Method and system of sensor feedback for a scent diffusion device

• US 10,603,400 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scentbridge Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Scentbridge Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Conroy, Thomas A., Becker, Todd H., Siegel, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hwu, Davis D
• Application Number:
  US15/586,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20170232130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 239 11
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/00 Methods or apparatus for disinfecting or sterilising materials or objects other than foodstuffs or contact lenses; Accessories therefor for contact lenses A61L12/00; atomisers for disinfecting agents A61M; sterilisation of packages or package contents in association with packaging B65B55/00; treatment of water, waste water, sewage or sludge C02F; disinfecting paper D21H21/36; disinfecting devices for water closets E03D; articles having provision for disinfection, see the relevant subclasses for these articles, e.g. H04R1/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/11 Apparatus for controlling air treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/111 Sensor means, e.g. motion, brightness, scent, contaminant sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/133 Replaceable cartridges, refills
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/135 Vaporisers for active components
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/16 Connections to a HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2209/20 Method-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/00 Disinfection, sterilisation or deodorisation of air body deodorants A61Q15/00; purifying air by respirators A62B, A62D9/00; separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours B01D45/00 - B01D51/00, B03C3/00; chemical or biological purification of waste gases B01D53/34; production of ozone C01B13/10; air-conditioning systems incorporating sterilisation F24F3/16, F24F8/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/015 using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone A61L9/20 takes precedence ; evaporation in general B01B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/54 Mixing liquid fragrances with air
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/213 by spraying or atomising of the liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/081 responsive to the weight of a reservoir or container for liquid or other fluent material; responsive to level or volume of liquid or other fluent material in a reservoir or container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2416 characterised by the means for producing or supplying the atomising fluid, e.g. air hoses, air pumps, gas containers, compressors, fans, ventilators, their drives
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2424 the carried liquid and the main stream of atomising fluid being brought together downstream of the container before discharge B05B7/2435 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2489 an atomising fluid, e.g. a gas, being supplied to the discharge device B05B7/2402, B05B7/2483, B05B7/262 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/262 a liquid and a gas being brought together before entering the discharge device
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/30 : by floats
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/72 : using magnetically actuated indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 : electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 : Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 : Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/22 : Electrical actuation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 : Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions

Abstract

The disclosure herein concerns a method including receiving at a computer at least one target value of a scent parameter for an environment that is remote from the computer, receiving at the computer a sensed parameter of the environment, and controlling, via the computer, diffusion of a liquid from a source of the liquid in fluid communication with at least one scent diffusion device to achieve the target value of the scent parameter, wherein controlling includes setting or adjusting an operation parameter of the at least one scent diffusion device in response to the sensed parameter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a first sensed level of a first airborne substance in a first environment to a central server positioned remotely from the first environment;

providing a second sensed level of a second airborne substance in a second environment to the central server positioned remotely from the second environment, wherein the second environment is remote from the first environment;

adjusting, via a customer control device through the central server and a first wide area network (WAN) device, a first operation parameter of a first scent diffusion device including the first WAN device in the first environment in response to the first sensed level of the first airborne substance in the first environment, wherein adjusting enables the maintenance of a scent profile in the first environment; and

adjusting, via the customer control device through the central server and a second WAN device, a second operation parameter of a second scent diffusion device including the second WAN device in the second environment in response to the second sensed level of the second airborne substance in the second environment, wherein adjusting enables the maintenance of the scent profile in the second environment, thereby generating consistency of the maintained scent profile in the remote first and second environments.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second airborne substances are the same, and wherein the first and second scent profiles are the same.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first sensed level of the first airborne substance includes a first plurality of sensed levels of a plurality of first airborne substances in the first environment; and

the second sensed level of the second airborne substance includes a second plurality of sensed levels of a plurality of second airborne substances in the second environment.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

providing additional sensed levels of additional airborne substances in additional environments to the central server positioned remotely from the additional environments, wherein the additional environments are remote from the first and second environments and from each other; and

adjusting, via the central server and the first and second WAN devices, additional operation parameters of additional scent diffusion devices in the additional environments in response to the additional sensed levels of the additional airborne substances in the additional environments, wherein adjusting enables the maintenance of the scent profile in the additional environments, thereby generating consistency of the maintained scent profile in the first, the second, and the additional environments.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first WAN device, at least in part, the first scent diffusion device, and wherein the second WAN device comprises, at least in part, the second scent diffusion device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second WAN devices each include at least one non-fragrance dispensing WAN device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second environments comprise a wide area, and wherein said adjusting the first operation parameter and said adjusting the second operation parameter enables generating consistency of the maintained scent profile in the wide area.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second environment is geographically remote from the first environment.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first environment is located in a first city and the second environment is located in a second city.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first environment comprises, at least in part, a first building, and wherein the second environment comprises, at least in part, a second building.