Scent delivery system scheduling
A method for controlling one or more scent delivery units includes maintaining one or more scheduled events, maintaining one or more scheduled anti-events, and generating, based on the one or more scheduled events and the one or more scheduled anti-events, command data to be communicated to the one or more scent delivery units to control their activation and deactivation. Generating the command data includes identifying a conflicting period of time during which control specified by the one or more scheduled events differs from control specified by the one or more scheduled anti-events and also includes generating command data that gives priority to control specified by the one or more scheduled anti-events. Control for the one or more scent delivery units during the conflicting period of time is in accordance with control logic of the one or more scheduled anti-events and not the one or more scheduled events.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
establishing a communication network including a central controller and one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the central controller is configured to control operation of each of the one or more networked scent delivery devices according to a master schedule, wherein the master schedule includes at least one predefined scenting schedule that causes the one or more networked scent delivery devices to activate or deactivate, wherein the activation or deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is caused by a trigger signal that occurs at a beginning of one or more activation periods or one or more deactivation periods;
accessing an interface configured to enable a user to control the one or more networked scent delivery devices;
receiving, at the interface, input corresponding to a schedule override time period, wherein the schedule override time period represents a period of time during which a defined operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is prioritized over existing activation or deactivation periods of the master schedule, and wherein an amount of time of the schedule override time period is defined by the user;
in response to receiving the schedule override time period at the interface, determining whether the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
generating command data that is configured to control operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices when the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
transmitting the command data to the one or more networked scent delivery devices using the communication network, wherein when the command data is received at the one or more networked scent delivery devices, the at least one predefined scenting schedule of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is modified, such that the trigger signal triggering the activation or the deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is ignored, wherein the defined operation is performed instead of any trigger signal generated at any time during the schedule override time period, and wherein the one or more networked scent delivery devices automatically return to the at least one predefined schedule after the schedule override period has passed;
receiving, at the interface, a manual ON or OFF command for a particular networked scent delivery device of the one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is generated in response to the user selecting an ON or OFF command presented on the interface and associated with the particular networked scent delivery device;
determining whether the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period or outside of the schedule override time period;
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period, ignoring the manual ON or OFF command, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is ignored as long as the manual ON or OFF command is received at the interface during the user-defined schedule override time period; and
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received outside of the schedule override time period, prioritizing the manual ON or OFF command over the one or more existing activation periods or the one or more existing deactivation periods.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying an additional networked scent delivery device, wherein the additional networked scent delivery device is included in a group with the networked scent delivery device;
automatically determining that the command data corresponds to the additional networked scent delivery device; and
controlling operation of the additional networked scent delivery device in accordance with the command data.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that disregards an activation period included in the scenting schedule, wherein the activation period indicates a period of time during which the networked scent delivery device delivers a scent, and wherein the activation period occurs during the schedule override time period.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that prevents a change to the scenting schedule during the schedule override time period.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the networked scent delivery device is operated in accordance with the defined operation during the schedule override time period, and wherein the networked scent delivery device resumes operation in accordance with the scenting schedule after the schedule override time period is over.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the command data is configured to control operation of the networked scent delivery device to deliver one or more scents, and wherein the one or more scents are delivered in accordance with the scenting schedule.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the scenting schedule conflicts with the schedule override time period, wherein determining includes determining whether the scenting schedule includes an activation period during the schedule override time period, and wherein the activation period indicates a period of time during which the networked scent delivery device is controlled to deliver one or more scents.
8. A system, comprising:
one or more data processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including:
establishing a communication network including a central controller and one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the central controller is configured to control operation of each of the one or more networked scent delivery devices according to a master schedule, wherein the master schedule includes at least one predefined scenting schedule that causes the one or more networked scent delivery devices to activate or deactivate, wherein the activation or deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is caused by a trigger signal that occurs at a beginning of one or more activation periods or one or more deactivation periods;
accessing an interface configured to enable a user to control the one or more networked scent delivery devices;
receiving, at the interface, input corresponding to a schedule override time period, wherein the schedule override time period represents a period of time during which a defined operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is prioritized over existing activation or deactivation periods of the master schedule, and wherein an amount of time of the schedule override time period is defined by the user;
in response to receiving the schedule override time period at the interface, determining whether the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
generating command data that is configured to control operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices when the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
transmitting the command data to the one or more networked scent delivery devices using the communication network, wherein when the command data is received at the one or more networked scent delivery devices, the at least one predefined scenting schedule of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is modified, such that the trigger signal triggering the activation or the deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is ignored, wherein the defined operation is performed instead of any trigger signal generated at any time during the schedule override time period, and wherein the one or more networked scent delivery devices automatically return to the at least one predefined schedule after the schedule override period has passed;
receiving, at the interface, a manual ON or OFF command for a particular networked scent delivery device of the one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is generated in response to the user selecting an ON or OFF command presented on the interface and associated with the particular networked scent delivery device;
determining whether the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period or outside of the schedule override time period;
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period, ignoring the manual ON or OFF command, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is ignored as long as the manual ON or OFF command is received at the interface during the user-defined schedule override time period; and
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received outside of the schedule override time period, prioritizing the manual ON or OFF command over the one or more existing activation periods or the one or more existing deactivation periods.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying an additional networked scent delivery device, wherein the additional networked scent delivery device is included in a group with the networked scent delivery device;
automatically determining that the command data corresponds to the additional networked scent delivery device; and
controlling operation of the additional networked scent delivery device in accordance with the command data.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that disregards an activation period included in the scenting schedule, wherein the activation period indicates a period of time during which the networked scent delivery device delivers a scent, and wherein the activation period occurs during the schedule override time period.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that prevents a change to the scenting schedule during the override time period.
12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the networked scent delivery device is operated in accordance with the defined operation during the schedule override time period, and wherein the networked scent delivery device resumes operation in accordance with the scenting schedule after the schedule override time period is over.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the command data is configured to control operation of the networked scent delivery device to deliver one or more scents, and wherein the one or more scents are delivered in accordance with the scenting schedule.
14. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining whether the scenting schedule conflicts with the schedule override time period, wherein determining includes determining whether the scenting schedule includes an activation period during the schedule override time period, and wherein the activation period indicates a period of time during which the networked scent delivery device is controlled to deliver one or more scents.
15. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including:
establishing a communication network including a central controller and one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the central controller is configured to control operation of each of the one or more networked scent delivery devices according to a master schedule, wherein the master schedule includes at least one predefined scenting schedule that causes the one or more networked scent delivery devices to activate or deactivate, wherein the activation or deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is caused by a trigger signal that occurs at a beginning of one or more activation periods or one or more deactivation periods;
accessing an interface configured to enable a user to control the one or more networked scent delivery devices;
receiving, at the interface, input corresponding to a schedule override time period, wherein the schedule override time period represents a period of time during which a defined operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is prioritized over existing activation or deactivation periods of the master schedule, and wherein an amount of time of the schedule override time period is defined by the user;
in response to receiving the schedule override time period at the interface, determining whether the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
generating command data that is configured to control operation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices when the schedule override time period overlaps with the one or more activation periods or the one or more deactivation periods;
transmitting the command data to the one or more networked scent delivery devices using the communication network, wherein when the command data is received at the one or more networked scent delivery devices, the at least one predefined scenting schedule of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is modified, such that the trigger signal triggering the activation or the deactivation of the one or more networked scent delivery devices is ignored, wherein the defined operation is performed instead of any trigger signal generated at any time during the schedule override time period, and wherein the one or more networked scent delivery devices automatically return to the at least one predefined schedule after the schedule override period has passed;
receiving, at the interface, a manual ON or OFF command for a particular networked scent delivery device of the one or more networked scent delivery devices, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is generated in response to the user selecting an ON or OFF command presented on the interface and associated with the particular networked scent delivery device;
determining whether the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period or outside of the schedule override time period;
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received within the schedule override time period, ignoring the manual ON or OFF command, wherein the manual ON or OFF command is ignored as long as the manual ON or OFF command is received at the interface during the user-defined schedule override time period; and
in response to determining that the manual ON or OFF command was received outside of the schedule override time period, prioritizing the manual ON or OFF command over the one or more existing activation periods or the one or more existing deactivation periods.
16. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
identifying an additional networked scent delivery device, wherein the additional networked scent delivery device is included in a group with the networked scent delivery device;
automatically determining that the command data corresponds to the additional networked scent delivery device; and
controlling operation of the additional networked scent delivery device in accordance with the command data.
17. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that disregards an activation period included in the scenting schedule, wherein the activation period indicates a period of time during which the networked scent delivery device delivers a scent, and wherein the activation period occurs during the schedule override time period.
18. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein generating the command data includes modifying the command data to include control logic that prevents a change to the scenting schedule during the schedule override time period.
19. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the networked scent delivery device is operated in accordance with the defined during the schedule override time period, and wherein the networked scent delivery device resumes operation in accordance with the scenting schedule after the schedule override time period is over.
20. The computer-program product of claim 15 , wherein the command data is configured to control operation of the networked scent delivery device to deliver one or more scents, and wherein the one or more scents are delivered in accordance with the scenting schedule.