Power supply unit for aerosol generation device

Abstract

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device includes a controller configured to determine whether an aerosol source and a flavor source contain menthol, control discharging to a first heater and a second heater by a menthol mode upon determination that the aerosol source contains menthol, and control the discharging to the first heater and the second heater by a regular mode upon determination that the aerosol source and the flavor source do not contain menthol. A manner of the discharging to the first heater in the menthol mode is different from a manner of the discharging to the first heater in the regular mode, and/or a manner of the discharging to the second heater in the menthol mode is different from a manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, comprising:
 a first connector connectable to a first heater configured to heat an aerosol source;   a second connector connectable to a second heater configured to heat a flavor source capable of imparting a flavor to the aerosol source vaporized and/or atomized by being heated with the first heater;   a power supply electrically connected to the first connector and the second connector; and   a controller configured to control discharging from the power supply to the first heater and discharging from the power supply to the second heater, wherein   the controller is configured to:
 determine whether the aerosol source and the flavor source contain menthol; 
 control the discharging to the first heater and the discharging to the second heater by a menthol mode upon determination that the aerosol source contains menthol; and 
 control the discharging to the first heater and the discharging to the second heater by a regular mode upon determination that the aerosol source and the flavor source do not contain menthol, and 
   a manner of the discharging to the first heater in the menthol mode is different from a manner of the discharging to the first heater in the regular mode, and/or   a manner of the discharging to the second heater in the menthol mode is different from a manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode.   
     
     
         2 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the menthol mode is different from the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode.   
     
     
         3 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the menthol mode is a manner in which a target temperature for converging a temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is decreased in a stepwise manner or is decreased continuously, and   the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode is a manner in which a target temperature for converging the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously.   
     
     
         4 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the menthol mode is a manner in which the target temperature for converging the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is decreased in n stages,   the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode is a manner in which the target temperature for converging the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is increased in m stages, and   n is smaller than m.   
     
     
         5 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the first heater in the menthol mode is different from the manner of the discharging to the first heater in the regular mode.   
     
     
         6 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the first heater in the menthol mode is a manner in which a voltage applied to the first heater is changed in a stepwise manner or is changed continuously, and   the manner of the discharging to the first heater in the regular mode is a manner in which the voltage applied to the first heater is maintained constant.   
     
     
         7 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller is configured to:
 cause the aerosol generation device to operate in a startup mode and in a sleep mode in which power consumption is smaller than that in the startup mode and which can be transitioned to the startup mode; and 
 in response to transition to the startup mode, start the discharging to the second heater such that a temperature of the second heater or the flavor source converges to a predetermined temperature. 
   
     
     
         8 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode is a manner in which the target temperature for converging the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously, and   the predetermined temperature is equal to or higher than a minimum value of the target temperature in the regular mode.   
     
     
         9 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the manner of the discharging to the second heater in the regular mode is a manner in which the target temperature for converging the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously, and   the predetermined temperature is lower than the minimum value of the target temperature in the regular mode.   
     
     
         10 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the controller is configured to, in response to the transition to the startup mode, start the discharging to the second heater before determining whether at least the aerosol source out of the aerosol source and the flavor source contains menthol such that the temperature converges to the predetermined temperature.