Aerosol generating device, control method and storage medium

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes a power supply that supplies electric power to a heating unit, and a control unit that controls the supply of electric power in accordance with a control sequence consisting of sections including a first section and a second section. The control sequence designates a first time length for the first section and a second time length for the second section. The control unit terminates the first section when the temperature of the heating unit has reached a predetermined temperature and, in a case of terminating the first section earlier than a first time point, continues the second section over a total time of a residual time until the first time point and the second time length.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
 a heating unit configured to generate aerosol by heating an aerosol source;   a power supply configured to supply electric power to the heating unit; and   a control unit configured to control the supply of electric power from the power supply to the heating unit in accordance with a control sequence that consists of a plurality of sections including:
 a first section for changing a temperature of the heating unit from a first temperature toward a second temperature, and 
 a second section, which follows the first section, for maintaining the temperature of the heating unit, 
   wherein the control sequence designates a first time length for the first section and a second time length for the second section,   the control unit is configured to terminate the first section when the temperature of the heating unit has reached the second temperature, and   the control unit is configured to, in a case of terminating the first section earlier than a first time point at which the first time length elapses from the start of the first section, continue the second section over a total time of a residual time until the first time point and the second time length.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature, and
 the control unit is configured to stop, in the first section, the supply of electric power from the power supply to the heating unit so that the temperature of the heating unit falls toward the second temperature.   
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to, in a case of terminating the first section later than the first time point, continue the second section over a time obtained by subtracting, from the second time length, an overtime with respect to the first time point. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 3 , wherein the control sequence further includes a third section, which follows the second section, for changing the temperature of the heating unit to a third temperature, and
 the control unit is configured to, in a case where the first section is terminated later than the first time point and an overtime with respect to the first time point is larger than the second time length, skip the second section after termination of the first section to transition to the third section.   
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 4 , wherein the control sequence designates a third time length for the third section, and
 the control unit is configured to, in a case of terminating the first section later than a second time point at which the first time length and then the second time length elapse from the start of the first section, continue the third section over a time obtained by subtracting, from the third time length, an overtime with respect to the second time point.   
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 4 , wherein the third temperature is higher than the second temperature, and
 the control unit is configured to control, in the third section, the supply of electric power from the power supply to the heating unit such that the temperature of the heating unit is raised toward the third temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 terminate the first section when the first time length elapses from the start of the first section, and   set a target value of temperature control of the heating unit in the second section based on the temperature of the heating unit at a point in time when the first section is terminated.   
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
 in a case where the temperature of the heating unit at the point in time when the first section is terminated is a fourth temperature higher than the second temperature, set the target value of temperature control of the heating unit in the second section to a value corresponding to the fourth temperature, and   in a case where the temperature of the heating unit at the point in time when the first section is terminated is a fifth temperature equal to or lower than the second temperature, set the target value of temperature control of the heating unit in the second section to a value corresponding to the second temperature.   
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control sequence further includes one or more preceding sections that precede the first section, and
 a time length of at least one of the one or more preceding sections is variable.   
     
     
         10 . A control method for controlling generation of aerosol in an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device includes a heating unit configured to generate aerosol by heating an aerosol source, and a power supply configured to supply electric power to the heating unit, the control method comprising:
 obtaining a control sequence that consists of a plurality of sections, the control sequence designating a first time length for a first section and a second time length for a second section that follows the first section;   in the first section, changing a temperature of the heating unit from a first temperature toward a second temperature;   when the temperature of the heating unit has reached the second temperature, terminating the first section;   in a case of terminating the first section earlier than a first time point at which the first time length elapses from the start of the first section, maintaining the temperature of the heating unit in the second section while causing the second section to continue over a total time of a residual time until the first time point and the second time length.   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a computer program for controlling generation of aerosol in an aerosol generating device,
 wherein the aerosol generating device includes a heating unit configured to generate aerosol by heating an aerosol source, and a power supply configured to supply electric power to the heating unit, and   the computer program, when executed by a processor of the aerosol generating device, causes the processor to:   obtain a control sequence that consists of a plurality of sections, the control sequence designating a first time length for a first section and a second time length for a second section that follows the first section;   in the first section, change a temperature of the heating unit from a first temperature toward a second temperature;   when the temperature of the heating unit has reached the second temperature, terminate the first section;   in a case of terminating the first section earlier than a first time point at which the first time length elapses from the start of the first section, maintain the temperature of the heating unit in the second section while causing the second section to continue over a total time of a residual time until the first time point and the second time length.