JP7314374B2 - System and information processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device, an information processing device, and a program.

Conventionally, techniques related to suction devices that generate aerosol for suction have been developed. For example, Cited Document 1 discloses a system for recording the suction history and the like of a suction device in a user terminal or server, and utilizing the recorded information for use planning and control of use frequency of the suction device.

WO2018/025217

However, recently, with the spread of suction devices, a wide variety of functions have been developed, and user preferences have diversified accordingly, and the number of users who use multiple suction devices according to their moods and situations is increasing. In this respect, in the conventional method of managing various functions of a suction device centered on the device ID for identifying the suction device, every time a new suction device is released, all the functions of the suction device must be managed in association with the device ID of the suction device, which imposes a heavy management burden.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device, an information processing device, and a program capable of easily managing functions.

An electronic device according to an aspect of the present invention is an electronic device that generates an aerosol for inhalation, and includes an aerosol generating unit that generates the aerosol, a control unit that controls generation of the aerosol by the aerosol generating unit, a storage unit that stores a function ID for identifying a function of the electronic device, and a transmission unit that transmits the function ID to another information processing device.

According to this aspect, it is possible to manage the electronic device in units of functions rather than in units of devices. Therefore, even if a new model of electronic device is introduced, the new model can be easily managed simply by changing the combination of functions.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device, an information processing device, and a program that can easily manage functions.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of information processing system 1 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of functional composition of server 10 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a function management table; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a management information table; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a suction area management table; FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of functional composition of user terminal 20 concerning an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an electronic device 30 according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of function registration processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of management information generation processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of control processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention; FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. (In addition, in each figure, those with the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.)

(1) System Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of an information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 includes a server 10 , user terminals 20 , and electronic devices 30 associated with the user terminals 20 . The electronic device 30 may be a device that generates an aerosol for inhalation, and is also called a "flavor inhaler", for example. Electronic device 30 may include, for example, electronic cigarettes, heat-not-burn cigarettes, conventional cigarettes, medical nebulizers, and the like. In FIG. 1, a dotted line surrounding the user terminal 20 and the electronic device 30 indicates that the user terminal 20 and the electronic device 30 surrounded by the dotted line are associated with each other. The server 10 can exchange data with each of the user terminals 20 via the communication network N using TCP/IP or the like as a communication protocol. Further, the server 10 and the electronic device 30 may mutually transmit and receive data via the communication network N using TCP/IP or the like as a communication protocol. The communication network N is constructed by, for example, the Internet, a dedicated communication line (for example, a CATV (Community Antenna Television) line), a mobile communication network (including base stations, etc.), gateways, and the like.

The server 10 provides the user terminal 20 and the electronic device 30 via the communication network N with a predetermined service for managing the functions of the electronic device 30 . The user terminal 20 is a user's terminal device that uses the predetermined service provided by the server 10 . As the user terminal 20, for example, a personal computer, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a mobile information terminal such as a smart phone, a mobile phone, a game machine, and the like are used. The user terminal 20 stores an application program (app) for using a predetermined service provided by the server 10 . The electronic device 30 is associated with the user terminal 20 by, for example, registering the device ID of the electronic device 30 in the user terminal 20 . Also, the electronic device 30 is connected to the user terminal 20 so as to be able to exchange information with each other by short-range wireless communication or the like. A plurality of electronic devices 30 may be connected to one user terminal 20 .

(2) Functional Configuration (2-1) Server 10
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server 10 according to the embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 10 has, for example, a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a processing unit 13.

The communication unit 11 has a communication interface circuit for connecting the server 10 to the communication network N. FIG. The communication unit 11 transmits data supplied from the processing unit 13 via the communication network N to information processing devices such as the user terminal 20 and the electronic device 30 . The communication unit 11 also supplies the processing unit 13 with data received from information processing devices such as the user terminal 20 and the electronic device 30 via the communication network N. FIG.

The storage unit 12 has, for example, at least one of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk device, and an optical disk device. The storage unit 12 stores driver programs, operating system programs, application programs, data, and the like used for processing by the processing unit 13 . The computer program may be installed in the storage unit 12 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc. using a known setup program or the like. The storage unit 12 also stores, as data, a function management table shown in FIG. 3, a management information table shown in FIG. 4, a suction area management table shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a function management table. The function management table is a table for managing functions of the electronic device 30, which is created for each user ID, for example. Here, the functions of the electronic device 30 are not particularly limited, but may include, for example, an output function, an aerosol generation function, and a location information function. Also, the output function may include, for example, a display function, a lighting function, a vibration function, an audio function, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first row of the function management table shows the “function type” of the function of the electronic device 30, the second row shows the “details” of the function, and the third row shows the “function ID” for identifying the function. "Function type" indicates the type of function of the electronic device 30, and specifically includes, for example, "aerosol generation function", "position information function", and "output function". The "output function" further includes, for example, a "display function", a "lighting function", a "vibration function", and an "audio function".

“Aerosol generation function” is indicated as attribute information to which the electronic device 30 belongs when the aerosol generation method of the electronic device 30 is classified according to a predetermined classification standard. The classification criteria are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, the components of the inhalant, the phase state of the inhalant when not in use, the method of generating an aerosol containing the inhalant, the heating method, and the like. If the classification criterion is "component of inhalant", the aerosol-generating function is classified according to whether it includes, for example, cigarettes and fragrances, respectively. If the classification criterion is "phase state of the inhalant when not in use", the aerosol-generating functions are classified, for example, by solid, liquid, gas, intermediate states thereof, combinations thereof, and the like. If the classification criterion is "Method of generating aerosol containing inhalant", the aerosol generating function is classified by, for example, combustion, heating, vaporization, and the like. When the classification criterion is "heating method", the aerosol generation function is classified by, for example, electric heating, heating by carbon heat source, and IH heating. In the example shown in FIG. 3, "T type" indicates a type that includes tobacco as a component of the inhalant and directly heats the tobacco at a high temperature with a heater or the like. "E type" indicates a type that does not use tobacco, contains a liquid as a component of the suction substance, and sucks an aerosol generated by electrically heating the liquid in the device or dedicated cartridge. In addition, "Type I" is, for example, a type that contains tobacco as a component of the inhalant, does not heat the tobacco directly, but heats and atomizes the liquid to allow the tobacco to pass through. Note that the "aerosol generation function" may be represented by a classification standard created by appropriately combining a plurality of the above-described classification standards and other classification standards. "Position information function" indicates a method of acquiring position information of the electronic device 30, and includes, for example, "GPS". "Display function" indicates the type of display for displaying images and the like, and includes, for example, "liquid crystal" indicating a liquid crystal display and "EL" indicating EL (Electroluminescence). The "lighting function" indicates the type of lighting unit that emits light from a light emitter, and includes, for example, "LED" indicating an LED (Light Emitting Diode). "Vibration function" indicates the type of vibrating portion that generates vibration, and includes, for example, "eccentric type" indicating an eccentric motor. "Audio function" indicates the type of audio output unit for outputting audio, and includes, for example, "D type" indicating a dynamic speaker and "C type" indicating a capacitor type speaker. If "details" is "none", it indicates that the function belonging to the "function type" is not provided.

Such classifications of "function type", "details", and "function ID" may be set in advance by the system administrator, for example. Also, when a new function that does not belong to any classification is introduced, the system administrator may create a new classification corresponding to the function.

A function ID received from the electronic device 30, the user terminal 20, or the like is registered in the function management table. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a function ID associated with each device ID may be registered. In this case, "o" indicates that the electronic device 30 has the function associated with the function ID, and "x" indicates that the electronic device 30 does not have the function associated with the device ID. Further, unlike FIG. 3, all function IDs associated with user IDs may be collectively registered without being associated with device IDs. In this case, "○" indicates that the user owns some electronic device 30 having the function associated with the function ID, and "X" indicates that the user does not own any electronic device 30 having the function associated with the function ID.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a management information table. The management information table is a table for managing suction information and management information for each type of aerosol generation function. Here, the suction information includes arbitrary information about the suction of the aerosol by the user using the electronic device 30, and may include, for example, the number of times of suction, the location of suction, the strength of suction, the type of aerosol source, the time of suction, the model used, and the suction profile. The management information is information obtained by processing the suction information by an arbitrary method, and is information for grasping and managing the user's suction habits.

The management information table may be a collection of suction information collected from a plurality of users without identifying users. In this case, the management information table shown in FIG. 4 includes suction information collected from a plurality of users and management information generated from the suction information. Alternatively, the management information table may identify a user and summarize suction information collected for each individual user. In this case, the management information table shown in FIG. 4 includes suction information about a specific user and management information generated from the suction information.

As shown in FIG. 4, the management information table includes, for example, "function ID", "suction information", and "management information". "Function ID" is information indicating a function ID related to the aerosol generation function. The “suction information” is suction information associated with the function ID related to the aerosol generation function. The form of the association is not particularly limited, but may include, for example, the date and time when suction was performed using the aerosol generation function associated with the function ID, information on the suction area, and the like. Here, the suction area may include, for example, an area where the user is permitted to perform suction by laws and ordinances, or map information or the like associated with the area. The “management information” may be information obtained by processing the suction information by any method. For example, the “management information” may be information indicating the result of statistically processing the date and time, information on the suction area, etc. included in the suction information. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the management information table includes, for each function ID, "usage frequency" generated based on "suction information", "frequently used time zone", and "frequently used suction area". Here, the "frequency of use" is information indicating the frequency with which the aerosol generating function associated with the device ID is used, and more specifically, information indicating the ratio of the time when the aerosol generating function associated with the function ID is used to the total time of the "suction information" included in the management information table. Further, the "frequently used time period" is information indicating the time period in which the aerosol generation function associated with the function ID is frequently used. Specifically, the "frequently used time period" may be a time period in which the frequency of suctioning (the number of times of suctioning within a predetermined period of time or the rate of suctioning time) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. Further, the suction frequency for each time period may be divided into stages (for example, five stages) and displayed as "management information". Also, the "frequently used suction area" is information indicating a suction area in which the aerosol generation function associated with the function ID is frequently used. Specifically, the “frequently used suction area” may be a suction area in which the frequency of suction in a certain suction area (the number of times of suction in the suction area within a predetermined period or the rate of suction time) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. Also, the frequency of suction for each suction area divided into stages (for example, five stages) may be displayed as "management information". In this way, by collectively managing the suction information for each function ID related to the aerosol generation function, it becomes possible for the user to grasp how much suction has been performed by which aerosol generation function. Furthermore, by generating management information based on suction information for each function ID related to the aerosol generation function, it is possible to grasp in more detail how much the user has inhaled with which aerosol generation function.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a suction area management table. The suction area management table is a table for managing the types of usable aerosol generation functions for each suction area. As shown in FIG. 5, the suction area management table includes items such as "suction area ID", "place", and each function ID related to "aerosol generation function". “Suction area ID” is an ID for identifying a suction area. “Location” is information indicating the location of the suction area, and may be the name of the location, the address, or positional information. A “○” included in each cell in the “function ID” column indicates that, for example, use of the aerosol generation function of the type associated with the function ID is permitted in the suction area associated with the suction area ID. On the other hand, the “x” included in each cell in the “function ID” column indicates that the use of the type of aerosol generation function associated with the function ID is prohibited or not permitted in the suction area associated with the suction area ID.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, the suction area with the suction area ID of “E001” has an aerosol generation function with a function ID of “FM-t” (i.e., “T type” that includes cigarettes), an aerosol generation function with a function ID of “FM-e” (i.e., “E type” that does not contain cigarettes), and an aerosol generation function with a function ID of “FM-i” (i.e., “I type” that heats and atomizes a liquid to allow cigarettes to pass through). . This indicates that the suction area with the suction area ID of "E001" is permitted to use any of the functions of "T type" including tobacco, "E type" not including tobacco, and "I type" that heats and atomizes liquid to allow tobacco to pass through. On the other hand, in the suction area with the suction area ID of "E002", the cells with the aerosol generation function (i.e., "T type" including tobacco) with the function ID of "FM-t" and the cells with the aerosol generation function with the function ID of "FM-i" (i.e., "I type" that heats and atomizes the liquid to allow tobacco to pass through) are "X", and the cells with the aerosol generation function with the function ID of "FM-e" (i.e., "E type" that does not include tobacco) are "○". . This indicates that the suction area with the suction area ID "E002" is permitted to use the "E type" function that does not include tobacco, but is not permitted or prohibited to use the "T type" function that includes tobacco and the "I type" function that heats and atomizes liquid to pass tobacco through.

The processing unit 13 has one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The processing unit 13 controls overall operations of the server 10, and is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 13 controls the operations of the communication unit 11 and the like so that various processes of the server 10 are executed according to appropriate procedures according to programs and the like stored in the storage unit 12 . The processing unit 13 executes processing based on programs (a driver program, an operating system program, an application program, etc.) stored in the storage unit 12 . Also, the processing unit 13 can execute a plurality of programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

The processing unit 13 has a registration unit 131 , a management information generation unit 132 , a control information generation unit 133 , a transmission unit 134 and a reception unit 135 . The registration unit 131 stores various information regarding the electronic device 30 and the like in the storage unit 12 . For example, the registration unit 131 registers the function ID and device ID received from the electronic device 30 and/or the user terminal 20 in the function management table described using FIG. The management information generator 132 generates management information based on the function ID and the suction information. For example, the management information generation unit 132 may generate management information based on suction information collected from a plurality of users without identifying users, or may generate management information for a specific user based on suction information about the user. The control information generation unit 133 generates control information for controlling the electronic device 30 based on position information of the electronic device 30 or the user terminal 20, information indicating the aerosol generation function, suction area information, and the like. The transmission unit 134 transmits various types of information to other information processing devices and the like via the communication unit 11 . For example, the transmission unit 134 transmits user IDs, device IDs, function IDs, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signals, and the like to the user terminal 20, the electronic device 30, and the like. The receiving unit 135 receives various types of information from other information processing devices or the like via the communication unit 11 . For example, the receiving unit 135 receives user IDs, device IDs, function IDs, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signals, and the like from the user terminal 20, the electronic device 30, and the like.

(2-2) User terminal 20
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the user terminal 20 according to the embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the user terminal 20 has a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, an output unit 23, an operation unit 24, and a processing unit 25, for example.

The communication unit 21 has a communication interface circuit and connects the user terminal 20 to the communication network N. FIG. The communication unit 21 transmits data supplied from the processing unit 25 via the communication network N to the server 10, the electronic device 30, and the like. Further, the communication unit 21 supplies data received from the server 10 and the electronic device 30 through the communication network N to the processing unit 25 .

The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a semiconductor memory device. The storage unit 22 stores an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, etc. used for processing in the processing unit 25 . Various programs may be installed in the storage section 22 from a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc. using a known setup program or the like. The storage unit 22 may also store the user ID, the device ID and/or the function ID of the electronic device 30 associated with the user terminal 20, etc. as data.

The output unit 23 is implemented by any one of all kinds of devices capable of outputting the processing result processed by the processing unit 25, or by a combination thereof. When outputting the processing result as a video and/or moving image, the output device is realized by any one or a combination of all kinds of devices capable of displaying the display data according to the display data written in the frame buffer. Non-limiting examples of output devices include touch panels, touch displays, monitors (non-limiting examples include liquid crystal displays, OELD (Organic Electroluminescence Display), etc.), head-mounted displays (HDM: Head Mounted Display), projection mapping, holograms, devices capable of displaying images, text information, etc. in the air (may be vacuum), speakers (audio output), printers, and the like. Note that these output devices may be capable of displaying display data in 3D. Also, the output unit 23 may be a vibrating element such as an eccentric motor or a linear resonance actuator capable of generating vibration.

The operation unit 24 may be any device that can operate the user terminal 20, such as a touch panel or key buttons. A user can use the operation unit 24 to input characters, numbers, symbols, and the like. The operation unit 24 generates a signal corresponding to the operation when operated by the user. The generated signal is then supplied to the processing unit 25 as a user instruction.

The processing unit 25 includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The processing unit 25 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the user terminal 20, and is, for example, a CPU. The processing unit 25 controls the operations of the communication unit 21, the output unit 23, etc. so that various processes of the user terminal 20 are executed in an appropriate procedure based on the programs stored in the storage unit 22, the operation of the operation unit 24, and the like. The processing unit 25 executes processing based on programs (operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, etc.) stored in the storage unit 22 . Also, the processing unit 25 can execute a plurality of programs (application programs, etc.) in parallel.

The processing unit 25 has, for example, a registration unit 251, a location information acquisition unit 252, a pairing unit 253, a transmission unit 254, and a reception unit 255. The registration unit 251 executes processing for registering various types of information regarding the electronic device 30 in the storage unit 22 . For example, the registration unit 251 registers the function ID and device ID of the electronic device 30 . The position information acquisition unit 252 acquires the position information of the user terminal 20 by communicating with an artificial satellite via the communication unit 21, for example. As a pairing process, the pairing unit 253 performs wireless communication with another information processing device such as the user terminal 20, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or NFC (Near Field Communication). For example, the pairing unit 253 transmits and receives a predetermined key to and from the information processing apparatus of the other party, and then stores the predetermined key in the storage unit 22 . Thereafter, the short-range wireless communication can be realized by transmitting/receiving a packet containing the key. The transmission unit 254 transmits various types of information to other information processing devices and the like via the communication unit 21 . For example, the transmission unit 254 transmits user IDs, device IDs, function IDs, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signals, and the like to the server 10, the electronic device 30, and the like. The receiving unit 255 receives various information from other information processing devices and the like via the communication unit 21 . For example, the receiving unit 255 receives user IDs, device IDs, function IDs, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signals, and the like from the server 10, the electronic device 30, and the like.

(2-3) Electronic device 30
Next, the configuration of the electronic device 30 will be described.

The electronic device 30 may be of a first type, which directly heats tobacco at a high temperature. Specifically, the electronic device 30 may be configured to generate a flavor-bearing aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, such as a smoking article, having a flavor-generating substrate, such as a filling comprising an aerosol source and a flavor source, for example.

As a second type, the electronic device 30 may be a type that does not use cigarettes, contains a liquid as a component of the suction substance, and sucks an aerosol generated by electrically heating the liquid in the device or a dedicated cartridge.

As a third type, the electronic device 30 may be of a type that includes tobacco as a component of the inhalant, does not directly heat the tobacco, but heats and atomizes a liquid to allow the tobacco to pass through.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic device 30 according to an embodiment of the invention. The example shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the third type described above.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electronic device 30 includes a first member 31 and a second member 32. As shown in FIG. As illustrated, as an example, the first member 31 may include an output section 311 , a battery 312 , a sensor 313 , a storage section 314 , a communication section 315 , an operation section 316 and a processing section 317 . As an example, the second member 32 may include a reservoir 321 , an atomizing portion 322 , an air intake channel 323 , an aerosol channel 324 and a mouthpiece 325 . Some of the components contained within first member 31 may be contained within second member 32 . Some of the components contained within second member 32 may be contained within first member 31 . The second member 32 may be configured to be detachable from the first member 31 . Alternatively, all components contained within the first member 31 and the second member 32 may be contained within the same housing instead of the first member 31 and the second member 32 .

The electronic device 30 also includes a third member 33, as shown in FIG. The second member 32 and the third member 33 constitute an aerosol generator that generates an aerosol. As an example, third member 33 may include flavor source 331 . As an example, if the electronic device 30 is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 331 may include the flavor and taste components contained in tobacco. The third member 33 may be configured to be detachable from the second member 32 . Alternatively, all components contained within the second member 32 and the third member 33 may be contained within the same housing instead of the second member 32 and the third member 33 .

Reservoir 321 holds an aerosol source. For example, the reservoir 321 is made of a fibrous or porous material, and holds the aerosol source as a liquid in the gaps between the fibers or pores of the porous material. For the fibrous or porous material described above, for example, cotton, glass fiber, tobacco raw material, or the like can be used. Reservoir 321 may be configured as a tank containing liquid. Aerosol sources are, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, liquids such as water. If the electronic device 30 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may also contain a medicament for inhalation by the patient. As another example, the aerosol source may include tobacco materials or extracts derived from tobacco materials that release flavor and taste components upon heating. In this case, the aerosol containing the flavor component is generated even without the third member 33 attached. Reservoir 321 may have a configuration that allows it to be replenished with a spent aerosol source. Alternatively, reservoir 321 may be configured such that reservoir 321 itself can be replaced when the aerosol source is exhausted. Also, the aerosol source is not limited to liquid, and may be solid. If the aerosol source is solid, the reservoir 321 may be, for example, a hollow container without fibrous or porous material.

Atomization section 322 is configured to atomize the aerosol source to produce an aerosol. When the sensor 313 detects the suction action, the atomization section 322 generates an aerosol. For example, a wick (not shown) may be provided to connect reservoir 321 and atomization section 322 . In this case, a portion of the wick leads into the interior of reservoir 321 and contacts the aerosol source. Another part of the wick extends to the atomization section 322 . The aerosol source is transported from reservoir 321 to atomization section 322 by the capillary effect of the wick. As an example, atomization section 322 includes a heater electrically connected to battery 312 . A heater is placed in contact with or in close proximity to the wick. When an inhalation action is detected, the control unit 317a controls the heater of the atomizing unit 322 to heat the aerosol source carried through the wick, thereby atomizing the aerosol source. Another example of the atomizer 322 may be an ultrasonic atomizer that atomizes the aerosol source through ultrasonic vibrations. An air intake channel 323 is connected to the atomizing section 322 and communicates with the outside of the electronic device 30 . The aerosol generated in the atomizing section 322 is mixed with the air taken in through the air intake channel 323 . A fluid mixture of aerosol and air is delivered to aerosol channel 324 as indicated by arrow 326 . The aerosol flow path 324 has a tubular structure for transporting the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated in the atomizing section 322 to the mouthpiece section 325 .

Flavor source 331 is a component for imparting flavor to the aerosol. Flavor source 331 is arranged in the middle of aerosol channel 324 . A mixed fluid of aerosol and air generated by the atomizing section 322 (note that the mixed fluid may be simply referred to as an aerosol hereinafter) flows through the aerosol flow path 324 to the mouthpiece section 325. Thus, the flavor source 331 is provided downstream of the atomization section 322 with respect to the aerosol flow. In other words, the flavor source 331 is located closer to the mouthpiece 325 in the aerosol flow path 324 than the atomization section 322 is. Therefore, the aerosol generated by the atomization section 322 passes through the flavor source 331 before reaching the mouthpiece section 325 . When the aerosol passes through the flavor source 331, the flavor component contained in the flavor source 331 is imparted to the aerosol. As an example, if the electronic device 30 is an electronic cigarette, the flavor source 331 may be derived from tobacco, such as shredded tobacco, or processed tobacco material formed into granules, sheets, or powder. Flavor sources 331 may also be of non-tobacco origin, made from plants other than tobacco (eg, mints, herbs, etc.). As an example, flavor source 331 may contain a flavoring ingredient such as menthol. In addition to the flavor source 331, the reservoir 321 may also contain substances containing flavoring components. For example, electronic device 30 may be configured to hold a tobacco-derived flavorant in flavor source 331 and contain a non-tobacco-derived flavorant in reservoir 321 .

The mouthpiece 325 is located at the end of the aerosol channel 324 and configured to open the aerosol channel 324 to the outside of the electronic device 30 . As shown, the aerosol channel 324 extends through the second member 32 and the third member 33 . A mouthpiece 325 is provided on the third member 33 .

The user can take air containing flavored aerosol into the oral cavity by sucking while holding the mouthpiece 325 in the mouth.

The output unit 311 is realized by any one of all kinds of devices capable of outputting the processing result processed by the processing unit 317, or a combination thereof, and has, for example, a display function, a lighting function, a vibration function, and an audio function. When outputting the processing result as a video and/or moving image, the output device is realized by any one or a combination of all kinds of devices capable of displaying the display data according to the display data written in the frame buffer. Examples of output devices include, but are not limited to, touch panels, touch displays, monitors (non-limiting examples include liquid crystal displays, organic EL (Electroluminescence) displays, etc.), head mounted displays (HDM: Head Mounted Display), projection mapping, holograms, devices capable of displaying images, text information, etc. in the air (may be vacuum), speakers (audio output), printers, and the like. Note that these output devices may be capable of displaying display data in 3D. Also, the output unit 33 may be a vibrating element such as an eccentric motor or a linear resonance actuator capable of generating vibration.

The battery 312 is a power source that accumulates power and supplies power to each component of the electronic device 30 such as the output section 311 , the sensor 313 , the storage section 314 and the atomization section 322 . Battery 312 may be recharged by connecting to an external power source through a predetermined port (not shown) of electronic device 30 . Only the battery 312 may be removable from the first member 31 or the electronic device 30 and may be replaced with a new battery 312 . Alternatively, the battery 312 may be replaced with a new battery 312 by replacing the entire first member 31 with a new first member 31 .

The sensor 313 may include a pressure sensor to detect pressure variations in the air intake channel 323 and/or the aerosol channel 324 or a flow sensor to detect flow rate. Sensor 313 may also include a weight sensor that senses the weight of components such as reservoir 321 . Sensor 313 may also be configured to count the number of puffs made by a user using electronic device 30 . The sensor 313 may also be configured to integrate the energization time of the atomizing section 322 . Sensor 313 may also be configured to sense the level of liquid in reservoir 321 . The sensor 313 may also be configured to detect attachment and detachment of the second member 32 to the first member 31 or attachment and detachment of the third member 33 to the second member 32 . The sensor 313 may also be configured to detect the SOC (State of Charge) of the battery 312, current integration value, voltage, and the like. The current integrated value may be obtained by a current integration method, an SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method, or the like. The sensor 313 may also be an operation button or the like that can be operated by the user.

The storage unit 314 is a storage medium such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. In addition to the computer-executable instructions as described above, the storage unit 314 may store setting data and the like necessary for controlling the electronic device 30 . For example, the storage unit 314 may store various data such as the control method of the output unit 311 (modes such as light emission, vocalization, vibration, etc.), values detected by the sensor 313, heating history of the atomization unit 322, and the like. The storage unit 314 may store, for example, a user ID, a device ID for identifying the electronic device 30, a function ID for identifying a function of the electronic device 30, and the like.

The communication unit 315 includes a communication interface circuit and connects the electronic device 30 to the communication network N or the short-range wireless communication network. The communication unit 315 transmits the data supplied from the processing unit 317 to the server 10, the user terminal 20, or the like via the communication network N or the short-range wireless communication network. The communication unit 315 also supplies the processing unit 317 with data received from the server 10 or the user terminal 20 via the communication network N or the short-range wireless communication network.

The operation unit 316 may be any device that can operate the electronic device 30, such as a touch panel or key buttons. The user can use the operation unit 316 to input characters, numbers, symbols, and the like. The operation unit 316 generates a signal corresponding to the operation when operated by the user. The generated signal is then supplied to the processing unit 317 as a user instruction.

The processing unit 317 may be an electronic circuit module configured as a microprocessor or microcomputer. Processing unit 317 may be configured to control the operation of electronic device 30 according to computer-executable instructions stored in storage unit 314 . The processing unit 317 reads data from the storage unit 314 as necessary, uses it for controlling the electronic device 30, and stores the data in the storage unit 314 as necessary. The processing unit 317 may include a control unit 317a, a suction information generation unit 317b, a position information acquisition unit 317c, a pairing unit 317d, a transmission unit 317e, and a reception unit 317f.

The controller 317a controls generation of aerosol by the aerosol generator (the second member 32 and the third member 33). The control unit 317 a performs the control by a method according to the aerosol generation method of the electronic device 30 .

The suction information generator 317b generates suction information. The suction information may include, for example, the number of times of suction, the location of suction, the strength of suction, the type of aerosol source, the time of suction, the model used, and the suction profile. The suction information generation unit 317b generates suction information (e.g., the number of times of suction, the location of suction, the strength of suction, the time of suction, the suction profile, etc.) based on, for example, position information supplied from the position information acquisition unit 317c, a detection signal (described later) corresponding to the type of aerosol source, and a detection signal related to suction supplied from the sensor 313.

The position information acquisition unit 317c acquires the position information of the electronic device 30 by communicating with an artificial satellite via the communication unit 315, for example.

As a pairing process, the pairing unit 317d performs wireless communication with another information processing device such as the user terminal 20, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark), wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or NFC (Near Field Communication). For example, the pairing unit 317 d transmits/receives a predetermined key to/from the information processing apparatus of the other party, and then stores the predetermined key in the storage unit 314 . Thereafter, the short-range wireless communication can be realized by transmitting/receiving a packet containing the key.

The transmission unit 317e transmits various types of information to other information processing apparatuses and the like via the communication unit 315. FIG. For example, the transmission unit 317e transmits the user ID, device ID, function ID, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signal, and the like to the server 10, the user terminal 20, and the like.

The receiving unit 317f receives various types of information from other information processing devices and the like via the communication unit 315. FIG. For example, the receiving unit 317f receives user IDs, device IDs, function IDs, position information, suction information, management information, control information, predetermined request signals, and the like from the server 10, the user terminal 20, and the like.

(3) Operation Processing Next, operation processing of the information processing system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

(3-1) Function Registration Processing FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of function registration processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. This process is a process of registering the function ID of the electronic device 30 in the user terminal 20 or the server 10 prior to using the electronic device 30 .

First, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 transmits a signal requesting the device ID to the electronic device 30 according to the operation of the operation unit 24 by the user (S10). At this time, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 may also request the electronic device 30 to provide the device ID. Next, the transmission unit 317e of the electronic device 30 transmits the function ID of the electronic device 30 stored in the storage unit 314 of the electronic device 30 to the user terminal 20 as a response to the signal requesting the function ID (S11). If the device ID is also requested in S10, the transmission unit 317e of the electronic device 30 may further transmit the device ID of the electronic device 30 to the user terminal 20. FIG.

Next, the registration unit 251 of the user terminal 20 registers the function ID by storing the function ID received from the electronic device 30 in the storage unit 22 (S12). At this time, if the device ID of the electronic device 30 is also received, the registration unit 251 of the user terminal 20 registers the function ID by also storing the device ID in the storage unit 22 in association with the function ID. Next, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 transmits the user ID, the function ID received from the electronic device 30, and a signal requesting registration of the function ID to the server 10 (S13). At this time, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 may also transmit the device ID of the electronic device 30 to the server 10 .

Next, when the registration unit 131 of the server 10 receives the function ID of the electronic device 30 and the signal requesting registration of the function ID from the user terminal 20, it registers the received function ID in the function management table described with reference to FIG. 3, for example (S14). At this time, the registration unit 131 of the server 10 may also register the device ID in the function management table. This completes the pre-registration process.

(3-2) Management Information Generation Processing FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of management information generation processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In this process, after the suction information generated when the user performs suction using the electronic device 30 is transmitted to the server 10 via the user terminal 20, the server 10 generates management information based on the suction information.

First, the electronic device 30 executes a suction process according to the user's operation of the operation unit 34 of the electronic device 30 (S20). Specifically, the control unit 317a of the electronic device 30 controls generation of aerosol by the aerosol generation unit (the second member 32 and the third member 33). Next, the suction information generator 317b of the electronic device 30 generates suction information (S21). At this time, the suction information generation unit 317b may detect arbitrary parameters related to suction, such as the strength and number of times of suction of the electronic device 30 by the user. Also, the position information of the electronic device 30 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 317c may be included in the suction information. In this manner, the suction information generation unit 317b generates, as suction information, for example, the number of times of suction, the location of suction, the strength of suction, the type of aerosol-forming substrate, the time of suction, the model used, and the suction profile.

Next, the transmission unit 317e of the electronic device 30 transmits the generated suction information to the user terminal 20 (S22). Next, the registration unit 251 of the user terminal 20 stores the received suction information in the storage unit 22, thereby registering the suction information (S23). At this time, the registration unit 251 may include the location information of the user terminal 20 acquired by the location information acquisition unit 252 of the user terminal 20 in the suction information. As a result, even when the electronic device 30 does not have a position information acquisition function, it is possible to grasp the position of the suction location.

Next, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 transmits the suction information and a signal requesting registration of the suction information to the server 10 (S24). Next, the registration unit 131 of the server 10 registers the suction information received from the user terminal 20 in the management information table stored in the storage unit 12 (S25).

Next, the management information generator 132 of the server 10 generates management information based on the function ID and suction information recorded in the function management table (S26). At this time, the management information generation unit 132 may generate management information based on suction information collected from a plurality of users without identifying users, or may generate management information for a specific user based on suction information for the user. As described above, the "management information" may be information obtained by processing the suction information by any method. For example, the “management information” may be information indicating the result of statistically processing the date and time, information on the suction area, etc. included in the suction information. With the above, the management information generation processing ends.

(3-3) Control Processing of Electronic Device 30 FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an operation sequence of control processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The processing is processing in which the server 10 generates control information and the electronic device 30 executes various operations according to the control information.

First, the pairing unit 317d of the electronic device 30 and the pairing unit 253 of the user terminal 20 perform pairing processing (S30). Specifically, the pairing unit 317d of the electronic device 30 and the pairing unit 253 of the user terminal 20 transmit and receive a predetermined key. The pairing unit 317 d of the electronic device 30 stores the predetermined key in the storage unit 32 of the electronic device 30 , and the pairing unit 253 of the user terminal 20 stores the predetermined key in the storage unit 32 .

Next, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 transmits a request signal requesting control information to the server 10 (S32). Here, the request signal may include any information regarding the electronic device 30 . For example, the request signal may include either the device ID of the electronic device 30 or the function ID of the electronic device 30 . The function ID of the electronic device 30 may include a function ID related to the aerosol generation function described above. Also, the request signal may include the location information acquired by the electronic device 30 and/or the location information acquired by the user terminal 20 .

Next, upon receiving a request signal requesting control information from the user terminal 20, the control information generator 133 of the server 10 generates control information according to the information included in the request signal (S33). For example, when a device ID is included in the request signal, the control information generation unit 133 may refer to the function management table to extract the function ID associated with the device ID, and generate control information for controlling the function associated with the function ID. Further, for example, when a function ID is included in the request signal, the control information generator 133 may refer to the function management table to generate control information for controlling the function associated with the function ID. Further, for example, when the request signal includes the position information of the electronic device 30 and/or the user terminal 20, the control information generation unit 133 may determine the suction area based on the position information, and then refer to the suction area management table stored in the storage unit 12 to generate control information for controlling the function (for example, the aerosol generation function) that can be used in the determined suction area. The aspect of control related to the control information is not particularly limited as long as it relates to the control of the function.

Next, the transmission unit 134 of the server 10 transmits the generated control information to the user terminal 20 (S34). Next, according to the control information received from the server 10, the output unit 23 of the user terminal 20 executes an output process for outputting the contents of the control information (S35). The mode and content of the output are not particularly limited, but for example, the output unit 23 of the user terminal 20 may display the aerosol generation function that can be used in the area, that the user is in an area that can be inhaled, etc. It may be displayed, or it may be output by a speaker.

Next, the transmission unit 254 of the user terminal 20 transmits the control information received from the server 10 to the electronic device 30 (S36). Next, the output unit 311 of the electronic device 30 executes output processing for outputting the contents of the control information according to the control information received from the user terminal 20 (S37). Although the form and content of the output are not particularly limited, for example, the electronic device 30 may display on the display the aerosol generation function that can be used in the area, that the user is in the area where the user can inhale, etc., output by voice through a speaker, or light up in a predetermined pattern according to the notification content with an LED or the like. Note that the transmission unit 134 of the server 10 may directly transmit the generated control information to the electronic device 30 . Next, upon receiving the control information, the control unit 317a of the electronic device 30 performs an operation according to the control information (S38). For example, the controller 317a controls generation of aerosol by the aerosol generator (the second member 32 and the third member 33) according to the control information. With this, the control processing ends.

The embodiments described above are for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit and interpret the present invention. Each element included in the embodiment and its arrangement, materials, conditions, shape, size, etc. are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate. Also, it is possible to partially replace or combine the configurations shown in different embodiments.

Reference Signs List 1 information processing system 10 server 11 communication unit 12 storage unit 13 processing unit 131 registration unit 132 management information generation unit 133 control information generation unit 20 user terminal 21 communication unit 22 storage unit 23 output unit 24 operation unit 25 processing unit 251 registration unit 252 location information acquisition unit 253 pairing unit 30 electronic device 31 1st member 311 output unit 312 battery 313 sensor 314 storage unit 315 communication unit 316 operation unit 317 processing unit 317a control unit 317b suction information generation unit 317c position information acquisition unit 317d pairing unit 317e transmission unit 317f reception unit 32 second member 321 reservoir 3 22... Atomization part, 323... Air intake channel, 324... Aerosol channel, 325... Mouthpiece part, 33... Third member, 331... Flavor source

Claims (16)

A system for generating an aerosol for inhalation, comprising:
a control unit that controls generation of the aerosol by the aerosol generation unit;
a storage unit that stores a function ID for identifying an output function of the system and a control method for the output function associated with the function ID ;
and a transmitting unit that transmits the function ID. 11. The system of Claim 1, further comprising the aerosol generator that generates an aerosol. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter transmits said function ID based on a received request signal. 2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the output function includes at least one of a display function, a lighting function, a vibration function, and an audio function. the storage unit further stores a device ID for identifying the system ;
The system according to claim 1, wherein said transmission unit further transmits said device ID. further comprising a receiving unit for receiving control information for setting a control method for the output function associated with the function ID ;
6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein said control unit sets a control method for said output function associated with said function ID based on said received control information. The control unit switches ON/OFF of the output function associated with the function ID based on the control information.
7. A system according to claim 6. The control unit adjusts parameters of the output function associated with the function ID based on the control information.
7. A system according to claim 6. the control unit switches modes of the output function associated with the function ID based on the control information;
7. A system according to claim 6. An information processing device in communication with a system that generates an aerosol for inhalation,
a communication unit that receives from the system a function ID for identifying an output function of the system and transmits control information for setting a control method for the output function associated with the function ID to the system;
An information processing device. the communication unit transmits a request signal requesting transmission of the function ID;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10. 11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said output function includes at least one of a display function, a lighting function, a vibration function, and an audio function. The control information includes information for switching ON/OFF of the output function associated with the function ID.
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10. the control information includes information for adjusting parameters of the output function associated with the function ID;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10. the control information includes information for switching the mode of the output function associated with the function ID;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 10. The information processing device further includes an output unit that outputs content related to the control information,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 10-15.

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