Circuit unit for aerosol generation device, aerosol generation device, and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program

Abstract

A control unit that controls the supply of power to a load that heats an aerosol source is provided in a circuit unit of an aerosol generation device. The control unit controls the amount of power supplied to the load to generate aerosol, to less than a reference value if the interval between aerosol puffs is shorter than a first period.

1 . A circuit unit of an aerosol generation device, comprising:
 a controller that controls supply of electric power to a load that heats an aerosol source, wherein   the controller performs control such that an amount of electric power to be supplied to the load to generate an aerosol is smaller than a reference value when an interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than a first period.   
     
     
         2 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sensor that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when a time from an end of an immediately preceding inhalation detected by the first sensor to a start of a current inhalation detected by the first sensor is shorter than the first period.   
     
     
         3 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when a time from an end of immediately preceding heating at which generation of the aerosol from the aerosol source ends to a start of current heating is shorter than the first period.   
     
     
         4 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sensor that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when a time from an end of immediately preceding heating at which generation of the aerosol from the aerosol source ends to a start of a current inhalation detected by the first sensor is shorter than the first period.   
     
     
         5 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 an operation unit that receives a user operation related to supply and stop of supply of electric power to the load, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when a time from an immediately preceding stop of supply of electric power in response to a user operation on the operation unit to a current start of supply of electric power is shorter than the first period.   
     
     
         6 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sensor that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user; and a second sensor that detects a temperature of the load, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when the temperature detected by the second sensor at a start of inhalation of the aerosol detected by the first sensor is higher than a first temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sensor that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when a resistance value of the load at a start of inhalation of the aerosol detected by the first sensor is higher than a first resistance value.   
     
     
         8 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first sensor that detects inhalation of the aerosol by a user; and a third sensor that detects a temperature of the aerosol source, wherein   the controller makes a time for supplying electric power to the load shorter than a second period when the temperature detected by the third sensor at a start of inhalation of the aerosol detected by the first sensor is higher than a second temperature.   
     
     
         9 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller predicts a next interval or next and subsequent intervals from a tendency of a plurality of previous intervals between inhalations of the aerosol, and when the predicted interval or intervals are shorter than the first period, the controller sets a time for supply of electric power to the load in a predicted inhalation to be shorter than a second period.   
     
     
         10 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller acquires measurement values of a plurality of previous intervals between inhalations of the aerosol, and when the number of consecutive appearances of a measurement value shorter than the first period exceeds a first number, the controller performs control such that a time for supplying electric power to the load in next and subsequent inhalations decreases stepwise to be shorter than the second period with an increase in the number of consecutive appearances of the measurement value.   
     
     
         11 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 when one of the measurement values is longer than the first period, in a case where an exceeding time thereof is less than a third period, the controller performs calculation by including a number of inhalation thereof into the number of consecutive appearances of the measurement value.   
     
     
         12 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than the first period, the controller performs control such that the amount of electric power to be supplied to the load decreases as the interval decreases.   
     
     
         13 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when a residual amount of the aerosol source is smaller than a first residual amount, the controller performs control such that the amount of electric power to be supplied to the load decreases as the residual amount decreases.   
     
     
         14 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in a case where the aerosol source is to be heated in a temperature range over which the aerosol is not generated prior to heating of the aerosol source that results in generation of the aerosol, the controller controls the amount of electric power to be supplied to the load to a value smaller than an amount of electric power at a time of only the heating that results in generation of the aerosol when the interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than the first period.   
     
     
         15 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second sensor that detects a temperature of the load, wherein   the controller forcibly terminates heating of the load at a point in time when the temperature detected by the second sensor reaches a third temperature.   
     
     
         16 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third sensor that detects a temperature of the aerosol source, wherein   the controller forcibly terminates heating of the load at a point in time when the temperature detected by the third sensor reaches a fourth temperature.   
     
     
         17 . The circuit unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than the first period, the controller controls a first maximum voltage value to be supplied to the load to generate the aerosol, to a value smaller than a second maximum voltage value to be supplied to the load when the interval between inhalations of the aerosol is longer than the first period.   
     
     
         18 . An aerosol generation device comprising:
 a controller that controls supply of electric power to a load that heats an aerosol source, wherein   the controller performs control such that an amount of electric power to be supplied to the load to generate an aerosol is smaller than a reference value when an interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than a first period.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer that controls supply of electric power to a load that heats an aerosol source to implement:
 a function of performing control such that an amount of electric power to be supplied to the load to generate an aerosol is smaller than a reference value when an interval between inhalations of the aerosol is shorter than a first period.