IP Library Granted Patent US 10,814,028
Granted Patent B2
US 10,814,028 · App. 15/667,570 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Method and system of a networked scent diffusion device

Inventors: Todd H. Becker (Ridgefield, CT); Thomas A. Conroy (Newtown, CT); David L. Langton (Marblehead, MA); Christopher H. Patstone (Northampton, MA)
Assignee: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
A61L9/12A61L9/032A61L9/037A61L9/04A61L9/122A61L9/127A61L9/14A61L2209/111A61L2209/133A61L2209/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,814,028
App. No.
15/667,570
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include a method of managing scent in an environment, which includes disposing at least one scent diffusion device within an environment, wherein the at least one scent diffusion device comprises a communications facility that enables transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a remote computer, receiving at least one target value of a scent parameter for the environment at the remote computer, and controlling, via the remote computer, diffusion of a liquid from a source of the liquid in fluid communication with the at least one scent diffusion device to achieve the target value of the scent parameter. Controlling a diffusion rate of the liquid includes altering at least one of a voltage and a duty cycle applied to at least one component of the diffusion device.

Claims (32)

1. A method of managing scent in an environment, comprising:

disposing at least one scent diffusion device within an environment, wherein the at least one scent diffusion device comprises a communications facility that enables transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a remote computer;

receiving at least one target value of a scent parameter for the environment at the remote computer; and

controlling, via the remote computer, a diffusion rate of a liquid from a source of the liquid in fluid communication with the at least one scent diffusion device to achieve the target value of the scent parameter,

wherein the at least one scent diffusion device further includes a pump configured to draw liquid from the source to enable diffusion,

wherein controlling the diffusion rate of the liquid includes external control of power going to the pump by altering a voltage applied across the pump of the at least one scent diffusion device, controlling the voltage driving the pump enabling remote control of the diffusion rate of the at least one scent diffusion device, independent of the voltage range and independent of duty cycle, and

wherein the at least one scent diffusion device further includes a scent tridge to achieve the scent parameter, the scent cartridge including a hydrogen fuel cell-mediated fluid delivery head assembly.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, applying a scent level instruction to an operational parameter of the at least one component of the at least one scent diffusion device to control diffusion of the liquid.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operational parameter is the duty cycle.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the component is a fan and the operational parameter is a fan speed.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the component is a nozzle and the operational parameter is a nozzle pressure.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the component is a compressor and the operational parameter is a compressor power.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein a scent level bias is scaled by a known amount in accordance with an aspect of at least one of the at least one scent diffusion device, the scent being diffused, and the target value of the scent parameter.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at a given duty cycle, diffusion is one of attenuated or augmented by altering the voltage for the pump of the at least one scent diffusion device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein for multiple diffusion devices deployed in an environment where all of the diffusion devices are set with the same duty cycle, the voltage driving the diffusion devices may be lowered in smaller spaces or raised in larger spaces.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage is increased by an amount required to offset a vacuum force generated at the source as liquid empties.

11. A method managing scent in an environment, comprising:

disposing at least one scent diffusiondevice within the environment, wherein the at least one scent diffusion device comprises a communications facility that enables transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a remote computer;

receiving at least one target value of a scent parameter for the environment at the remote computer; and

controlling, via the remote computer, a diffusion rate of a liquid from a source of the liquid in fluid communication with the at least one scent diffusion device to achieve the target value of the scent parameter,

wherein the at least one scent diffusion device further includes a pump configured to draw liquid from the source to enable diffusion,

wherein controlling the diffusion rate of the liquid includes modifying a performance of the pump of the at least one scent diffusion device through at least one of pulse width modulation (PWM) and pulse amplitude modulation (PAM),

wherein controlling the diffusion rate of the liquid includes external control of power going to the pump by altering a voltage applied across the pump of the at least one scent diffusion device, controlling the voltage driving the pump enabling remote control of the diffusion rate of the at least one scent diffusion device, independent of the voltage range and independent of duty cycle, and

wherein the at least one scent diffusion device further includes a scent cartridge to achieve the scent parameter, the scent cartridge including a hydrogen fuel cell-mediated fluid delivery head assembly.

12. A method of managing scent in an environment, comprising:

disposing a plurality of scent diffusion devices within the environment, wherein the diffusion devices comprise a communications facility that enables transmitting signals to and receiving signals from a local area network control device;

networking the local area network control device to each of the plurality of scent diffusion devices, wherein the local area network control device receives communications from and distributes control instructions to the plurality of scent diffusion devices;

disposing at least one sensor within the environment that transmits sensor data to the local area network control device;

receiving at least one scent parameter for scenting an environment at the local area network control device; and

controlling, via the local area network control device, the diffusion of a liquid, from a scent cartridge of the scent diffusion device to achieve the scent parameter, wherein the scent cartridge includes a hydrogen fuel cell-mediated fluid delivery head assembly, and

wherein controlling includes setting or adjusting an operation parameter of one or more of the scent diffusion devices in response to the sensor data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the hydrogen fuel cell-mediated fluid delivery head assembly comprises a wicking material disposed adjacent to the reservoir, and wherein the wicking material is wetted when hydrogen fuel cell is activated.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2025
From: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
To: MASSACHUSETTS DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AGENCY
Reel/Frame 073102/0261 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2020
From: LANGTON, DAVID L.
To: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 052361/0883 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2020
From: BECKER, TODD H.
To: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 052361/0895 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2020
From: CONROY, THOMAS A.
To: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 052361/0923 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2020
From: PATSTONE, CHRISTOPHER H.
To: SCENTBRIDGE HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051605/0792 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62370610 · Aug 3, 2016
Related Publication 20180036448A1 · Feb 8, 2018
Cited By (5)
US 12,339,265 US 12,427,221 US 12,458,991 US 12,629,443 US 12,667,638