Control unit of aerosol generation device

Abstract

A control unit of an aerosol generation device includes: a flow rate sensor configured to output a flow rate of inhalation by a user; and a processing device configured to acquire an atomization command of an aerosol source by an atomizer. The processing device is configured: to control discharge from a power supply to the atomizer, based on the atomization command; to acquire a flow rate per unit time during the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command, based on an output of the flow rate sensor; to acquire an inhalation time that is a length of the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command; and to acquire at least one of a remaining amount of a flavor source configured to add flavor to aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a consumed amount of the flavor source, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control unit of an aerosol generation device comprising:
 a flow rate sensor configured to output a flow rate of inhalation by a user; and   a processing device configured to acquire an atomization command of an aerosol source by an atomizer,   wherein the processing device is configured:   to control discharge from a power supply to the atomizer, based on the atomization command;   to acquire a flow rate per unit time during the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command, based on an output of the flow rate sensor;   to acquire an inhalation time that is a length of the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command; and   to acquire at least one of a remaining amount of a flavor source configured to add flavor to aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a consumed amount of the flavor source, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time.   
     
     
         2 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to acquire at least one of the remaining amount of the flavor source and the consumed amount of the flavor source, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time acquired after discharge to the atomizer based on the atomization command is over. 
     
     
         3 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the remaining amount of the flavor source that is acquired by the processing device is smaller as the flow rate per unit time is larger, and/or
 wherein the consumed amount of the flavor source that is acquired by the processing device is larger as the flow rate per unit time is larger.   
     
     
         4 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured:
 to acquire a remaining amount, which is an amount of the aerosol source remaining in a flow path through which aerosol atomized by the atomizer and generated from the aerosol source flow, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time, for each atomization command; and   to acquire at least one of the remaining amount of the flavor source and the consumed amount of the flavor source, based on the remaining amount.   
     
     
         5 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured:
 to acquire an discharge time, which is a length of discharge to the atomizer corresponding to each atomization command; and   to selectively perform first processing of acquiring at least one of the remaining amount of the flavor source and the consumed amount of the flavor source based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time, and second processing of acquiring at least one of the remaining amount of the flavor source and the consumed amount of the flavor source based on the discharge time.   
     
     
         6 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 5 , wherein the processing device is configured to select and perform any one of the first processing and the second processing, based on the flow rate per unit time, the inhalation time and the discharge time. 
     
     
         7 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 5 , wherein the processing device selects and performs the first processing when the inhalation time and the discharge time are the same. 
     
     
         8 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 5 , wherein when the inhalation time is longer than the discharge time, the processing device more selects and performs the second processing as the flow rate per unit time increases. 
     
     
         9 . The control unit of an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to acquire at least one of a remaining amount of the aerosol source and a consumed amount of the aerosol source, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time. 
     
     
         10 . A control unit of an aerosol generation device comprising:
 a flow rate sensor configured to output a flow rate of inhalation by a user; and   a processing device configured to acquire an atomization command of an aerosol source by an atomizer,   wherein the processing device is configured:   to control discharge from a power supply to the atomizer, based on the atomization command;   to acquire a flow rate per unit time during the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command, based on an output of the flow rate sensor;   to acquire an inhalation time that is a length of the inhalation corresponding to each atomization command; and   to acquire at least one of a remaining amount of the aerosol source and a consumed amount of the aerosol source, based on the flow rate per unit time and the inhalation time.   
     
     
         11 . A control unit of an aerosol generation device comprising:
 a processing device configured to acquire an atomization command of an aerosol source by an atomizer,   wherein the processing device is configured:   to control discharge from a power supply to the atomizer, based on the atomization command;   to acquire a remaining amount, which is an amount of the aerosol source remaining in a flow path through which aerosol atomized by the atomizer and generated from the aerosol source flow, for each atomization command; and   to acquire information about at least one of a remaining amount of a flavor source configured to add flavor to aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a consumed amount of the flavor source, based on the remaining amount.