Aerosol Generation Device

Abstract

An aerosol generation device has a heating arrangement for heating an aerosol substrate, an electrical power source, a first switching element for controlling a supply of electrical power from the electrical power source to the heating arrangement, and a second switching element for decoupling the heating arrangement from the electrical power source. A method includes detecting a fault in the device by: controlling, during a first time period, one of the first and second switching elements to be on and other one of the first and second switching elements to be off, and determining whether an observable event occurs during the first time period, the observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating arrangement. A fault is detected in other one of the first and second switching element elements if the at least one observable event is determined to occur during the first time period.

1 . A method for an aerosol generation device, wherein the device comprises a heating arrangement for heating an aerosol substrate, an electrical power source, a first switching element for controlling a supply of electrical power from the electrical power source to the heating arrangement, and a second switching element for decoupling the heating arrangement from the electrical power source, wherein the heating arrangement, the first switching element and the second switching element are arranged in series between terminals of the electrical power source,
 the method comprising detecting a fault in the device by:
 controlling, during a first time period, one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be on and other one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be off, and 
 determining whether at least one observable event occurs during the first time period, the at least one observable event indicating that an amount of power is transferred to the heating arrangement, 
   wherein a fault is detected in the other one of the first switching element and the second switching element if the at least one observable event is determined to occur during the first time period.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
 controlling, during a second time period different from the first time period, the one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be off and the other one of the first switching element and the second switching element to be on, and   determining whether the at least one observable event occurs during the second time period,   wherein a fault is detected in the one of the first switching element and the second switching element if the at least one observable event is determined to occur during the second time period.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disabling the heating arrangement upon detecting a fault. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one observable event comprises an increase of a temperature of the heating arrangement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 measuring, prior to the first time period, the temperature of the heating arrangement, and   performing the detecting if the measured temperature is below a predetermined threshold.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one observable event comprises detecting an electrical current flowing from the electrical power source to the heating arrangement. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed upon detecting that the device is coupled to an electrical power supply. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed upon detecting a decrease in a temperature of the heating arrangement indicating an end of a use of the device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed upon detecting a start of a use of the device. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A controller for an aerosol generation device arranged to perform, when in use, the method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . An aerosol generation device comprising:
 the controller of claim  11 ,   a heating arrangement for heating an aerosol substrate,   an electrical power source,   a first switching element for controlling a supply of electrical power from the electrical power source to the heating arrangement, and   a second switching element for decoupling the heating arrangement from the electrical power source, wherein the heating arrangement, the first switching element and the second switching element are arranged in series between terminals of the electrical power source.