Suction device, device for controlling suction device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

A mechanism capable of specifying the arrangement of a flavor component generating base material in a suction device includes a retention part having an internal space; a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure applied to the inner wall of the retention part; and a control unit for specifying the arrangement of a flavor component generation base material in the internal space of the retention part on the basis of the detection result from the pressure sensor.

1 . An inhaler comprising:
 a holding part comprising an inner space;   a pressure sensor for detecting pressure applied to an inner wall of the holding part; and   a control unit which specifies, based on a result of detection by the pressure sensor, an arrangement of a flavor component generating base-material in the inner space in the holding part.   
     
     
         2 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a function part which applies, to the flavor component generating base-material held in the inner space of the holding part, a function that makes the flavor component generating base-material generate flavor-component-added gas. 
     
     
         3 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the holding part comprises an opening which makes the inner space communicate with an outer space, and   wherein the pressure sensor detects pressure applied to part of the inner wall of the holding part, wherein the part of the inner wall is in a position that is closer to the side of the opening than the position to which the function is applied by the function part.   
     
     
         4 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 3 ,
 wherein the flavor component generating base-material comprises a flavor-component generating part and a part which is not the flavor-component generating part, wherein the parts are positioned in an order from an end to the other end, and each of which has a hardness different from that of the other, and   wherein the control unit specifies that the arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material corresponds to a predetermined arrangement, if pressure corresponding to the hardness of the part which is not the flavor-component generating part is detected by the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined arrangement is an arrangement wherein the flavor-component generating part and one part of the part which is not the flavor-component generating part are held in the inner space, and the other part of the part which is not the flavor-component generating part protrudes to the outer space from the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined arrangement is an arrangement wherein the flavor-component generating part is positioned in the position to which the function part applies the function. 
     
     
         7 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the holding part comprises an opening which makes the inner space communicate with an outer space,   wherein the inhaler comprises a first elastic member installed in a position, in part of the inner wall of the holding part, that is closer to the side of the opening than the position to which the function is applied by the function part, and   wherein the pressure sensor detects pressure applied to the first elastic member.   
     
     
         8 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 2 ,
 wherein parts of the flavor component generating base-material, from one end to the other end thereof, have different degrees of hardness,   wherein the inhaler comprises plural function parts, and   wherein the control unit specifies a position of the one end of the flavor component generating base-material in the inner space, and, based on the specified position, selects a function part, to which electric power is to be supplied, from the plural function parts.   
     
     
         9 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the holding part comprises an opening which makes the inner space communicate with an outer space,   wherein the flavor component generating base-material is inserted into the inner space from the opening, and   wherein the pressure sensor detects pressure applied to a part, which is positioned in an end part positioned in an inserting direction, of the inner wall of the holding part.   
     
     
         10 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 9 ,
 wherein the inhaler comprises a piston member which is installed in the part, which is positioned in the end part positioned in an inserting direction, of the inner wall of the holding part, and can move in the inserting direction, and   wherein the control unit specifies that the arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material corresponds to a predetermined arrangement, if pressure representing a state that the distance of movement of the piston member in the inserting direction has reached a predetermined threshold value is detected by the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         11 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the flavor component generating base-material comprises a second elastic member which protrudes in a transverse direction,   wherein the holding part comprises an opening which makes the inner space communicate with an outer space, and a groove part winch is formed on the inner wall and along which the second elastic member can slide when the flavor component generating base-material is inserted or pulled out,   wherein the groove part comprises a first end positioned in the inserting direction, and a second end positioned between the first end and the opening and in the pulling-out direction, and position shift in a circumferential direction between a gate, which is formed in the opening, of the groove part and the first end part in the inner space is large, compared with position shift in the circumferential direction between the gate and the second end part in the inner space, and   wherein the inhaler further comprises a third elastic member which exerts elastic force, in the pulling-out direction, to the flavor component generating base-material.   
     
     
         12 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the inhaler comprises a fourth elastic member which protrudes in a transverse direction in the inner space, and further comprises a sliding member which can slide, in the inner space, along the inner wall of the holding part, and a fifth elastic member which exerts elastic force, in the pulling-out direction, to the sliding member,   wherein the holding part comprises an opening which makes the inner space communicate with an outer space, and a groove part which is formed on the inner wall and along which the fourth elastic member can slide when the sliding member is slid, and   wherein the groove part comprises a first end positioned in the inserting direction, and a second end positioned between the first end and the opening and in the pulling-out direction, and position shift in a circumferential direction between a gate, which is formed in the opening, of the groove part and the first end part in the inner space is large, compared with position shift in the circumferential direction between the gate and the second end part in the inner space.   
     
     
         13 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the holding part comprises a first housing and a second housing which can be separated from or coupled to each other, and the flavor component generating base-material is held between the first housing and the second housing in the state that the housings are being coupled with each other. 
     
     
         14 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the control unit controls the state of supplying of electric power to the function part, based on a specified arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material. 
     
     
         15 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the control unit changes the state of supplying of electric power to the function part to a state that allows supplying of electric power to the function part, if it is specified that the arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material corresponds to a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
         16 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 15 ,
 wherein the inhaler further comprises an operation input part, and   wherein the control unit starts supplying of electric power to the function part, if a predetermined operation is inputted to the operation input part during the state that allows supplying of electric power to the function part.   
     
     
         17 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the control unit starts supplying of electric power to the function part, if a suction action performed by a user is detected during the state that allows supplying of electric power to the function part. 
     
     
         18 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the control unit changes the state of supplying of electric power to the function part to a state that does not allow supplying of electric power to the function part, if it is specified that the arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material does not correspond to a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
         19 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 1 ,
 wherein the inhaler comprises a notification unit, and   wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to output a notification corresponding to a specified arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material.   
     
     
         20 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to output the notification that becomes different according to judgment as to whether the specified arrangement of the flavor component generating base-material corresponds to a predetermined arrangement. 
     
     
         21 . The inhaler as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the notification unit performs at least one of light emission, display, sound output, and vibration actions. 
     
     
         22 . A control device for an inhaler, comprising:
 a control unit which specifies, based on a result of detection by a pressure sensor which detects pressure applied to an inner wall of a holding part which comprises an inner space, an arrangement of a flavor component generating base-material in the inner space of the holding part.   
     
     
         23 . An information processing method, comprising:
 a process for specifying, based on a result of detection by a pressure sensor which detects pressure applied to an inner wall of a holding part which comprises an inner space, an arrangement of a flavor component generating base-material in the inner space of the holding part.   
     
     
         24 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the computer function as:
 a control unit which specifies, based on a result of detection by a pressure sensor which detects pressure applied to an inner wall of a holding part which comprises an inner space, an arrangement of a flavor component generating base-material in the inner space of the holding part.