Abstract: A control device of an aerosol inhaler includes a load heating an aerosol generation source, in which a temperature and an electric resistance value of the load are correlated. The control device includes: a voltage sensor configured to output a voltage value applied to the load; a constant current circuit configured to output a constant current to the load; and a control circuit configured to acquire the electric resistance value of the load or the temperature of the load based on output of the voltage sensor and the constant current.

Abstract: A control unit of an aerosol generation device includes: a sensor configured to output inhalation by a user; and a processing device configured to control discharge from a power supply to an atomizer configured to atomize an aerosol source. The processing device is configured: to acquire an inhalation time that is a length of each inhalation and an discharge time that is a length of discharge to the atomizer corresponding to each inhalation, based on an output of the sensor; 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 inhalation time and the discharge time.

Abstract: A control unit of an aerosol generation device includes a processing device configured to acquire a remaining amount of an aerosol source. When the remaining amount of the aerosol source is smaller than a threshold value, the processing device suppresses discharge from a power supply to an atomizer configured to atomize the aerosol source, and when the remaining amount of the aerosol source is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the processing device controls the discharge from the power supply to the atomizer so as to make an amount of the aerosol source to be atomized different, based on the remaining amount of the aerosol source.

Abstract: A control unit of an aerosol generation device includes a processing device configured to acquire a remaining amount of at least one of an aerosol source and a flavor source configured to add flavor to aerosol generated from the aerosol source. When the remaining amount is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the processing device permits first discharge that is discharge from a power supply to an atomizer configured to atomize the aerosol source and second discharge that is discharge from the power supply to an adjustor capable of adjusting an amount of flavor that is added to the aerosol by the flavor source, and when the remaining amount is smaller than the threshold value, the processing device suppresses any one of the first discharge and the second discharge.

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.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a first element connected in series to a load and having a first electric resistance value; a second series circuit including a second element having a second electric resistance value and a third element connected in series to the second element and having a third electric resistance value, and connected in parallel with a first series circuit including the load and the first element; and an operational amplifier in which one of a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting input terminal is connected to the first series circuit, and the other of the non-inverting input terminal and the inverting input terminal is connected to the second series circuit. Each of the first to third electric resistance values is larger than the electric resistance value of the load at a normal temperature or a temperature in a predetermined temperature range.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a first element having a first electric resistance value connected in series to a load; a second series circuit including a second element having a second electric resistance value and a third element connected in series to the second element and having a third electric resistance value, and connected in parallel with a first series circuit including the load and the first element; an operational amplifier in which one of a non-inverting input terminal and an inverting input terminal is connected to the first series circuit, and the other of the non-inverting input terminal and the inverting input terminal is connected to the second series circuit; and a heating circuit capable of supplying the load with a current larger than a current flowing through the load when a current flows through the first series circuit and the second series circuit.

Abstract: A control device of an aerosol inhaler including a load heating an aerosol generation source, in which a temperature and an electric resistance value of the load are correlated. The control device includes: a voltage sensor configured to output a voltage value applied to the load; a known resistor which is connected in series to the load; and a control circuit configured to acquire the temperature of the load based on output of the voltage sensor. The control circuit is configured such that a resolution of the temperature of the load acquired based on the output of the voltage sensor is 10 [° C.] or less.

Abstract: An aerosol inhaler includes: a first branch circuit including a load, a first resistor, and a first node; a second branch circuit including a second resistor, a third resistor, and a second node; an operational amplifier of which a non-inverting input terminal is connected to one of the first node and the second node, and of which an inverting input terminal is connected to the other of the first node and the second node; and a control device having an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature. A differential input of the operational amplifier is larger than potential of a negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier or a minimum value acquirable by the operational amplifier in a first temperature range, and is equal to the potential of the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier or the minimum value in a second temperature range.

Abstract: An aerosol inhaler includes: a first branch circuit including a load, a first resistor, and a first node; a second branch circuit including a second resistor, a third resistor, and a second node; an operational amplifier of which a non-inverting input terminal is connected to one of the first node and the second node, and of which an inverting input terminal is connected to the other of the first node and the second node; and a control device having an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature. A differential input of the operational amplifier is larger than potential of a negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier or a minimum value acquirable by the operational amplifier in a first temperature range, and is equal to the potential of the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier or the minimum value in a second temperature range.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a first series circuit; a second series circuit connected in parallel with the first series circuit; a first operational amplifier including a non-inversion input terminal connected to one of a first node and a second node, and an inversion input terminal connected to the other of the first node and the second node; and an adjustment circuit connected to the first operational amplifier and configured to prevent a differential input value of the first operational amplifier from being equal to a potential of a negative power supply terminal of the first operational amplifier or a minimum value acquirable by the first operational amplifier, in a state where a potential of the node connected to the non-inversion input terminal is less than a potential of the node connected to the inversion input terminal.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes a power supply dischargeable to a load for heating an aerosol generation source, a first sensor configured to output a signal indicating an aerosol generation request, and a processing device configured to acquire the signal. The processing device causes the power supply unit to operate in a first mode in which a maximum power consumption amount is a first amount and a second mode in which a maximum power consumption amount is smaller than the first amount, causes the power supply unit to operate in the second mode when a period during which the signal is not acquired exceeds a predetermined time in the first mode, and causes the power supply unit to operate such that a maximum power consumption amount is less than the first amount at a timing before the period exceeds the predetermined time in the first mode.

Abstract: An inhalation device controller is configured to control an atomizer including a container configured to hold an aerosol source of a liquid, a heater, and a transport portion configured to transport the aerosol source from the container to a heating area by the heater. The controller includes a control circuit configured to monitor a physical amount correlated with a temperature of the heater and configured to control power to be supplied to the atomizer such that the physical amount under monitoring approaches a target value. The target value is set such that the temperature of the heater during heating of the aerosol source falls within a range of 210° C. to 230° C.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a first series circuit; a second series circuit connected in parallel with the first series circuit; a first operational amplifier including a non-inversion input terminal connected to one of a first node and a second node, and an inversion input terminal connected to the other of the first node and the second node; and an adjustment circuit connected to the first operational amplifier and configured to prevent a differential input value of the first operational amplifier from being equal to a potential of a negative power supply terminal of the first operational amplifier or a minimum value acquirable by the first operational amplifier, in a state where a potential of the node connected to the non-inversion input terminal is less than a potential of the node connected to the inversion input terminal.

Abstract: An inhalation device controller includes a power supply unit configured to supply power to an atomizer including a heater configured to heat an aerosol source, a detection circuit configured to detect a resistance value of the heater, a processor configured to generate a control signal in accordance with a smoothed signal generated by smoothing information obtained using the detection circuit, and a holding portion configured to hold the atomizer in a detachable state. The holding portion includes a first electrical contact contacting a third electrical contact of the atomizer, and a second electrical contact contacting a fourth electrical contact of the atomizer. Information obtained using the detection circuit is affected by stress applied to the first to fourth electrical contacts when attaching the atomizer to the holding portion.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes a power supply dischargeable to a load for heating an aerosol generation source, a first sensor configured to output a signal indicating an aerosol generation request, and a processing device configured to acquire the signal. The processing device causes the power supply unit to operate in a first mode in which a maximum power consumption amount is a first amount and a second mode in which a maximum power consumption amount is smaller than the first amount, causes the power supply unit to operate in the second mode when a period during which the signal is not acquired exceeds a predetermined time in the first mode, and causes the power supply unit to operate such that a maximum power consumption amount is less than the first amount at a timing before the period exceeds the predetermined time in the first mode.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which includes a power supply configured to discharge electricity to a load that is configured to heat an aerosol generation source and has a correlation between temperature and electric resistance values, includes: a first element connected in series to the load and having a first electric resistance value; a second series circuit that includes a second element having a second electric resistance value, and a third element connected in series to the second element and having a third electric resistance value, the second series circuit being connected in parallel with a first series circuit including the load and the first element; and an operational amplifier connected to the first series circuit and the second series circuit. The first electric resistance value is less than an electric resistance value of the load.

Abstract: An inhalation device controller includes a holding portion configured to hold an atomizer including a heater configured to heat an aerosol source, a power supply unit configured to supply power to the heater of the atomizer attached to the holding portion, an amplifier to which a voltage according to a voltage of a node on a current path configured to supply the power to the heater is input, and a processor configured to acquire information from the amplifier and execute control according to the information. A first range that a value of the information takes in a holding state in which the holding portion holds the atomizer and a second range that the value of the information takes in a non-holding state in which the holding portion does not hold the atomizer do not include ranges overlapping each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a controller for an inhalation device, comprising: a power supplier configured to supply power to a heater used to heat and atomize an aerosol source; a detection circuit configured to detect a resistance value of the heater; and a processor configured to execute heating processing of heating the aerosol source by controlling the power supplier in accordance with reception of an atomization request of the aerosol source, wherein the processor controls the heating processing based on the resistance value of the heater detected using the detection circuit, a reference temperature of the heater, and a reference resistance value of the heater, and updates the reference resistance value by the resistance value of the heater detected using the detection circuit after an end of the heating processing and before the reception of the next atomization request.

Abstract: A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that causes an aerosol generated from an aerosol source heated by a first load to pass through a flavor source heated by a second load to add a flavor component of the flavor source to the aerosol includes a power supply dischargeable to the first load and the second load and a processing device. The processing device is configured to control discharging to the first load in response to a signal indicating an aerosol generation request, to control discharging to the second load such that a temperature of the flavor source converges to a target temperature based on information on a temperature of the flavor source, and to increase the target temperature based on a cumulative number of times of discharging to the first load or a cumulative time of discharging to the first load in response to the signal.