WO2024171449A1 - Information processing device, inhalation system, and information presentation method - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a control unit (250) of a terminal device (200) that is capable of communicating with an inhalation device in which an aerosol is delivered in a manner that enables inhalation by a user performs a process for: acquiring inhalation information representing the actual state of inhalation performed with respect to the inhalation device; calculating, on the basis of the acquired inhalation information, the degree of divergence between the actual state of inhalation and a prescribed reference state of inhalation; and audibly presenting, to a user of the inhalation device, information representing the calculated degree of divergence.

Description

Information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method

This disclosure relates to an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method.

　Conventionally, inhalers are known that generate an aerosol containing, for example, a flavor component and deliver the generated aerosol to a user so that the user can inhale it. Typically, such inhalers deliver the aerosol generated by heating a substrate that includes an aerosol source with a heating section (also referred to as a "heating element") that is an electric resistance type or induction type heater to a user.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that generates first information by referencing flavor inhalation information, such as the number of inhalations a user has made using a flavor inhaler, and displays the first information on a display unit.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2022-97490

However, research and development into aspirators has only recently begun, and there is still room for improvement in terms of providing users with a higher quality experience.

The present disclosure provides an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method that enable a higher quality experience to be provided to the user.

One aspect of the present disclosure is
Acquire suction information representing an actual inhalation state performed on an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol to be inhaled by a user;
Calculating a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information;
Presenting a presentation sound to the user that represents the degree of deviation.
A control unit that performs processing,
It is an information processing device.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is
A suction system including the information processing device and the suction device capable of communicating with the information processing device,
the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing device every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed or every time a predetermined time has elapsed;
The information processing device includes:
a terminal device including a sound output unit capable of outputting sound, the terminal device being used by the user;
Calculating the deviation based on the suction information received from the suction device;
The deviation degree is presented to the user by outputting the presentation sound representing the deviation degree from the sound output unit.
It is a suction system.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is
The computer
Acquire suction information representing an actual inhalation state performed on an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol to be inhaled by a user;
Calculating a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information;
Presenting a presentation sound to the user that represents the degree of deviation.
It is an information presentation method that performs processing.

The present disclosure provides an information processing device, a suction system, and an information presentation method that enable a higher quality experience to be provided to the user.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a suction system 10 . FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of a suction device 100A which is a first configuration example of the suction device 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of a suction device 100B which is a second configuration example of the suction device 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the terminal device 200. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the control unit 250. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the preference information acquisition process. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the pre-processing music setting process. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the deviation calculation process. FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a first example of the presentation sound generation process. FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating a second example of the presentation sound generation process. FIG. 8C is a diagram illustrating a third example of the presentation sound generation process. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of the pre-processing music setting process and the presentation sound generating process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the process executed by the control unit 250.

Below, an embodiment of the information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention described in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, two or more features of the multiple features described in the embodiments may be combined in any desired manner. Note that, below, identical or similar elements are denoted by identical or similar reference symbols, and their descriptions may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

1. Suction System
First, an example of the suction system of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a suction system 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the suction system 10 includes a suction device 100 and a terminal device 200. In the suction system 10, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are provided in a state in which they can communicate with each other. For communication between the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), or the like may be adopted. In addition, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 may be connected by wire.

The suction device 100 is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by the user and delivers the generated substance so that the user can inhale it. In the following description, the substance generated by the suction device 100 is described as an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the suction device 100 may be a gas. A specific configuration example of the suction device 100 will be described later with reference to Figures 2A and 2B.

The terminal device 200 is an example of an information processing device of the present disclosure, and is a terminal device (computer) used by a user of the suction device 100. For example, the suction device 100 and the terminal device 200 are linked to each other by the user. The terminal device 200 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or a wearable terminal (e.g., a smart watch). In the following, the terminal device 200 will be described as being a smartphone.

The details will be described later, but the terminal device 200 has a notification unit (see, for example, reference numeral 210 in FIG. 3) that notifies (in other words, presents) information to the user. The terminal device 200 then presents to the user, via this notification unit, information regarding the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100 and a predetermined reference suction mode. A specific configuration example of the terminal device 200 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[2. Configuration example of suction device]
<2-1. First configuration example of suction device>
Next, a configuration example of the inhalation device 100 will be described. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing an example of an inhalation device 100A, which is a first configuration example of the inhalation device 100. As shown in FIG. 2A, the inhalation device 100A of this example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a flavor imparting cartridge 130. The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply section 111A, a sensor section 112A, a notification section 113A, a memory section 114A, a communication section 115A, and a control section 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating section 121A, a liquid guiding section 122, and a liquid storage section 123. The flavor imparting cartridge 130 includes a flavor source 131 and a mouthpiece 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavor imparting cartridge 130.

The power supply unit 111A stores power. The power supply unit 111A supplies power to each component of the suction device 100A under the control of the control unit 116A. The power supply unit 111A may be configured, for example, by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The sensor unit 112A acquires various information related to the suction device 100A. The sensor unit 112A is composed of, for example, a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, or a temperature sensor, and acquires values associated with the user's suction.

As one example, the sensor unit 112A may include a pressure sensor (also referred to as a "puff sensor") that detects a change in pressure (hereinafter also referred to as "internal pressure") inside the suction device 100 caused by the user's inhalation. As another example, the sensor unit 112A may include a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate (hereinafter also simply referred to as "flow rate") caused by the user's inhalation. Furthermore, as another example, the sensor unit 112A may include a temperature sensor (also referred to as a "puff thermistor") that detects the temperature of the heating unit 121A or the area around the heating unit 121A.

The sensor unit 112A may also be configured with an input device, such as an operation button or switch, that accepts information input from the user.

Notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. Notification unit 113A may be configured, for example, as a light-emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

The storage unit 114A stores various information (e.g., programs and data) for the operation of the suction device 100A. The storage unit 114A may be configured, for example, from a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such a communication standard may be, for example, a standard using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, or LPWA. The communication unit 115A communicates, for example, with the communication unit 240 of the terminal device 200, which will be described later. The communication unit 115A may also communicate with other devices other than the terminal device 200 (for example, a specified server device).

The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100A in accordance with various programs stored in the memory unit 114A, etc. The control unit 116A is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

The liquid storage unit 123 stores the aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source is, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin and propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may contain a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. If the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a medicine.

The liquid guide section 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is a liquid stored in the liquid storage section 123, from the liquid storage section 123. The liquid guide section 122 is, for example, a wick formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage section 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

The heating unit 121A generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil and is wound around the liquid guide unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, and an aerosol is generated. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. As an example, power may be supplied when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and/or that specific information has been input. Then, power supply may be stopped when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and/or that specific information has been input.

The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may contain tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components.

The air flow path 180 is a flow path for air inhaled by the user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inlet hole 181, which is an entrance of air into the air flow path 180, and an air outlet hole 182, which is an exit of air from the air flow path 180, at both ends. In the middle of the air flow path 180, the liquid guide section 122 is arranged on the upstream side (the side closer to the air inlet hole 181), and the flavor source 131 is arranged on the downstream side (the side closer to the air outlet hole 182). The air flowing in from the air inlet hole 181 as the user inhales is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating section 121A, and as shown by the arrow 190, is transported through the flavor source 131 to the air outlet hole 182. When the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, the flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol.

The mouthpiece 124 is a member that is held by the user when inhaling. An air outlet hole 182 is arranged in the mouthpiece 124. By holding the mouthpiece 124 in the mouth and inhaling, the user can take in the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air into the mouth.

The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100A. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100A is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those shown below are possible.

As an example, the inhalation device 100A may not include a flavoring cartridge 130. In that case, the cartridge 120 is provided with a mouthpiece 124.

As another example, the suction device 100A may include multiple types of aerosol sources. Multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed in the air flow path 180 and undergo a chemical reaction to generate further types of aerosols.

Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121A. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be vibration atomization or induction heating.

<2-2. Second Configuration Example of Suction Device>
2B is a diagram showing an example of an suction device 100B which is a second configuration example of the suction device 100. As shown in FIG. 2B, the suction device 100B of this example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a storage unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a storage unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144.

Each of the power supply unit 111B, the sensor unit 112B, the notification unit 113B, the memory unit 114B, the communication unit 115B, and the control unit 116B is substantially the same as the corresponding components included in the suction device 100A described above.

The storage section 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while storing a part of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The storage section 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside, and stores the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage section 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and the bottom 143 as the bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path that supplies air to the internal space 141 is connected to the storage section 140. An air inlet hole, which is an air inlet to the air flow path, is arranged, for example, on the side of the suction device 100. An air outlet hole, which is an air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is arranged, for example, on the bottom 143.

The stick-type substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco. When the inhalation device 100B is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicine. The aerosol source may be, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and water, which includes a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco, or may be a solid which includes a flavor component derived from tobacco or non-tobacco. When the stick-type substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is stored in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds the suction mouth portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base portion 151.

In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the heating section 121B is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the storage section 140. When the heating section 121B generates heat, the substrate section 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

The insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121B to other components. For example, the insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum insulating material or an aerogel insulating material.

The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100B. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those shown below are possible.

As one example, the heating section 121B may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage section 140 into the internal space 141. In that case, the blade-shaped heating section 121B is inserted into the substrate section 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate section 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating section 121B may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the storage section 140. Furthermore, the heating section 121B may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating section that covers the outer periphery of the storage section 140, a blade-shaped second heating section, and a third heating section that covers the bottom 143 of the storage section 140.

As another example, the storage unit 140 may include an opening/closing mechanism, such as a hinge, that opens and closes a portion of the outer shell that forms the internal space 141. The storage unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to accommodate the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 while clamping it. In this case, the heating unit 121B may be provided at the clamping location in the storage unit 140, and may heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121B. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In that case, the suction device 100B has at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil that generates a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121B. A susceptor that generates heat by induction heating may be provided in the suction device 100B, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

The suction device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air flow path 180 may supply air to the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the heating unit 121A flows into the internal space 141 and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the user's oral cavity.

[3. Operational example of the suction device]
<3-1. Aerosol generation>
Next, an example of the operation of the suction device 100 (100A, 100B) will be described. The control unit 116 (116A, 116B) of the suction device 100 can operate the suction device 100 based on an input from a user. As an example, the control unit 116 causes the suction device 100 to generate aerosol in response to a request for generating aerosol from the user.

The aerosol generation request can be, for example, an operation to instruct the start of heating (hereinafter also referred to as a "heating start operation"). As one example, the heating start operation can be the pressing of a predetermined operation button (not shown) provided on the suction device 100. As another example, the heating start operation can be a suction operation on the suction device 100 when the suction device 100 is powered on. In addition, the aerosol generation request is not limited to a direct operation on the suction device 100, and can also be, for example, the reception of predetermined information from another device that can communicate with the suction device 100, such as a smartphone. The control unit 116 can detect the aerosol generation request based on, for example, information acquired by the sensor unit 112 (112A, 112B) or the communication unit 115 (115A, 115B).

For example, if the inhalation device 100 is the inhalation device 100A shown in FIG. 2A, when the control unit 116A detects an inhalation action on the inhalation device 100A based on the detection result of the puff sensor, it supplies a predetermined amount of power to the heating unit 121A to generate aerosol. At this time, the power supplied to the heating unit 121A is determined in advance by the manufacturer of the inhalation device 100A so that an appropriate amount of aerosol containing an appropriate amount of flavor component is generated. This makes it possible to provide the user with a high-quality smoking experience.

Furthermore, when the suction device 100 is the suction device 100B shown in FIG. 2B, upon detecting a heating start operation (e.g., pressing a specific operation button), the control unit 116B generates an aerosol by controlling the temperature of the heating unit 121B based on a pre-prepared heating profile. Here, the heating profile is information that specifies the time series progression of the target temperature, which is the target value for the temperature of the heating unit 121B, and is stored in advance in the storage unit 114B, for example.

To explain in detail the temperature control of the heating unit 121B based on the heating profile (hereinafter also referred to as "heating control based on the heating profile"), the control unit 116B controls the temperature of the heating unit 121B based on the deviation between a target temperature corresponding to the elapsed time since the start of the heating control based on the heating profile and the actual temperature of the heating unit 121B (hereinafter also referred to as the "actual temperature"). More specifically, at this time, the control unit 116B controls the temperature of the heating unit 121B so that the time series progression of the actual temperature of the heating unit 121B becomes similar to the time series progression of the target temperature defined in the heating profile.

The temperature control of the heating unit 121B can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. For example, the control unit 116B supplies power from the power supply unit 111B to the heating unit 121B in the form of pulses using pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 116B can control the temperature of the heating unit 121B by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

In feedback control, the control unit 116B may control the power supplied to the heating unit 121B, for example the duty ratio, based on the difference between the actual temperature and the target temperature. The feedback control may be a proportional-integral-differential controller (PID) control. Alternatively, the control unit 116B may perform simple ON-OFF control. For example, the control unit 116B may perform heating by the heating unit 121B until the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, stop heating by the heating unit 121B when the actual temperature reaches the target temperature, and perform heating by the heating unit 121B again when the actual temperature falls below the target temperature.

The temperature of heating section 121B can be obtained (in other words, quantified) by, for example, measuring or estimating the electrical resistance value of the heating resistor that constitutes heating section 121B. This is because the electrical resistance value of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The electrical resistance value of the heating resistor can be estimated (i.e., obtained) by, for example, measuring the amount of voltage drop in the heating resistor. The amount of voltage drop in the heating resistor can be measured (i.e., obtained) by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. As another example, the temperature of heating section 121B may be measured by a temperature sensor (puff thermistor) installed near heating section 121B.

The heating profile is typically designed to optimize the flavor experienced by the user when the user inhales the aerosol generated from the stick-shaped substrate 150. Therefore, by controlling the temperature of the heating section 121B based on the heating profile, the flavor experienced by the user can be optimized, providing the user with a high-quality smoking experience.

<3-2. Acquisition and transmission of suction information>
Furthermore, the control unit 116 acquires suction information representing the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100 based on the information acquired by the sensor unit 112. The suction information includes, for example, information indicating the suction strength related to the actual suction performed on the suction device 100. Here, the suction strength is an evaluation value representing the strength of suction, and can be, for example, the amount of change in internal pressure per unit time. In addition, for example, the amount of temperature decrease of the heating unit 121 per unit time or the flow rate per unit time can also be adopted as the suction strength.

The suction information may also include information indicating the suction time related to the actual suction performed on the suction device 100. Here, the suction time is an evaluation value indicating the duration of one suction, and may be, for example, the length of time (period) during which the internal pressure, which decreases with suction, remains below a threshold value. In addition, for example, the length of time during which the temperature of the heating unit 121, which decreases with suction, remains below a threshold value may also be used as the suction time.

The suction information may also include information indicating the suction interval related to the actual suction performed on the suction device 100. Here, the suction interval is an evaluation value that indicates the length of the time interval (in other words, the interval) from when one suction is performed until the next suction is performed, and can be, for example, the length of time during which the suction strength is equal to or less than the threshold value between each suction.

In this embodiment, the control unit 116 acquires suction information including information indicating each of the above suction strength, suction time, and suction interval. More specifically, each time suction is performed on the suction device 100, the control unit 116 acquires the suction strength and suction time for that suction, and the suction interval until that suction is performed. The control unit 116 then calculates the average value of each of the newly acquired suction strength, suction time, and suction interval and each of the previously acquired suction strength, suction time, and suction interval, and acquires suction information including information indicating each of the calculated average values of the suction strength, suction time, and suction interval.

The control unit 116 then transmits the most recently acquired suction information to the terminal device 200, for example, every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed on the suction device 100 or every time a predetermined amount of time has elapsed (for example, every day). This allows the terminal device 200 (for example, the control unit 250 described below) to acquire the suction information and present information regarding the degree of deviation described below every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed or every time a predetermined amount of time has elapsed.

As an example, the control unit 116 transmits suction information to the terminal device 200 each time a predetermined number of suctions (e.g., 15 suctions) are performed, which corresponds to the timing for replacing the flavoring cartridge 130 or the stick-type substrate 150. In this way, the terminal device 200 can obtain the suction information and present information regarding the degree of deviation when the flavoring cartridge 130 or the stick-type substrate 150 is replaced.

The control unit 116 may also be configured to transmit suction information including information indicating the suction strength, suction time, suction interval, etc., related to each suction to the terminal device 200, for example, each time a suction is performed. In this way, the terminal device 200 can obtain the suction information and present information related to the deviation degree each time a suction is performed. In other words, the terminal device 200 can present information related to the deviation degree in approximately real time.

The control unit 116 may also be configured to transmit suction information including information indicating the suction strength, suction time, suction interval, etc., related to the suction performed within a relatively long period of time, for example, every time 24 to 72 hours (i.e., 1 to 3 days) has passed, to the terminal device 200. In this way, the terminal device 200 can obtain suction information including information indicating the suction strength, suction time, suction interval, etc., averaged over a relatively long period of time, and can present information regarding the degree of deviation based on the averaged suction mode.

[4. Example of the configuration of the terminal device]
Next, a description will be given of an example of the configuration of the terminal device 200. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the terminal device 200. As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal device 200 includes a notification unit 210, an input unit 220, a storage unit 230, a communication unit 240, and a control unit 250.

The notification unit 210 notifies (in other words, presents) information to the user. The notification unit 210 includes, for example, a display unit 210a and a sound output unit 210b. The display unit 210a is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays an image based on the control of the control unit 250. The sound output unit 210b is configured, for example, by a speaker, and outputs sound based on the control of the control unit 250.

The input unit 220 is composed of an input device such as a touch panel, a keyboard, or a mouse, and accepts information input (operation input) from a user. In this embodiment, the input unit 220 includes a touch panel that is integral with a display serving as the display unit 210a.

The storage unit 230 stores various information (e.g., programs and data) for the operation of the terminal device 200. For example, the storage unit 230 may store suction information received by the terminal device 200 from the suction device 100, and information indicating a reference suction mode, which will be described later. The storage unit 230 may also store a music DB (database) 231. The storage unit 230 may be configured, for example, from a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory.

The communication unit 240 is a communication interface capable of performing communication conforming to any wired or wireless communication standard. Such a communication standard may be, for example, a standard using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, NFC, or LPWA. The communication unit 240 communicates, for example, with the communication unit 115 (115A, 115B) of the suction device 100. The communication unit 240 may also communicate with other devices other than the suction device 100 (for example, a specified server device).

The control unit 250 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the terminal device 200 in accordance with various programs stored in the storage unit 230, etc. The control unit 250 is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU or a microprocessor, for example.

5. Example of terminal device operation
Next, an example of the operation of the terminal device 200 will be described. The history of research and development of inhalers such as the inhalation device 100 is still short, and there is room for improvement in terms of providing users with a higher quality experience. For example, some users desire a more interesting experience that goes one step beyond the experience of "inhaling aerosol."

The control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 then acquires suction information representing the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100, calculates the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the acquired suction information, and performs a process of presenting information relating to the calculated degree of deviation to the user. This makes it possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and the reference suction mode, and to provide the user with a new form of enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience, thereby improving the marketability of the suction device 100.

The reference inhalation mode can be, for example, an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor experienced by the user when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device 100. This makes it possible to provide a higher quality smoking experience to users who inhale in an inhalation mode close to the reference inhalation mode.

The method (presentation manner) of presenting the information regarding the degree of deviation is not particularly limited as long as it can suggest the degree of deviation to the user. For example, the information regarding the degree of deviation can be presented using an image, sound, vibration from a vibration device, or light emitted by a light-emitting element (e.g., an LED: Light Emitting Diode), etc.

In this embodiment, from the viewpoint of improving interest, the control unit 250 presents the user with a presentation sound that represents the degree of deviation as information related to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and the reference suction mode through the presentation sound. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a new enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation suggested by the presentation sound. This makes it possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the presentation sound is music obtained by processing a predetermined music based on the deviation degree. That is, the control unit 250 generates a presentation sound by processing a predetermined music based on the deviation degree, and presents the presentation sound to the user. In this way, by suggesting the degree of deviation to the user with a presentation sound obtained by processing a predetermined music based on the deviation degree, it is possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user in a more interesting manner than when the degree of deviation is suggested (e.g., explicitly indicated) by text.

The above-mentioned predetermined music (hereinafter also referred to as "unprocessed music") that is the basis of the presentation sound is preferably music based on the user's input. By making the unprocessed music music based on the user's input, it becomes possible to reflect the user's preferences in the unprocessed music and the presentation sound generated from the unprocessed music.

As one example, the control unit 250 may adopt music selected directly or indirectly by the user from a plurality of pieces of music prepared in advance as the unprocessed music. As another example, the control unit 250 may adopt music downloaded or recorded in the terminal device 200 in response to a user's operational input as the unprocessed music. As yet another example, the control unit 250 may adopt music composed or produced by the terminal device 200 in response to a user's operational input as the unprocessed music.

In this embodiment, the unprocessed music and the presentation sound are music, but they are not limited to music. For example, instead of music, voice, natural sound, or mechanical sound (including synthetic sound), etc., can be used.

6. Example of processing executed by the control unit of the terminal device
Next, a description will be given of an example of processing executed by the control unit 250. FIG 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control unit 250.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, the control unit 250 executes a preference information acquisition process to acquire preference information representing the user's preferences (step S1). Then, the control unit 250 executes a pre-processing music setting process to adopt (in other words, set) music that is estimated to match the user's preferences as pre-processing music based on the preference information acquired by the preference information acquisition process (step S2). Note that the preference information acquisition process and the pre-processing music setting process may be executed only when the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 are executed for the first time or when a user requests their execution.

In other words, the preference information acquisition process and the pre-processing music setting process do not have to be executed (i.e., they may be skipped) the second or subsequent time the series of processes shown in FIG. 4 are executed. If the preference information acquisition process and the pre-processing music setting process are not executed, the processes from step S3 onward described below may be executed in response to the terminal device 200 receiving suction information from the suction device 100.

Next, the control unit 250 executes a suction information acquisition process to acquire suction information (step S3). Then, the control unit 250 executes a deviation calculation process to calculate the deviation between the actual suction state and the reference suction state based on the suction information acquired by the suction information acquisition process (step S4).

Next, the control unit 250 executes a presentation sound generation process in which the unprocessed music obtained as a result of the unprocessed music setting process is processed based on the deviation calculated by the deviation calculation process to generate a presentation sound (step S5). The control unit 250 then presents the presentation sound generated by the presentation sound generation process to the user by outputting it from the sound output unit 210b (step S6), and ends the example process shown in FIG. 4. Below, an example of each process shown in FIG. 4 will be described in more detail.

<6-1. Preference information acquisition process>
In the preference information acquisition process, for example, the control unit 250 presents a plurality of options prepared in advance to the user and acquires preference information indicating an option selected by the user from among the presented options. Each option presented to the user in the preference information acquisition process is intended to identify, for example, the user's music preferences.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the preference information acquisition process. In the preference information acquisition process, the control unit 250 first causes the display unit 210a to display, for example, an option Op1 called "quiet music" and an option Op2 called "up-tempo music" along with a message such as "[Question 1] Please select your preference," as shown in FIG. 5(a).

When the user selects (e.g., taps) either option Op1 or option Op2, the control unit 250 causes the display unit 210a to display an option Op3 called "natural sounds" and an option Op4 called "musical instrument performance" along with a message such as "[Question 2] Please select the one you prefer," as shown in FIG. 5(b).

When the user selects either option Op3 or option Op4, the control unit 250 then causes the display unit 210a to display option Op5, "living things," and option Op6, "non-living things," along with a message such as "[Question 3] Please select the one you prefer," as shown in (c) of FIG. 5.

For example, suppose that option Op1 is selected (e.g., tapped) for [Question 1] above, option Op3 is selected for [Question 2] above, and option Op5 is selected for [Question 3] above. In this case, as shown in (d) of FIG. 5, the control unit 250 acquires, as preference information, information indicating that option Op1 (i.e., "quiet music") is selected for [Question 1], option Op3 (i.e., "natural sounds") is selected for [Question 2], and option Op5 (i.e., "living things") is selected for [Question 3]. In other words, this preference information can be said to be information indicating that the user prefers music related to "quiet music," "natural sounds," or "living things."

As another example, in the preference information acquisition process, the control unit 250 may cause the display unit 210a to display the title of the music, etc., and allow the user to select whether they like or dislike the music. At this time, the control unit 250 may play the music for which the user is to select whether they like or dislike it so that the user can confirm (in other words, listen to it). The control unit 250 may then perform this operation multiple times to acquire preference information that represents the user's musical preferences.

<6-2. Pre-processing music setting process>
6 is a diagram showing an example of the pre-processing music setting process. In the pre-processing music setting process, for example, the control unit 250 searches for music having attributes matching the user's preferences from among a plurality of music pieces prepared in advance based on the preference information acquired by the preference information acquisition process, and adopts (in other words, sets) the searched music as the pre-processing music.

To explain more specifically, for example, the storage unit 230 of the terminal device 200 stores the music DB 231 shown in (a) of FIG. 6. The music DB 231 stores music information, each of which represents different music, in association with attribute information representing the attributes (in other words, characteristics) of the music. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the music information of "birds chirping," a type of so-called healing music, is associated with attribute information representing the attributes of "quiet music," "natural sounds," and "living things."

In the pre-processing music setting process, for example, the control unit 250 refers to the music DB 231, searches for music that has attributes that match the user's preferences based on the preference information, and adopts the searched music as the pre-processing music.

As an example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 6, assume that the preference information indicates that option Op1 (i.e., "quiet music") has been selected for [Question 1], option Op3 (i.e., "natural sounds") for [Question 2], and option Op5 (i.e., "living things") for [Question 3]. In this case, in the pre-processing music setting process, the control unit 250 searches the music DB 231 for music having attribute information representing the attributes of "quiet music," "natural sounds," and "living things." As a result, in the example shown in FIG. 6, "birds chirping" is searched for. Therefore, in this case, the control unit 250 adopts "birds chirping" as the pre-processing music.

Note that, for example, multiple pieces of music having attribute information representing the attributes "quiet music," "natural sounds," and "living things" may be registered in the music DB 231, and multiple pieces of music may be found as a result of the above search. In this case, the control unit 250 may automatically (for example, randomly) adopt one of the multiple pieces of music found as the pre-processing music. Alternatively, in this case, the control unit 250 may present the multiple pieces of music found to the user in a list format or the like, and adopt one of the multiple pieces of music selected by the user as the pre-processing music.

Furthermore, although it has been assumed here that the music DB 231 is stored in the memory unit 230 of the terminal device 200, this is not limiting. For example, the music DB 231 may be stored in a memory unit (not shown) of a server capable of communicating with the terminal device 200. In this case, the control unit 250 may access the music DB 231 provided in the server via the communication unit 240. The control unit 250 may then download music information representing the music to be used as pre-processing music from the server to the terminal device 200 as appropriate.

<6-3. Suction information acquisition process>
In the suction information acquisition process, for example, the control unit 250 receives suction information transmitted from the suction device 100 and acquires the received suction information. As described above, in this embodiment, the suction information including information indicating the average values of the suction strength, suction time, and suction interval related to the actual suction performed on the suction device 100 is transmitted from the suction device 100. Therefore, the control unit 250 acquires the suction information including information indicating the average values of the suction strength, suction time, and suction interval related to the actual suction through the suction information acquisition process.

<6-4. Deviation calculation process>
In this embodiment, the standard suction mode includes a standard suction intensity as a reference value of the suction intensity at which the flavor experienced by the user is optimal, a standard suction time as a reference value of the suction time at which the flavor experienced by the user is optimal, and a standard suction interval as a reference value of the suction interval at which the flavor experienced by the user is optimal.

In the deviation calculation process, for example, the control unit 250 calculates the deviation based on the difference (in other words, the deviation) between the suction strength indicated by the suction information and the reference suction strength, the difference between the suction time indicated by the suction information and the reference suction time, and the difference between the suction interval indicated by the suction information and the reference suction interval.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the deviation calculation process. As shown in (a) of FIG. 7, for example, assume that the reference suction strength is Xs (e.g., 80 cmH2O) and the suction strength X indicated by the suction information is 1.1×Xs. In this case, the control unit 250 calculates the difference between the suction strength X indicated by the suction information and the reference suction strength to be 10%.

As shown in (b) of FIG. 7, for example, the reference suction time is Ys (e.g., 2.5 [sec]) and the suction time Y indicated by the suction information is 0.8 x Ys. In this case, the control unit 250 calculates the difference between the suction time Y indicated by the suction information and the reference suction time as 20 [%].

As another example, assume that the reference suction interval is Zs (e.g., 15 sec) and the suction interval Z indicated by the suction information is Zs, as shown in (c) of FIG. 7. In this case, the control unit 250 calculates the difference between the suction interval Z indicated by the suction information and the reference suction interval as 0%.

In this way, the control unit 250 calculates the difference between the suction intensity indicated by the suction information and the reference suction intensity, the difference between the suction time indicated by the suction information and the reference suction time, and the difference between the suction interval indicated by the suction information and the reference suction interval, and then calculates the deviation based on these calculations. More specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 250 calculates the average value of each difference as the deviation. As a result, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the deviation is calculated as (10[%] + 20[%] + 0[%]) ÷ 3 = 10[%].

<6-5. Presentation sound generation process>
In the presentation sound generation process, for example, the control unit 250 generates as a presentation sound music obtained by processing (in other words, changing) a predetermined characteristic of the unprocessed music by an amount corresponding to the deviation calculated by the deviation calculation process.

The characteristics to be processed here may include, for example, at least one of the three elements of sound: "loudness (i.e., sound pressure)," "pitch (i.e., frequency)," and "tone (i.e., sound waveform)." When generating the presentation sound, the characteristics to be processed and the amount of processing according to each deviation are set in advance in the control unit 250, for example.

FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a first example of the presentation sound generation process. The waveform indicated by reference numeral 811 in FIG. 8A represents the time series change in the frequency of the unprocessed music. Also, the waveform indicated by reference numeral 812 in FIG. 8A represents the time series change in the frequency of the presentation sound.

For example, if the deviation calculated by the deviation calculation process is 10%, in the presentation sound generation process, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound by attenuating the frequency of the entire pre-processed music by 10%, as shown in FIG. 8A. Alternatively, in this case, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound by amplifying the frequency of the entire pre-processed music by 10%. In this way, by making the presentation sound a piece of music in which the frequency of the pre-processed music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation, it becomes possible to indicate the degree of deviation to the user by the difference in pitch between the presentation sound and the pre-processed music.

FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a second example of the presentation sound generation process. The waveform indicated by reference numeral 821 in FIG. 8B represents the time series change in the sound pressure of the unprocessed music. Also, the waveform indicated by reference numeral 822 in FIG. 8B represents the time series change in the sound pressure of the presentation sound.

For example, if the deviation calculated by the deviation calculation process is 10%, in the presentation sound generation process, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound by attenuating the sound pressure of the entire unprocessed music by 10%, as shown in FIG. 8B. Alternatively, in this case, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound by amplifying the sound pressure of the entire unprocessed music by 10%. In this way, by making the presentation sound a piece of music in which the sound pressure of the unprocessed music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation, it becomes possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user by the difference in loudness between the presentation sound and the unprocessed music.

FIG. 8C is a diagram showing a third example of the presentation sound generation process. The waveform indicated by reference numeral 831 in FIG. 8C represents the time series change in the frequency of the unprocessed music. Also, the waveform indicated by reference numeral 832 in FIG. 8C represents the time series change in the frequency of the presentation sound.

For example, if the deviation calculated by the deviation calculation process is 10%, in the presentation sound generation process, the control unit 250 may compress the entire length of the pre-processed music by 10% as shown in FIG. 8C to generate the presentation sound. Alternatively, in this case, the control unit 250 may extend the entire length of the pre-processed music by 10% to generate the presentation sound. In this way, by making the presentation sound a piece of music in which the length of the pre-processed music is compressed or extended by an amount corresponding to the deviation, it becomes possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user based on the difference in length (in other words, the playback time) between the presentation sound and the pre-processed music.

The control unit 250 may also generate the presentation sound by combining two or more of the first, second, and third examples described above. As one example, the control unit 250 may generate the presentation sound by attenuating the frequency of the entire unprocessed music by 10% and compressing the length of the entire unprocessed music by 10%, as shown in FIG. 8C.

Note that, in order to make it easier for the user to understand the difference between the presentation sound and the unprocessed music, the control unit 250 may, for example, first present one of the presentation sound or the unprocessed music to the user when presenting the presentation sound, and then present the other. In this way, by presenting the presentation sound and the unprocessed music sequentially, it becomes easier for the user to understand the difference between them.

In addition, in each of the above examples, the average value of the difference between the suction strength indicated by the suction information and the reference suction strength, the difference between the suction time indicated by the suction information and the reference suction time, and the difference between the suction interval indicated by the suction information and the reference suction interval is calculated as the deviation degree, and a presentation sound is generated by processing (i.e., changing) a predetermined characteristic (e.g., frequency) of the unprocessed music by an amount corresponding to this deviation degree, but this is not limited to the above.

For example, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound by changing the frequency of the pre-processed music by an amount corresponding to the difference between the user's suction strength and the reference suction strength, the sound pressure by an amount corresponding to the difference between the user's suction time and the reference suction time, and the length by an amount corresponding to the difference between the user's suction interval and the reference suction interval. In this way, the difference between the user's suction strength and the reference suction strength can be suggested to the user by the difference in pitch between the presentation sound and the pre-processed music. Also, the difference between the user's suction time and the reference suction time can be suggested to the user by the difference in loudness between the presentation sound and the pre-processed music. And the difference between the user's suction interval and the reference suction interval can be suggested to the user by the difference in playback time between the presentation sound and the pre-processed music.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the control unit 250 performs processing to acquire suction information representing the actual suction mode performed on the suction device 100 that delivers the aerosol so that the user can inhale it, calculates the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the acquired suction information, and presents the user with a presentation sound that represents the calculated degree of deviation. This makes it possible to provide the user with a new form of enjoyment, such as searching for an suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation suggested by the presentation sound. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience, improving the marketability of the suction device 100.

The presentation sound can be, for example, music in which the frequency of a specific piece of music (music before processing) is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user in a more interesting manner than when the degree of deviation is presented by text.

The presentation sound may be, for example, music in which the sound pressure of the specified music (music before processing) is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to indicate to the user the degree of deviation based on the difference in volume between the presentation sound and the specified music.

The presentation sound may be, for example, a piece of music (music before processing) whose length has been compressed or extended by an amount corresponding to the degree of deviation. This makes it possible to indicate to the user the degree of deviation based on the difference in playback time or playback speed between the presentation sound and the predetermined music.

The control unit 250 may also perform processing to acquire preference information that indicates the user's preferences, search for music having attributes that match the user's preferences from among a plurality of pre-prepared pieces of music based on the preference information, and adopt the searched music as the above-mentioned specified music (unprocessed music). This makes it possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user using music having attributes that match the user's preferences.

The control unit 250 may also perform a process of presenting a plurality of pieces of music prepared in advance to the user, and adopting the music selected by the user from the plurality of pieces of music as the above-mentioned predetermined music (music before processing). This makes it possible for the user to be suggested the degree of deviation using music desired by the user. As an example, in this case, instead of the processes of steps S1 and S2 described above, the control unit 250 may perform a process of randomly playing a plurality of pieces of music, having the user select music that matches the user's preferences from the played music, and setting the music selected by the user as the music before processing.

The control unit 250 may also perform a process of adopting music stored in the terminal device 200 by the user as the above-mentioned specified music (music before processing). This makes it possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user using music desired by the user. As an example, in this case, the control unit 250 may perform a process of downloading music information representing music desired by the user (e.g., desired classical, pop, or jazz) from a server to the terminal device 200 in response to an operational input from the user, and setting the music as the music before processing, instead of the processes in steps S1 and S2 described above.

The control unit 250 may also calculate the deviation based on, for example, the difference between the suction intensity indicated by the suction information and the reference suction intensity included in the reference suction mode. This makes it possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction intensity of the suction actually performed on the suction device 100.

The control unit 250 may also calculate the deviation based on, for example, the difference between the suction time indicated by the suction information and the reference suction time included in the reference suction mode. This makes it possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction time of the suction actually performed by the suction device 100.

The control unit 250 may also calculate the deviation based on, for example, the difference between the suction interval indicated by the suction information and the reference suction interval included in the reference suction mode. This makes it possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction interval of the suction actually performed on the suction device 100.

In addition, in the suction system 10, the suction device 100 transmits suction information to the terminal device 200 every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed or every time a predetermined time has elapsed. The terminal device 200 is provided with a sound output unit 210b capable of outputting sound, and calculates the degree of deviation based on the suction information received from the suction device 100, and presents the calculated degree of deviation to the user by outputting a presentation sound representing the degree of deviation from the sound output unit 210b. As a result, even if the suction device 100 does not have a sound output device such as the sound output unit 210b, the degree of deviation can be suggested to the user by the presentation sound output from the sound output unit 210b of the terminal device 200. Therefore, compared to a case in which a sound output device such as the sound output unit 210b is provided in the suction device 100, the configuration of the suction device 100 can be simplified, and the suction device 100 can be made smaller and less expensive.

Furthermore, when the control unit 250 identifies music having attributes that match the user's preferences based on preference information, etc., it may present multiple variations of the music to the user and allow the user to select the one that best matches the preferences (i.e. the one they like best) and the one that least matches the preferences (i.e. the one they like least). In this case, the control unit 250 sets the variation selected as the one that best matches the preferences as the unprocessed music (i.e. the reference). Then, the greater the degree of deviation, the control unit 250 may generate a presentation sound that is closer to the variation selected as the one that least matches the preferences from the unprocessed music, and present the presentation sound to the user.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the pre-processing music setting process and the presentation sound generation process. Here, as in the example shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that "birds chirping" has been searched for as music having attributes that match the user's preferences. In this case, in the pre-processing music setting process, the control unit 250 then plays "birds chirping" in three variations, a high-pitched pattern, a mid-pitched pattern, and a low-pitched pattern, in sequence, as shown in FIG. 9(a).

Here, the "birds chirping" in the high-pitched pattern can be, for example, the "birds chirping" represented by the original music information with the overall frequency amplified by 10%. The "birds chirping" in the mid-pitched pattern can be, for example, the "birds chirping" represented by the original music information (i.e., unprocessed "birds chirping"). And the "birds chirping" in the low-pitched pattern can be, for example, the "birds chirping" represented by the original music information with the overall frequency attenuated by 10%. In other words, the "birds chirping" in each variation is based on the same original music, "birds chirping," but has different overall frequencies.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the control unit 250 allows the user to select the "birds chirping" variation that best suits the user's taste. In the example shown in FIG. 9(b), the high-pitched pattern of "birds chirping" is selected by the user as the one that best suits the user's taste. In this case, the control unit 250 sets the high-pitched pattern of "birds chirping" selected as the one that best suits the user's taste as the pre-processing music.

Then, as shown in FIG. 9(c), the control unit 250 allows the user to select the least preferred of the three variations of "birds chirping." In the example shown in FIG. 9(c), the low-pitched pattern of "birds chirping" is selected by the user as the least preferred. In this case, the control unit 250 stores information indicating that the low-pitched pattern of "birds chirping" was selected as the least preferred in the storage unit 230 or the like, and ends the pre-processing music setting process.

In this example, in the subsequent presentation sound generation process, the control unit 250 generates a presentation sound that is closer to the variation selected as least preferred than the unprocessed music (the variation selected as most preferred), the greater the degree of deviation.

For example, if the "birds chirping" high-pitched pattern is selected as the most preferred sound as described above, and the "birds chirping" low-pitched pattern is selected as the least preferred sound, then as shown in (d) of FIG. 9, the control unit 250 generates a presentation sound that is closer to the "birds chirping" low-pitched pattern by attenuating the overall frequency of the "birds chirping" high-pitched pattern by an amount corresponding to the degree of deviation. The control unit 250 then presents the presentation sound thus generated to the user by outputting it from the sound output unit 210b through the processing of step S6.

In this way, the control unit 250 may present a plurality of variations of a piece of music to the user, and adopt the variation selected by the user from the plurality of variations as the one that best suits the user's taste as the specified music (music before processing). The control unit 250 may then generate a presentation sound that is closer to the other variation selected by the user from the plurality of variations as the one that best suits the user's taste the greater the degree of deviation, and present the presentation sound to the user. In this way, it becomes possible to present the user with a presentation sound that is further from the user's taste the greater the degree of deviation, and closer to the user's taste the smaller the degree of deviation, thereby increasing the user's motivation to reduce the degree of deviation.

Note that, although an example has been described here in which multiple variations of a single piece of music have different overall frequencies, this is not limiting. For example, multiple variations of a single piece of music may be used that have different overall sound pressures or lengths.

In addition, in each of the examples described above, the presentation sound is presented to the user by being output from the sound output unit 210b of the terminal device 200, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 250 may present the presentation sound to the user via the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100 by transmitting music information representing the presentation sound (i.e., information regarding the degree of deviation) to the suction device 100.

In addition, in each of the examples described above, the information processing device of the present disclosure is realized by the terminal device 200 capable of communicating with the suction device 100, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the information processing device of the present disclosure may be realized by the suction device 100. In this case, for example, each process executed by the control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 described above may be executed by the control unit 116 of the suction device 100, and a presentation sound (i.e., information regarding the degree of deviation) may be presented to the user via the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100.

The information processing device of the present disclosure may also be realized, for example, by a server device capable of communicating with the suction device 100 via a network such as the Internet. In this case, for example, the control unit (e.g., a CPU) of the server device executes each process executed by the control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 described above, and transmits the process results to the suction device 100, so that the deviation sound can be presented to the user via the notification unit 113 of the suction device 100.

In the above, an example has been described in which the control unit 250 of the terminal device 200, the control unit 116 of the suction device 100, or the control unit of the server device acquires suction information representing the actual suction state performed on the suction device 100, and performs processing to present information regarding the degree of deviation calculated based on the acquired suction information to the user, but this is not limited to the above.

For example, if the sensor unit 112 of the suction device 100 is capable of acquiring values related to the user's biological activity, the control unit 116 of the suction device 100 may transmit biological information representing the values related to the user's biological activity acquired by the sensor unit 112 to the terminal device 200. Examples of the values related to the user's biological activity include the user's blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate (heart rate), amount of sweat, or the amount of a specific hemoglobin contained in the blood. The control unit 250 of the terminal device 200 may acquire the biological information representing the values related to the user's biological activity from the suction device 100, and perform processing to present to the user a presentation sound representing the degree of deviation calculated based on the acquired biological information.

10 is a flow chart showing another example of the process executed by the control unit 250. As shown in FIG. 10, in this case, the control unit 250 may first acquire biometric information indicating a value related to the user's biometric value from the suction device 100 (step S11), calculate the degree of deviation between the biometric value of the user indicated by the biometric information and a reference value prepared in advance based on the biometric information acquired by the process of step S11 (step S12), and present to the user a presentation sound indicating the degree of deviation calculated by the process of step S12 (step S13).

In this way, the user can be informed of the degree of deviation between their biometric values and the reference values via the sound, providing new value to the user, such as checking their own health condition based on the degree of deviation.

The information presentation method described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a prepared program (information presentation program) on a computer. The information presentation program is, for example, stored in a computer-readable storage medium and executed by being read from the storage medium. The information presentation program may be provided in a form stored in a non-volatile (non-transient) storage medium such as a flash memory, or provided via a network such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the computer that executes the information presentation program is the terminal device 200 (for example, the CPU that constitutes the control unit 250), but this is not limited to this. For example, the computer that executes the information presentation program may be included in the suction device 100 (for example, the CPU that constitutes the control unit 116), or may be included in a server device that can communicate with the suction device 100 or the terminal device 200.

Although one embodiment of the information processing device, suction system, and information presentation method of the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner as long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

This specification describes at least the following items. In parentheses, examples of corresponding components in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(1) Acquire suction information representing an actual suction state performed with respect to an inhalation device (inhalation device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3);
Based on the suction information, a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode is calculated (step S4);
A sound representing the deviation is presented to the user (step S6).
A control unit (control unit 250) that performs processing.
Information processing device (terminal device 200).

According to (1), the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and the reference suction mode can be suggested to the user by a presentation sound. This makes it possible to provide the user with a new form of enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation suggested by the presentation sound. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

(2) The information processing device according to (1),
The presentation sound is music obtained by processing a predetermined music based on the deviation degree.
Information processing device.

According to (2), it is possible to present the degree of deviation to the user in a more interesting manner than if the degree of deviation were presented by text.

(3) The information processing device according to (2),
The presentation sound is music in which the frequency of the predetermined music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device.

According to (3), it is possible to indicate to the user the degree of discrepancy based on the difference in pitch between the presentation sound and the specified music.

(4) The information processing device according to (2),
The presentation sound is music in which the sound pressure of the predetermined music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device.

According to (4), it is possible to indicate to the user the degree of discrepancy based on the difference in volume between the presentation sound and the specified music.

(5) The information processing device according to (2),
The presentation sound is music in which the length of the predetermined music is compressed or extended by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device.

According to (5), it is possible to indicate to the user the degree of discrepancy based on the difference in length (i.e., playback time) between the presentation sound and the specified music.

(6) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (5),
The control unit is
acquiring preference information indicative of the user's preferences;
searching for music having attributes matching the user's preferences from among a plurality of music pieces prepared in advance based on the preference information;
adopting the searched music as the predetermined music;
further processing;
Information processing device.

According to (6), it is possible to suggest to the user the degree of deviation by using music with attributes that match the user's preferences.

(7) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (5),
The control unit is
Presenting a plurality of pieces of music prepared in advance to the user;
adopting a piece of music selected by the user from among the plurality of pieces of music as the predetermined piece of music;
further processing;
Information processing device.

According to (7), it is possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user using music of the user's choice.

(8) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (5),
The control unit is
adopting music stored in the information processing device by the user as the predetermined music;
further processing;
Information processing device.

According to (8), it is possible to suggest the degree of deviation to the user using music of the user's choice.

(9) The information processing device according to (2),
The control unit is
presenting a plurality of variations of a piece of music to the user;
adopting one variation selected by the user as the one that best suits the user's taste from among the plurality of variations as the predetermined music;
The greater the deviation, the closer the presentation sound is to another variation selected by the user as the least preferred one of the plurality of variations from the predetermined music, and
Presenting the presentation sound to the user;
To carry out processing,
Information processing device.

According to (9), the larger the deviation, the further away from the user's preferences the sound will be, and the smaller the deviation, the closer to the user's preferences the sound will be. This makes it possible to increase the user's motivation to reduce the deviation.

(10) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (9),
The suction information includes information indicating a suction strength of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction strength and a reference suction strength included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device.

According to (10), it is possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction strength of the suction actually performed by the suction device.

(11) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (10),
The suction information includes information indicating a suction time of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction time and a reference suction time included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device.

According to (11), it is possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction time of the suction actually performed by the suction device.

(12) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (11),
The suction information includes information indicating a suction interval of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction interval and a reference suction interval included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device.

According to (12), it is possible to calculate the deviation taking into account the suction interval of the suction actually performed by the suction device.

(13) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (12),
The inhalation device generates the aerosol containing a flavor component;
The reference inhalation mode is an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor that the user experiences when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.
Information processing device.

According to (13), it is possible to provide a higher quality smoking experience to a user who inhales in a manner close to the reference inhalation manner.

(14) A suction system (suction system 10) including an information processing device (terminal device 200) according to any one of (1) to (13) and the suction device (suction device 100, 100A, 100B) capable of communicating with the information processing device,
the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing device every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed or every time a predetermined time has elapsed;
The information processing device includes:
A terminal device including a sound output unit (sound output unit 210b) capable of outputting sound and used by the user,
Calculating the deviation based on the suction information received from the suction device;
The deviation degree is presented to the user by outputting the presentation sound representing the deviation degree from the sound output unit.
Suction system.

According to (14), even if the suction device does not have a sound output unit, the degree of deviation can be indicated to the user by a presentation sound output from the sound output unit of the terminal device. Therefore, compared to a case in which the sound output unit is provided in the suction device, the configuration of the suction device can be simplified, and the suction device can be made smaller and less expensive.

(15) A computer (terminal device 200)
Acquire suction information representing an actual suction state performed with respect to an inhalation device (inhalation device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3);
Based on the suction information, a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode is calculated (step S4);
A sound representing the deviation is presented to the user (step S6).
A method of presenting information that performs processing.

According to (15), the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and the reference suction mode can be suggested to the user by a presentation sound. This makes it possible to provide the user with a new enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation suggested by the presentation sound. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

(16) to a computer (terminal device 200);
Acquire suction information representing an actual suction state performed with respect to an inhalation device (inhalation device 100, 100A, 100B) that delivers an aerosol so that the user can inhale it (step S3);
Based on the suction information, a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode is calculated (step S4);
A sound representing the deviation is presented to the user (step S6).
An information presentation program that performs processing.

According to (16), the degree of deviation between the actual suction mode and the reference suction mode can be suggested to the user by a presentation sound. This makes it possible to provide the user with a new enjoyment, such as searching for a suction mode that is closer to the reference suction mode while referring to the degree of deviation suggested by the presentation sound. Therefore, it is possible to provide the user with a more interesting and high-quality experience.

(17) A computer-readable storage medium (storage unit 230) that stores the information presentation program described in (16).

According to (17), it is possible to cause a computer to execute the information presentation program described in (16).

10 Suction system 100, 100A, 100B Suction device 200 Terminal device (information processing device, computer)
250 control unit

Claims (15)

Acquire suction information representing an actual inhalation state performed on an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol to be inhaled by a user;
Calculating a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information;
Presenting a presentation sound to the user that represents the degree of deviation.
A control unit that performs processing,
Information processing device. 2. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The presentation sound is music obtained by processing a predetermined music based on the deviation degree.
Information processing device. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The presentation sound is music in which the frequency of the predetermined music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The presentation sound is music in which the sound pressure of the predetermined music is attenuated or amplified by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The presentation sound is music in which the length of the predetermined music is compressed or extended by an amount corresponding to the deviation degree.
Information processing device. 6. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The control unit is
acquiring preference information indicative of the user's preferences;
searching for music having attributes matching the user's preferences from among a plurality of music pieces prepared in advance based on the preference information;
adopting the searched music as the predetermined music;
further processing;
Information processing device. 6. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The control unit is
Presenting a plurality of pieces of music prepared in advance to the user;
adopting a piece of music selected by the user from among the plurality of pieces of music as the predetermined piece of music;
further processing;
Information processing device. 6. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The control unit is
adopting music stored in the information processing device by the user as the predetermined music;
further processing;
Information processing device. 3. The information processing device according to claim 2,
The control unit is
presenting a plurality of variations of a piece of music to the user;
adopting one variation selected by the user as the one that best suits the user's taste from among the plurality of variations as the predetermined music;
The greater the deviation, the closer the presentation sound is to another variation selected by the user as the least preferred one of the plurality of variations from the predetermined music, and
Presenting the presentation sound to the user;
To carry out processing,
Information processing device. 10. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The suction information includes information indicating a suction strength of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction strength and a reference suction strength included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device. 11. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The suction information includes information indicating a suction time of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction time and a reference suction time included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device. 12. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The suction information includes information indicating a suction interval of the suction performed by the suction device,
the control unit calculates the deviation degree based on a difference between the suction interval and a reference suction interval included in the reference suction mode.
Information processing device. 13. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The inhalation device generates the aerosol containing a flavor component;
The reference inhalation mode is an inhalation mode that optimizes the flavor that the user experiences when inhaling the aerosol generated by the inhalation device.
Information processing device. 14. A suction system including the information processing device according to claim 1 and the suction device capable of communicating with the information processing device,
the suction device transmits the suction information to the information processing device every time a predetermined number of suctions are performed or every time a predetermined time has elapsed;
The information processing device includes:
a terminal device including a sound output unit capable of outputting sound, the terminal device being used by the user;
Calculating the deviation based on the suction information received from the suction device;
The deviation degree is presented to the user by outputting the presentation sound representing the deviation degree from the sound output unit.
Suction system. The computer
Acquire suction information representing an actual inhalation state performed on an inhalation device that delivers an aerosol to be inhaled by a user;
Calculating a deviation between the actual suction mode and a predetermined reference suction mode based on the suction information;
Presenting a presentation sound to the user that represents the degree of deviation.
A method of presenting information that performs processing.

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