JPH10192379A - Smell control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a smell generating and erasing system which is usage possible in a TV receiver, etc., concerning amusement, education, commerse and industry, a daily life and other wide-range of fields. SOLUTION: This system is constituted of an input/output device 2 for transmittin/receiving an external signal, a central processor 4 for arithmetically processing the external signal, a small generating means 6 for generating desired smell in accordance with the processing result of the central processor 4 and a smell erasing means 8 for erasing the previously generated smell to a such a degree that hindrance is substantially eliminated by absorption or neutralization after that.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an odor control system for controlling odor and / or odor (odor odor) for stimulating a person's sense of smell from a distance while appropriately changing the sense of smell as needed. The present invention relates to an odor control system that can be controlled via information lines such as public lines, satellite lines, and broadcast waves.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Acoustic and video technologies have been developed, and techniques for providing various kinds of information by stimulating human vision and hearing, such as radio receivers and television receivers, have been rapidly developed.
It is a well-known fact that these technologies not only are widely used as practical communication means, but also contribute greatly to the improvement of culture, entertainment and art.

[0003] The technology of providing or transmitting such information is as follows:
The use of computer technology, that is, the so-called power technology, has led to the development of virtual reality (VR) and the like.

[0004] For example, the virtual reality is a technique in which a video generated by computer graphics and a video recording a real society are appropriately combined, and a video and a sound are taken in through a special viewing device.

[0005] Devices of this kind tend to be widely used not only as personal amusement systems but also as simulators in various fields such as automobiles, high-speed railways, aircraft, and aerospace technology. is there.

[0006] These various techniques apply stimuli only to the senses of sight and hearing among the five senses of human beings, and have not been able to utilize other senses of human beings, for example, the sense of smell. The fact that human sensibility is enhanced by comprehensively stimulating as many organs as possible is evident from the history of radio broadcasting using conventional hearing alone that has evolved into television broadcasting with added vision.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a odor control system which can be used in a wide variety of fields such as entertainment, education, commerce and industry, and the like in view of the above facts.

[0008]

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, an input / output device 2 for transmitting / receiving external signals, a central processing unit 4 for processing external signals, and a central processing unit 4 A odor generating means 6 for generating a desired odor in accordance with the processing result of the above, and an odor erasing means 8 for eliminating the odor generated earlier by absorbing or neutralizing the odor to a level that does not substantially hinder the odor. It is a odor control system provided with.

The external signal is generated by a dedicated line, a sub signal of a broadcast wave such as television or FM radio, a satellite line, a line input assisted by a computer represented by the Internet, a signal manually operated, or a program control. It may be an automatic signal, a corresponding signal from another system used at the same time, or the like. That is, the external signal employs a sub-signal of a broadcast wave by wire or a terrestrial wave or a satellite using a radio wave as a carrier, and can be transmitted by this, or the external signal can be transmitted via a public communication line. It can be transmitted directly or via a computer assisted communication line.

Since the external signal is transmitted through the above-mentioned broadcast waves and various lines, typical odors such as foods, medicines, perfumes, fragrances, and alcohols are reduced to about 8 bits or 16 bits. Can be adopted as appropriate.

The central processing unit 4 can be configured by using hardware and software that are already widely used according to the purpose and scale of the system described later.
The central processing unit 4 stores large and small storage devices such as ROM, R
An AM, a CD-ROM, and the like are provided. The calculation results of the central processing unit 4 are transmitted to an external device (not shown) via the input / output device 2 as necessary.

The odor generating means 6 can employ a very large number of different configurations. For example, a plurality of containers each separately storing a plurality of types of odor sources that generate odors are juxtaposed by the number of odor types, and the types of odor sources corresponding to the signal transmitted from the central processing unit 4 are stored. It can be configured to release the odor by, for example, opening the closed container. The odor may be released by opening the lid of the container, and furthermore, by spreading the odor by a blower fan. Furthermore, by combining several types of components and adjusting the amounts of the components, it is possible to mix and release the desired aroma and emit the desired aroma.

That is, the odor generating means 6 includes a plurality of odor holding means for holding a plurality of different types of odors, and holds the odor holding means selectively corresponding to the external signal. And the odor generating means 6 includes a plurality of holding means for holding a plurality of basic elements for generating a plurality of different types of odors, and It is also possible to select a holding means for holding the corresponding basic element according to the signal, take out the corresponding basic element from each of them, and mix them to generate a corresponding odor.

The odor released in this way remains in the atmosphere for a while, and is then erased or adsorbed by the odor elimination means 8. Such a residual odor may need to be left for a long time, or may need to be removed as early as possible. For example, there is a case where it is necessary to enhance the impression by remaining the battery for a long time. However, in general, it is necessary to avoid a situation in which the residual odor is superimposed on the odor due to the subsequent odor generation request signal and becomes different from the required odor, and the required time is relatively long. In many cases, the erasing process is performed in a short time.

Further, the odor control system of the present invention is applicable to a movie, a television, a video tape, a video disk,
Attached to various video equipment such as VD system, personal computer communication, etc., it is possible to improve atmosphere, entertainment, pursuit of authenticity, etc. Also, it is attached to encyclopedias and various teaching materials by electronic publishing There is also an effect that the educational effect can be expected to be improved by applying the sense of smell in addition to the sense of sight.

Further, by combining a still image or a moving image with an odor, it can be used as an educational device or a training machine for judging the quality of food, judging the authenticity of medicines, etc., or a test for judging smell. it can. In addition, a game machine or the like utilizing such a function can be configured.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings based on embodiments. FIG.
Is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the odor control system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the odor control system, and FIG. 3 is a preferred odor generation means of the odor control system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the odor elimination means of the odor control system, and FIG. 5 (A) is a diagram showing the use of a television receiver combined with an odor control system. Block diagram showing an embodiment,
FIG. 5B is a block diagram showing a use mode in which a odor control system is combined with a computer, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a use mode in which a scent control system is combined with a game machine, an amusement system, various simulators, etc. using virtual reality utilizing computer graphic technology or the like.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the odor generating means 6 comprises:
Each of the n different odor storage containers 6-1, 6-2... 6-n and a separate odor generation source comprising a heating means 6H arranged in each of them is arranged, and a blower fan 6F is provided behind the odor generation sources. It is arranged.
In addition, one or more of these odor sources are activated by a control signal issued from the central processing unit 4 to generate a corresponding odor. In operation of these odor generation sources, the odor storage containers 6-1 and 6
-2,... Heating means 6H for opening and closing the lid of 6-n and, if necessary, assisting the generation of odors are operated. In addition, if necessary, the blower fan 6F is also operated at the same time or at a desired timing, so that the odor can be efficiently diffused.

Further, the odor eliminating means 8 is provided with an activated carbon or other odor adsorbing body, and in addition, a component for neutralizing the previously generated odor component is simultaneously operated to quickly eliminate the odor. It is done in. Note that this odor eliminating means 8 can be considered as a kind of air purifier if it perceives the odor as a kind of airborne impurities, and can be considered to have a particularly powerful deodorizing function.

Although such odor eliminating means 8 is represented in the same manner as the other elements in FIG. 2, it is installed at an appropriate place in consideration of the arrangement of the odor generating means 6 and the air flow of the installation atmosphere. It is convenient if it is possible. In addition, the odor which cannot be completely eliminated can be configured to be released through a duct or a pipe outside the atmosphere.

FIG. 3 shows the structure of the odor generating means 7 of another embodiment. In this embodiment, containers 7-1, 7-2,..., 7-m each containing m basic odor elements are formed.
Is provided. Each of the components contained in these containers 7-1, 7-2,..., 7-m is subjected to a predetermined combination and amount in the odor mixing means 7M based on the calculation result in the central processing unit according to the external signal. In this case, a desired odor is generated by mixing.

The generated odor is sent out by a blowing fan 7F which is a blowing means.
Note that a catalyst or the like for heating or a chemical reaction may be added in the emission and mixing process of the odor basic element.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the odor eliminating means 8. The atmosphere is sucked by the blowing fan 8F,
The adsorbent 8D and / or the neutralizer 8N can be passed through. In FIG. 4, a configuration is adopted in which all of the suction atmosphere passes through the adsorbent 8D and the neutralizer 8N, but depending on the components of the odor, only one of them is sufficient, or only one is effective. Depending on the components, one of them may be selectively used depending on the components.

Since the adsorbent 8D and the neutralizer 8N shown here vary depending on the target odor component, they should be determined in consideration of the components generated by the odor generating means 6.

The mode of use of the odor control system of the present invention is extensive and cannot be listed all. However, limited representative examples will be described below.

First Usage Example As shown in FIG.
In combination with a television receiver TV, for example, a cooking program, coffee, whiskey
In a situation where drinks such as fragrances and perfumes such as colognes and colognes are used, a corresponding odor can be generated and the broadcasting effect can be improved. Of course, the odor control system S may be incorporated in a television receiver TV in advance and operated in the same manner.

In such a case, only the relatively simple odor can be targeted in consideration of the effect or efficiency of the later erasure. In this case, in the application example applied to the television receiver TV, etc., only the viewer who has made an option contract with respect to the use of the decoder capable of identifying the odor-encoded signal included in the sub-signal is available. Can be.

Second Example of Use As shown in FIG.
It can be used in combination with the computer C.
The instruction signal to the computer C can be inputted from a remote place through an online line represented by the Internet, or can be directly generated from the computer C by using software. For example, an odor signal can be transmitted in addition to characters, images, and sounds in accordance with online information exchange. Also, it is possible to include a configuration in which odor information is included in software stored in a memory typified by a CD-ROM, and a corresponding odor is generated in accordance with a screen, text, and sound. it can.

In such a use mode, for example, a corresponding odor can be generated according to a natural history picture book, an encyclopedia, or the like, and can be used for educational effects or academic information transmission. As such an example, it is conceivable to include information on odors in the transmission of information on toxic substances and harmful substances, various kinds of information on medicines and medical care, and information transmission on food poisoning.

Third Usage Example As shown in FIG. 5C, it is possible to add an odor generating function to a game machine, an amusement system, various simulators, etc. using virtual reality utilizing computer graphic technology or the like. it can. In such an embodiment, a special device (headgear) H in which an image and sound generating means are integrated is often used for personal use. In personal use using such a special device H, it is sufficient to generate odor in the mask M worn personally, so that a sufficient effect can be expected with a very small amount of components. As described above, there is an advantage that the subsequent erasing can be easily performed in an application in which the amount is small and does not diffuse widely.

In the system having such a configuration, a screen composed of computer graphics and natural images and a corresponding odor can be added, and an atmosphere corresponding to the content can be created.

In addition to the usage examples illustrated here, many usage examples are conceivable. New medicines, chemicals and other products,
When information on foods and the like is transmitted to a distant place, odor information can be added and transmitted accurately.

Excellent information can be transmitted by adding information on odors to information on images, sounds, and texts on plants and animals, including flowers and plants that are rare worldwide.

[0034]

According to the present invention, among the five senses of human beings, smell can be used in addition to sound (hearing) and video (visual), which can be easily signaled and transmitted. In this case, it can be used in an electronic system, so that recording, remote transmission, combination with another system, and the like are possible.

Further, according to the odor control system of the present invention, it can be used in a wide range of fields such as education, recreation, etc. as well as practical fields such as science, science, various industries, defense, police and firefighting, health and medical care, etc. Therefore, many effects can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of an odor control system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the odor control system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a odor generating means of the odor control system of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a odor eliminating means of the odor control system of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a block diagram showing a usage mode in which a odor control system is combined with a television receiver. (B)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a use mode in which a odor control system is combined with a computer. (C) is a block diagram showing a usage mode in which a odor control system is combined with a game machine, an amusement system, various simulators, and the like using virtual reality utilizing computer graphic technology and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 input / output device 4 central processing unit 6 odor generation means 6-1, 6-2, ... 6-n odor storage container 6H heating means 6F ventilation fan 7 odor generation means 7-1, 7-2, ... 7 -m container 7M odor mixing means 7F blower fan 8 odor elimination means 8F blower fan 8D adsorbent 8N neutralizer TV television receiver S odor control system C computer H Special equipment (headgear) M mask

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI // A23L 1/00 A23L 1/00 H

Claims (6)

[Claims] An input / output device for transmitting / receiving an external signal, and a central processing unit for processing the external signal.
And a odor generating means (6) for generating a desired odor in accordance with the processing result of the central processing unit; And a odor eliminating means (8) to be eliminated. 2. The odor control system according to claim 1, wherein the external signal is transmitted by a sub-signal of a broadcast wave by a wire or a terrestrial wave or a radio wave using a satellite. 3. The odor control system according to claim 1, wherein the external signal is transmitted directly via a public communication line or via a communication line using a computer. 4. The odor generating means (6) comprises a plurality of odor holding means for holding a plurality of different types of odors, and the odor holding means selectively responding to the external signal. 4. The odor control system according to claim 1, wherein the odor control system is configured to release the odor held by the odor control device. 5. The odor generating means (6) includes a plurality of holding means for holding a plurality of basic elements for generating a plurality of different types of odors, and stores a corresponding basic element according to the external signal. 4. The odor control system according to claim 1, wherein the odor control system is configured to generate a corresponding odor by selecting a holding unit to be held and extracting and blending a corresponding basic element from each. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the external signal is a food, a medicine, a perfume,
The odor control system according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, wherein the signal is a signal coded by a required number of bits indicating the odor of a scent, liquor or the like.