Aroma sensory stimulation in multimedia

• US 6,024,783 A
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Budman, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/094,280
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 261/26, 261/107, 261/DIG. 65, 261/DIG. 17, 261/104, 261/30, 96/222, 422/123, 422/124
• US Class Current: 96/222
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/035 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/125 emanating multiple odours
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/08 Systems for the simultaneous or sequential transmission of more than one television signal, e.g. additional information signals, the signals occupying wholly or partially the same frequency band , e.g. by time division H04N7/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/17 Odorizers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/65 Vaporizers

Abstract

An apparatus for the remote or local delivery of stored or real-time aroma sensory information to an end user of a multimedia device. The present invention includes an aroma converter for encoding aroma information into electrical signals, a delivery system for delivering the electrical signals, and a retrieval system for receiving and processing the electrical signals to control the aroma or combination of aromas emitted by one or more aroma release chambers.

Claims

1. An apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation comprising:

an aroma converter for encoding aroma information into electrical signals;

a control device for processing the electrical signals and for generating control signals; and

at least one aroma release chamber, each aroma release chamber configured to selectively generate a predetermined aroma under control of the control device, each aroma release chamber comprising;

a container having an opening;

a door controlled by the control signals for selectively covering the opening in the container;

an aroma element, located within the container, for emitting a predetermined aroma when heated;

a heating system controlled by the control signals for selectively heating the aroma element;

an air filtration system located within the container for filtering air entering the container to remove aromas previously generated by the aroma release chamber from the air entering the container; and

an air displacement system for selectively displacing a stream of air through the container to release the predetermined aroma.

2. The apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation according to claim 1, wherein the door, heating system, and air displacement system of each aroma release chamber are controlled by electrical signals produced by the control device.

3. The apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation according to claim 1, further including:

a system for storing the electrical signals produced by the aroma converter.

4. The apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation according to claim 3, wherein the control device further includes:

a system for retrieving the electrical signals stored by the storing system, and for providing the retrieved electrical signals to the control device.

5. The apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation according to claim 1, further including:

a system for transmitting the electrical signals produced by the aroma converter to the control device, the control device including a system for receiving the transmitted electrical signals.

6. The apparatus for aroma sensory stimulation according to claim 1, wherein the control device is a multimedia device.

7. An aroma producing system comprising:

a delivery system for providing aroma signals;

a retrieval system for receiving and processing the aroma signals and for generating control signals in response to the aroma signals; and

at least one aroma release chamber, each aroma release chamber configured to selectively generate a predetermined aroma under control of the retrieval system, each aroma release chamber comprising;

a container having an opening;

a door controlled by the control signals for selectively covering the opening in the container;

an aroma source located in the container for producing a predetermined aroma;

an air filtration system located within the container for filtering air entering the container to remove aromas previously generated by the aroma release chamber from the air entering the container; and

an air displacement system for selectively displacing a stream of air through the container to release the predetermined aroma.

8. The aroma producing system according to claim 7, wherein the aroma source further includes:

an aroma element for emitting the predetermined aroma when heated; and

a heating system controlled by the control signals for selectively heating the aroma element.

9. The aroma producing system according to claim 7, further comprising:

an aroma converter for encoding aroma information into the aroma signals.

10. The aroma producing system according to claim 7, wherein the delivery system further includes:

a device for storing the aroma signals.

11. The aroma producing system according to claim 10, wherein the retrieval device further includes:

a system for retrieving the aroma signals stored by the storing device.

12. The aroma producing system according to claim 7, wherein the delivery system further includes:

a system for transmitting the aroma signals to the retrieval system.

13. The aroma producing system according to claim 7, wherein the retrieval system is a multimedia device.

14. A multimedia system, comprising:

a system for processing multimedia data including aroma data;

a control system for processing the multimedia data and for generating control signals;

at least one aroma release system for generating a predetermined aroma based on the multimedia data, each aroma release system including;

a container having an opening;

a door controlled by the control signals for selectively covering the opening in the container;

an aroma source located in the container for producing a predetermined aroma;

an air filtration system located within the container for filtering air entering the container to remove aromas previously generated by the aroma release chamber from the air entering the container; and

an air displacement system for selectively displacing a stream of air through the container to release the predetermined aroma.

15. The multimedia system according to claim 14, wherein the aroma source further includes:

an aroma element for emitting the predetermined aroma when heated; and

a heating system controlled by the control signals for selectively heating the aroma element.