AIR FRESHENING NETWORK

• US 20130081541A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Hasenoehrl, Erik John, Gruenbacher, Dana Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/593,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20130081541A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 96/222
• 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 2209/14 Filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/035 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/037 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/12 Apparatus, e.g. holders, therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/125 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/127 comprising a wick
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/14 using sprayed or atomised substances including air-liquid contact processes
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An air freshening network in a home or office environment is more energy efficient and intelligent than conventional devices.

Claims

1. An air freshening system comprising:

(a) a plurality of scent emitters displaced relative to each other in the freshening system, wherein each of the plurality of scent emitters is configured to emit an air freshening composition;

(b) at least one sensor responsive to a stimulus the sensor is capable of sensing;

(c) a communication interface configured to communicate with the plurality of scent emitters; and

(d) wherein each of the plurality of scent emitters comprises an emission processor, wherein the emission processor is;

(i) responsive to the sensor;

(ii) configured to controlling scent emission from the respective scent emitter; and

(iii) configured to make scent emission decisions through distributed processing across the system based on information exchange among the scent emitters through the communication interface.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio-frequency gateway allowing scent emitters of the system to communicate with each other.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is selected from an odor sensor or a motion sensor.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the system comprises a plurality of sensors wherein at least one sensor is a malodor sensor and another sensor is a motion sensor.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one sensor is integral to at least one scent emitter of the system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the scent emitter further comprises an energizable dispenser component configured to dispense an air freshening composition from a refill vial, and wherein the scent emitter is pluggable into a wall socket.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the emission processor comprises using one or more of the following:

a clock to control the timing of scent emission decisions across the network;

a polling algorithm to make scent emission decisions across the network; and

learning reactions to stimuli according to a training set.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising an air filtering device configured to filter air, wherein the air filter device comprises:

(a) an air filtering component configured to move air through an air filter;

(b) the air filter functionally attached to the air filter device;

(c) an air filtering processor, wherein the air filtering processor is configured;

to have the air filtering component control air flow through the air filter; and

to make air filtering decisions based on information received through the distributed processing across the system based on information exchanged among the scent emitters through the communication interface.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the filtering process of the air filter device is further configured to be response to the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor further comprises an air quality sensor.

11. A scent emitter configured to emit an air freshening composition comprising:

(a) an energizable dispenser component configured to dispense an air freshening composition from a refill vial;

(b) a communication interface;

(c) an emission processor, wherein the emission processor is configured;

to control scent emission for the scent emitter; and

to make scent emission decisions based on information received wirelessly.

12. The scent emitter of claim 11, wherein the communication interface is configured to send or receive information by infrared radiation, ultrasound wave, radio-frequency wave, or combinations thereof.

13. The scent emitter of claim 12, further comprising a sensor wherein the sensor is configured to be responsive to a stimulus the sensor is capable of sensing;

and wherein the emission process is response to the sensor.

14. The scent emitter of claim 13, wherein the sensor is selected from an odor sensor, an air quality sensor, a motion sensor, or a combination thereof.

15. The scent emitter of claim 14, wherein the scent emitter is configured to be pluggable into a wall socket.

16. The scent emitter of claim 14, wherein the scent emitter further comprises a radio-frequency gateway.

17. The scent emitter of claim 14, wherein the scent emitter is configured to be pluggable into a wall socket, wherein the scent emitter further comprises a radio-frequency gateway, and wherein the energizable dispenser component is configured to dispense an air freshening composition from a plurality of refill vials.

18. An air filtering device configured to filter air comprising:

(a) an air filtering component configured to move air through an air filter;

(b) optionally having the air filter functionally attached;

(c) a communication interface;

(d) an air filtering processor, wherein the air filtering processor is configured;

to control air flow through the air filter; and

to make air filtering decisions based on information received wirelessly by the communication interface.

19. The air filter device of claim 18, wherein the communication interface is configured to send or receive information by infrared radiation, ultrasound wave, radio-frequency wave, or combinations thereof.

20. The air filtering device claim 19, further comprising a sensor wherein the sensor is configured to be responsive to a stimulus the sensor is capable of sensing;

and wherein the emission process is response to the sensor.