METHOD OF SENSING CAPACITANCE AND AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE FOR PERFORMING THE METHOD

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0124321, filed on Sep. 11, 2024, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0124322, filed on Sep. 11, 2024, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0124323, filed on Sep. 11, 2024, Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0124324, filed on Sep. 11, 2024, and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0185286, filed on Dec. 12, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The following embodiments relate to a method of controlling an aerosol-generating device, and more particularly, to a method of sensing a capacitance in a dielectric heating-type aerosol-generating device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, the demand for electronic cigarette devices has gradually increased. In addition, with the growing demand for electronic cigarette devices, functions related electronic cigarette devices have been continuously developed. Particularly, functions related to the type and characteristics of the electronic cigarette device have been continuously developed.

The demand for a system for generating aerosol by heating a cigarette (or an aerosol-generating article) by using an aerosol-generating device has increased rather than a method of generating aerosol by burning a cigarette. Electromagnetic wave heating technology is technology that heats an object by using the dielectric heating principle. An aerosol-generating article may be rapidly heated by using the electromagnetic wave heating technology.

SUMMARY

An embodiment may provide an aerosol-generating device for sensing a capacitance while heating an aerosol-generating article by using a single antenna.

An embodiment may provide an aerosol-generating device for determining whether an aerosol-generating article is inserted based on a sensed capacitance by using a single antenna.

An embodiment may provide an aerosol-generating device for determining a type of an aerosol-generating article based on a sensed capacitance by using a single antenna.

However, the technical aspects are not limited to the aforementioned aspects, and other technical aspects may be present.

According to an embodiment, a method performed by an aerosol-generating device includes controlling a signal generation circuit to generate a first signal and a second signal according to a determined cycle, obtaining a reflected signal corresponding to the second signal, and determining capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of an insertion space of an aerosol-generating article of the aerosol-generating device based on the reflected signal, wherein the aerosol-generating device includes the signal generation circuit configured to generate the first signal in a first frequency band and the second signal in a second frequency band, a resonating unit configured to generate an electric field by resonating the first signal, a coupler configured to transmit the first signal to the resonating unit, and a processor.

According to an embodiment, an aerosol-generating device includes a signal generation circuit configured to generate a first signal in a first frequency band and a second signal in a second frequency band, a resonating unit configured to generate an electric field by resonating the first signal, a coupler configured to transmit the first signal to the resonating unit, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the signal generation circuit to generate the first signal and the second signal according to a determined cycle, obtain a reflected signal corresponding to the second signal, and determine capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of an insertion space of an aerosol-generating article of the aerosol-generating device based on the reflected signal.

According to at least one of embodiments in the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-generating article by dielectric heating by using a single antenna and determining capacitance information in parallel with heating the aerosol-generating article may be provided.

According to at least one of embodiments in the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-generating article by using a heating signal in a heating frequency band corresponding to a type of the aerosol-generating article may be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a configuration of a resonator formed based on a waveguide according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of sensing a capacitance, according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method performed based on capacitance information according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method performed based on capacitance information according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device including a plurality of antennas according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method of controlling an aerosol-generating device including a plurality of antennas, according to an embodiment.

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. With regard to the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements.

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, and do not have mutually distinguished meanings or functions. As used herein, the suffix “module” or “unit” may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms, for example, “logic,” “logic block,” “part,” or “circuitry.” A “module” or a “unit” may be a single integral component, or a minimum unit or part thereof, adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, the “module” or the “unit” may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

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 spirit of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that although the terms “first”, “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various components, 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, or 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.

Embodiments as set forth herein may be implemented as software including one or more instructions that are stored in a storage medium (e.g., a memory 17) that is readable by a machine (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1). For example, a processor (e.g., a controller 12) of the machine (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1) may invoke at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium, and may execute the same. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction invoked. 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. Here, the term “non-transitory” simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device, and does not include a signal (e.g., an electromagnetic wave), but this term does not differentiate between where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and where the data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

Herein, based on an orthogonal coordinate system, a direction of an aerosol-generating device 1 may be defined. An x-axis direction in the orthogonal coordinate system may be defined as a lateral direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. A y-axis direction may be defined as a front-rear direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. A z-axis direction may be defined as a vertical direction of the aerosol-generating device 1.

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

According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a controller 10, a source unit 20, and a radiating unit 30. The controller 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 of the controller 10. The radiating unit 30 may be a device for radiating the RF signal generated by the source unit 20 into a space into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted (hereinafter, referred to as an insertion space) in the form of an electromagnetic wave. The radiated electromagnetic wave (e.g., the RF signal) may cause electric charges or ions of a dielectric (e.g., glycerin) included in the aerosol-generating article to vibrate or rotate, and the aerosol-generating article may be heated as the dielectric is heated by the frictional heat generated during the process in which the electric charges or ions vibrate or rotate. In other words, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be a device for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating article using a dielectric heating method.

In one embodiment, the controller 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. In addition, 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 shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new components may be further included depending on 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 the external power supply and transfer the received power to a component that needs to be charged (e.g., the power supply 130). The power connector 110 may also provide a path for data transmission. The aerosol-generating device 1 may transmit and receive data to and from an external electronic device or system (e.g., a smartphone, a computer, etc.) via the power connector 110. The power connector 110 may include a universal serial bus (USB) power connector, a direct current (DC) power connector, and the like. In an example, the power connector 110 may be a USB-C type connector for supplying a DC voltage of 9V at a current of 1 A, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The power connector 110 may include an interface for wirelessly transmitting and receiving power.

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

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, so that the radiating unit 30 may radiate an electromagnetic wave (e.g., an RF signal) into the insertion space to heat the aerosol-generating article. Here, the supply of power to the radiating unit 30 may have the same meaning as the supply of power to the source unit 20. In addition, the power supply 130 may supply power necessary 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, and the like. In an example, the power supply 130 may be lithium polymer (LiPoly) batteries, but is not limited thereto. The power supply 130 may also be replaceable (removable) batteries (hereinafter, detachable batteries). The detachable batteries may be mounted in or removed from a battery receiving unit provided in the aerosol-generating device 1. The detachable batteries may be charged in a wired and/or wireless manner.

The aerosol-generating device 1 may include a power conversion circuit for converting the power supplied from the power supply 130 to a power (e.g., voltage and/or current) appropriate 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. In addition, the power conversion circuit may further include, if necessary, a DC/alternating current (AC) converter (e.g., an inverter).

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., DC 3.3V) appropriate for the processor 170, the second power converter 150 may be a buck-boost converter for supplying power (e.g., DC 5V) appropriate 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., DC 12V/25 W) appropriate 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. In addition, although FIG. 1 illustrates the aerosol-generating device 1 including three power converters, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include more or 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 the charging and discharging of the power supply 130 using the charging circuit 120. In addition, the processor 170 may control the voltage and/or current output by the power conversion circuit by adjusting the frequency and/or duty ratio of current pulses input to at least one switching element of the power conversion circuit. The processor 170 may control the overall operation of the components described later, in addition to the components described above.

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 in which a program executable by the MCU is stored. In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present embodiment belongs that the processor 170 may also be implemented as another type of hardware.

The RF signal generation circuit 210 may generate an RF signal based on power received from the power supply 130 or the second power converter 150. The RF signal may refer to a signal having a frequency in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). In an example, the RF signal may have a frequency in the range of 1 GHz to 100 GHz. In addition, the RF signal may have a frequency in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) equipment band, such as a frequency of 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 according to 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 control signals corresponding to desired frequencies in the form of a look-up table, or may 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 to 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 amplify the signal level (e.g., the amplitude) of the RF signal, thereby providing an input signal appropriate for a subsequent component (e.g., the power amplifier 230). The drive amplifier 220 may minimize signal distortion by maintaining high linearity. However, the drive amplifier 220 is an amplifier focusing on increasing the signal level and thus may provide relatively low output power.

The power amplifier 230 may amplify the power of the RF signal received from the drive amplifier 220. The power amplifier 230 may be an amplifier focusing on providing sufficient power to a final output device (e.g., the radiating unit 30). For example, the power amplifier 230 may provide an RF signal with high power to the radiating unit 30 such that the radiating unit 30 may radiate an electromagnetic wave into the insertion space to heat the aerosol-generating article. The power amplifier 230 may perform the amplification operation 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 bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field-effect transistors (FETs), or vacuum tubes. In an example, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be gallium nitride (GaN) transistors for high-efficient, high-speed, and high-voltage processing, but are not necessarily limited thereto. The drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may also include operational amplifiers.

Meanwhile, although FIG. 1 illustrates the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 as individual amplifiers, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be integrated into a single amplifier. In addition, the drive amplifier 220 and/or the power amplifier 230 may also be configured as a series connection of a plurality of amplifiers, a parallel connection of a plurality of amplifiers, and/or a combination thereof.

The radiating unit 30 may include at least one antenna for radiating an electromagnetic wave into a space. The at least one antenna may have a size and shape suitable for the size and shape of the aerosol-generating article. For example, if the aerosol-generating article is cylindrical, the at least one antenna may be tubular to surround the cylindrical aerosol-generating article. Here, the antenna being tubular may indicate that the antenna is tubular overall. In other words, if the antenna is formed of a metal (e.g., SUS) track, it may indicate the entire track is tubular overall. The shape of the 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, and the like.

The radiating unit 30 may radiate an electromagnetic wave (e.g., the amplified RF signal or transmitted RF signal) into the insertion space to heat the aerosol-generating article. To maximize the heating efficiency of the aerosol-generating article, resonance of the electromagnetic wave needs to occur in the insertion space. The resonance condition (e.g., the resonance frequency) of the insertion space may vary depending on the amount of the dielectric included in the inserted aerosol-generating article. The processor 170 may adjust the control signal input to the RF signal generation circuit 210, thereby controlling the frequency of the RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 to correspond to or approximate the resonance condition of the insertion space. The processor 170 may use the directional coupler 240 to obtain information about the resonance condition of the insertion space.

The directional coupler 240 may refer to a passive element having a waveguide structure capable of separating an incident wave and a reflected wave. The directional coupler 240 may separately receive the RF signal transmitted from the power amplifier 230 toward the radiating unit 30 and the electromagnetic wave radiated by the radiating unit 30 and then reflected from the insertion space. The directional coupler 240 may separate the transmitted RF signal and the reflected electromagnetic wave and transfer the transmitted RF signal and the reflected electromagnetic wave 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 the analog output of the directional coupler 240 to a digital output. The A/D converter may be embedded in the processor 170, or may be present as a separate component outside the processor 170. The processor 170 may monitor the output of the directional coupler 240 to analyze the characteristics (e.g., the current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the transmitted RF signal and the characteristics (e.g., the current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the reflected electromagnetic wave.

The processor 170 may verify whether the operation of the source unit 20 is being performed as intended, based on the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal. In addition, the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may be used, together with the characteristics of the reflected electromagnetic wave, to determine the heating efficiency of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30. 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 the RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 such that the power of the reflected electromagnetic wave may be minimized. The power of the reflected electromagnetic wave being minimized may indicate that the frequency of the RF signal approximates the resonance condition of the insertion space. The characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may provide a reference regarding whether the power of the reflected electromagnetic wave has been minimized.

Since resonance of the electromagnetic wave may occur in the insertion space according to the frequency of the RF signal, the insertion space may be referred to as a resonating unit. At least a portion of the insertion space may be surrounded by at least one shielding member to prevent the electromagnetic wave from leaking to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1. According to one embodiment, the insertion space may further include a physical structure to cause the resonance condition to fall within a range controllable by the processor 170. The physical structure may include at least one conductor, and the resonance condition of the insertion space may vary depending on the arrangement, thickness, and length of the conductor. In addition, the physical structure may include a space for receiving a dielectric having a low electromagnetic wave absorbance, which is different from the dielectric included in the aerosol-generating article. The dielectric having a low electromagnetic wave absorbance may change the resonance frequency of the entire resonating unit without absorbing energy to be transmitted to an object to be heated. Accordingly, even when the resonating unit is miniaturized, the resonance condition may be determined within the range controllable by the processor 170.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may be disposed in contact with or adjacent to the 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 disposed 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. During the process of generating and/or amplifying the RF signal, heat may be generated due to limited efficiency, and excessive heat generation may have negative effects on the 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 the source unit 20 from overheating.

The processor 170 may receive the measured temperature (or a value corresponding to the temperature) from the temperature sensing circuit 250, and interrupt the operation of the source unit 20 upon determining that the source unit 20 is overheated. For example, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or transmit a control signal, thereby interrupting the operation of the source unit 20. Hereinafter, the expression “supply of power to the source unit 20” is used to indicate control of whether the source unit 20 operates.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may include at least one of 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 occupied area, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include components other than the components shown in FIG. 1. For example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further 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 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 and heat a medium in the cartridge and/or an aerosol-generating substance.

According to one embodiment, the sensor unit may detect the state of the aerosol-generating device 1 or the state of the surroundings of the aerosol-generating device 1, and may 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 state detection sensor, a cigarette identification sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, a cap detection sensor, and/or a movement detection sensor. Meanwhile, the sensor unit may further include various sensors, such as a liquid residual quantity sensor for detecting the residual quantity of liquid in the cartridge and an immersion sensor for detecting immersion of the aerosol-generating device 1.

According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article. The temperature sensor may be in contact with or disposed adjacent to the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article and directly measure the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article. Alternatively, the temperature sensor may be disposed apart from the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article and indirectly (e.g., contactlessly) measure the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article. In an example, the temperature sensor may include an optical temperature sensor (e.g., an infrared temperature sensor).

According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the power supply 130. The temperature sensor may be disposed 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 may be mounted on one surface of a printed circuit board. In an example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a power supply protection circuit module (PCM), and the temperature sensor may be disposed adjacent to the power supply 130 together with the power supply protection circuit module.

According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may be disposed in a housing (not shown) of the aerosol-generating device 1 to detect the internal temperature of the housing (not shown).

According to one embodiment, the puff sensor may detect a user's puff.

In 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 determine the user's puff based on the signal corresponding to the internal pressure. Here, the internal pressure of the aerosol-generating device 1 may correspond to the pressure of an airflow path through which gas flows. The puff sensor may be disposed corresponding 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 the user's puff occurs, temperature drop may temporarily occur in the airflow path, the insertion space, and the aerosol-generating article. The processor 170 may determine the user's puff based on a signal corresponding to the temperature of the airflow path output from the temperature sensor.

In still another example, the puff sensor may include both a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. In this case, the temperature sensor may measure temperature used to calibrate the internal pressure measured by the pressure sensor. In one example, the puff sensor may calibrate a signal corresponding to the internal pressure based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor, and may output the calibrated signal. In another example, the puff sensor may output a signal corresponding to the 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 may calibrate the signal corresponding to the internal pressure based on the signal corresponding to the temperature.

In still another example, the puff sensor may include a capacitance sensor. The capacitance sensor may also be called a cap sensor or a capacitive sensor. When the user's puff occurs, a temperature change and/or aerosol flow may occur in the insertion space, and accordingly, a dielectric constant in the insertion space may change. The processor 170 may determine the user's puff based on a signal corresponding to the dielectric constant in the insertion space output from the capacitance sensor.

The puff sensor is not limited to the examples described above, and may be implemented as various sensors for detecting the user's puff.

According to one embodiment, the insertion detection sensor may detect insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article. The insertion detection sensor may be mounted adjacent to the insertion space.

In an example, the insertion detection sensor may include a capacitance sensor. The capacitance sensor may include at least one conductor, and the at least one conductor may be disposed adjacent to the insertion space. When the aerosol-generating article is inserted into or removed from the insertion space, capacitance around the conductor may change. The processor 170 may determine insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article based on a signal corresponding to the dielectric constant in the insertion space output from the capacitance sensor.

In another example, the insertion detection sensor may include an inductive sensor. The inductive sensor may include at least one coil, and the at least one coil may be disposed adjacent to the insertion space. If the aerosol-generating article (e.g., a wrapper of the aerosol-generating article) includes a conductor, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into or removed from the insertion space, a change in magnetic field may occur around the coil through which current flows. The processor 170 may determine insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article including a conductor based on the characteristics of the current output from or detected by the inductive sensor (e.g., frequency of alternating current, a current value, a voltage value, an inductance value, and an impedance value). Alternatively, a susceptor SUS or the like may be included in the aerosol-generating article (e.g., a medium portion of the aerosol-generating article). In this case, a change in magnetic field may also occur around the coil based on insertion or removal of the susceptor or the like into or from the insertion space, and the processor 170 may determine 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 as various sensors (e.g., a proximity sensor) for detecting insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article. In addition, the insertion detection sensor may include any combination of the examples described above. According to one embodiment, the insertion detection sensor may include a switch or the like for detecting pressing by the aerosol-generating article.

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

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

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

In an example, the cigarette identification sensor may include an optical sensor for detecting an identification material (or an identification mark) located on the outer surface (e.g., the wrapper) of the aerosol-generating article. The optical sensor may radiate light toward the identification material (or the identification mark) of the aerosol-generating article, and may detect whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or may detect the type of the aerosol-generating article based on the reflected light. For example, the identification material may include a material (i.e., a luminous material) that emits light of a specific wavelength band based on the light radiated thereto. The processor 170 may determine whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article based on the range of the wavelength.

In another example, the cigarette identification sensor may include a capacitance sensor. The dielectric constant in the insertion space may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space. The processor 170 may determine whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article based on a signal corresponding to the dielectric constant or the like in the insertion space output from the capacitance sensor.

In still another example, the cigarette identification sensor may include an inductive sensor. If a conductor is included in the wrapper and/or inner portion (e.g., the medium portion) of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the insertion space, the characteristics of the current detected by the inductive sensor (e.g., frequency of alternating current, a current value, a voltage value, an inductance value, and an impedance value) may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space. The processor 170 may determine whether the inserted aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or may determine the type of the inserted aerosol-generating article 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 as various sensors for detecting whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or detecting the type of the aerosol-generating article. In addition, the cigarette identification sensor may include any combination of the examples described above.

According to one embodiment, the cartridge detection sensor may detect mounting and/or removal of the cartridge. For example, the cartridge detection sensor may include an inductive sensor, a capacitance sensor, a resistance sensor, a Hall sensor (Hall IC), and/or an optical sensor.

According to one embodiment, the cap detection sensor may detect mounting and/or removal of the cap. For example, the cap detection sensor may include an inductive sensor, a capacitance sensor, a resistance sensor, a contact sensor, a Hall sensor (Hall IC), and/or an optical sensor. The cap may cover at least a portion of the cartridge mounted in or inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1 or may cover at least a portion of the housing of the aerosol-generating device 1. When the cap is mounted in or removed from the housing, the cap detection sensor may output a signal corresponding to mounting or removal, and the processor 170 may determine mounting or removal of the cap based on the signal corresponding to mounting or removal.

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

According to one embodiment, the sensor unit may further include at least one of a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a position sensor (global positioning system (GPS)), or a proximity sensor in addition to the sensors described above. The functions of the sensors can be intuitively deduced by those skilled in the art from the names thereof, and thus detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted.

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

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

According to one embodiment, the memory may be hardware storing various pieces of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 1. The memory may store data processed and to be processed by the processor 170. For example, the memory may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type memory, a hard disk type memory, a multimedia card micro type memory, a card type memory (e.g., 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 disc. For example, the memory may store data on an 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 one embodiment, the communication unit may include at least one component for communication with other electronic devices (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 data association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, and a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN) communication unit.

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

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

According to one 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, based on the temperature of the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, and/or the cartridge heater exceeding a preset limit temperature, operation of the power conversion circuit such that the amount of power supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater is reduced or the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater is interrupted.

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

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article into and/or from the insertion space. For example, upon determining that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted into the insertion space using the insertion detection sensor, the processor 170 may perform control such that power is supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. Upon determining that the aerosol-generating article has been removed from the insertion space using the insertion detection sensor, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. The processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been removed from the insertion space when the temperature of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article is equal to or higher than a limit temperature or when the temperature change slope of the insertion space or the aerosol-generating article is equal to or greater than a preset slope.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control, based on the state of the aerosol-generating article, a power supply time and/or the amount of power supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. For example, upon determining that the aerosol-generating article is in an overly moist state using the overly moist state detection sensor, the processor 170 may increase a time during which power is supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater (e.g., a preheating time).

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the aerosol-generating article is being reused. For example, upon determining that the aerosol-generating article has already been used, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the cartridge has been coupled and/or removed. For example, upon determining that the cartridge has been removed using the cartridge detection sensor, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater or may perform control such that power is not supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge has been exhausted. For example, upon determining that the temperature of the cartridge heater exceeds a limit temperature during preheating of the cartridge heater (i.e., in the preheating section), the processor 170 may determine that the aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge has been exhausted. Upon determining that the aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge has been exhausted, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether use of the cartridge is possible. For example, upon determining, based on data stored in the memory, that the current number of puffs is equal to or greater than the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge, the processor 170 may determine that use of the cartridge is impossible. Alternatively, when a total time period during which the cartridge heater is heated is equal to or longer than a preset maximum time period or when the total amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater is equal to or greater than a preset maximum amount of power, the processor 170 may determine that use of the cartridge is impossible. In this case, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater or may perform control such that power is not supplied to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on the user's puff. For example, the processor 170 may determine whether a puff occurs and/or the intensity of a puff using the puff sensor. When the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs and/or when no puff is detected for a preset time period or longer, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. When a puff is detected, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater based on whether the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is authentic and/or the type of the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge). For example, the processor 170 may determine whether the aerosol-generating article is authentic and/or may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article using the cigarette identification sensor. In an example, upon determining that the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is inauthentic, the processor 170 may interrupt the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. Upon determining that the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is authentic, the processor 170 may control (e.g., commence) the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater. In another example, the processor 170 may control the supply of power to the source unit 20 or the cartridge heater differently depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge). In more detail, upon determining that the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is a first aerosol-generating article (or a first cartridge), the processor 170 may control the amplification rate of the source unit 20, or the temperature of the cartridge heater and/or power based on a first temperature profile (or a first power profile), and upon determining that the aerosol-generating article (or the cartridge) is a second aerosol-generating article (or a second cartridge), the processor 170 may control the amplification rate of the source unit 20, or the temperature of the cartridge heater and/or power based on a second temperature profile (or a second power profile).

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may control the output unit based on a result of detection by the sensor unit. For example, when the number of puffs counted using the puff sensor reaches a preset number, the processor 170 may control the output unit to visually, haptically, and/or audibly provide information that operation of the aerosol-generating device 1 will end soon. For example, the processor 170 may control the output unit to visually, haptically, and/or audibly provide information about the temperature of the insertion space, the aerosol-generating article, or the cartridge heater.

According to one embodiment, based on occurrence of a predetermined event, the processor 170 may store a history of the corresponding event in the memory and may update the history. For example, the event may include events performed in the aerosol-generating device 1, such as detection of insertion of the aerosol-generating article, commencement of heating of the aerosol-generating article, detection of puff, termination of puff, detection of overheating, detection of application of overvoltage to the cartridge heater, termination of heating of the aerosol-generating article, on/off operation of the aerosol-generating device 1, commencement of charging of the power supply 130, detection of overcharging of the power supply 130, and termination of charging of the power supply 130. For example, the history of the event may include the occurrence date and time of the event and log data corresponding to the event. For example, when the predetermined event is detection of insertion of the aerosol-generating article, the log data corresponding to the event may include data on a value detected by the insertion detection sensor. For example, when the predetermined event is detection of overheating of the cartridge heater, the log data corresponding to the event may include data on the temperature of the cartridge heater, the voltage applied to the cartridge heater, and the current flowing through the cartridge heater.

According to one 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 one embodiment, upon receiving data on authentication from an external device via the communication link, the processor 170 may release restriction on use of at least one function (e.g., a heating function) of the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the data on authentication may include the user's birthday, an identification number uniquely identifying the user, and whether authentication is completed by the user.

According to one embodiment, the processor 170 may transmit data on the state of the aerosol-generating device 1 (e.g., remaining capacity of the power supply 130 and operation mode) to the external device via the communication link. The transmitted data may be output through a display or the like of the external device.

According to one embodiment, upon receiving a request to search for the location of the aerosol-generating device 1 from the external device via the communication link, the processor 170 may control the output unit to perform an operation corresponding to location search. For example, the processor 170 may perform control such that the haptic unit generates vibration or the display outputs objects corresponding to location search and termination of search.

According to one embodiment, upon receiving firmware data from the external device via the communication link, the processor 170 may perform firmware update.

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

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include a power supply protection circuit. The power supply protection circuit may include at least one switching element, and may block an electric path to the power supply 130 in response to overcharging and/or overdischarging of the power supply 130.

The aerosol-generating article mentioned in the present disclosure 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 disposed to correspond to the at least one aerosol-generating rod, and may be designed differently depending on the arrangement order and/or positions of the aerosol-generating rod and the filter rod. The aerosol-generating rod may contain at least one of nicotine, an aerosol-generating substance, and an additive. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include glycerin (e.g., vegetable glycerin (VG)) and/or propylene glycol (PG) and may also include various other substances. For example, the additive may include a flavoring agent and/or an organic acid 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 substance (e.g., an aerosol-generating substance and/or nicotine) and/or may contain a solid tobacco substance (e.g., leaf tobacco and reconstituted tobacco). The tobacco substance may be contained in the aerosol-generating rod in various forms, such as shredded tobacco, granules, and powder. According to one embodiment, the additive of the aerosol-generating rod may include an alkaline substance. Based on the alkaline substance, nicotine contained in the tobacco substance 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 a low temperature. According to one embodiment, the aerosol-generating rod may include two or more aerosol-generating rods, each of which may contain a tobacco substance and/or a non-tobacco substance. Meanwhile, although not shown, the at least one aerosol-generating rod and the at least one filter rod may individually and/or integrally be wrapped by at least one wrapper. In the present disclosure, the aerosol-generating article may be referred to as a stick.

The cartridge mentioned in the present disclosure may contain an aerosol-generating substance having any one state among a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, and a gel state. The aerosol-generating substance may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance. Meanwhile, the cartridge may include a storage part that contains the aerosol-generating substance and/or a liquid delivery part that is impregnated with (contains) the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the liquid delivery part may include a wick formed of, e.g., cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic. The cartridge heater may be included in the cartridge in a coil-shaped structure surrounding (or wound around) the liquid delivery part or a structure contacting one side of the liquid delivery part. Alternatively, the cartridge heater may be included in the aerosol-generating device 1, which is removable from the cartridge.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a configuration of a resonator formed based on a waveguide according to an embodiment.

An aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIG. 1) that generates aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article by dielectric heating may radiate electromagnetic waves to an insertion space via a radiating unit (e.g., the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 1). The insertion space may be shaped to efficiently resonate with the electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic waves may be microwaves. For example, a microwave may have a wavelength between 1 millimeter (mm) and 1 meter (m).

According to one embodiment, the insertion space may include a resonator 351 in which electromagnetic waves are resonated and an insertion portion 350 in which an aerosol-generating article is disposed. The electromagnetic waves resonated by the resonator 351 may leak to the insertion portion 350, and the aerosol-generating article may be heated by the leaked electromagnetic waves.

According to one embodiment, the resonator 351 may be formed based on a waveguide 300 including walls 321 and 322, an outer conductor 311, and a central conductor 340. The resonator 351 may correspond to the resonating unit described above with reference to FIG. 1. The resonator 351 may form an amplified electromagnetic field by resonating the provided microwaves. At least a portion of the electromagnetic field formed by the resonated microwaves may generate aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate inserted into the waveguide. According to one embodiment, the resonator 351 may be a quarter-wavelength resonator. A first end of the resonator 351 may be short-circuited by a metal wall, and a second end of the resonator 351 may be open. The outer conductor 311 and the central conductor 340 may have a cylindrical shape and may be coaxial. The resonator 351 may be formed by a cavity between the cylindrical outer conductor 311 and the cylindrical central conductor 340.

According to one embodiment, the wall 321, the wall 322, the outer conductor 311, and the central conductor 340 may include metal. The waveguide 300 may be a coaxial type of which the inside is hollow. Additionally, the insertion portion 350 may be formed to be connected to an inner space of the waveguide 300. The insertion portion 350 may be connected to the wall 322 by extending the insertion portion 350 to a cylindrical inner space formed by the central conductor 340. A material of the insertion portion 350 may be different from a material of the waveguide 300. For example, the material of the waveguide 300 may be a material that prevents an electromagnetic field generated in the cavity in the waveguide 300 from propagating to the outside, and the material of the insertion portion 350 may be a material that does not affect the propagation of the electromagnetic field.

The central conductor 340 may be connected to a first end of the resonator 351 by the first wall 321. The central conductor 340 may include an open end 331 that is not connected to another metal. The insertion portion 350 may be formed inside the waveguide 300 so that an aerosol-generating substrate 370 inserted into the waveguide 300 is positioned at the open end 331 and an end portion of the insertion portion 350.

The resonator 351 may be formed by a portion of the central conductor 340 and the first end by the first wall 321 of the waveguide 300. In other words, the resonator 351 may have a donut shape centered around the central conductor 340.

According to one embodiment, the first end of the resonator 351 may be formed as a closed end connected to the outer conductor (or the wall) and the central conductor, and a second end of the resonator 351 opposite to the first end may be formed as an open end that is not connected to and is apart from the outer conductor (or the wall) and the central conductor so that the resonator 351 has a length equal to a quarter of the wavelength of a microwave in the resonator 351. The length between the first end and the second end may be an integer multiple of the quarter of the wavelength of the microwave in the resonator 351. When the microwave is confined in a limited space, such as the resonator 351, the microwave may have a different wavelength from a microwave radiated to a free space. For example, the wavelength of the microwave may vary depending on a structural factor of the resonator 351. In another example, the wavelength of the microwave in a dielectric in the resonator 351 may be shortened as a dielectric constant value of the dielectric increases.

According to one embodiment, the user may insert the aerosol-generating substrate 370 via the insertion portion 350 so that the aerosol-generating substrate 370 is adjacent to the open end 331 of the central conductor 340 positioned on the opposite side of the first end by the first wall 321. The aerosol-generating substrate 370 may be a tobacco medium. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate 370 may include an aerosol forming agent, such as glycerin or propylene glycol.

A microwave may be provided to the cavity of the waveguide 300 via a microwave coupler 332, and the microwave may be resonated by the resonator 351. An amplified electromagnetic field may be formed in the resonator 351 by the resonated microwave, and the aerosol-generating substrate 370 may be heated by at least a portion of the electromagnetic field.

At least a portion of the electromagnetic field may be applied to the aerosol-generating substrate 370 through the open end 331 that is formed by not connecting the central conductor 340 with the insertion portion 350. Specifically, since a strong electromagnetic field is formed around the open end 331, the aerosol-generating substrate 370 may be easily heated. For example, the strongest electromagnetic field may be generated at the open end 331 at which a resonance peak is formed on a side of the resonator 351. A portion of the formed electromagnetic field may leak to the aerosol-generating substrate 370 adjacent to the resonator 351, and the leaked electromagnetic field may heat the aerosol-generating substrate 370. In other words, the method of heating the aerosol-generating substrate 370 described above may be a method of heating an aerosol-generating substrate by an electromagnetic field leaked via the open end 331, rather than directly heating the aerosol-generating substrate in the resonator.

In addition, the structure of the resonator 351 may prevent the electromagnetic field from leaking toward the insertion portion 350 other than an area of the resonator 351. In other words, the electromagnetic field leaked to the aerosol-generating substrate 370 may only heat the aerosol-generating substrate 370 and may not be propagated to the outside (e.g., toward the mouth of the user). Since the electromagnetic field is not propagated (or leaked) to a space other than the area of the resonator 351, a separate function or structure of an aerosol-generating device 1 for shielding the electromagnetic field may not be required.

According to one embodiment, the diameter of the insertion portion 350 may be less than half of the wavelength of the microwave. When the diameter of the insertion portion 350 is less than half of the wavelength of the microwave, the microwave causing resonance may be cut off.

The user may inhale aerosol generated by the heated aerosol-generating substrate 370 through a cigarette.

According to one embodiment, the cavity of the resonator 351 may be filled with a low-loss dielectric (Teflon, quartz, alumina, etc.). When the cavity is filled with the low-loss dielectric, the size of the resonator 351 may be further reduced.

The aerosol-generating device for resonating electromagnetic waves by using the resonator formed based on the waveguide is described with reference to FIG. 2, but the method of resonating electromagnetic waves is not limited thereto.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method of sensing a capacitance, according to an embodiment.

Operations 310 to 330 may be performed by an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIG. 1). The aerosol-generating device may include a signal generation circuit (e.g., the RF signal generation circuit 210 of FIG. 1), a resonating unit (e.g., the resonator 351 of FIG. 2), a coupler (e.g., the microwave coupler 332 of FIG. 2), and a processor (e.g., the processor 170 of FIG. 1).

In operation 310, the aerosol-generating device may control the signal generation circuit to generate a first signal in a first frequency band and a second signal in a second frequency band according to a determined cycle.

The signal generation circuit of the aerosol-generating device may generate a signal having a different frequency depending on an input voltage. The processor of the aerosol-generating device may apply a control signal (e.g., a DC signal) to the signal generation circuit. The signal generation circuit may receive the control signal from the processor and may generate a signal having a frequency corresponding to the received control signal.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may store a first control signal corresponding to the first frequency band and a second control signal corresponding to the second frequency band in the form of a look-up table. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may calculate the first control signal corresponding to the first frequency band and the second control signal corresponding to the second frequency band by at least one operation in real time. The processor of the aerosol-generating device may apply the first control signal and the second control signal to the signal generation circuit according to the determined cycle. The signal generation circuit may generate the first signal in the first frequency band corresponding to the first control signal received from the processor and the second signal in the second frequency band corresponding to the second control signal received from the processor according to the determined cycle.

According to one embodiment, the first frequency band may be different from the second frequency band. For example, the first frequency band may be 1 GHz or above. For example, the first frequency band may be a 915 MHz, 2.45 GHZ, and/or 5.8 GHz band. The second frequency band may be a band lower than the first frequency band. For example, the second frequency band may be less than 1 GHz. Accordingly, the first signal may be a high frequency signal and the second signal may be a low frequency signal. The first signal in the first frequency band, which is a relatively high frequency band, may be used to heat an aerosol-generating article. The second signal in the second frequency band, which is a relatively low frequency band, may be used to sense a capacitance based on a reflected signal corresponding to the second signal.

The aerosol-generating device may control the signal generation circuit to alternately generate the first signal in the first frequency band during a first time period and the second signal in the second frequency band during a second time period. For example, the signal generating device may control the signal generation circuit to alternately generate the first signal for 1 second(s) and the second signal for 1 millisecond (ms).

A drive amplifier (e.g., the drive amplifier 220 of FIG. 1) may amplify the first and second signals generated by the signal generation circuit. A power amplifier (e.g., the power amplifier 230 of FIG. 1) may provide the first and second signals having high power to a radiating unit (e.g., the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 1) by amplifying the power of the first and second signals received from the drive amplifier. The radiating unit may include a first antenna for radiating the first signal and the second signal to an insertion space (e.g., the resonator 351 and/or the insertion portion 350 of FIG. 2).

The aerosol-generating device may radiate the first signal and the second signal to at least a portion of the insertion space according to the determined cycle via the first antenna that is a single antenna. Resonance of electromagnetic waves may occur in the insertion space by the first signal that is a high-frequency signal. The aerosol-generating device may control the first control signal input to the signal generation circuit so that the first frequency band of the first signal corresponds to or becomes close to a resonance condition of the insertion space.

In operation 320, the aerosol-generating device may obtain a reflected signal corresponding to the second signal in the second frequency band.

The aerosol-generating device may obtain the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal that is reflected from the insertion space after the second signal is radiated by the first antenna. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the insertion space, after the second signal is radiated by the first antenna, the aerosol-generating device may obtain the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal that is reflected from the aerosol-generating article. After the first signal and the second signal are radiated through the first antenna, the aerosol-generating device may obtain a reflected signal corresponding to the first signal and a reflected signal corresponding to the second signal, and may identify the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal by separating the obtained reflected signals according to frequency.

In operation 330, the aerosol-generating device may determine capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article of the aerosol-generating device based on the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal.

The capacitance information may include at least one of a capacitance value, one or more capacitance values, a mean of one or more capacitance values, and/or a range (e.g., a minimum value and a maximum value) of one or more capacitance values. For example, the aerosol-generating device may determine one or more capacitance values based on a reflected signal obtained in response to radiating the second signal at a determined low-frequency cycle.

The aerosol-generating device may determine a reflection coefficient T, which is a ratio of the intensity of the radiated second signal to the intensity of the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal (or a return voltage signal (RVS) corresponding to the second signal). The aerosol-generating device may determine the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article based on the reflection coefficient. The aerosol-generating device may determine the capacitance information based on Equation 1.

C = 1 j ⁢ ω ⁢ Z L [ Equation ⁢ 1 ]

In Equation 1, C may denote a capacitance, Z_L may denote load impedance, in other words, impedance of an incident medium of the second signal corresponding to the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article. Z_L may be calculated according to Equation 2.

Z L = Z 0 ( 1 + Γ ) ( 1 + Γ ) [ Equation ⁢ 2 ]

In Equation 2, Z_o may denote reference impedance (e.g., impedance of a transmission line), and Γ may denote a reflection coefficient. The aerosol-generating device may determine the reflection coefficient based on the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal, may determine the load impedance based on the determined reflection coefficient, and may determine the capacitance based on the determined load impedance.

According to one embodiment, after the power of the aerosol-generating device is turned on, the aerosol-generating device may determine the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article according to a determined cycle.

The aerosol-generating device may alternately generate and radiate the first signal and the second signal according to the determined cycle to minimize the interference of the first signal and the second signal. The aerosol-generating device may perform the operation of heating the aerosol-generating article by using the first signal and the operation of determining the capacitance information by using the second signal in parallel.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method performed based on capacitance information according to an embodiment.

Operations 410 and 420 may be performed by an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIG. 1). The aerosol-generating device may include a signal generation circuit (e.g., the RF signal generation circuit 210 of FIG. 1), a resonating unit (e.g., the resonator 351 of FIG. 2), a coupler (e.g., the microwave coupler 332 of FIG. 2), and a processor (e.g., the processor 170 of FIG. 1).

According to one embodiment, operation 410 may be performed after operation 330 described above with reference to FIG. 3. The aerosol-generating device may perform operation 410 based on the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of an insertion space (e.g., the insertion portion 350 of FIG. 2) of an aerosol-generating article determined based on a reflected signal.

In operation 410, the aerosol-generating device may determine whether to insert the aerosol-generating article into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information.

The aerosol-generating article may include, for example, an aerosol-generating substrate (e.g., the aerosol-generating substrate 370 of FIG. 2) including at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol but is not limited thereto. In addition, the aerosol-generating article may contain other additives, such as a flavoring agent, a humectant, and/or an organic acid. In addition, a flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a moisturizer, may be added to the aerosol-generating article by spraying the flavoring liquid onto a tobacco load of the aerosol-generating article.

The capacitance information sensed when the insertion space of the aerosol-generating device is empty may be different from the capacitance information sensed when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the insertion space of the aerosol-generating device. Since the density of the aerosol-generating article is greater than the density of air, when the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the insertion space of the aerosol-generating device, the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article may increase.

According to one embodiment, when the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article satisfies a determined criterion, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted. For example, when the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article is greater than or equal to (or exceeds) a threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted. For example, when the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article is less than (or less than or equal to) the threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has not been inserted. For example, when the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article is less than (or less than or equal to) the threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been removed.

According to one embodiment, operation 420 may be performed after operation 330 described above with reference to FIG. 3. The aerosol-generating device may perform operation 420 based on the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article determined based on the reflected signal.

In operation 420, the aerosol-generating device may determine a type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information.

The aerosol-generating article may include different aerosol-generating substrates depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article. Alternatively, a composition ratio of the aerosol-generating substrates included in the aerosol-generating article may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article. Accordingly, the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article. Depending on the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may vary. For example, as the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article increases, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may increase. Depending on the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article, the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article may vary. For example, as the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article increases, the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space into which the aerosol-generating article is inserted may increase. In conclusion, the sensed capacitance information may vary depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the insertion space of the aerosol-generating device.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may store reference capacitance information (e.g., a capacitance value or a range of capacitance values) corresponding to each of a plurality of types of the aerosol-generating article in the form of a look-up table. The aerosol-generating device may determine the reference capacitance information in which the sensed capacitance information is included, based on the look-up table. The aerosol-generating device may identify the type of the aerosol-generating article corresponding to the determined reference capacitance information. The aerosol-generating device may determine the identified type to be the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device.

According to one embodiment, after determining that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted (or after performing operation 410), the aerosol-generating device may determine the capacitance information a determined number of times (e.g., twice, three times, or four times). The aerosol-generating device may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article based on a mean of the capacitance information that is determined for the determined number of times.

According to one embodiment, operations 410 and 420 may be selectively or sequentially performed. For example, the aerosol-generating device may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article based on the capacitance information based on the determination of the insertion of the aerosol-generating article. For example, after determining that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted (or after performing operation 410), the aerosol-generating device may redetermine the capacitance information based on the obtained reflected signal corresponding to the second signal. The aerosol-generating device may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article based on the redetermined capacitance information.

According to one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may determine the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article. Hereinafter, the method of determining the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article is described with reference to Equations 3 to 7.

As described with reference to FIG. 3, the aerosol-generating device may obtain the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal. As the radiated second signal passes through the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device and/or the insertion space of the aerosol-generating device, power of the obtained reflected signal may be attenuated compared to the second signal. The attenuated power P (z) of the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal may be expressed as Equation 3.

P ⁡ ( z ) = P 0 ⁢ e - α ⁢ z [ Equation ⁢ 3 ]

z may denote a propagation distance, P (z) may denote power at a point where the propagation distance is z, P₀ may denote initial power, and a may denote an attenuation constant. The attenuation constant α may be expressed as Equation 4.

α = ω c ⁢ μϵ ″ [ Equation ⁢ 4 ]

ω may denote an angular frequency, c may denote the speed of light, μ may denote permeability, and ∈″ may denote loss permittivity.

The aerosol-generating device may sense a phase change and attenuated power of the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal. The aerosol-generating device may determine the loss permittivity of the aerosol-generating article according to Equations 3 and 4, based on the sensed phase change and attenuated power of the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal.

On the other hand, the reference impedance (e.g., impedance of a transmission line) Z_o may be expressed as Equation 5, and complex permittivity e of the aerosol-generating article may be expressed as Equation 6.

Z o =   μ ϵ 0 ⁢ ϵ r [ Equation ⁢ 5 ]

μ may denote permeability, ∈₀ may denote permittivity of vacuum, and ∈_r may denote relative permittivity of the aerosol-generating article.

ϵ = ϵ ′ - j ⁢ ϵ ″ [ Equation ⁢ 6 ]

∈′ may denote a dielectric constant, and ∈″ may denote loss permittivity. The aerosol-generating device may determine the relative permittivity of the aerosol-generating article according to Equation 5. The aerosol-generating device may determine a real part of complex permittivity (or the dielectric constant) of the aerosol-generating article based on the relative permittivity of the aerosol-generating article. Accordingly, the aerosol-generating device may determine the complex permittivity of the aerosol-generating article based on the dielectric constant and the loss permittivity of the aerosol-generating article which are determined based on the attenuated power and phase change of the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal.

Depending on the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may vary. For example, as the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article decreases, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may decrease. The complex permittivity ∈) of the aerosol-generating article may be expressed as Equation 7.

ϵ = ϵ d ⁢ r ⁢ y + W m ( ϵ water - ϵ d ⁢ r ⁢ y ) [ Equation ⁢ 7 ]

∈ may denote the complex permittivity of the aerosol-generating article, ∈_dry may denote permittivity of the aerosol-generating article in a dry state, ∈_water may denote permittivity of a moisture material included in the aerosol-generating article, and W_m may denote the moisture content (e.g., a mass ratio) of the aerosol-generating article. The aerosol-generating device may determine the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article according to Equation 7, based on the complex permittivity of the aerosol-generating article.

The aerosol-generating device may determine whether the aerosol-generating article has been previously used based on the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article. In one embodiment, when the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article satisfies a first determined criterion, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been previously used. For example, when the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article is less than (or less than or equal to) a threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has been previously used. In one embodiment, when the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article satisfies a second determined criterion, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has not been previously used. For example, when the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article is greater than or equal to (or exceeds) a threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the aerosol-generating article has not been previously used.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method performed based on capacitance information according to an embodiment.

Operations 510 and 520 may be performed by an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIG. 1). The aerosol-generating device may include a signal generation circuit (e.g., the RF signal generation circuit 210 of FIG. 1), a resonating unit (e.g., the resonator 351 of FIG. 2), a coupler (e.g., the microwave coupler 332 of FIG. 2), and a processor (e.g., the processor 170 of FIG. 1).

According to one embodiment, operations 510 and 520 may be performed after operation 330 described above with reference to FIG. 3. The aerosol-generating device may perform operations 510 and 520 based on the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of an insertion space (e.g., the insertion portion 350 of FIG. 2) of an aerosol-generating article determined based on a reflected signal.

The aerosol-generating device may generate aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate in the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device. A user may smoke by inhaling the generated aerosol. As the user inhales aerosol through the aerosol-generating article while smoking, in other words, according to a puff that the user inhales aerosol, the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article may vary. For example, each time the user inhales aerosol, the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article may decrease. Depending on the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may vary. For example, as the moisture content of the aerosol-generating article decreases, the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article may decrease. Accordingly, the aerosol-generating device may determine whether a puff that the user inhales aerosol occurs based on a change in the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article.

In operation 510, the aerosol-generating device may determine a change in the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information.

The correlation between the change in the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article and a change in the capacitance may be expressed as Equation 8.

Δϵ r = Δ ⁢ C ⁢ ϵ r C [ Equation ⁢ 8 ]

C may denote a capacitance, ΔC may denote a change in the capacitance, ∈_r may denote permittivity (or relative permittivity) of an aerosol-generating article, and Δ∈_r may denote a change in the permittivity of an aerosol-generating article.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may store the permittivity (or relative permittivity) of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the aerosol-generating device may store permittivity corresponding to each of the types of the aerosol-generating article in the form of a look-up table. As described above with reference to FIG. 4, the aerosol-generating device may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating device may identify the permittivity corresponding to the determined type of the aerosol-generating article based on the look-up table. The aerosol-generating device may determine a change in the permittivity of the aerosol-generating article based on the identified permittivity and the capacitance information corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article. In Equation 8, C may denote the capacitance corresponding to at least a portion of the insertion space of the aerosol-generating article before the aerosol-generating article is heated. For example, like the capacitance information used to determine the type of the aerosol-generating article, C may denote the capacitance before the aerosol-generating article is heated after the aerosol-generating article is inserted.

In operation 520, the aerosol-generating device may determine whether a user's puff occurs with respect to the aerosol-generating device based on the change in permittivity.

According to one embodiment, when the change in permittivity satisfies a determined criterion, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the user's puff with respect to the aerosol-generating device occurs. For example, when the change in permittivity is greater than or equal to (or exceeds) a threshold, the aerosol-generating device may determine that the user's puff occurs.

FIG. 6A is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device including a plurality of antennas according to an embodiment.

According to one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a source unit 600 (e.g., the source unit 20 of FIG. 1) and a radiating unit 60 (e.g., the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 1). Although not illustrated, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include the components of the controller 10 and the source unit 20 described with reference to FIG. 1. For example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include the power connector 110, the charging circuit 120, the power supply 130, the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, the third power converter 160, and/or the processor 170. The source unit 600 may include the drive amplifier 220, the power amplifier 230, the directional coupler 240, and/or the temperature sensing circuit 250, and a repeated description provided with reference to FIG. 1 is omitted.

According to one embodiment, with reference to FIG. 3, it is described that the radiating unit may radiate the first signal in the first frequency band and the second signal in the second frequency band to at least a portion of the insertion space according to the determined cycle via the first antenna, which is a single antenna. Referring to FIG. 6A, the radiating unit 60 of the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include one or more antennas in a frequency band that is different from the first frequency band of the first signal. For example, the radiating unit 60 of the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include a second antenna 62 and a third antenna 63 in a frequency band that is different from the first frequency band, in addition to a first antenna 61 for radiating the first signal and the second signal. The number of antennas illustrated in FIG. 6A is an example, and the number of antennas included in the aerosol-generating device 1 is not limited thereto.

With reference to FIGS. 3 to 5, it is described that the first signal in the first frequency band, which is a relatively high frequency band, may be used to heat the aerosol-generating article, and the second signal in the second frequency band, which is a relatively low frequency band, may be used to sense the capacitance based on the reflected signal corresponding to the second signal. Hereinafter, to distinguish from a signal used to sense the capacitance, a signal used to heat the aerosol-generating article may be referred to as a “heating signal”, and a frequency band of the heating signal may be referred to as a “heating frequency band”. The first frequency band described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 may be construed as a “first heating frequency band”, and the first signal may be construed as a “first heating signal”.

The second antenna 62 and the third antenna 63 may radiate the second heating signal and the third heating signal in the frequency bands that are different from the first heating frequency band, respectively. The second antenna 62 may radiate the second heating signal in the second heating frequency band that is different from the first frequency band. The third antenna 63 may radiate the third heating signal in the third heating frequency band that is different from the first frequency band and the second frequency band. For example, the second heating frequency band and the third heating frequency band may be 1 GHz or above. The second heating signal and the third heating signal, which are in relatively high frequency bands, may be used to heat the aerosol-generating article.

The source unit 600 may include a signal generation circuit 601 (e.g., the RF signal generation circuit 210 of FIG. 1) and a switching circuit 602.

The signal generation circuit 601 may include a VCO that generates an RF signal having a different frequency according to an input voltage. The signal generation circuit 601 may receive a control signal (e.g., a DC signal) from a processor (e.g., the processor 170 of FIG. 1) and generate an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the received control signal.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may store control signals respectively corresponding to the first heating frequency band, the second heating frequency band, and the third heating frequency band in the form of a look-up table. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may calculate control signals respectively corresponding to the first heating frequency band, the second heating frequency band, and the third heating frequency band in real time by at least one operation. The processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may apply a control signal corresponding to the first heating frequency band, the second heating frequency band, or the third heating frequency band to the signal generation circuit 601. The signal generation circuit 601 may generate a heating signal in a heating frequency band (e.g., the first heating frequency band, the second heating frequency band, or the third heating frequency band) corresponding to the control signal from the processor.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may control the connection among the signal generation circuit 601 and the antennas 61, 62, and 63 of the radiating unit 60 by controlling the switching circuit 602. For example, the switching circuit 602 may include a first switching element between the signal generation circuit 601 and the first antenna 61, a second switching element between the signal generation circuit 601 and the second antenna 62, and a third switching element between the signal generation circuit 601 and the third antenna 63. The processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may be electrically connected to the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element, and may control the connections between the signal generation circuit 601 and the antennas 61, 62, and 63 by controlling open or closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element.

For example, the processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may turn on the first switching element to connect the signal generation circuit 601 to the first antenna 61, may turn on the second switching element to connect the signal generation circuit 601 to the second antenna 62, and/or may turn on the third switching element to connect the signal generation circuit 601 to the third antenna 63. Turning on the switching element may indicate controlling the switching element to switch the open or closed state of the switching element from an “open state” to a “closed state”. In addition, connecting the signal generation circuit 601 to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 may indicate that a heating signal (e.g., the first heating signal, the second heating signal, and/or the third heating signal) is provided to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 from the signal generation circuit 601.

In another example, the processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may turn off the first switching element so that the signal generation circuit 601 is not connected to the first antenna 61, may turn off the second switching element so that the signal generation circuit 601 is not connected to the second antenna 62, and/or may turn off the third switching element so that the signal generating circuit 601 is not connected to the third antenna 63. Turning off the switching element may indicate controlling the switching element to switch the open or closed state of the switching element from the “closed state” to the “open state”. In addition, not connecting the signal generation circuit 601 to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 may indicate that a heating signal (e.g., the first heating signal, the second heating signal, and/or the third heating signal) is blocked from the signal generation circuit 601 to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63.

In one embodiment, the signal generation circuit 601 may include a plurality of circuits for generating signals in different frequency bands. For example, the signal generation circuit 601 may include the plurality of circuits (e.g., a first circuit corresponding to the first antenna 61, a second circuit corresponding to the second antenna 62, and a third circuit corresponding to the third antenna 63) respectively corresponding to the antennas 61, 62, and 63 of the radiating unit 60.

The aerosol-generating device 1 may control the connections between the plurality of circuits (e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) of the signal generation circuit 601 and the antennas 61, 62, and 63 of the radiating unit 60 by controlling the switching circuit 602. In one embodiment, the switching circuit 602 may include a first switching element between the first circuit and the first antenna 61, a second switching element between the second circuit and the second antenna 62, and a third switching element between the third circuit and the third antenna 63. The processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may be electrically connected to the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element, and may control the connections between the plurality of circuits (e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) and the antennas 61, 62, and 63 by controlling open or closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element.

In one embodiment, unlike FIG. 6A, the signal generation circuit 601 may be connected between the switching circuit 602 and the radiating unit 60. For example, the switching circuit 602 may be connected between a power supply (e.g., the power supply 130 of FIG. 1) and the signal generation circuit 601.

The aerosol-generating device 1 may control the connection between the power supply and the plurality of circuits (e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) of the signal generation circuit 601 by controlling the switching circuit 602. For example, the switching circuit 602 may include a first switching element between the power supply and the first antenna 61, a second switching element between the power supply and the second antenna 62, and a third switching element between the power supply and the third antenna 63. The processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may be electrically connected to the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element, and may control the connections between the power supply and the antennas 61, 62, and 63 by controlling open or closed states of the first switching element, the second switching element, and the third switching element.

For example, the processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may turn on the first switching element to connect the power supply to the first antenna 61, may turn on the second switching element to connect the power supply to the second antenna 62, and/or may turn on the third switching element to connect the power supply to the third antenna 63. Connecting the power supply to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 may indicate that the power is supplied to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 from the power supply.

In another example, the processor of the aerosol-generating device 1 may turn off the first switching element so that the power supply is not connected to the first antenna 61, may turn off the second switching element so that the power supply is not connected to the second antenna 62, and/or may turn off the third switching element so that the power supply is not connected to the third antenna 63. Not connecting the power supply to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63 may indicate that power supply to the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and the third antenna 63 from the power supply is blocked.

FIG. 6B is a flowchart of a method of controlling an aerosol-generating device including a plurality of antennas, according to an embodiment.

Operation 610 may be performed by an aerosol-generating device (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIGS. 1 and 6A). The aerosol-generating device may include a signal generation circuit (e.g., the RF signal generation circuit 210 of FIG. 1 or the signal generation circuit 601 of FIG. 6A), a resonating unit (e.g., the resonator 351 of FIG. 2), a coupler (e.g., the microwave coupler 332 of FIG. 2), and a processor (e.g., the processor 170 of FIG. 1).

According to one embodiment, operation 310 of FIG. 3 may include operation 610.

In operation 610, the aerosol-generating device may control a signal generation circuit to generate a target heating signal in a target heating frequency band corresponding to a type of an aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may store heating profiles respectively corresponding to a plurality of types of the aerosol-generating article. The heating profile may include a heating frequency band of a heating signal generated by the signal generation circuit. For example, the aerosol-generating device may store the heating profiles respectively corresponding to the types of the aerosol-generating article in the form of a look-up table. As described above with reference to FIG. 4, the aerosol-generating device may determine the type of the aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating device may identify a target heating profile (e.g., the target heating frequency band) corresponding to the determined type of the aerosol-generating article, based on the look-up table. The aerosol-generating device may control the signal generation circuit based on the identified target heating profile. In other words, the signal generating device may control the signal generation circuit to generate the target heating signal in the target heating frequency band.

According to one embodiment, with reference to FIG. 3, it is described that the radiating unit may radiate the first signal in the first frequency band and the second signal in the second frequency band to at least a portion of the insertion space according to the determined cycle via the first antenna, which is a single antenna. As described above with reference to FIG. 6A, the aerosol-generating device may further include one or more antennas (e.g., the second antenna 62 and the third antenna 63) in a frequency band (or another heating frequency band) that is different from the first frequency band (or the first heating frequency band) of the first signal (or the first heating signal).

The aerosol-generating device may radiate the target heating signal via a target antenna corresponding to the target heating frequency band among one or more antennas and the first antenna for radiating the first signal (or the first heating signal) and the second signal by controlling a switching circuit.

For example, the aerosol-generating device may control the connections between the signal generation circuit and the antennas (e.g., the first antenna 61, the second antenna 62, and/or the third antenna 63) of a radiating unit (e.g., the radiating unit 60 of FIG. 6) by controlling the switching circuit (e.g., the switching circuit 602 of FIG. 6a). In another example, the aerosol-generating device may control the connections between a plurality of circuits (e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) of the signal generation circuits and the antennas of the radiating unit by controlling the switching circuit. In another example, the aerosol-generating device may control the connections between a power supply and the plurality of circuits (e.g., the first circuit, the second circuit, and the third circuit) of the signal generation circuit.

Certain embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct from each other. Any or all elements of the embodiments of the disclosure described above may be combined with another or combined with each other in configuration or function.

For example, a configuration “A” described in one embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings and a configuration “B” described in another embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings may be combined with each other. Namely, although the combination between the configurations is not directly described, the combination is possible except in the case where it is described that the combination is impossible.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.