Olfactory card

• US 5,887,118 A
• Filed: 02/12/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Russell Lawrence, Cruickshank, Ronald Dale, Huffman, James Robert, Myers, Jeffrey Van, Jambhekar, Shrirang Nikanth
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAIK, SANG YEOP
• Application Number:
  US08/799,739
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 392/386, 392/390, 361/683-686, 361/736, 361/737, 361/738
• US Class Current: 392/390
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 11/042 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3653 by Joule effect, i.e. electric resistance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0273 having extensions for peripherals, e.g. LAN, antennas details of antennas H01Q1/2275

Abstract

An olfactory card (10) comprises a PC card housing (12) and a PC card connector (14) supported by the PC card housing (12). The olfactory card (10) includes a scent-producing member (20) and an electrical component (24) to activate the scent-producing member (20).

Claims

1. An olfactory card comprising:

a PC card housing; and

a first scent-producing member supported by the PC card housing.

2. The olfactory card of claim 1 further comprising a first electrical component to activate the first scent-producing member.

3. The olfactory card of claim 2 wherein the first electrical component activates the first scent-producing member by heating the first scent-producing member.

4. The olfactory card of claim 2 wherein the first electrical component includes at least one of a resistor and a device having a semiconductor junction.

5. The olfactory card of claim 2 further comprising:

a second scent-producing member; and

a second electrical component to activate the second scent-producing member.

6. The olfactory card of claim 5 wherein the first scent-producing member and the second scent-producing member are capable of independent activation.

7. The olfactory card of claim 1 wherein the PC card housing includes a PCMCIA card housing.

8. The olfactory card of claim 1 further comprising a PC card connector supported by the PC card housing.

9. The olfactory card of claim 8 wherein the first scent-producing member is activated in response to a signal received by the PC card connector.

10. The olfactory card of claim 8 further comprising a processor which autonomously activates the first scent-producing member.

11. The olfactory card of claim 8 wherein the PC card connector is supported at a first end of the PC card housing, the PC card housing defining at least one opening at a second end.

12. The olfactory card of claim 11 wherein the at least one opening is for emanating a scent produced by the scent-producing member to an external environment.

13. The olfactory card of claim 1 further comprising a storage medium containing information associated with a scent of the first scent-producing member.

14. The olfactory card of claim 13 wherein the storage medium includes a code indicating when to activate the first scent-producing member.

15. The olfactory card of claim 13 wherein the information includes textual information associated with the scent.

16. The olfactory card of claim 13 wherein the information includes graphical information associated with the scent.

17. The olfactory card of claim 13 wherein the information includes audible information associated with the scent.

18. An olfactory card comprising:

a PC card housing;

a scent-producing member;

an electrical component to activate the scent-producing member;

a PC card connector supported by the PC card housing; and

a storage medium in communication with the PC card connector, the storage medium containing at least one of textual information, graphical information, and audible information associated with a scent of the scent-producing member.

19. An olfactory card comprising:

a PC card housing;

a first scent-producing member and a second scent-producing member supported by the PC card housing;

a first electrical component to activate the first scent-producing member;

a second electrical component to activate the second scent-producing member;

a PC card connector supported by the PC card housing; and

a storage medium in communication with the PC card connector, the storage medium containing first information associated with a first scent of the first scent-producing member and second information associated with a second scent of the second scent-producing member.