Aerosol generating device and operation method thereof
An aerosol generating device including: a heater configured to heat an aerosol-generating material; a battery configured to supply power to the heater; an airflow detecting sensor configured to detect a change in airflow inside the aerosol generating device; a pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure change outside the aerosol generating device; and a controller, wherein the controller may determine whether a puff has occurred based on a first sensing value received from the air flow detection sensor and a second sensing value received from the pressure sensor.
1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
a heater configured to heat an aerosol generating material;
a battery configured to supply power to the heater;
an airflow detecting sensor configured to detect a change in airflow inside the aerosol generating device;
a pressure sensor configured to detect a change in pressure outside the aerosol generating device; and
a controller configured to:
control power supplied to the heater according to a preheating mode,
receive a first sensing value from the airflow detecting sensor and a second sensing value from the pressure sensor,
detect a puff based on the first sensing value and the second sensing value,
determine that the puff has occurred if the first sensing value is maintained below a first threshold value for a predetermined length of time while the second sensing value is maintained above the first threshold value,
determine that no puff has occurred if the first sensing value is maintained below the first threshold value and above a second threshold value for the predetermined length of time while the second sensing value is maintained below the first threshold value,
determine that the puff has occurred if the first sensing value is maintained below the second threshold value for the predetermined length of time while the second sensing value is maintained below the first threshold value, and
in a state in which power is being supplied to the heater according to the preheating mode, based on determining that the puff has occurred, control power supplied to the heater according to a heating mode,
wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value,
wherein the predetermined length of time is a length of time to determine whether or not the puff occurs, and
wherein, among the preheating mode and the heating mode, atomization is only generated in the heating mode.
2 . The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an airflow path located between an inlet through which air is introduced from outside of the aerosol generating device and an outlet through which the introduced air is discharged to the outside,
wherein the airflow detecting sensor is in fluid communication with the airflow path.
3 . The aerosol generating device of claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is located in a space independent of the airflow path, and is in fluid communication with outside of the aerosol generating device.
4 . The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to switch from a sleep mode to the preheating mode or from an idle mode to the heating mode, based on the puff being detected.
5 . The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the airflow detecting sensor is a microphone, and the pressure sensor is an absolute pressure sensor.
6 . The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the puff has occurred if the first sensing value is maintained below the first threshold value and above the second threshold value for the predetermined length of time while the second sensing value is maintained above the first threshold value, and
determine that the puff has occurred if the first sensing value is maintained below the second threshold value for the predetermined length of time while the second sensing value is maintained below the first threshold value and above the second threshold value.