Aerosol generating device and operation method thereof

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes an oscillating unit configured to generate microwaves, a resonating unit including an accommodation space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article and configured to resonate the microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating article, a sensor unit configured to identify a state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in the aerosol-generating article, and a processor configured to adjust a frequency of the microwaves according to the identified state of the medium. The processor is further configured to, when the state of the medium is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, in a preheating section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a first frequency corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a second frequency corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
 an oscillating unit configured to generate microwaves;   a resonating unit comprising an accommodation space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article and configured to resonate the microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating article;   a sensor unit configured to identify a state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in the aerosol-generating article; and   a processor configured to adjust a frequency of the microwaves according to the identified state of the medium,   wherein the processor is further configured to, when the state of the medium is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, in a preheating section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a first frequency corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section, control the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a second frequency corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when the state of the medium is less than the threshold, in the preheating section and the smoking section, control the oscillating unit to generate the microwaves having the second frequency. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency, the first frequency being 2.15 GHz to 2.75 GHZ, and the second frequency being 615 MHz to 1.245 GHz. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the sensor unit is an ultrasonic sensor, when a time taken for return of a sound wave emitted toward the medium is less than or equal to a preset time, the processor is further configured to determine that the state of the medium is greater than or equal to the threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein, when the sensor unit is a near-infrared sensor, the sensor unit is configured to emit light and measure reflected light, which is light reflected and returned from the medium, and when absorption of the reflected light at a specific wavelength is greater than or equal to a preset value, the processor is further configured to determine that the state of the medium is greater than or equal to the threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a power monitoring unit configured to measure input microwaves, which are microwaves output from the oscillating unit and input to the resonating unit, and reflected microwaves, which are microwaves reflected from the resonating unit and input to the oscillating unit, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a type of the aerosol-generating article, based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring unit. 
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 6 , further comprising a memory storing relationships between a plurality of aerosol-generating articles and power profiles in a form of a lookup table. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to adjust, based on the lookup table, a magnitude of power of the microwaves output from the oscillating unit, according to a power profile corresponding to the determined type of the aerosol-generating article. 
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco rod comprises one or more dielectric materials selected from an aerosol generating substance and a flavored liquid, and the reflected microwaves vary according to a type and amount of the dielectric material. 
     
     
         10 . An operating method of an aerosol generating device including an oscillating unit configured to generate microwaves and a resonating unit including an accommodation space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article and configured to resonate the microwaves to heat the aerosol-generating article, the operating method comprising:
 identifying whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the accommodation space;   when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article is detected, identifying, by a sensor unit, a state of a medium of a tobacco rod included in the aerosol-generating article; and   adjusting, by a processor, a frequency of the microwaves according to the identified state of the medium,   wherein the adjusting of the frequency of the microwaves comprises, when the state of the medium is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, in a preheating section, controlling an oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a first frequency corresponding to moisture included in the medium, and in a smoking section, controlling the oscillating unit to generate microwaves having a second frequency corresponding to glycerin included in the medium.   
     
     
         11 . The operating method of  claim 10 , wherein the adjusting of the frequency of the microwaves comprises, when the state of the medium is less than the threshold, in the preheating section and the smoking section, controlling the oscillating unit to generate the microwaves having the second frequency. 
     
     
         12 . The operating method of  claim 10 , wherein the second frequency is lower than the first frequency, the first frequency being 2.15 GHz to 2.75 GHZ, and the second frequency being 615 MHz to 1.245 GHz. 
     
     
         13 . The operating method of  claim 10 , wherein, when the sensor unit is a near-infrared sensor, the sensor unit is configured to emit light and measure reflected light, which is light reflected and returned from the medium, and when absorption of the reflected light at a specific wavelength is greater than or equal to a preset value, the processor is configured to determine that the state of the medium is greater than or equal to the threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The operating method of  claim 10 , further comprising, between the identifying of the medium of the tobacco rod and the adjusting of the frequency of the microwaves:
 generating input microwaves, which are microwaves output from the oscillating unit and input to the resonating unit;   measuring reflected microwaves, which are microwaves reflected from the resonating unit and input to the oscillating unit; and   determining a type of the aerosol-generating article, based on the measured reflected microwaves.   
     
     
         15 . The operating method of  claim 14 , further comprising adjusting a magnitude of power of the microwaves output from the oscillating unit according to a power profile corresponding to the determined type of the aerosol-generating article, based on a lookup table comprising power profiles corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.