# US 11,297,878 B1 · Power supply unit for aerosol generation device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,297,878 B1 - Document ID: US11297878B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/489,785 - Filed: 2021-09-30 - Published: 2022-03-31 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2020-09-30 - Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Inventors: Ikuo Fujinaga; Takuma Nakano; Hajime Fujita - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11297878B1 ## CPC - A24F 40/30: Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors - A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection - A24F 40/57: Temperature control - A24F 40/60: Devices with integrated user interfaces - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) ## Abstract A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, the power supply unit including: a power supply; a first connector electrically connectable to an atomizer capable of atomizing an aerosol source and electrically connected to the power supply; a second connector electrically connectable to a heater capable of heating a flavor source and electrically connected to the power supply; and a processing device. The processing device is configured to generate the aerosol to which the flavor is added by controlling discharge from the power supply to the atomizer and the heater, acquire a remaining amount of the flavor source at a first timing after generation of the aerosol as a first remaining amount, and acquire a second remaining amount, which is a remaining amount of the flavor source at a timing between the first timing and a second timing when next generation of the aerosol starts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, the power supply unit comprising: a power supply; a first connector electrically connectable to an atomizer capable of atomizing an aerosol source and electrically connected to the power supply; a second connector electrically connectable to a heater capable of heating a flavor source that adds a flavor to an aerosol generated from the aerosol source, and electrically connected to the power supply; and a processing device, wherein the processing device is configured to generate the aerosol to which the flavor is added by controlling discharge from the power supply to the atomizer and the heater, acquire a remaining amount of the flavor source at a first timing after generation of the aerosol to which the flavor is added as a first remaining amount, and acquire a second remaining amount, which is a remaining amount of the flavor source at a timing between the first timing and a second timing when next generation of the aerosol to which the flavor is added starts, as an amount smaller than the first remaining amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to control the discharge from the power supply to the atomizer and the heater based on the second remaining amount. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to acquire the second remaining amount based on an elapsed time from the first timing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to acquire a temperature of the flavor source, and acquire the second remaining amount based on the temperature of the flavor source at a timing after the first timing and before the second timing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to acquire a temperature of the heater, control the discharge from the power supply to the heater such that the temperature of the heater converges to any one of a plurality of target temperatures, and acquire the second remaining amount based on a value of the temperature of the heater at the first timing or a value of the one of target temperature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a notification unit, wherein the processing device is configured to cause the notification unit to perform a notification when the remaining amount of the flavor source is smaller than a threshold value, and acquire the second remaining amount based on an accumulated value of an amount of power supplied to the atomizer after the notification. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to detect attachment and detachment of a container that accommodates the flavor source to and from the aerosol generation device, and acquire the second remaining amount based on an accumulated value of an amount of power supplied to the atomizer after the container is attached. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a sensor that outputs a value related to an ambient temperature around the power supply unit, wherein the processing device is configured to acquire the second remaining amount based on an output of the sensor at a timing after the first timing and before the second timing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to acquire the second remaining amount based on the first remaining amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising: the notification unit, wherein the processing device is configured to cause the notification unit to immediately execute the notification when the second remaining amount is smaller than the threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising: the notification unit; an input unit capable of detecting an input by a user, wherein the processing device is configured to start the discharge from the power supply to the atomizer based on the input to the input unit, and cause the notification unit to execute the notification in response to the input to the input unit when the second remaining amount is smaller than the threshold value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 10, wherein the processing device is configured to immediately acquire an amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from the first remaining amount after acquiring the first remaining amount, and cause the notification unit to immediately execute the notification when the amount obtained by subtracting the predetermined amount from the first remaining amount is smaller than the threshold value.