WO2020210641A1 - Distributeurs de parfum et procédés pour activer des supports de parfum à des moments déterminés et/ou pendant des périodes déterminées - Google Patents

Distributeurs de parfum et procédés pour activer des supports de parfum à des moments déterminés et/ou pendant des périodes déterminées Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2020210641A1
WO2020210641A1 PCT/US2020/027691 US2020027691W WO2020210641A1 WO 2020210641 A1 WO2020210641 A1 WO 2020210641A1 US 2020027691 W US2020027691 W US 2020027691W WO 2020210641 A1 WO2020210641 A1 WO 2020210641A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
scent
dispensed
media
time
piece
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2020/027691
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
David A. Edwards
Rachel Diane FIELD
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Sensory Cloud, Llc
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Publication date
Application filed by Sensory Cloud, Llc filed Critical Sensory Cloud, Llc
Publication of WO2020210641A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020210641A1/fr

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L9/015—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone
    • A61L9/02—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion
    • A61L9/03—Apparatus therefor
    • A61L9/032—Apparatus therefor comprising a fan
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L9/01—Deodorant compositions
    • A61L9/012—Deodorant compositions characterised by being in a special form, e.g. gels, emulsions
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L9/00—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L9/015—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone
    • A61L9/02—Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone using substances evaporated in the air by heating or combustion
    • A61L9/03—Apparatus therefor
    • A61L9/035—Apparatus therefor emanating multiple odours
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61L—METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES
    • A61L2209/00—Aspects relating to disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air
    • A61L2209/10—Apparatus features
    • A61L2209/11—Apparatus for controlling air treatment

Definitions

  • This disclosure generally relates to providing olfactory sensations to one or more users, for example using scent dispensers that activate scent media for a determined time period and/or at a determined start time.
  • New approaches that selectively automate, including more precisely control, desired scents in order to deliver a physiological response for personal and/or group use, are desirable.
  • a method of operation in a scent delivery system may be summarized as including determining at least one scent to be dispensed;
  • Determining an amount of time to activate at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may be based on the at least one scent to be dispensed and based on at least one dimension of a physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • Determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on an amount of time required to release scent from the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent is to be dispensed after the at least one piece of scent media has been activated.
  • Determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on a respective amount of time required to release scents from at least two separate pieces of scent media from which the at least one scent is to be dispensed after the at least two separate pieces of scent media have been activated.
  • the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may be a wax, and determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on a time to melt a wax from which the at least one scent is dispensed.
  • Determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one dimension of a physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • Determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on a specified time, and accommodating for both an amount of time to release the at least one scent and for an amount of time for the at least one scent to disperse throughout the physical space.
  • Determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on at least one physical property of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed may include determining a time to start activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed based on a specified time, and accommodating for both an amount of time to release the at least one scent and for an amount of time for the at least one scent to disperse throughout a physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include receiving an indication of the specified time.
  • the method may further include determining the specified time from a schedule.
  • the method may further include determining a location of a mobile device associated with an end user; and determining an estimate time of arrival of the mobile device at the physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed, and wherein the specified time is a based at least in part on the estimated time of arrival of the mobile device at the physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include determining whether a mobile device associated with an end user is within a geo-fenced area, and wherein the specified time is based at least in part on proximity of the mobile device to the geo-fenced area.
  • the method may further include determining a total number of remotely located scent dispensers from which the at least one scent will be dispensed and which are located in a physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed, and determining an amount of time to activate at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed is based at least in part on the determined total number of remotely located scent dispensers from which the at least one scent will be dispensed and which are located in the physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include determining a distribution of remotely located scent dispensers from which the at least one scent will be dispensed and which are located in a physical space, and determining an amount of time to activate at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed is based at least in part on the determined distribution of remotely located scent dispensers from which the at least one scent will be dispensed and which are located in the physical space.
  • the method may further include identifying each of a plurality of remotely located scent dispensers which are located in a physical space based on a grouping of the remotely located scent dispensers.
  • the method may further include receiving information that identifies at least one available scent that is available from at least one remotely located scent dispenser.
  • the method may further include receiving information that identifies a dimension or a relative size of a physical space into which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include receiving information that identifies a dimension or a relative size of a physical space in which at least one scent dispenser is located.
  • the method may further include transmitting a set of scent activation information to at least one remotely located scent dispenser, the set of scent activation information specifying a time period for activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include transmitting a first signal to at least one remotely located scent dispenser, the first signal specifying a start of activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed; and transmitting a second signal to the at least one remotely located scent dispenser, the second signal specifying an end of activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include transmitting a set of scent activation information to at least one remotely located scent dispenser, the set of scent activation information specifying a temporal sequence of activation of a plurality of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include transmitting a schedule to at least one remotely located scent dispenser, the schedule specifying a temporal sequence of activation of the at least one piece of scent media from which the at least one scent will be dispensed.
  • the method may further include determining a schedule to repeatedly dispense the at least one scent over a time period based at least in part on a persistence of the at least one scent; and causing activation of the at least one scent contained in a scent dispenser to dispense the at least one scent to be dispensed for the determined amount of time during at least one subsequent iteration of the dispensing of the at least one scent, the determined amount of time based at least in part on the persistence of the at least one scent.
  • Determining a schedule to repeatedly dispense the at least one scent over a time period based at least in part on a persistence of the at least one scent may include determining at least a respective frequency at which to activate the scent dispenser for each of a plurality of successive time periods.
  • Determining a schedule to repeatedly dispense the at least one scent over a time period based at least in part on a persistence of the at least one scent may include determining at least a respective duration during which to activate the at least one scent media for each of a plurality of successive time periods.
  • the method may further include determining a schedule to repeatedly dispense the at least one scent over a time period based at least in part on an environmental characterization of an air flow in the physical space; and causing activation of the at least one piece of scent media to dispense the at least one scent to be dispensed according to the determined schedule.
  • Causing activation of the at least one piece of scent media to dispense the at least one scent to be dispensed may include activating a heater in at least one of a plug-in scent dispenser that plugs into an electrical outlet or a scented flameless candle.
  • Activating a heater may include applying a current to a resistive heater.
  • a system may be summarized as including at least one processor; and at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor-executable instructions or data which, when executed by the at least one processor cause the at least one processor to execute any of the methods of claims 1 through 26.
  • the at least one processor may be located in a mobile computing device.
  • the system may further include at least one scent dispenser that is operable to selectively dispense at least one scent into a physical space.
  • the system may further include a plurality of scent dispensers that are operable to selectively dispense at least one scent into a physical space.
  • the mobile computing device may be communicatively coupled to the at least one scent dispenser to provide instructions thereto to selectively control the at least one scent dispenser to dispense at least one scent into the physical space.
  • FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a scent delivery system that may activate scent media at a determined start time, and may activate the scent media for a determined amount of time, according to one illustrated
  • Figure 1 B is a top plan view of a physical space that contains multiple scent dispensers that are each communicatively coupled, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 2A is a top, front isometric view of a type of scent delivery system that may rotate to selectively dispense a scent from a selected scent dispenser, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 2B is a transparent top, front isometric view of a portion of the scent dispenser of the scent delivery system shown Figure 2A, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 3 is a top, rear isometric view of type of plug-in scent dispenser that may plug into an electrical outlet (e.g., wall receptacle) to dispense a scent, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • an electrical outlet e.g., wall receptacle
  • Figure 4 is a top, front isometric view of another scent delivery system in the form of a scented flameless candle that rests on a base that includes a heater, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 5 is another configuration for a scent delivery system in the form of a scented flameless candle that rests within a cavity formed by a bottom heater and one or more side walls, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 6 is a logic flow diagram of dispensing a scent by activating at a determined start time one or more scent media contained within a scent dispenser in a scent delivery system and continuing activation of the one or more scent media for a determined amount of time, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 7 is a logic flow diagram of determining a start time to begin activating a scent media, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 8 is a logic flow diagram of determining a time to start activating a scent media contained within a scent delivery system based upon location information for a mobile device, according to one illustrated
  • Figure 9 is a logic flow diagram of determining a time to start activating scent media contained with a scent delivery system based upon a geo-fenced boundary around the scent delivery system, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 10 is a logic flow diagram of determining a time to start activating scent media contained in a scent delivery system that includes multiple, distributed scent dispensers, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 11 A is front plan view of a mobile device which includes a screen and provides a user interface that may be used to interact with a scent delivery system, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • Figure 11 B is front plan view of the mobile device of Figure 11A, showing a portion of a user interface that displays a geo-fenced area related to a scent delivery system, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • FIG. 1A shows a block diagram of a scent delivery system 100 that may activate scent media 102 held within a scent dispenser 104 for a determined amount of time.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may also begin activating the scent media 102 at a determined start time such that a scent 130 has sufficient time to disperse throughout an exterior physical space 106.
  • the exterior physical space 106 may be defined by a room (e.g., a kitchen, bedroom, or office) or rooms, by an interior of a vehicle, or by an area within a physical distance (e.g., ten feet) from the scent delivery system 100 in which a user wishes to detect and enjoy the scent 130 being dispensed from the scent media 102.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include the scent dispenser 104, a heater 108, a control unit 110, a memory 112 that stores machine-executable code and/or data, an electrical supply 114 and associated electrical receptacle 1 16, a communications controller 118 and associated transceiver 120, and one or more sensors 121.
  • Each of the components may be communicatively and electrically coupled using one or more bus(es) 122, which can provide bidirectional communication between the various components of the scent delivery system 100.
  • Bus(es) 122 may take, for example, the form of a plurality of buses (e.g ., data bus, instruction bus, power bus) or a set of wires included in at least one body.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include an exterior wall 124 that separates an interior 126 of the scent delivery system 100 from the exterior physical space 106.
  • the exterior wall 124 may include one or more openings 128 through which scents 130 can travel from the scent dispenser 104 to be dispensed throughout the exterior physical space 106.
  • Such openings 128 may be in the form, for example, of a grill, a mesh covering, or a similar component through which the scents 130 can travel.
  • a grill, mesh covering, or other similar component may advantageously provide protection from debris or other foreign materials falling into the scent media 102 contained within the scent dispenser 104.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include a cap 132 or other covering that may be used to selectively cover the openings 128 to the scent dispenser 104.
  • the cap 132 may be selectively, physically moved to physically engage a perimeter surrounding each of the openings 128 to the scent dispenser 104 to thereby provide a seal (e.g., a hermetic seal) that prevents air, gas, or other molecules from traveling between the scent dispenser 104 and the exterior physical space 106. Such movement may be effected directly by a user or by a mechanical actuator (not shown). Such a seal by the cap 132 may assist in conserving the scent media 102 held within the scent dispenser 104 and may prevent scents 130 from being dispensed from the scent dispenser 104 when such scents 130 are not wanted and/or not needed.
  • a seal e.g., a hermetic seal
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include the scent dispenser 104 and associated heater 108.
  • Figure 1A shows the scent dispenser 104 in physical contact with the heater 108, such contact is not necessary to release scents 130 from the sent media 102.
  • the heater 108 may be physically separated from the scent dispenser 104 by a gap that may be filled with air. In such an implementation, the heater 108 may transfer heat to the scent dispenser 104 via the air in the gap.
  • the heater 108 may include any type of heating component that provides for controlled heating within a confined physical space.
  • the heater 108 may be a resistive or inductive electrical heating component (e.g., a coil) that heats up when conducting electrical current.
  • a Peltier device may be used to actively heat and/or cool the scent media 102 stored in the scent dispenser 104.
  • Other similar types of heating components may be used for the heater 108. Heat transfer may take place via any one or more of thermal conduction, radiant and, or, convective heat transfer mechanisms.
  • the scent dispenser 104 may contain one or more scent media 102 that are used to selectively provide the scent 130 to the exterior physical space 106.
  • the scent media 102 may advantageously take the form of wax (e.g., a paraffin wax substrate impregnated with at least one volatile scent material), although can alternatively take other forms (e.g., oil, powder, chips, or other temperature activated scent materials), and releases scent(s) when heated.
  • a solid or semi-solid wax substrate may transform phases by liquefying, thereby releasing the scent 130 from the scent media 102 and causing the scent 130 to be dispensed into the exterior physical space 106.
  • the scent dispenser 104 may be a cartridge that may be selectively inserted into a corresponding receptacle in the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent dispenser 104 may be a glass jar that holds the scent media 102, such as the glass jars used for wickless or flameless candles.
  • the scent dispenser 104 may include a machine-readable identification structure 134 that provides information related to the type of scent media 102 contained within the scent dispenser 104. Such information may include, for example, the identity of a scent type, the identity of a particular scent 130, a persistence for the particular scent 130, and/or a time to activate the scent media 102 to begin releasing the scent 130.
  • scent type various types of scents 130 may be grouped together in a scent type. For example, scents related to waking up (e.g., a coffee scent) or related to desserts (e.g., a chocolate scent, a cake scent) may be grouped together into scent types.
  • the scents 130 may have a persistence that may be a measure of the strength of the scent and/or how long the scent lingers within a physical area, for instance measured in parts per million at a given period of time after being dispensed.
  • the machine-readable identification structure 134 may be electrically and/or communicatively coupled with a receiver or port 136 within the scent delivery system 100 that may be used to access the information stored as part of the machine-readable identification structure 134.
  • the machine-readable identification structure 134 need not be physically coupled to the receiver 136 as shown in Figure 1A.
  • the machine-readable identification structure 134 may be a machine-readable symbol 134a (e.g., picture, text, code) that can be optically captured by a machine-readable symbol reader 136a in the scent delivery system 100.
  • a machine-readable symbol 134a e.g., picture, text, code
  • the machine-readable identification structure 134 may be included as part of an RFID tag 134b that can be interrogated by an RFID interrogator 136b within the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may be capable of accessing information stored by one or more types of machine-readable identification structures 134.
  • the machine-readable identification structure 134 may include a physical shape of the scent dispenser 104, such as a profile or periphery shape of the scent dispenser 104, which may be used to encode relevant information regarding the scent media 102 contained within the scent dispenser 104.
  • the information related to the scent media 102 may be used to determine various operating parameters for the scent delivery system 100 when activating the scent media 102.
  • the control unit 1 10 may include any type of logic processing unit, such as a micro-controller, a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), filed programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.
  • the control unit 1 10 will at times be referred to in the singular herein, but this is not intended to limit the
  • control unit 1 10 may take the form of an 8-bit microcontroller with in-system programmable flash memory that can execute a program stored in its memory and send signals (e.g., PWM signals) to control the various other components of the scent delivery system 100.
  • signals e.g., PWM signals
  • control unit 1 10 may be used to access information related to the scent media 102 contained in the scent dispenser 104 and to execute one or more programs stored in the memory 1 12 to dispense the related scents 130 to the exterior physical space 106.
  • the memory 1 12 may include read-only memory (“ROM”) 138 and random access memory (“RAM”) 140.
  • ROM read-only memory
  • RAM random access memory
  • the memory 1 12 also includes one or more internal nontransitory storage systems 144.
  • Such internal nontransitory storage systems 144 may include, but are not limited to, any current or future developed persistent storage device.
  • Such persistent storage devices 144 may include, without limitation, magnetic storage devices such as hard disc drives, electromagnetic storage devices such as memristors, molecular storage devices, quantum storage devices, electrostatic storage devices such as solid state drives, and the like.
  • the one or more internal nontransitory storage systems 144 communicate with the control unit 1 10 via the system bus 122.
  • the one or more internal nontransitory storage systems 144 may include interfaces or device controllers (not shown) communicably coupled between nontransitory storage system and the system bus 122, as is known by those skilled in the relevant art.
  • the nontransitory storage systems 144 provide nonvolatile storage of computer- readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the control unit 1 10.
  • Those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that other types of storage devices may be employed to store digital data accessible by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, RAMs, ROMs, smart cards, etc.
  • Program modules can be stored in the memory 1 12, such as an operating system 146, one or more application programs 148, other programs or modules 150, drivers 152, and program data 154.
  • the application programs 148 may include, for example, one or more machine executable instruction sets capable of providing commands for activating, e.g., heating, the scent media 102 stored within a scent dispenser 104.
  • the application programs 148 may include one or more machine executable instruction sets capable of enabling the scent delivery system 100 to communicate with other, remote devices, such as mobile devices or remote scent dispensers, to activate scent media 102 stored within one or more scent dispensers 104.
  • the electrical supply 1 14 may provide power to the various components of the scent delivery system 100. In some implementations, the electrical supply 1 14 may convert power received from the associated electrical receptacle 1 16. In some implementations, the electrical supply 1 14 may include one or more internal power supplies, such as a battery, energy source, fuel cell, or the like. The internal power supplies may include one or more chemical batteries, for example one or more primary (i.e., disposable) chemical battery cells (e.g ., zinc-carbon, alkaline) or one or more secondary ( e. ., rechargeable) chemical battery cells (e.g., nickel-cadmium, nickel-zinc, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion or lithium polymer battery cells). Such internal power supplies may be rechargeable from power received from the associated electrical receptacle 116. Additionally or alternatively, the electrical supply 1 14 can include an array of ultracapacitor cells and/or a source of hydrogen and an array of fuel cells.
  • the internal power supplies may include one or more internal power supplies, such as a battery
  • the communications controller 1 18 and associated transceiver 120 may be used to communicate with other devices via one or more communications or data networks.
  • the communications controller 118 may include one or more wireless and/or wired communication stacks that enable the scent delivery system 100 to transmit data through a
  • the transceiver 120 may include a wired communications port (e.g., a USB port, a game port, or other like port) and/or a wireless
  • Suitable communications protocols include FTP, HTTP, Web Services, SOAP with XML, WI-FITM compliant, BLUETOOTHTM compliant, Near Field Communications (NFC) standards, cellular (e.g., GSM, CDMA), and the like.
  • Suitable transport protocols include TCP/IP, UDP/IP, SCTP, DCCP, and the like.
  • the one or more sensors 121 may be used to obtain information and data regarding the physical space 106.
  • the one or more sensors 121 may include a range finder sensor (e.g., a time-of-flight sensor), or some other distance sensor 121 a that may be used to measure the size of the physical space 106, one or more thermocouples 121 b that may be used to measure a temperature and/or humidity of the physical space 106, an air flow sensor 121c that may be used to measure an air flow in the physical space 106, and/or a location sensor 121 d (e.g., a GPS and/or GLOSNOS receiver) that may be used to determine location information. Additional types of sensors 121 may also be used.
  • such sensors 121 may be incorporated into and part of other devices that are present in the physical space 106. Such other devices may include stand-alone sensors that communicatively couple and may provide data and information to the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include multiple, distributed scent dispensers 104, each of which may include one or more sensors 121. In such an implementation, the distributed scent dispensers 104 may transmit the data and information collected by the one or more sensors 121 to the control unit 110 via one or more
  • Figure 1 B shows a physical space 106 that contains multiple scent dispensers 104a, 104b, and 104c (collectively,“scent dispensers 104”) that are each communicatively, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • the collection of multiple, communicatively coupled scent dispensers 104 within a physical space 106 may comprise a scent delivery system 100.
  • Each of the scent dispensers 104 may include a communications controller 1 18 and associated transceiver 120 that may be used to communicate with the other scent dispensers 104 via one or more communications or data networks.
  • the communications controller 1 18, for example, may include one or more wireless communication stack that enables each scent dispenser 104 to transmit data through a communications network via the associated transceiver 120.
  • Suitable communications protocols include FTP, HTTP, Web Services, SOAP with XML, WI-FITM compliant, BLUETOOTHTM compliant, Near Field
  • NFC Network-to-Network Interface
  • cellular e.g., GSM, CDMA
  • Suitable transport protocols include TCP/IP, UDP/IP, SCTP, DCCP, and the like.
  • Each scent dispensers 104 may include a control unit 1 10 to control the activation of the scent media 102 within that scent dispenser.
  • one of the control units 110 in one of the scent dispensers 104 may serve as a master that controls the operation of each of the other scent dispensers 104.
  • the scent dispensers 104 within a scent delivery system 100 may communicate with each other using the
  • the scent delivery system 100 may coordinate the activation of various scent media 102 contained by each of the scent dispensers 104. Such coordination may be used, for example, to ensure that a desired scent 130 is dispersed throughout the physical space 106 without saturating the physical space 106.
  • a first scent delivery system 100 may communicate with other scent delivery systems 100 using a communication controller 118 and associated transceiver 120 associated with one of the scent dispensers 104. As such, the scent delivery systems 100 may coordinate the activation of various scent media 102 across multiple physical spaces 106.
  • Such coordination may be used, for example, to ensure that a desired scent 130 is dispersed throughout multiple physical spaces 106.
  • FIG 2A shows a type of scent delivery system 100a that may rotate to selectively dispense a scent from one of multiple selected scent dispensers 104.
  • Figure 2B shows a transparent close-up view of one of the scent dispensers 104 contained within the scent delivery system 100a.
  • Each of the scent dispensers 104 may be topped with a nozzle 202 to prevent foreign debris from falling or entering into the scent dispenser 104.
  • the nozzle 202 may also assist in evenly dispensing the scent 130 throughout the exterior physical space 106.
  • the scent delivery system 100a may comprise a housing 204 having a first or upper end 206a, a second or bottom end 206b opposed to the upper end 206a across a height of the housing 204, and a side wall 208.
  • the side wall 208 may be cylindrical and may have a diameter at least approximately equal to that of a coffee cup (e.g., about 4.5 inches to 5.75 inches).
  • the housing 204 may have a height of about 4.8 inches.
  • the upper end 206a, bottom end 206b, and side wall 208 may separate an interior 210 of the scent delivery system 100a from an exterior physical space 106.
  • the housing 204 may include one or more vents 214 that allow passage of air from the exterior physical space 106 to the interior 210 of the scent delivery system.
  • the scent delivery system 100a may include one or more scent dispenser receivers 216 each of which is sized and dimensioned to receive and securely hold a respective scent dispenser 104.
  • the upper end 206a of the scent delivery system 100a may rotate about a central axis 218 in order to selectively engage at least one of the scent dispensers 104 with a heating element 220 (Figure 2B) located within the interior 210 of the scent delivery system 100a.
  • the heating element 220 may be used to selectively activate one of the scent media 102 contained within the scent dispensers 104 held within the scent delivery system 100a.
  • the interior 210 of the scent delivery system 100a may include an air mover 222 (e.g., a fan) that may direct a flow of air through the scent dispenser 104, via, for example, a port 224, to thereby facilitate the dispensing of the scent 130 from the scent dispenser 104 and the dispersion of the scent 130 throughout the exterior physical space 106.
  • an air mover 222 e.g., a fan
  • FIG 3 shows a type of plug-in scent dispenser 100b that may plug into an electrical outlet, for instance a two- or three-prong wall receptacle, to dispense a scent 130, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • the plug-in scent dispenser 100b may include a body 300 that has a top surface 302a, a bottom surface 302b, and one or more side walls 302c (collectively,“surfaces 302”) that delineate an interior portion of the plug-in scent dispenser 100b.
  • One or more of the surfaces 302 may include one or more openings 304 that enable scents 130 to move from the interior portion (which contains the scent media 102, discussed below) to the exterior physical space 106.
  • One of the surfaces 302 may include one or more electrical connectors 306 that may plug into an electrical outlet or receptacle to provide the plug-in scent dispenser 100b with power.
  • the electrical connectors 306 may be bayonet-style electrical connectors, Edison type threaded screw connectors, or any other type of appropriate electrical connector.
  • the plug-in scent dispenser 100b may include one or more scent media 102 within an interior cavity that may be thermally coupled to a heater 108 or other heat source.
  • a power source e.g ., plugged into an electrical outlet
  • the heater 108 may be activated causing an increase in the temperature for the interior cavity.
  • the plug-in scent dispenser 100b may include an electrical supply 114 that provides a power converter to convert the electricity provided by the electrical outlet (e.g., 120V AC) to a form for use in a consumer product (e.g., 5 or 10V DC).
  • the heater 108 may be designed to provide only a slightly elevated temperature, and may include one or more safety features, such as a fuse, to prevent the plug-in scent dispenser 100b from getting too hot.
  • the temperature increase may result in the one or more scent media 102 being activated, causing the scent media 102 to release a scent 130.
  • the scent 130 is dispensed from the plug-in scent dispenser 100b and dispersed through the physical space 106.
  • the plug-in scent dispenser 100b may include an air mover 222 (not shown) that may be used to actively push the scent 130 into the physical space 106.
  • FIG 4 shows a scent delivery system 100c that includes a scented flameless candle 402 as a scent dispenser.
  • the scent delivery system 100c may include a scented flameless candle 402 and a housing 404 that includes a heater 406.
  • the housing 404 may further include one or more of a control unit 1 10, a memory 112, an electrical supply 1 14 and associated electrical receptacle 116, and a communications controller 1 18 and associated transceiver 120, as discussed above.
  • the scented flameless candle 402 may be a glass container that has an open upper side through which the scent 130 may be dispensed.
  • the heater 406 may form, or be located proximate, a horizontal surface 410 upon which a bottom surface 402a of the scented flameless candle 402 rests.
  • the heater 406 may activate the scent media 102 contained within the scented flameless candle 402 by heating the bottom surface 402a of the scented flameless candle 402 until the scent 130 dispenses from the scented flameless candle 402 and disperses through the exterior physical space 106 via, for example, diffusion.
  • the scent delivery system 100c may also include a user actuable control 408 that enables a user to toggle the scent delivery system 100c between ON and OFF states or conditions. In some implementations, the ON condition may result in the control unit 110 within the scent delivery system 100c executing one or more scent dispensing programs or applications, as discussed below.
  • FIG. 5 shows another configuration of a scent delivery system 100d that includes a scented flameless candle 502.
  • the scent delivery system 100d may include a housing 504 that comprises a base 504a and one or more side walls 504b that form a cavity 505 that is sized and shaped to receive the scented flameless candle 502.
  • the interior bottom surface of the cavity on which the scented flameless candle 502 rests may include a heater 506.
  • the interior portions of the side walls 504b facing the cavity 505 may include a heater.
  • the housing 504 may further include one or more of a control unit 1 10, a memory 112, an electrical supply 1 14 and associated electrical receptacle 1 16, and a communications controller 118 and associated transceiver 120, as discussed above.
  • the scented flameless candle 502 may be a glass container that has an open upper side through which the scent 130 may be dispensed.
  • the heater 506 may activate the scent media 102 contained within the scented flameless candle 502 by heating a bottom and/or side surfaces of the scented flameless candle 502 until the scent 130 is dispensed from the scented flameless candle 502 and disperses into the exterior physical space 106, e.g., through diffusion.
  • the scent delivery system 100d may also include a user actuable control 508 that enables a user to toggle the scent delivery system 100d between ON and OFF states or conditions. In some implementations, the ON condition may result in the control unit 110 within the scent delivery system 100d executing one or more scent dispensing programs or applications, as discussed below.
  • FIG. 6 shows a method 600 of dispensing a scent 130 by activating one or more scent media 102 contained within a scent delivery system 100a, 100b, 100c, or 100d (collectively,“scent delivery system 100”).
  • the scent delivery system 100 may activate the one or more scent media 102 at a determined start time, and continuing activation of the one or more scent media 102 for a determined amount of time.
  • the scent delivery system 100 receives a request to dispense a scent 130.
  • the request may specify, for example, the type of scent or a particular scent 130 to be dispensed, the time to start dispensing the scent 130, the time period and/or duration for dispensing the scent 130, and a strength value for the requested scent 130.
  • the request may be received from a remote device, such as a user’s mobile device or tablet, that is received via the communications controller 1 18 of the scent delivery system 100.
  • a remote device such as a user’s mobile device or tablet
  • the user’s mobile device may include an app or a user interface that the user may employ to specify one or more of the attributes discussed herein (e.g., start time, duration, strength).
  • the control unit 110 in the scent delivery system 100 determines an available scent media 102 contained within the one or more scent dispensers 104 in the scent delivery system 100 that corresponds to the requested scent 130. Such a determination may use, for example, the information and data obtained and decoded from the machine-readable identification structure 134 included on each scent dispenser 104. In some implementations, a representation of the machine-readable identification structure 134 may be obtained by the receiver 136 (e.g., machine-readable symbol reader 136a or RFID interrogator 136b) and transmitted to the control unit 110. The control unit 110 may then process the machine-readable identification structure 134 to decode the information and data related to the scent dispenser(s) 104. Upon determining the available scent media 102, the control unit 1 10 may execute one or more instructions to match the requested scent received at 602 with one of the available scent media determined at 604.
  • the receiver 136 e.g., machine-readable symbol reader 136a or RFID interrogator 136b
  • a specific scent requested at 602 may not match any of the available scent media 102 contained within the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may transmit an error message to the requesting device.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may determine a substitute scent media 102 that is related to and may be used in place of the requested scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines the amount of time that the scent media 102 determined in 604 is to be activated.
  • the activation of the scent media 102 may include, for example, the time that heat is applied to the scent dispenser 104 by the heater 108.
  • the scent media 102 may release the requested (or similar) scent 130, which is then dispensed from the scent dispenser 104 into the surrounding physical space 106.
  • the amount of time to activate the scent media 102 may take into account the amount of time that the scent media 102 takes to cool-down, but nevertheless continues to release scents 130. Such a cool down time may be determined before the scent media 102 is loaded into the scent delivery system 100, and as such, may be included within the data and information encoded by the machine-readable identification structure 134 included on the scent dispenser 104 that holds the scent media 102. Accordingly, the scent delivery system 100 may use the encoded data and information to determine the amount of time to activate the scent media 102 using, for example, the heater 108.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may consider a number of factors, in addition to or instead of the cool down time of a scent media 102, to determine the amount of time that the scent media 102 is to be activated to release a requested scent 130. For example, the scent delivery system 100 may determine an amount of time to activate a scent media 102 based upon one or more of the following factors: (i) a requested or determined strength for the scent 130, (ii) the size of the physical space 106 in which the requested scent 130 is to be dispensed, (iii) any air flow within the physical space 106 that might result in the requested scent 130 being carried away, (iv) the persistence of the requested scent 130, and (v) the period of time and/or duration for which the physical space 106 is to include the determined scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines a time to start activating the determined scent media 102 that corresponds to the requested scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 activates the scent media 102, and causes the desired scent 130 to begin being released, at the requested time.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may activate the scent media 102 at a time earlier than the requested time.
  • the scent 130 being dispensed from the scent delivery system 100 may take time to achieve be dispersed through the physical space 106 and achieve a desired strength after the scent media 102 is activated. Accordingly, the scent delivery system 100 may take into account this dispersion time when determining a start time to activate the corresponding scent media 102.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may activate the corresponding scent media 102 beginning at or around 6:53 PM to account for the dispersion time.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may base a start time upon a location of a remote device (e.g., a smartphone), which may be used, for example, to determine an estimated arrival time of the remote device at the physical space 106 at which the scent 130 is to be dispensed.
  • a remote device e.g., a smartphone
  • the scent delivery system 100 may consider other factors when determining a start time at 608 to activate the scent media 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may consider the physical space 106 in which the scent 130 is to be dispensed.
  • a physical space 106 may be, for example, a room, a vehicle interior, or an area within a specified distance (e.g., 5 feet) from the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may base the start time at 608 at least in part on the amount of time for the requested scent 130 to be sufficiently dispersed throughout the physical space 106 to reach a specified strength.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may include a plurality of scent dispensers 104 that are located throughout the physical space 106.
  • the location and scent-producing capacity for each of the scent dispensers 104 located within the physical space 106 may be taken into account by the scent delivery system 100 when determining a start time at 608.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may take into account whether the scent delivery system 100 dispenses the requested scent 130 via diffusion, or whether the scent delivery system 100 includes an air mover 222 (e.g., a fan) that can be used to actively circulate the scent 130 within the physical space 106.
  • an air mover 222 e.g., a fan
  • the scent delivery system 100 starts activating the scent media 102 begin releasing the requested scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may start the activation of the scent media 102 based at least in part on the start time determined in 608.
  • the scent delivery system 100 keeps the scent media 102 activated according to the amount of time determined in 606.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may continuously update the amount of time to activate the scent media based upon one or more of the considerations listed above in 606.
  • the scent delivery system 100 ends the activation of the scent media 102.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may end the activation of the scent media 102 by taking into account the cool down time of the scent media 102 during which the scent media 102 continues to release the scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may actively cool the scent media 102, for example, by using a Peltier device, to reduce the amount of time during which the scent media 102 releases the scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines if the activation of the scent media 102 is to be repeated or cycled. Such a determination may be based, for example, upon a duration of time specified in the request that the scent is to be dispersed throughout the physical space 106. Cycling the activation of the scent media 102 to dispense the scent 130 from the scent dispenser 104 may be used to prolong the amount of time that the scent 130 is present in the physical space 106 but to prevent the scent 130 from saturating the physical space 106. Instead, by cycling the activation of the scent media 102 between an ON state and an OFF state, the scent delivery system 100 may maintain the strength of the scent 130 at a desired level that is less than saturation for a prolonged period of time.
  • the method 600 may proceed to 618 to determine and/or update a schedule for activating the scent media 102.
  • a schedule may be based, for example, upon the persistence of the associated scent 130, the duration of time that the scent 130 is to be dispersed throughout the physical space 106, and the amount of time after the scent media 102 is activated before it starts releasing scents 130.
  • Such a schedule may provide indications of times at which the scent media 102 is to be activated.
  • Such a schedule may provide indications of time durations for which the scent media 102 is to be activated. In some situations, the schedule may indicate a frequency at which the scent media 102 is to be activated.
  • the schedule may also be determined based at least in part on the environmental characterizations, such as the air flow, of the physical space 106 into which the scent 130 is to be dispensed.
  • the scent delivery system 100 then transitions to 606 to determine the amount of time that the scent media 102 is to be activated.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines that activation of the scent media 102 is not to be cycled, then the scent delivery system 100 ends the activation of the scent media 102 at 620.
  • Figure 7 shows a method 700 of determining a start time to begin activating the scent media 102.
  • the scent delivery system 100 receives an indication of a specified start time for dispensing the scent 130 into the physical space 106.
  • the indication of the specified start time may be received, for example, from a program stored within the memory 112 and being executed by the control unit 110.
  • the indication of the specified start time may be received from an app or program being run on a mobile device by a user.
  • the time to begin activating the scent media 102 may be based upon a schedule for repeatedly activating the scent media 102 over a period of time.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may receive data and information regarding the physical space 106 into which the scent 130 is to be dispensed.
  • data and information may include, for example, one or more of the physical dimensions of the physical space 106, any current or potential air flows moving through the physical space 106, and whether the physical space 106 is contained (e.g., the interior of a vehicle).
  • data and information may be input via an app running on a local or remote smartphone, tablet, and/or computer.
  • the data and information regarding the physical space 106 may specify an actual or approximate dimensions for the physical space 106.
  • the data and information may specify the approximate length, width, and/or height of the physical space 106 and/or the approximate square footage of the physical space 106.
  • a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other device may include one or more sensors (e.g., range finders, time-of-flight sensors) that may autonomously assess the room size.
  • sensors e.g., range finders, time-of-flight sensors
  • such sensors may be incorporated into one or more of the scent dispensers 104 occupying the physical space 106.
  • the data and information regarding the size of the physical space 106 may be input via a user interface presented to a user via a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other such device.
  • Such a user interface may provide the user with various options of relative room sizes (e.g., small, medium, large, extra-large) that the user may choose indicate the size of the physical space 106.
  • the data and information may specify environmental conditions for the physical space 106.
  • a user can indicate an approximate air flow via a user interface presented by a
  • the relative or approximate air flow may be indicated via the user interface by selecting the most appropriate of three icons, e.g., minimal air flow, medium air flow, high air flow.
  • an air flow sensor may be present in the physical space 106 that may provide real-time updates regarding the air flow in the physical space 106.
  • the sensor for example, may be part of the device that presents the user interface to the user and/or the sensor may be part of some other device (e.g., one or more of the air dispensers 104) present in the physical space 106.
  • the data and information regarding environmental conditions may take into account whether the scent dispenser 104 has a built-in fan, or whether a fan is present in and/or impacts the physical space 106 (e.g., a smart fan, a dedicated fan (e.g., Dyson), or a fan that is part of HVAC system and controlled via a smart thermostat, (e.g., Nest)).
  • a smart fan e.g., a dedicated fan (e.g., Dyson), or a fan that is part of HVAC system and controlled via a smart thermostat, (e.g., Nest)).
  • the data and information regarding the environmental conditions may include temperature and/or humidity data.
  • temperature and/or humidity information may be entered by user, via, for example, a user interface, or supplied by a sensor.
  • a sensor may be a built-in sensor (e.g., thermocouple) that is part of one or more of the scent dispensers 104, or such a sensor may be included in some other component that is communicatively coupled to the components of the scent delivery system 100, e.g., a sensor associated with HVAC system, or from a thermostat or program to control HVAC system, e.g., NEST.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may receive data and information regarding the requested scent material 102.
  • data and information may include the strength and/or persistence of the dispensed scent 130, or some other physical property of the scent media, such as the amount of time after a scent media 102 has been activated before the scent media 102 will begin releasing or dispensing scents 130, or before the scent 130 will be dispersed throughout the physical space 106.
  • Such an elapsed time between activation and releasing or dispensing the scent 130 may be based, for example, on the time to melt a wax substance from which the scent 130 is dispensed.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may receive data and information regarding the strength for the requested scent 130.
  • Such a strength indication may be input by a user via, for example, a user interface on a smartphone, tablet, computer, or other similar device.
  • the strength indication may be specified in real terms (e.g., parts per million) and/or in relative terms (e.g., low, medium, high).
  • the scent delivery system 100 may take into account the amount of time that multiple scent dispensers 104 will take after being activated to begin releasing or dispensing scents 130.
  • the scent delivery system may receive data and information regarding the number of scent dispensers 104 per room or other physical space 106, the type and rated capacity (e.g., dispensing rate) of each of the multiple scent dispensers 104, and the location of each of the scent dispensers 104 in the physical space 106.
  • location and product information may be supplied by a user, via, for example, a user interface, or may be determined by from one or more of the scent dispensers located in the physical space 106.
  • each of the scent dispensers 104 may include location detecting capabilities, using, for example, GPS and/or GLOSNOS receivers.
  • Each of the scent dispensers 104 may be communicatively coupled to the control unit 1 10 in the scent delivery system 100, and the control unit 110 may receive the location information from each of the scent dispensers 104.
  • the control unit 1 10 may therefore use the received location information in determining a start time and a time period that each of the scent dispensers 104 may dispense a requested scent 130.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines a time to start activating the appropriate scent media 102.
  • the determination of the start time by the scent delivery system 100 may be based at least in part on the data regarding the physical space 106 received in 704 and/or the data regarding the scent media 102 received in 706.
  • FIG 8 is a method 800 to begin activating a scent media 102 contained within a scent delivery system 100 based upon location information for a mobile device, according to one illustrated implementation.
  • the scent delivery system 100 receives information related to the location of a mobile device.
  • the location information may be received, for example, from the mobile device via a communications network that communicatively couples the scent delivery system 100 and the mobile device.
  • Such location information may be determined, for example, using location tracking technology (e.g., GPS or GLOSNOS receivers) on the mobile device.
  • location tracking technology e.g., GPS or GLOSNOS receivers
  • the scent delivery system 100 uses the location information to determine an estimated time for the mobile device to arrive at the physical space 106 at which the scent dispensers 104 are located. Such an estimated time of arrival may be based, for example, on the current and/or expected traffic conditions. The scent delivery system 100 can use the estimated time of arrival to determine the time to activate a requested scent media 102.
  • Figure 9 is a method 900 to determine a time to activate scent media 102 contained with a scent dispenser 104 in a scent delivery system 100 based upon a geo-fenced boundary that is based upon the location information of the scent dispenser 104.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines a time offset for activating a scent media 102.
  • the time offset may be based upon the amount of time that a scent 130 takes to disperse throughout a physical space 106 after the scent media 102 has been activated.
  • the time offset may be based upon the amount of time that a scent 130 begins being dispensed from the scent dispenser 104 after the scent media 102 is activated.
  • the time offset may be based upon the amount of time that a scent 130 begins being released from the scent media 102 after the scent media 102 is activated.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may determine a geo- fenced boundary based upon the time offset determined in 902.
  • the geo-fenced boundary may be in the form of a circle that is centered about the location coordinates corresponding to the current location of the scent dispensers 104. The radius of such a circle may be based upon the offset time determined in 902. Thus, for example, a longer offset time may result in a circle that has a larger radius as compared to a circle associated with a relatively shorter offset time.
  • the geo-fenced boundary may be based upon the current or expected travel times via one or more routes to the current location of the scent dispensers 104.
  • routes that are relatively more congested and have slower travel speeds may have a geo- fenced boundary that is relatively closer to the current location of the scent dispensers 104 than other routes that have relatively higher travel speeds.
  • the geo-fenced boundaries may be constantly updated to take into account current and/or expected travel conditions.
  • the scent delivery system 100 receives data and information to track the current location of a mobile device associated with a user of the scent delivery system 100.
  • the location information may be received, for example, from the mobile device via a communications network that communicatively couples the scent delivery system 100 and the mobile device.
  • Such location information may be determined, for example, using location tracking technology (e.g., GPS technology) on the mobile device.
  • the scent delivery system 100 activates the scent media 102 based upon the location of the mobile device being tracked in 906 relative to the geo-fenced boundary determined in 904. In some implementations, the scent delivery system 100 may activate the scent media 102 as soon as the mobile device crosses the determined geo-fenced boundary. In some implementations, the scent delivery system 100 may activate the scent media 102 after the mobile device has been within an area enclosed by the geo- fenced boundary for a specified period of time (e.g., 1 minute, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or more).
  • Figure 10 shows a method 1000 to determine a time to activate scent media 102 contained within multiple, distributed scent dispensers 104 that comprise a scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines information related to the various scent dispensers 104 that comprise the scent delivery system 100.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may determine the total number of scent dispensers 104 located within the physical space 106.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may determine the various location of each of the scent dispensers 104 located within the physical space 106. In such a situation, each of the scent dispensers 104 may be
  • each of the scent dispensers 104 may be communicatively coupled to the control unit 1 10 via a master-slave connection (e.g., via a BLUETOOTHTM connection) in which each of the scent dispensers is communicatively coupled to, and receives commands from, the control unit 1 10.
  • a master-slave connection e.g., via a BLUETOOTHTM connection
  • the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106. In some implementations, the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106. In some implementations, the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106. In some implementations, the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106. In some implementations, the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106. In some implementations, the various scent dispensers 104 may contain the same scent media 102, and thus, may be used to disperse the associated scent 130 throughout the physical space 106.
  • the various dispensers 104 may contain related scents 130 (e.g., chocolate and coffee scents). In such a situation, the related scents 130 may complement each other when dispersed.
  • the control unit 1 10 may submit via transceiver 120 one or more queries to the various scent dispensers 104 regarding the scent media 102 contained in each scent dispenser 104. Each scent dispenser 104 may respond with information to identify each scent media 102 that the scent dispenser 104 contains.
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines and/or receives information related to the physical space 106.
  • information may include, for example, the size of the physical space 106 in which the requested scent 130 is to be dispensed, and any air flow within the physical space 106 that might impact the strength of the requested scent 130 (e.g., air flow that might result in the requested scent 130 being carried away).
  • the scent delivery system 100 determines and/or receives information related to the scent media 102 contained with the various scent dispensers 104. Such information may include, for example, the amount of time that the scent media 102 takes to release and/or dispense a scent 130 after the scent media 102 is activated, the amount of time that the scent media 102 continues to release scent 130 after activation of the scent media 102 stops, and/or the persistence or strength of the scent material.
  • the scent delivery system 100 may establish a schedule for activating the various scent media 102 contained with each of the scent dispensers 104.
  • a schedule may be based, for example, upon the persistence of the associated scent 130, the duration of time that the scent 130 is to be dispersed throughout the physical space 106, the amount of time after the scent media 102 is activated before it starts releasing scents 130, and the location and positioning of each of the scent dispensers 104.
  • Such a schedule may provide indications of times at which the scent media 102 is to be activated by each scent dispenser 104.
  • Such a schedule may provide indications of time durations that each scent dispenser 104 is to activate the scent media 102. In some situations, the schedule may indicate a frequency at which each scent dispenser 104 is to activate the scent media 102.
  • the control unit 110 causes instructions and/or commands to be transmitted to each of the scent dispensers 104 to control the activation of the scent media 102 contained within each of the scent dispensers 104.
  • the control unit 110 may transmit ON and OFF commands to individual scent dispensers 104 to cause the individual scent dispensers 104 to transition between an ON and an OFF state in activating the appropriate scent media 102.
  • the processor may cause a first signal to be sent to a remote scent dispenser 104 specifying an ON condition in which the remote scent dispenser 104 activates the appropriate scent media 102.
  • the control unit 110 may cause a second signal to be sent to the remote scent dispenser 104 specifying an OFF condition in which the remote scent dispenser 104 is to end the activation of the scent media 102.
  • control unit 1 10 may cause some or all of a determined schedule to be transmitted to the remote scent dispensers 104.
  • the control unit 1 10 may cause only the portion of the determined schedule relating to a specific scent dispenser 104 to be transmitted to that scent dispenser 104.
  • each scent dispenser 104 may reference the received schedule to determine a time at which and/or a time period during which the scent dispenser 104 should activate or stop activating the appropriate scent media 102.
  • the schedule received by each of the scent dispensers 104 may specify a temporal sequence in which the appropriate scent media 102 is to be activated.
  • FIG 11A shows a mobile device 1 100 having a screen 1 102 (e.g., touch-sensitive screen), and which implements a user interface (e.g., graphical user interface) application that may be used to receive input from a user and provide output to the user. Such user input and user output may be used to provide commands to and receive information from a scent delivery system 100.
  • the mobile device 1 100 shows on the screen 1102 a portion of the user interface that displays a geo-fenced boundary 1 104 enclosing a geo-fenced area 1 106 related to the scent delivery system 100, according to at least one illustrated implementation.
  • the screen 1102 may include a touchscreen or a touch sensitive display device, such as a resistive touchscreen or a capacitive touchscreen.
  • the provider may interact with the screen 1102 to provide an information and data related to the scent delivery system 100.
  • the mobile device 1 100 may communicatively couple to the scent delivery system 100 via, for example, a communications and/or data network, and may thereby transmit such information to one or more components of the scent delivery system 100.
  • the user interface application running on the mobile device 1100 may present to the user various types of information related to the scent delivery system 100.
  • the user interface application may present to the user a list of locations 1 108 that may correspond to physical spaces 106 that contain one or more scent dispensers 104.
  • a user may be able to select one or more physical spaces 106 for dispensing scents 130.
  • the application may also display a list of available scents 11 10 and/or scent types available for being dispensed at the chosen physical space 106.
  • the list of available scents 1 110 may be displayed using a scrolling wheel, although other types of lists (e.g., drop down lists) may be used to display the scent 130 options.
  • the list of available scents 1 1 10 may be updated in real-time based upon the location specified via the list of locations 1 108.
  • the user may select a desired scent or scent type via the list of available scents 1 110.
  • the application may provide the user with the ability to specify a time period 1 112 during which the chosen scent 130 is to be dispersed throughout the chosen physical space 106.
  • the activation of the appropriate scent media 102 may be accomplished using one or more of the methods described above.
  • the user may be able to specify and/or input additional information via the user interface.
  • the user may specify a relative room size that corresponds to the physical space 106, the environmental conditions (e.g., air flow, temperature, humidity) of the physical space 106, and/or the layout or positions of one or more scent dispensers 104 located within the physical space 106.
  • additional input may be provided using real values and/or using relative values or indications.
  • the application may additionally or alternatively provide the user with the ability to activate the chosen scent media 102 in the chosen physical space 106 by using location information.
  • the application may specify a geo-fenced boundary 1 104 based upon a location 11 14 corresponding to the current location of the scent dispenser(s) 104.
  • the geo-fenced boundary 1 104 shown in Figure 11 B forms a circle with a radius 11 16 that surrounds the location 1 114 of the scent dispenser(s) 104.
  • the length of the radius 11 16, and the area of the circle formed by the geo-fenced boundary 1104, may be related to the current travel time to the location of the scent dispenser(s) 104 and/or to the amount of time for the scent dispenser(s) 104 to activate the scent media 102 before a user arrives at the location.
  • the geo-fenced boundary 1104 may be based upon the travel time along the various routes to the location of the scent dispenser(s) 104. In such a situation, the geo-fence boundary 1104 may not be symmetrical.
  • the scent may provoke a physical response, and may even take the form of a therapeutic.
  • the media may take the form of therapeutic and other substances in a form suitable for retro-nasal delivery, for instance active substance media deliverable as an aerosol comprising readily-soluble droplets have a median size range of approximately 2 microns to approximately 10 microns and comprising one or more active substances, which may be used to modulate human or other animal biological processes or treat medical conditions, and related
  • the media may take the form of compositions of food, therapeutic and/or other substances in a form suitable for ortho-nasal and retro-nasal delivery, which may be used to modulate human or other animal metabolic processes or treat medical conditions, and related formulations, compositions, and related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture, as described in International Patent Application PCT/US2019/049541 , filed September 4, 2019.
  • Such may, for instance include agonists or antagonists of at least one type of transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) receptor, and a sufficient amount of water or a mixture of water and alcohol to aerosolize the composition.
  • TRPV transient receptor potential vanilloid
  • the agonists or antagonists may be agonists or antagonists at least one of TRPV1 receptors, TRPV3 receptors, TRPV4 receptors, or TRPV8 receptors.
  • the composition may include two or more types of TRPV antagonists.
  • the composition may include two or more types of TRPV antagonists.
  • the composition may include agonists or antagonists of all: at least one type of TRPV receptors, olfactory receptors, and taste receptors.
  • the composition may include one or more of the following: sodium iodide, sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, capsaicin, and piperine.
  • the composition may include one or more of the following:
  • the composition may include one or more of the following: ground cinnamon, a cannabinoid, pimento, onion, clove, thyme, ginger, menthol, Irish cream, lemon, lime, mango, raspberry, watermelon, blueberry, strawberry, popcorn, meat, Resolvin D2 or nicotine.
  • the composition may include linalool.
  • aerosolized composition may include droplets less than 100 microns in size which carry the agonists or antagonists.
  • a concentration of all agonists or antagonists in the composition may be in a range of 50 micrograms/milliliters to 2 milligrams/milliliter or 1 milligrams/milliliter.
  • the composition may be delivered ortho-nasally and/or retro-nasally as an aerosol. For any of these, a period over which a substance is dispensed may be calculated to provide a suitable dosage of the given substance to realize a defined or desired therapeutic effect. Thus, a duration may be determined based on a
  • concentration of substance in a volume taking into account how much of that substance would be effective delivered to the subject (e.g., ratio of substance on volume to that is absorbed or taken in by the body), and a defined or desired dosage for the subject (e.g., based on the type of substance, the desired effect, and/or a weight or other physical attribute of the subject).
  • microcontrollers as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of ordinary skill in the art in light of this disclosure.
  • signal bearing media include, but are not limited to, the following: recordable type media such as floppy disks, hard disk drives, CD ROMs, digital tape, and computer memory.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
  • Disinfection, Sterilisation Or Deodorisation Of Air (AREA)

Abstract

Un système et des procédés de diffusion de parfum peuvent être utilisés pour activer un support de parfum maintenu à l'intérieur d'un distributeur de parfum à un moment de début déterminé et/ou pendant une durée déterminée. Le système peut commencer à activer le support de parfum à un moment intial déterminé de telle sorte que le parfum associé a suffisamment de temps pour se disperser dans un espace physique extérieur. Le système peut commencer à activer le support de parfum sur la base d'informations de localisation relatives à un dispositif mobile associé à un utilisateur, de telle sorte qu'un parfum souhaité peut être dispersé dans un espace physique, ou juste avant, le moment où l'utilisateur arrive au niveau de l'espace physique. Le système peut commander de multiples distributeurs de parfum dispersés dans l'espace physique pour amener un parfum à être distribué partout, mais sans saturation, dans l'espace physique.
PCT/US2020/027691 2019-04-11 2020-04-10 Distributeurs de parfum et procédés pour activer des supports de parfum à des moments déterminés et/ou pendant des périodes déterminées WO2020210641A1 (fr)

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US62/832,547 2019-04-11

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
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US20210072717A1 (en) * 2013-07-10 2021-03-11 Scentair Technologies, Llc Scent Schedule Based on Relatedness of Scent Delivery Devices in a Scent Delivery System

Citations (6)

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KR20080046870A (ko) * 2006-11-23 2008-05-28 (주)아로마솔루션 시간별 발향특성을 고려한 발향 제어방법 및 이를 적용한향 발현 장치
WO2010008172A2 (fr) * 2008-07-14 2010-01-21 Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute Terminal sans fil et procédé de commande pour diffuser une odeur de celui-ci
US20140377130A1 (en) * 2013-03-15 2014-12-25 David A. Edwards Systems, methods and articles to provide olfactory sensations
KR20160059522A (ko) * 2014-11-18 2016-05-27 주식회사 헬스맥스 사용자 상황을 고려한 향기 분사 방법
US20170232130A1 (en) * 2014-04-18 2017-08-17 Thomas A. Conroy Method and system of sensor feedback for a scent diffusion device
WO2017150919A1 (fr) * 2016-03-04 2017-09-08 피움랩스 주식회사 Appareil d'évacuation de parfum

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
KR20080046870A (ko) * 2006-11-23 2008-05-28 (주)아로마솔루션 시간별 발향특성을 고려한 발향 제어방법 및 이를 적용한향 발현 장치
WO2010008172A2 (fr) * 2008-07-14 2010-01-21 Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute Terminal sans fil et procédé de commande pour diffuser une odeur de celui-ci
US20140377130A1 (en) * 2013-03-15 2014-12-25 David A. Edwards Systems, methods and articles to provide olfactory sensations
US20170232130A1 (en) * 2014-04-18 2017-08-17 Thomas A. Conroy Method and system of sensor feedback for a scent diffusion device
KR20160059522A (ko) * 2014-11-18 2016-05-27 주식회사 헬스맥스 사용자 상황을 고려한 향기 분사 방법
WO2017150919A1 (fr) * 2016-03-04 2017-09-08 피움랩스 주식회사 Appareil d'évacuation de parfum

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* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20210072717A1 (en) * 2013-07-10 2021-03-11 Scentair Technologies, Llc Scent Schedule Based on Relatedness of Scent Delivery Devices in a Scent Delivery System

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