Method of sensing capacitance and aerosol-generating device for performing the method

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by an aerosol-generating device, the method comprising:
 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 comprises:
 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. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises a first antenna for radiating the first signal and the second signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device is heated by resonance of the first signal in the first frequency band. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether an aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a type of an aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a change in permittivity of an aerosol-generating article inserted into the aerosol-generating device based on the capacitance information; and   determining whether a puff of a user occurs with respect to the aerosol-generating device based on the change in permittivity.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the aerosol-generating device further comprises one or more antennas in a frequency band that is different from the first frequency band of the first signal. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 controlling the 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, wherein the target heating signal is radiated via a target antenna corresponding to the target heating frequency band among the one or more antennas and the first antenna for radiating the first signal and the second signal.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 controlling a connection among the signal generation circuit and the first antenna and the one or more antennas by controlling a switching circuit connected to the signal generation circuit.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . An aerosol-generating device comprising:
 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.