unit 510 may include a solid-state-based RF generating device and may generate microwave power by using the solid-state-based RF generating device. The solid-state-based RF generating device may be implemented as a semiconductor. When the oscillating unit 510 is implemented as a semiconductor, the heater assembly 50 may be miniaturized and device lifespan may be extended.

The oscillating unit 510 may output the microwave power to the resonating unit 520. The oscillating unit 510 may include a power amplifier that increases or reduces the microwave power, and the power amplifier may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power under control by the processor 170. For example, the power amplifier may reduce or increase the amplitude of microwaves. As the amplitude of the microwaves is adjusted, the microwave power may also be adjusted. The processor 170 may adjust the frequency of microwaves output from the oscillating unit 510, based on a prestored power profile (or temperature profile). For example, the power profile may include target temperature information according to a preheating section and a smoking section, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwaves having a first frequency in the preheating section and supply microwaves having a second frequency in the smoking section, wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency.

The processor 170 may adjust the magnitude and/or frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on an operating mode of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may operate in a standby mode and a heating mode. The standby mode refers to a state where the aerosol generating device 1 is powered on while the heater assembly 50 is not performing a heating operation. The heating mode is a phase in which the heater assembly 50 performs a heating operation, and may be divided into a preheating section and a smoking section. The oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a first power level in the standby mode and supply microwave power at a second power level in the heating mode, wherein the second power level is higher than the first power level.

In the standby mode, the processor 170 may identify the state of a medium included in the aerosol-generating article 2 and determine the type of the aerosol-generating article 2.

In the heating mode, the oscillating unit 510 may adjust the magnitude and/or frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on a temperature profile corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 determined in the standby mode and/or the state of the medium included in the aerosol-generating article 2.

For example, a heating profile may include target temperature information according to the preheating section and the smoking section, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a second-1 power level in the preheating section and supply microwave power at a second-2 power level in the smoking section, wherein the second-2 power level is lower than the second-1 power level. In addition, the heating profile may include frequency information according to the preheating section and the smoking section, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwaves having a first frequency in the preheating section and supply microwaves having a second frequency in the smoking section, wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency.

The isolation unit 540 may block the flow of microwave power from the resonating unit 520 to the oscillating unit 510. Most of the microwave power that is output from the oscillating unit 510 is absorbed into the heating object, but depending on heating characteristics of the heating object, part of the microwave power may be reflected from the heating object and transmitted back towards the oscillating unit 510. This occurs due to a change in impedance seen from the oscillating unit 510 to the resonating unit 520 as polar molecules are depleted while the heating object is heated. The change in the impedance seen from the oscillating unit 510 to the resonating unit 520 may have the same meaning as a change in the resonance frequency of the resonating unit 520. When the microwave power reflected from the resonating unit 520 is input to the oscillating unit 510, the oscillating unit 510 may not only malfunction but also fail to achieve expected output performance. The isolation unit 540 may not redirect the microwave power, which is reflected from the resonating unit 520, to the oscillating unit 510 and may guide the microwave power in a certain direction to absorb the microwave power. To this end, the isolation unit 540 may include a circulator and a dummy load.

The power monitoring unit 550 may monitor each of incident microwave power, which is the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, and reflected microwave power, which is the microwave power reflected from the resonating unit 520. The power monitoring unit 550 may transmit information about the incident microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 560.

Reflection characteristics of the microwaves within the resonating unit 520 may vary depending on permittivity within the resonating unit 520. Permittivity is an important characteristic value that represents electrical characteristics of a dielectric material, i.e., a nonconductor. Permittivity does not indicate electrical characteristics with respect to DC current, but is directly related to characteristics of AC current, especially alternating electromagnetic waves. In detail, the magnitude of reflected microwaves, which are the microwaves reflected from the resonating unit 520, may vary depending on a complex dielectric constant within the resonating unit 520. Microwave absorbance within the resonating unit 520 may be expressed as a loss tangent that is a ratio of a real part of a complex dielectric constant to an imaginary part thereof. In addition, the phase of the reflected microwaves, which are the microwaves reflected from the resonating unit 520, may vary depending on permittivity within the resonating unit 520. Because the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into an accommodation space 520h of the resonating unit 520 includes a different dielectric material depending on its type, the permittivity within the resonating unit 520 may vary. Therefore, by analyzing the reflected microwaves, which are the microwaves reflected from the resonating unit 520, the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the accommodation space 520h of the resonating unit 520 may be determined.

The matching unit 560 may match the impedance seen from the oscillating unit 510 to the resonating unit 520 with the impedance seen from the resonating unit 520 to the oscillating unit 510, to minimize the reflected microwave power. The impedance matching may indicate that the frequency of the oscillating unit 510 aligns with the resonance frequency of the resonating unit 520. Therefore, the matching unit 560 may vary the frequency of the oscillating unit 510 to match the impedance. In other words, the matching unit 560 may adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, to minimize the reflected microwave power. The impedance matching by the matching unit 560 may be performed in real time regardless of a temperature profile.

In addition, the oscillating unit 510, the isolation unit 540, the power monitoring unit 550, and the matching unit 560, which are described above, are distinct from the microwave output unit 530 and the resonating unit 520, which are described later, and may be implemented as microwave sources in the form of chips. In addition, according to an embodiment, the oscillating unit 510, the isolation unit 540, the power monitoring unit 550, and the matching unit 560, which are described above, may be implemented as some components of the processor 170.

The microwave output unit 530 may be a component for inputting the microwave power to the resonating unit 520 and may correspond to a coupler shown in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures. The microwave output unit 530 may be implemented in the form of a SubMiniature version A (SMA), SubMiniature version B (SMB), Micro Coaxial (MCX), or Micro-Miniature coaxial (MMCX) connector. The microwave output unit 530 may connect a chip-type microwave source and the resonating unit 520 to each other and transfer, to the resonating unit 520, microwave power generated from the microwave source.

The resonating unit 520 may form microwaves within a resonance structure, thus heating the heating object. The resonating unit 520 may include the accommodation space 520h where the aerosol-generating article 2 is accommodated, and the aerosol-generating article 2 may be exposed to the microwaves and heated by dielectric heating. For example, the aerosol-generating article 2 may include a polar substance, and molecules in the polar substance may be polarized by the microwaves within the resonating unit 520. The molecules may vibrate or rotate due to polarization, and the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated by frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation.

The resonating unit 520 may include at least one internal conductor to resonate the microwaves, and depending on the arrangement, thickness, length, and the like of the internal conductor, the microwaves may resonate inside the resonating unit 520.

The resonating unit 520 may be designed by taking the wavelength of the microwaves into account to facilitate the resonance of the microwaves within the resonating unit 520. For the microwaves to resonate inside the resonating unit 520, there is a need for a short end having a closed cross-section and an open end arranged opposite to the short end and having at least one open cross-sectional area. In addition, the length between the short end and the open end must be set to an integer multiple of ¼ of the wavelength of the microwaves. The resonating unit 520 of the disclosure has a length equal to ¼ of the microwave wavelength to ensure device miniaturization. In other words, the length between the short end and the open end of the resonating unit 520 may be set to ¼ of the microwave wavelength.

The resonating unit 520 may include a dielectric accommodation space. The dielectric accommodation space is separate from the accommodation space 520h of the aerosol-generating article 2 and has arranged therein a material that may reduce the size of the resonating unit 520 by changing the overall resonance frequency of the resonating unit 520. In an embodiment, a dielectric material with low microwave absorbance may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space. This is intended to prevent energy, which should be transferred to the heating object, from being transferred to the dielectric material and causing the dielectric material to generate heat. Microwave absorbance may be expressed as a loss tangent that is a ratio of a real part of a complex dielectric constant to an imaginary part thereof. In an embodiment, a dielectric material with a loss tangent of a preset value or less may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space, wherein the preset value may be 1/100. For example, the dielectric material may be, but is not limited to, at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the heater assembly 50 according to an embodiment may include the oscillating unit 510 and the resonating unit 520. FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the heater assembly 50, and hereinafter, redundant descriptions are omitted.

The oscillating unit 510 may generate microwaves in a designated frequency band as power is supplied. The microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 may be transferred to the resonating unit 520 through a coupler (not shown).

The resonating unit 520 may include the accommodation space 520h for accommodating at least one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 and may resonate the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 to heat the aerosol-generating article 2 by a dielectric heating method. For example, charges of glycerin included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may vibrate or rotate due to the resonance of the microwaves, and heat may be generated in the glycerin due to frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation of the charges such that the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated.

According to an embodiment, the resonating unit 520 may include a material with low microwave absorption to prevent the microwaves, which are generated by the oscillating unit 510, from being absorbed into the resonating unit 520.

Hereinafter, a structure of the resonating unit 520 of the heater assembly 50 is described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the heater assembly 50 of FIG. 4 taken along a line IV-IV′.

Referring to FIG. 5, the heater assembly 50 according to an embodiment may include the oscillating unit 510, the resonating unit 520, and a coupler 530. Components of the heater assembly 50 may be the same as or similar to at least one of components of the heater assembly 50 shown in FIG. 4, and hereinafter, redundant descriptions are omitted.

The oscillating unit 510 may generate microwaves in a designated frequency band as an alternating current voltage is applied, and the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 may be transferred to the resonating unit 520 through the coupler 530.

According to an embodiment, the oscillating unit 510 may be fixed to the resonating unit 520 to prevent separation from the resonating unit 520 while the aerosol generating device is used. In one example, the oscillating unit 510 may be supported by a bracket 520b protruding from one area of the resonating unit 520 in the x direction, thus being fixed onto the resonating unit 520. In another example, the oscillating unit 510 may be fixed onto the resonating unit 520 by being attached onto one area of the resonating unit 520 without the bracket 520b.

In the drawing, only an embodiment in which the oscillating unit 510 is fixed to one area of the resonating unit 520 that faces the x direction is shown, but the position of the oscillating unit 510 is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the oscillating unit 510 may be fixed to another area of the resonating unit 520 that faces a-z direction.

The resonating unit 520 may be arranged to surround at least one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the aerosol generating device and may heat the aerosol-generating article 2 by using the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510. For example, dielectric materials included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonating unit 520 due to the microwaves, and the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated by the heat generated in the dielectric materials.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 2 may include a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22.

The tobacco rod 21 may include an aerosol generating substance and may be formed as a sheet, a strand, or a pipe tobacco formed of tiny bits cut from a tobacco sheet. For example, the aerosol generating substance may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. Also, the tobacco rod 21 may include other additives, such as a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, and/or an organic acid. Also, a flavored liquid, such as menthol or a moisturizer, may be added to the tobacco rod 21 by being sprayed onto the tobacco rod 21.

The filter rod 22 may be a cellulose acetate filter. In addition, there is no limitation on the shape of the filter rod 22. For example, the filter rod 22 may be a cylinder-type rod or may be a tube-type rod having a hollow space therein. In addition, the filter rod 22 may be a recess-type rod. When the filter rod 22 includes a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may have a different shape.

At least part (e.g., glycerin) of the aerosol generating substance included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may be a dielectric material with polarity in an electric field, and the at least part of the aerosol generating substance may generate heat by a dielectric heating method and heat the aerosol-generating article 2.

According to an embodiment, the resonating unit 520 may include an outer conductor 521, a first internal conductor 523, and a second internal conductor 525.

The outer conductor 521 may form an overall exterior of the resonating unit 520, and may have a shape with a hollow space therein such that components of the resonating unit 520 may be arranged inside the outer conductor 521. The outer conductor 521 may include the accommodation space 520h where the aerosol-generating article 2 may be accommodated, and the aerosol-generating article 2 may be inserted into the outer conductor 521 through the accommodation space 520h.

According to an embodiment, the outer conductor 521 may include a first surface 521a, a second surface 521b arranged to face the first surface 521a, and a side surface 521c surrounding an empty space between the first surface 521a and the second surface 521b. At least some of the components (e.g., the first internal conductor 523, the second internal conductor 525) of the resonating unit 520 may be arranged in an inner space of the resonating unit 520, which is formed by the first surface 521a, the second surface 521b, and the side surface 521c.

The first internal conductor 523 may have a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the first surface 521a of the outer conductor 521 toward an inner space of the outer conductor 521, and as the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 are transferred to the first internal conductor 523, an electric field may be generated inside the first internal conductor 523. According to an embodiment, the first internal conductor 523 may be referred to as a “first resonator” that generates an electric field through microwave resonance.

According to an embodiment, one area of the first internal conductor 523 may be in contact with the coupler 530 connected to the oscillating unit 510, and as the microwaves transferred through the coupler 530 resonate, an electric field may be generated inside the first internal conductor 523. For example, the coupler 530 may pass through the outer conductor 521 and may be arranged to have one end in contact with the oscillating unit 510 and the other end in contact with one area of the first internal conductor 523, and as the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 are transferred to the first internal conductor 523 through the coupler 530, an electric field may be generated inside the first internal conductor 523.

The second internal conductor 525 may have a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the second surface 521b of the outer conductor 521 toward the inner space of the outer conductor 521. The second internal conductor 525 may be spaced apart from the first internal conductor 523 by a certain distance, in the inner space of the outer conductor 521, and a gap 526 may be formed between the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525.

The second internal conductor 525 may be in inductive coupling with the first internal conductor 523, and accordingly, as the electric field is generated inside the first internal conductor 523, an induced electric field may also be generated inside the second internal conductor 525. In the present specification, the term “inductive coupling” may refer to coupling relationship in which energy may be magnetically transferred by mutual inductance between two conductors.

For example, as the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit 510 are transferred to the first internal conductor 523, an electric field may be generated inside the first internal conductor 523 due to resonance, and an induced electric field may be generated inside the second internal conductor 525 which is in inductive coupling with the first internal conductor 523. According to an embodiment, the second internal conductor 525 may be referred to as a “second resonator” that generates an electric field through microwave resonance.

According to an embodiment, the resonating unit 520 may include a short end having a closed cross-section and an open end arranged opposite to the short end and having at least one open cross-sectional area, so as to have a length of ¼ of the wavelength (λ) (λ/4) of the microwaves.

In one example, the resonating unit 520 may include a closing unit 524 that is arranged inside the first internal conductor 523 and closes a cross-section of the first internal conductor 523, and as the cross-section of the first internal conductor 523 is closed by the closing unit 524, a short end may be formed at a first area 5231 of the first internal conductor 523 in which the closing unit 524 is arranged. Because the closing unit 524 is not present at a second area 5232 that is spaced apart from the first area 5231 of the first internal conductor 523, a cross-section of the second area 5232 may be opened, and as a result, an open end may be formed at the second area 5232 of the first internal conductor 523. In other words, when viewed in an x-z plane, the first internal conductor 523 may be formed to have a “E” shape overall, including a short end and an open end, and due to the above-described structure of the first internal conductor 523, the first internal conductor 523 may operate as a resonator having a length of ¼ of the microwave wavelength.

In another example, because the accommodation space 520h is formed in one area of the second internal conductor 525 facing the short end, a cross-section of the second internal conductor 525 may be opened, and as a result, when the resonating unit 520 is viewed as a whole, the short end may be formed at the first area 5231 of the first internal conductor 523, and an open end may be formed at one end of the second internal conductor 525 facing the short end, such that a quarter-wavelength resonance may occur in the resonating unit 520.

According to the above-described resonance structure of the resonating unit 520, the electric field may not propagate to an area outside the resonating unit 520 where conductors, such as the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525, are not present. Therefore, even without a separate shielding member for shielding the electric field, the heater assembly 50 may prevent the electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 50.

The aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 521 through the accommodation space 520h may be surrounded by the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525 and may be heated by a dielectric heating method. For example, a portion of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 521 may be arranged in the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525, and another portion thereof may be arranged outside the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525. The dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2 generates heat due to electric fields generated inside and outside the first internal conductor 523 and/or the second internal conductor 525, such that the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated.

According to an embodiment, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the resonating unit 520 through the accommodation space 520h, the tobacco rod 21 of the aerosol-generating article 2 may be arranged at a position corresponding to the gap 526 between the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525.

Resonance peaks may be formed at an end portion of the first internal conductor 523, which operates as the first resonator, and at an end portion of the second internal conductor 525, which operates as the second resonator, resulting in stronger electric fields compared to other areas, and as a result, the strongest electric field may be generated in the gap 526 between the first internal conductor 523 and the second internal conductor 525 among inner areas of the resonating unit 520. In the heater assembly 50 according to an embodiment, by arranging the tobacco rod 21, which includes a dielectric material that generates heat due to an electric field, at a position corresponding to the gap 526 where the electric field is strongest, heating efficiency (or “dielectric heating efficiency”) of the heater assembly 50 may be improved.

According to an embodiment, the resonating unit 520 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 527 for accommodating a dielectric material. The dielectric accommodation space 527 may be formed in an empty space between the outer conductor 521 and the first and second internal conductors 523 and 525, and a dielectric material with low microwave absorbance may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 527. For example, the dielectric material may be, but is not limited to, at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof.

By arranging the dielectric material inside the dielectric accommodation space 527, the resonating unit 520 in the heater assembly 50 according to an embodiment may have a reduced size, and an electric field may be generated that is identical to that of the resonating unit not including the dielectric material. In other words, in the heater assembly 50 according to an embodiment, due to the dielectric material arranged inside the dielectric accommodation space 527, the size of the resonating unit 520 may be reduced so that a mounting space of the resonating unit 520 within the aerosol generating device may also be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device may become more compact.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

A heater assembly 300 according to an embodiment shown in FIG. 6 may include: a resonating unit 320 that generates microwave resonance; and a coupler 311 that supplies the microwaves to the resonating unit 320.

The resonating unit 320 may include a case 321, a plurality of plates 323a and 323b, and a connecting unit 322 that connects the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the case 321 to each other.

The coupler 311 may supply the microwaves to at least one of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b to allow the resonating unit 320 to generate microwave resonance.

The resonating unit 320 may surround at least one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the aerosol generating device. The coupler 311 may supply, to the resonating unit 320, the microwaves generated by an oscillating unit (not shown). When the microwaves are supplied to the resonating unit 320, microwave resonance occurs in the resonating unit 320, such that the resonating unit 320 may heat the aerosol-generating article 2. For example, dielectric materials included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonating unit 520 due to the microwaves, and the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated by the heat generated in the dielectric materials.

The case 321 of the resonating unit 320 functions as an “outer conductor.” The case 321 has a shape with a hollow space therein such that components of the resonating unit 320 may be arranged inside the case 321.

The case 321 may include: an accommodation space 320h in which the aerosol-generating article 2 may be accommodated; and an opening 321a through which the aerosol-generating article 2 may be inserted. The opening 321a is connected to the accommodation space 320h. Because the opening 321a is open toward the outside of the case 321, the accommodation space 320h may be connected to the outside through the opening 321a. Therefore, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be inserted into the accommodation space 320h of the case 321 through the opening 321a in the case 321.

The case 321 shown in the drawing has a square cross-sectional shape, but the case 321 may be changed into various shapes. For example, a structure of the case 321 may be changed to have various cross-sectional shapes, such as a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, or a circular shape. The case 321 may extend in one direction.

The plurality of plates 323a and 323b that may function as “internal conductors” of the resonating unit 320 may be arranged inside the case 321.

The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from each other in a circumferential direction of the aerosol-generating article 2 accommodated in the accommodation space 320h. The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may include a first plate 323a arranged to surround one area of the aerosol-generating article 2 and a second plate 323b arranged to surround another area of the aerosol-generating article 2.

The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to the case 321 via the connecting unit 322. In addition, one end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b, which are among the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, may be connected to each other via the connecting unit 322. Therefore, an end portion closed by the connecting unit 322 may be formed at the ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b, which are among the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, may be spaced apart from each other to form an open end portion. Because the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from each other, the open end portion may be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

A resonator assembly may be completed by the connection of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322. A longitudinal cross-section of the resonator assembly may have a horseshoe shape.

The plurality of plates 323a and 323b extend in a longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 2. At least a portion of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be curved so as to protrude outward from a center of the aerosol-generating article 2 in the longitudinal direction.

For example, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is manufactured to have a cylindrical shape, the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be curved along an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 2 in the circumferential direction. The radius of curvature of a cross-section of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be the same as the radius of curvature of the aerosol-generating article 2. The radius of curvature of the cross-section of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may vary. For example, the radius of curvature of the cross-section of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be greater or smaller than the radius of curvature of the aerosol-generating article 2.

Because the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are curved along the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 2 in the circumferential direction, a more uniform electric field is formed in the resonating unit 320, such that the heater assembly 300 may uniformly heat the aerosol-generating article 2.

The open end portion at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be positioned to face the opening 321a in the case 321. The opening 321a in the case 321 may be spaced apart in a direction away from the open end portion at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

The open end portion at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be aligned with the opening 321a in the case 321. Therefore, when the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 320h through the opening 321a in the case 321, a portion of the aerosol-generating article 2 positioned in the accommodation space 320h may be surrounded by the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

Two plates, i.e., the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, may be arranged at positions opposite to each other with respect to the center of the aerosol-generating article 2 in the longitudinal direction. The embodiments are not limited by the number of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, and the number of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be, for example, three or may be, for example, four or more.

The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be arranged symmetrically with each other with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 2, i.e., in a direction in which the aerosol-generating article 2 extends.

At least one of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be in contact with the coupler 311 connected to the oscillating unit (not shown). In detail, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may be in contact with the coupler 311. As the microwaves transferred to the first plate 323a through the coupler 311 resonate in the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, an electric field may be generated in the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322.

The coupler 311 may pass through the case 321 such that one end of the coupler 311 may be in contact with the oscillating unit (not shown) and the other end of the coupler 311 may be in contact with one area of the first plate 323a. As the microwaves generated by the oscillating unit (not shown) are transferred to the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322 through the coupler 311, an electric field may be generated inside an assembly of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322.

In addition, according to a structure of the resonating unit 320 of the heater assembly 300, a triple resonance mode may be implemented in the resonating unit 320. Resonance of a transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode of the microwaves may occur between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. In addition, resonance of a TEM mode different from the resonance that occurs between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may occur between the first plate 323a and an upper plate of the case 321 and between the second plate 323b and a lower plate of the case 321.

As triple resonance occurs in the resonating unit 320 of the heater assembly 300, the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated more effectively and uniformly.

The resonating unit 320 according to the above-described embodiment may include a short end having a closed cross-section and an open end arranged opposite to the short end and having at least one open cross-sectional area, so as to have a length of ¼ of the wavelength (λ) (λ/4) of the microwaves.

An area in one end of the resonating unit 320 corresponding to a left-side region in FIG. 6 forms a closed end which is closed by a structure where one end of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322 are connected to the case 321. An area in the other end of the resonating unit 320 corresponding to a right-side region in FIG. 6 forms an open end which is opened by the opening 321a in the case 321 being open to the outside. Due to this structure of the resonating unit 320, the resonating unit 320 may operate as a resonator having a length of ¼ of the microwave wavelength.

Due to the above-described resonance structure of the resonating unit 320, the electric field may not propagate to an area outside the resonating unit 320. Therefore, even without a separate shielding member for shielding the electric field, the heater assembly 300 may prevent the electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 300.

The aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the accommodation space 320h of the case 321 may be surrounded by the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b and may be heated by a dielectric heating method. For example, a portion including the medium of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the accommodation space 320h of the case 321 may be positioned in a space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b. The dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2 generates heat due to the electric field generated in a space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b, such that the aerosol-generating article 2 may be heated.

When the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the resonating unit 320 through the accommodation space 320h, the tobacco rod 21 of the aerosol-generating article 2 may be positioned between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

A length (L4) of the tobacco rod 21 may be greater than a length (L1) of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. Therefore, a front end portion 21f of the tobacco rod 21, which is in contact with the filter rod 22, is positioned beyond the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b, in a direction facing the opening 321a in the case 321.

Resonance peaks may be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, which operate as resonators, resulting in stronger electric fields compared to other areas. When the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the heater assembly 300, the tobacco rod 21, which includes a dielectric material that may generate heat due to an electric field, is arranged to correspond to an area where the electric field is strongest, such that heating efficiency (or “dielectric heating efficiency”) of the heater assembly 300 may be improved.

Referring to FIG. 6, the length L1 of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be set to be smaller than a length (L1+L2) of an inner space of the case 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be positioned more on an inner side of the case 321 than the opening 321a. In other words, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be spaced apart from a rear end portion of the opening 321a by a distance of L2.

The length from the rear end portion of the opening 321a, which is connected to the case 321, to the front end portion of the opening 321a, which is open, may be denoted as L3. The overall length of the case 321 in a longitudinal direction of the case 321 may be denoted as L. The overall length L of the case 321 may be determined by the sum of the length L1 of each of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b, the length L2 by which the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from the rear end portion of the opening 321a, and the length L3 by which the opening 321a protrudes from the case 321.

To prevent microwave leakage, the front end portion of the opening 321a, which is open, may be positioned to protrude from the case 321 by a length of L3. Because the opening 321a in the case 321 protrudes from the case 321, the opening 321a may function to prevent the microwaves inside the case 321 of the resonating unit 320 from leaking to the outside of the case 321.

The resonating unit 320 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 327 for accommodating a dielectric material. The dielectric accommodation space 327 may be formed in an empty space between the case 321 and the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. A dielectric material with low microwave absorbance may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 327.

By arranging the dielectric material inside the dielectric accommodation space 327, the resonating unit 320 in the heater assembly 300 may have a reduced size, and an electric field may be generated that is identical to the electric field generated in the resonating unit not including the dielectric material. In other words, due to the dielectric material arranged inside the dielectric accommodation space 327, the size of the resonating unit 320 may be reduced so that a mounting space of the resonating unit 320 within the aerosol generating device may also be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device may become more compact.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining adjustment of a microwave frequency according to the state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in an aerosol-generating article. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a lookup table including power profiles respectively corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

FIG. 7 shows only components for adjusting the magnitude and/or frequency of microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, among components shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 and included in the aerosol generating device 1. Therefore, hereinafter, the descriptions already provided with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 are omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 7, the aerosol generating device 1 may include the oscillating unit 510, the power monitoring unit 550, the resonating unit 520, a sensor unit 180, and the processor 170.

The oscillating unit 510 may output microwaves with a frequency within a preset range and power of a preset magnitude, under control by the processor 170. The oscillating unit 510 may include at least one switching device, and the processor 170 may control an on/off state of the at least one switching device to vary the output frequency of the microwaves. For example, the processor 170 may control the oscillating unit 510 to output microwaves having any one output frequency selected from a range of 2.15 GHz to 2.75 GHz or a range of 615 MHz to 1.245 GHz.

In addition, the oscillating unit 510 includes a power amplifier, and the power amplifier may increase or reduce the amplitude of the microwaves under control by the processor 170, to adjust the magnitude of output microwave power. For example, the processor 170 may control the oscillating unit 510 to output microwaves having any power magnitude selected from a range of 3 W to 20 W.

The microwaves output from the oscillating unit 510 may be output to the resonating unit 520.

The resonating unit 520 may accommodate the aerosol-generating article 2 and may resonate the microwaves provided from the oscillating unit 510 to heat the aerosol-generating article 2. An internal structure of the resonating unit 520 may be the same as the structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The sensor unit 180 may be arranged inside a resonating unit (for example, 320 or 520). Therefore, the sensor unit 180 may be protected by an electromagnetic shielding material for preventing electromagnetic interference caused by microwaves, and by a heat-resistant material for preventing damage from high temperatures caused by heating of the tobacco rod 21.

The sensor unit 180 may identify the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 included in the aerosol-generating article 2. The aerosol-generating article 2 may include the tobacco rod 21 and the filter rod 22, and the tobacco rod 21 may include an aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generating substance may be formed as a sheet, a strand, or a pipe tobacco, and the aerosol generating substance may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may further include at least one of a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, an organic acid, and a flavored liquid.

In this case, the state of the medium may refer to an overly moist state of the medium. For example, the processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating article 2 is in an overly moist state (i.e., an overly moist cigarette) when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and may determine that the aerosol-generating article 2 is in a normal state (i.e., a normal cigarette) when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than the threshold. In this case, the threshold may be determined experimentally or statistically.

Referring to FIG. 8, the processor 170 may be configured to, when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette), in a preheating section PR1, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate microwaves having a first frequency F1 corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section PR2, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate microwaves having a second frequency F2 corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.

In contrast, the processor 170 may be configured to, when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than the threshold (i.e., a normal cigarette), in both the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate the microwaves having the second frequency F2.

In this case, the second frequency F2 may be lower than the first frequency F1. For example, the first frequency F1 may correspond to a range of 2.15 GHz to 2.75 GHz, and the second frequency F2 may correspond to a range of 615 MHz to 1.245 GHz. Preferably, the first frequency F1 may be 2.45 GHz, and the second frequency F2 may be 915 MHz. In other words, the first frequency F1 may be an optimal frequency set to vibrate and efficiently heat water molecules, and the second frequency F2 may be an optimal frequency set to vibrate and efficiently heat glycerin molecules.

According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 180 may be an ultrasonic sensor. In a case where the sensor unit 180 is an ultrasonic sensor, when a time taken for return of an acoustic wave emitted toward the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than or equal to a preset time, the processor 170 may determine that the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette). In general, the greater the moisture content in the medium, the shorter the time it may take for return of an acoustic wave.

According to another embodiment, the sensor unit 180 may be a near-infrared sensor. When the sensor unit 180 is a near-infrared sensor, the sensor unit 180 may emit light (i.e., a near-infrared ray in a range of 700 nm to 2,500 nm) and measure reflected light, which is light reflected and returned from the medium of the tobacco rod 21, and when absorption of the reflected light at a specific wavelength (e.g., 970 nm, 1,450 nm, or 1,940 nm) is greater than or equal to a preset value, the processor 170 may determine that the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette).

In addition, the power monitoring unit 550 may measure an incident microwave W1, which is a microwave output from the oscillating unit 510, or a reflected microwave W2, which is a microwave reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510. In an embodiment, the magnitude of the incident microwave W1 may correspond to the magnitude of power output from the oscillating unit 510 and input to the resonating unit 520, and the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 may correspond to the magnitude of power reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510.

The aerosol-generating article 2 may include dielectric materials, such as an aerosol generating substance, a flavoring agent, a wetting agent, an organic acid, and a flavored liquid, and the permittivity of a dielectric material included in the tobacco rod 21 may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article 2. Therefore, the permittivity of the dielectric material in the resonating unit 520 varies depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the resonating unit 520. In other words, the impedance of the resonating unit 520 may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 inserted into the resonating unit 520. Even when the incident microwave W1 entering the resonating unit 520 is the same, the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 may vary because the degree of reflection varies when the impedance of the resonating unit 520 varies.

In a case where the oscillating unit 510 is controlled to output a fixed output even when the impedance of the resonating unit 520 varies, a first impedance Zeq1 seen from the oscillating unit 510 to the resonating unit 520 may not align with a second impedance Zeq2 seen from the resonating unit 520 to the oscillating unit 510. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 may not match each other. In addition, because the impedance matching is related to a condition for maximum power transfer, the condition for maximum power transfer may not be satisfied. When the condition for maximum power transfer is not satisfied, the aerosol generating device 1 may not exhibit optimal aerosolization performance.

Hereinafter, a configuration that adjusts the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on a power profile that varies depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article 2, is described in detail.

First, in the standby mode, the aerosol generating device 1 may identify whether the aerosol generating device 1 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h (of FIG. 4).

The processor 170 according to an embodiment may identify whether the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h (of FIG. 4) by using an insertion detection sensor. In this case, the insertion detection sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor.

The processor 170 according to another embodiment may determine whether the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h, based on the reflected microwave W2. The processor 170 may be configured to, when the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 is less than a first threshold, determine that the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h of the resonating unit 520. In this case, the first threshold may be determined according to the permittivity and amount of the dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2. For example, when the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article 2 is high, most of the incident microwave W1 may be absorbed, and thus, the first threshold may be inversely proportional to the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article 2. The first threshold may be calculated experimentally. The first threshold may be prestored in a memory 190.

The processor 170 may be configured to, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article 2 is detected, output the incident microwave W1 by using the oscillating unit 510 and measure the reflected microwave W2, which is a microwave reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, by using the power monitoring unit 550. In this case, the processor 170 may receive the incident microwave W1 and the reflected microwave W2, which are measured by the power monitoring unit 550.

Afterwards, the processor 170 may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article 2, based on the measured reflected microwave W2. The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include the memory 190 storing a relationship between a plurality of reflected microwaves W2 and a plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 in the form of a lookup table.

Each of the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 may have a fixed permittivity of a dielectric material according to the composition of the tobacco rod 21. Therefore, each of the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 may have a different magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 in response to the incident microwave W1 of the same magnitude.

For example, referring to FIG. 9, the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 may include a first aerosol-generating article, a second aerosol-generating article, and a third aerosol-generating article. In this case, the permittivity of the dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2 may increase in order from the third aerosol-generating article, the second aerosol-generating article, and the first aerosol-generating article (i.e., the permittivity of the first aerosol-generating article is the lowest, and the permittivity of the third aerosol-generating article is the highest). The higher the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article 2, the more incident microwaves W1 are absorbed, and thus, the reflected microwave W2 with respect to the incident microwave W1 of the same magnitude may increase in order from the first aerosol-generating article, the second aerosol-generating article, and the third aerosol-generating article (i.e., the reflected microwave W2 is largest for the first aerosol-generating article, and the reflected microwave W2 is smallest for the third aerosol-generating article).

Next, in the heating mode, the processor 170 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on a power profile corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 determined in the standby mode.

The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include the memory 190 storing a relationship between the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 (or “the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2”) and power profiles in the form of a lookup table. In other words, the lookup table stored in the memory 190 may include: a first lookup table including the aerosol-generating article 2 corresponding to the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2; and a second lookup table including power profiles corresponding to the aerosol-generating articles 2. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the lookup table may include only a lookup table including power profiles corresponding to the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2.

For example, referring to FIG. 9, a first heating profile corresponding to the first aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a second-11 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at a second-21 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-21 power level is lower than the second-11 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

In addition, a second heating profile corresponding to the second aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a second-12 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at a second-22 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-22 power level is lower than the second-12 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

Likewise, a third heating profile corresponding to the third aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a second-13 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at a second-23 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-23 power level is lower than the second-13 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

In this case, a higher permittivity of a heating object (or the aerosol-generating article 2) requires heating to a higher temperature, and thus, the second-13 power level, the second-12 power level, and the second-11 power level may be set in descending order, and the second-23 power level, the second-22 power level, and the second-21 power level may be set in descending order.

In addition, the processor 170 may determine whether the aerosol-generating article 2 is reused, based on the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode.

In detail, the processor 170 may stop the generation of the microwaves by the oscillating unit 510 when the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode is greater than or equal to the preset threshold. In other words, the reused aerosol-generating article 2 may have a significantly lower permittivity than an unused aerosol-generating article 2 because the aerosol generating substance included in the tobacco rod 21 is depleted. Accordingly, the reflected microwave W2 of the reused aerosol-generating article 2 may be greater than the reflected microwave W2 of the unused aerosol-generating article 2. In this case, the preset threshold may be calculated experimentally and statistically and may be prestored in the memory 190.

The power monitoring unit 550 according to an embodiment may track, in real time, changes in the resonance frequency of the resonating unit 520 in the heating mode.

In more detail, as the dielectric material included in the aerosol-generating article 2 is heated by the microwaves and consumed, the impedance of the resonating unit 520 may vary. In a case where the oscillating unit 510 is controlled to output a fixed output even when the impedance of the resonating unit 520 varies, the first impedance Zeq1 seen from the oscillating unit 510 to the resonating unit 520 may not align with the second impedance Zeq2 seen from the resonating unit 520 to the oscillating unit 510. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 may not match each other. In addition, because the impedance matching is related to a condition for maximum power transfer, the condition for maximum power transfer may not be satisfied. In the heating mode, the power monitoring unit 550 may measure power, which is output from the oscillating unit 510 and input to the resonating unit 520, and power, which is reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, to match the first impedance Zeq1 with the second impedance Zeq2.

The processor 170 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillating unit 510 so that a difference in the power, which is output from the oscillating unit 510 and input to the resonating unit 520, and the power, which is reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, falls within a preset reference power range. For example, the reference power range may be between 0 w to 1 w, but is not limited thereto.

The processor 170 may sweep the output frequency output from the oscillating unit 510 within a preset reference frequency range, and control the oscillating unit 510 so that a difference in the power, which is output from the oscillating unit 510 and input to the resonating unit 520, and the power, which is reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, falls within the preset range. For example, the reference frequency range is a range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or a range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

The processor 170 may adjust the output frequency in real time. In other words, the processor 170 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillating unit 510 independently of the power level adjustment of the oscillating unit 510. In other words, regardless of the output frequency adjustment the oscillating unit 510, the processor 170 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, according to a power profile corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 2.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an operating method of a dielectric heating-type aerosol generating device. In this case, the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 9 as well as an embodiment shown in FIG. 10 may be applied to the operating method of the aerosol generating device.

Referring to FIGS. 2 to 10, an operating method of the aerosol generating device 1 including: the oscillating unit 510 that generates microwaves; and the resonating unit 520 including the accommodation space 520h for accommodating the aerosol-generating article 2 and configured to resonate the microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating article 2, may include: operation S10 of identifying whether the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h in the standby mode; operation S20 of, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article 2 is detected, identifying the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 included in the aerosol-generating article 2; and operation S30 of, in the heating mode, adjusting the frequency of the microwaves output from the oscillating unit 510 according to the state of the medium identified in the standby mode.

The processor 170 may adjust the magnitude and/or frequency of microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on an operating mode of the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the aerosol generating device 1 may operate in the standby mode and the heating mode. The standby mode refers to a state where the aerosol generating device 1 is powered on while the heater assembly 50 is not performing a heating operation. The heating mode is a phase in which the heater assembly 50 performs a heating operation, and may be divided into the preheating section and the smoking section.

The oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at a first power level in the standby mode (e.g., S10, S20) and supply microwave power at a second power level in the heating mode (e.g., S30), wherein the second power level is higher than the first power level.

In detail, in operation S10, the processor 170 may identify whether the aerosol-generating article 2 is inserted into the accommodation space 520h (of FIG. 4) by using an insertion detection sensor in the standby mode. In this case, the insertion detection sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor.

Afterwards, in operation S20, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article is detected, the sensor unit 180 may identify the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 included in the aerosol-generating article 2. In this case, the state of the medium may refer to an overly moist state of the medium. For example, the processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating article 2 is in an overly moist state (i.e., an overly moist cigarette) when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, and may determine that the aerosol-generating article 2 is in a normal state (i.e., a normal cigarette) when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than the threshold. In this case, the threshold may be determined experimentally or statistically.

According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 180 may be an ultrasonic sensor. In a case where the sensor unit 180 is an ultrasonic sensor, when a time taken for return of an acoustic wave emitted toward the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than or equal to a preset time, the processor 170 may determine that the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette). In general, the greater the moisture content in the medium, the shorter the time it may take for return of an acoustic wave.

According to another embodiment, the sensor unit 180 may be a near-infrared sensor. When the sensor unit 180 is a near-infrared sensor, the sensor unit 180 may emit light (i.e., a near-infrared ray in a range of 700 nm to 2,500 nm) and measure reflected light, which is light reflected and returned from the medium of the tobacco rod 21, and when absorption of the reflected light at a specific wavelength (e.g., 970 nm, 1,450 nm, or 1,940 nm) is greater than or equal to a preset value, the processor 170 may determine that the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette).

Afterwards, in operation S30, the processor 170 may be configured to, when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold (i.e., an overly moist cigarette), in the preheating section PR1, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate microwaves having the first frequency F1 corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in the smoking section PR2, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate microwaves having the second frequency F2 corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.

In contrast, the processor 170 may be configured to, when the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 is less than the threshold (i.e., a normal cigarette), in both the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, control the oscillating unit 510 to generate the microwaves having the second frequency F2.

In this case, the second frequency F2 may be lower than the first frequency F1. For example, the first frequency F1 may correspond to a range of 2.15 GHz to 2.75 GHz, and the second frequency F2 may correspond to a range of 615 MHz to 1.245 GHz. Preferably, the first frequency F1 may be 2.45 GHz, and the second frequency F2 may be 915 MHz. In other words, the first frequency F1 is an optimal frequency set to vibrate and efficiently heat water molecules, and the second frequency F2 is an optimal frequency set to vibrate and efficiently heat glycerin molecules.

According to an embodiment, the operating method may further include, between operation S20 of identifying the state of the medium of the tobacco rod 21 and operation S30 of adjusting the frequency of the microwaves, generating the incident microwave W1, which is a microwave output from the oscillating unit 510 and input to the resonating unit 520, measuring the reflected microwave W2, which is a microwave reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, and determining the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 based on the measured reflected microwave W2. The processor 170 may output the incident microwave W1 by using the oscillating unit 510 when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article 2 is detected in the standby mode.

Afterwards, in the standby mode, the processor 170 may measure the reflected microwave W2, which is a microwave reflected from the resonating unit 520 and input to the oscillating unit 510, by using the power monitoring unit 550, and may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 based on the measured reflected microwave W2. The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include the memory 190 storing a relationship between the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 and power profiles in the form of a lookup table. Each of the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 may have a fixed permittivity of a dielectric material according to the composition of the tobacco rod 21. Therefore, each of the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 may have a different magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 in response to the incident microwave W1 of the same magnitude.

Afterwards, in the heating mode, the processor 170 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating unit 510, based on a power profile corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 2 determined in the standby mode.

The aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include the memory 190 storing a relationship between the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 2 and power profiles in the form of lookup table. For example, referring to FIG. 9, the first heating profile corresponding to the first aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at the second-11 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at the second-21 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-21 power level is lower than the second-11 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

In addition, the second heating profile corresponding to the second aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at the second-12 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at the second-22 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-22 power level is lower than the second-12 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

Likewise, the third heating profile corresponding to the third aerosol-generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating section PR1 and the smoking section PR2, and the oscillating unit 510 may supply microwave power at the second-13 power level in the preheating section PR1 and may supply microwave power at the second-23 power level in the smoking section PR2, wherein the second-23 power level is lower than the second-13 power level. The processor 170 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

In this case, a higher permittivity of a heating object (or the aerosol-generating article 2) requires heating to a higher temperature, and thus, the second-13 power level, the second-12 power level, and the second-11 power level may be set in descending order, and the second-23 power level, the second-22 power level, and the second-21 power level may be set in descending order.

Any of the embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct. Any of the embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above may be combined or combined in their respective configurations or functions.

For example, it means that the A configuration described in a specific embodiment and/or the drawings and the B configuration described in another embodiment and/or the drawings may be combined. In other words, even if the combination between the configurations is not directly described, it means that the combination is possible, except in cases where the combination is described as impossible.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any way but rather considered as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by the reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the invention are to be included within the scope of the invention.

The aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the disclosure may measure the amount of moisture included in a medium of an aerosol-generating article by using a sensor capable of identifying the state of the medium of the aerosol-generating article, and provide a temperature profile corresponding to the amount of moisture included in the medium.

Effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above effects, and effects that are not mentioned could be clearly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from the present specification and the attached drawings.