Aerosol generating device and operating method thereof

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes a heater configured to heat a cigarette, a sensor unit configured to sense a parameter related to an operation of the heater, and a microcontroller unit configured to initialize the sensor unit when a heating event of the heater is initiated, attempt to communicate with the initialized sensor unit and determine whether communication with the sensor unit is normal, and when the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be abnormal, reattempt communication with the sensor unit.

1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
 a heater configured to heat a cigarette;   a sensor unit configured to sense a parameter related to an operation of the heater; and   a microcontroller unit configured to initialize the sensor unit when a heating event of the heater is initiated, attempt to communicate with the initialized sensor unit and determine whether communication with the sensor unit is normal, and when the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be abnormal, reattempt communication with the sensor unit.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to:
 communicate with the sensor unit through a serial data line and a serial clock line, according to an Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C) communication method; and   supply power to the sensor unit through a power line.   
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to initialize the sensor unit by changing the power from a high level to a low level and changing signals of the serial data line and the serial clock line from a low level to a high level. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit comprises at least one of a temperature sensor and a puff detection sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to maintain a heating operation of the heater when the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be normal. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to:
 determine whether a number of retries is greater than or equal to a preset number; and, when the number of retries is less than the preset number, determine that the communication with the sensor unit is normal and maintain a heating operation of the heater.   
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 6 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to:
 determine whether the number of retries is greater than or equal to the preset number; and, when the number of retries is greater than or equal to the preset number, determine that the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be abnormal and stop the heating operation of the heater.   
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating integrated circuit (IC) configured to provide an electrical signal enabling a heating operation of the heater to be performed under control of the microcontroller unit,
 wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to initialize the heating IC when heating of the heater is initiated, attempt to communicate with the heating IC and determine whether communication with the heating IC is normal, and, when the communication with the heating IC is determined to be abnormal, reattempt communication with the heating IC.   
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 8 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to:
 communicate with the heating IC through a serial data line and a serial clock line, according to an Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C) communication method; and   supply power to the heating IC through a power line.   
     
     
         10 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 9 , wherein the microcontroller unit is further configured to:
 initialize the heating IC by changing the power from a high level to a low level and changing signals of the serial data line and the serial clock line from a low level to a high level.   
     
     
         11 . An operating method of an aerosol generating device comprising a heater configured to heat a cigarette and a sensor unit configured to sense a parameter related to an operation of the heater, the operating method comprising:
 initializing the sensor unit when a heating event of the heater is initiated;   determining whether communication with the initialized sensor unit is normal by attempting to communicate with the sensor unit;   maintaining a heating operation of the heater when the communication with the sensor unit is normal;   reattempting communication with the sensor unit when the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be abnormal; and   determining whether a number of retries for the communication with the sensor unit is greater than or equal to a preset number.   
     
     
         12 . The operating method of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor unit is further configured to:
 receive a control signal through a serial data line and a serial clock line, according to an Inter Integrated circuit (I2C) communication method; and   
     
     
         13 . The operating method of  claim 12 , wherein, in the initializing of the sensor unit, the power is changed from a high level to a low level, and signals of the serial data line and the serial clock line are changed from a low level to a high level. 
     
     
         14 . The operating method of  claim 11 , wherein, in the determining of whether the number of retries is greater than or equal to a preset number, when the number of retries is less than the preset number, the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be normal, and the heating operation of the heater is maintained. 
     
     
         15 . The operating method of  claim 14 , wherein, in the determining of whether the number of retries is greater than or equal to the preset number, when the number of retries is greater than or equal to the preset number, the communication with the sensor unit is determined to be abnormal, and the heating operation of the heater stops.