System for detecting the fill status of a diffuser vial

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (1, 100) for detecting the filling state of a vial (22, 220) of a diffuser (2, 200), the vial containing a product intended to be diffused, the system comprising an acquisition unit (3, 300) provided with an optical sensor (4, 400b) intended to be placed opposite the vial in order to acquire at least one light beam that has passed through the vial, a processing unit (5, 450) designed to detect from the light beam whether the filling level (n) of the vial is lower than a predetermined threshold, and a communication unit (6, 460) designed to send a notification (N) regarding the filling level to a remote electronic device (8, 800) in response to said detection.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of diffusers for volatile products. More precisely, the invention relates to a system for detecting the filling state of a diffuser vial.

[0002] The diffuser allows for the diffusion of volatile products into the air within a substantially enclosed space, for example to diffuse insecticides, room fresheners, essential oils for aromatherapy, or indeed compositions for the prevention of medical or behavioral stress problems in pets such as dogs or cats.

[0003] Typically, the product to be diffused is contained in a vial that can be placed into a diffusion member that is provided with a male electrical plug, for example, in the case of an electric diffuser. Thus, the user plugs the diffuser into a female electrical wall socket, and the diffusion member then diffuses the product contained in the vial. As the product diffuses, the vial empties, at which point the empty vial must be replaced with a new refill.

[0004] It has been found that users of diffusers do not have easy access to the fill status of the vials, which can only be seen visually, and furthermore, the fill status must be checked periodically to allow replacement of an empty vial or to actually order a new vial before the one in use becomes empty.

[0005] These limitations therefore lead to insufficient user confirmation of continued use of the diffuser. For example, in the field of pet stress prevention, it has been found that users use an average of only two vials per year, while the duration of complete diffusion of the product contained in the vial is only one month. However, the expected benefits of product diffusion, particularly in the case of aromatherapy or pet stress prevention, generally only appear after a long period of continuous diffusion. Therefore, the insufficient confirmation caused by these limitations makes it difficult to obtain these benefits.

[0006] To inform the user to change the vial, it is envisioned that a notification would be sent to the user at the end of a predetermined period corresponding to the theoretical duration of complete diffusion. However, this solution is unsatisfactory insofar as the duration of complete diffusion varies depending on the type of product, the type of technology, and / or the type of wick used by the diffuser, as well as the atmospheric conditions of the room in which the diffuser is installed.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for a system that allows a diffuser user to replace a diffuser vial when empty and to order a refill before the vial is empty to allow for continued use of the diffuser. The present invention is situated in this context and aims to address this need.

[0008] For these purposes, the subject of the present invention is a system for detecting the filling state of a vial of a diffuser, the vial containing a product intended to be diffused, the system comprising: an acquisition unit provided with an optical sensor intended to be placed opposite the vial in order to acquire at least one light beam that has passed through the vial; a processing unit designed to detect from the light beam whether the filling level of the vial is lower than a predetermined threshold; and a communication unit designed to send a notification regarding the filling level to a remote electronic device in response to said detection.

[0009] The optical sensor can, for example, acquire an image of the vial, the image being generated by a natural or ambient light beam passing through the vial, or even by a dedicated light source, or the optical sensor can acquire a directional light beam passing through the vial. The acquisition unit can, for example, be intended to be attached to a diffuser so as to be positioned to acquire the light beam passing through the vial. In a variant, the acquisition unit can be integrated into the diffuser and positioned on the diffuser to acquire the light beam passing through the vial. It is therefore understood that the optical sensor is positioned on the acquisition unit to acquire the light beam passing through the vial in a region of a position corresponding to the vial's location. The use of an optical sensor is particularly advantageous insofar as obtaining information about the amount of remaining product at the end of the vial's use by other types of sensors, for example, by weighing, is complicated. The optical sensor is therefore positioned to periodically acquire the light beam passing through the vial, for example, once a day. In this way, the processing unit can periodically detect the filling state of the vial relative to a predefined threshold value, and the communication unit can send a notification on the user's smartphone or digital tablet indicating to them the filling state of the vial relative to said threshold value, or indeed the filling level itself, and therefore, in other words, the amount of product remaining in the vial, for example expressed as a percentage, or warning them of the need to replace the vial as soon as possible or after a duration that can be reliably defined.

[0010] According to the present invention, the diffuser may be an electric diffuser. For example, the diffuser may comprise a male electrical plug intended to cooperate with a female electrical wall socket, a diffusion member, and a vial removably attached to the diffusion member, the vial containing the product intended to be diffused. In a variant, the diffuser may include a base intended to be placed on a flat surface and / or may comprise an electrical energy source such as a rechargeable battery or a battery. The vial may in particular comprise a body having a base wall and a wick placed in the vial by piercing the product to cause the product to rise towards the diffusion member of the diffuser by capillary action. The diffusion member may be arranged to diffuse the product contained in the vial, for example, by ultrasound or by evaporation, when supplied with electricity. It may comprise, for example, a heating resistor or a piezoelectric plate. In another variant, the diffusion member may be arranged to diffuse the product contained in the vial, for example, by spraying (or micro-diffusion) or by ventilation, when supplied with electricity. Where applicable, the diffusion element may include a compressor and spray head or extractor fan, as well as a pad intended to be soaked in the product.

[0011] According to another embodiment, the diffuser may be a portable diffuser that operates without electricity.

[0012] In a non-limiting manner, the product may be an insecticide or repellent, a disinfectant, an antiseptic, a mold inhibitor, a fragrance, an essential oil, an odor eliminator, an air freshener, a composition containing a pheromone (e.g., for cats), or a product having a comparable composition, or a combination of two or more of the above products.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optical sensor is an infrared light sensor, and the acquisition unit comprises an infrared light emitter arranged facing the infrared light sensor, facing the vial, and intended to emit at least one infrared light beam through the vial towards the optical sensor. For example, the infrared light emitter may be an infrared emitting diode, and the optical sensor may be a phototransistor. If applicable, the processing unit is arranged to determine that the fill level of the vial is below the predetermined threshold when the optical sensor receives the infrared light beam. Detection can be performed, for example, by the processing unit observing that the amount of light of the light beam received by the optical sensor exceeds a given threshold. If the liquid level extends above the normal optical path of the light beam emitted by the emitter, it will be known that the beam will be refracted by the liquid as it passes through the vial, and the light sensor will not receive the beam. It is therefore possible to detect that the liquid level is above the position associated with the sensor, and thus determine the detection threshold of the processing unit. Conversely, if the liquid level drops below the normal optical path of the light beam, the light beam is therefore substantially undeflected and is received by the optical sensor, and it is therefore possible to detect that the liquid level is below the position associated with the sensor.

[0014] Advantageously, the infrared light emitter and the infrared light sensor are intended to be positioned opposite the side wall of the vial and adjacent the bottom wall of the vial, in other words the detection threshold of the processing unit corresponds to an almost empty vial and the notification emitted by the communication unit can therefore indicate the empty or non-empty state of the vial and can be associated with an instruction to fill the vial, if applicable.

[0015] More advantageously, the acquisition unit comprises two infrared light sensors intended to be arranged opposite the vial at two different locations, in particular at the same height, and two infrared light emitters, each intended to be arranged opposite the vial facing one of the infrared light sensors and to be arranged to emit at least one infrared light beam through the vial towards the optical sensor. For example, the sensor-emitter pair may be intended to be arranged on either side of the diameter of the vial. These features in particular make it possible to detect the filling state of the vial regardless of the inclination of the vial.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the optical sensor may comprise a number of emitters, each capable of emitting a light beam, in particular infrared light, intended to pass through the vial at a given point, and a number of sensors, each arranged to receive the light beam emitted by one of the associated emitters. For example, each emitter and each associated sensor may be arranged opposite each other on either side of the recess, with different emitter-sensor pairs being arranged at different levels relative to each other. Each sensor-emitter pair thus defines a threshold value, and the processing unit can determine whether the liquid level is below or above said threshold value. This is a method for estimating the fill level of the vial.

[0017] The acquisition unit preferably comprises a control module arranged to periodically cause the emitter to emit said infrared light beam.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the optical sensor is arranged to acquire an image of the vial and the processing unit is arranged to determine the fill level of the vial from said image.

[0019] For example, the optical sensor may be a camera.

[0020] The acquisition unit advantageously comprises a light source capable of illuminating the vial when the acquisition unit is attached to the diffuser.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit is arranged to select a fill level of the vial from a set of predetermined fill levels from the image acquired by the optical sensor. For example, the predetermined fill level may be a range between an "empty" level and a "full" level. If necessary, the processing unit is arranged to perform pre-processing operations on the image acquired by the optical sensor, in particular resizing, sub-sampling, and / or conversion to black and white operations. Preferably, the processing unit may be arranged to determine a state of the vial, for example a "mispositioned" state or the presence or absence of a vial, from the image acquired by the optical sensor.

[0022] Advantageously, the processing unit is arranged to implement a classifier capable of classifying the images acquired by the optical sensor from a knowledge base comprising a plurality of classes, each of which comprises one of said set of filling levels represented by the tags, the classifier having been trained by a machine learning algorithm.

[0023] A classifier is a computer program whose role is to determine, depending on the information it has learned, the class to which a new object provided as input belongs. Class membership is determined by applying previously learned decision rules (also called a knowledge base) based on the training data.

[0024] The machine learning phase consists of dividing (or separating) the representation space by boundaries and assigning class tags to the regions thus formed. Therefore, the development of the knowledge base, i.e., the machine learning of the classifier, consists of searching for the decision boundary. The region in which a feature vector is located determines its class membership. For example, a machine learning algorithm can consist of providing a set of images of vials with different filling states in advance, training the classifier to assign to each image a tag representing one of the filling levels, and then indicating the actual filling level of the images so that the classifier itself defines the optimal decision boundary for this set of images.

[0025] By way of non-limiting example, the classifier may be one or more or a combination of the following classifiers: neural networks, decision trees, vector / machine support, data division or grouping algorithms. Nevertheless, in a non-limiting manner, the classifier may be trained by reinforcement or transfer using supervised, unsupervised, or semi-supervised machine learning algorithms.

[0026] In a variant, the processing unit may be arranged to determine a fill level value of the vial from the images acquired by the optical sensor. Where applicable, the processing unit may be arranged to implement an image processing algorithm or a regressor that is able to predict the fill level value from the images acquired by the optical sensor based on a fill level model previously established by a machine learning algorithm.

[0027] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the acquisition unit comprises a housing defining a recess intended to at least partially accommodate a vial, and a fixing member for fixing the housing to the diffuser. For example, the fixing member may be a fixing member for fixing the housing to the vial, or alternatively a fixing member for fixing the housing to another part of the diffuser, in particular a male electrical plug or a diffusing member. If applicable, the optical sensor may be arranged in the housing so as to face the side wall of the vial when the vial is accommodated in the recess.

[0028] For example, the housing may be provided with an opening through which the vial can be inserted into the recess, and the edge of the opening may be elastically deformable so that the vial can be inserted into the recess by deforming the edge, and the edge then resists the removal of the vial from the recess. Thus, the acquisition unit forms an independent module attached to the diffuser without the need to change the vial. Preferably, the recess is intended to accommodate the lower part of the vial, which faces the upper part attached to the diffusing member of the diffuser. If necessary, the housing may be, for example, ring-shaped, so that the vial is inserted between the ring and the diffusing member.

[0029] In a variant, the edge of the opening is provided with one or more elastically deformable tabs forming a fixing member, in other words allowing the vial to be inserted into the recess and resisting removal of the vial from said recess.

[0030] Advantageously, the housing comprises a peripheral wall laterally delimiting the recess, said peripheral wall comprising a lateral gap, the optical sensor being arranged opposite said gap.

[0031] For example, a recess in the housing intended to accommodate a vial is defined by a side wall whose edge defines the opening, and a base wall facing the opening and closure of the recess. The housing of the acquisition unit may comprise a compartment formed adjacent to the base wall, or in a variant formed by a peripheral wall, and in which an electronic circuit board with an optical sensor mounted on the board is arranged.

[0032] If desired, the housing may include a cavity extending from the gap, and the optical sensor may be disposed in the cavity. If applicable, the optical sensor is mounted on an electronic circuit board, particularly a flexible printed circuit board, by a connector so as to enter the cavity. If desired, the cavity may be shaped to widen from the optical sensor toward the lateral gap.

[0033] For example, a light source capable of illuminating the vial may be positioned to emit light toward the base wall of the vial when the vial is placed in the recess. For example, the vial may be intended to be inserted into the recess with its base wall facing the base wall of the recess, the base wall of the recess being pierced by an orifice, and the light source being mounted on a printed circuit board adjacent to the orifice. If desired, the light source may be a light emitting diode.

[0034] Advantageously, the detection system may comprise a source of electrical energy, in particular a rechargeable battery, an accumulator or cell, or even a photovoltaic cell, said source of electrical energy being arranged, if applicable, in a compartment of the housing of the acquisition unit.

[0035] In another embodiment of the invention, the acquisition unit may be integrated into the diffuser, for example, the diffuser may comprise a housing defining a recess intended to at least partially accommodate a vial, the optical sensor of the acquisition unit being arranged within said housing.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit and the communication unit are integrated into the acquisition unit, for example by being arranged within the housing, in particular on an electronic circuit board arranged in a compartment of the housing.

[0037] If applicable, the acquisition unit may comprise a wireless transmission module arranged to transmit said notification to the remote electronic device. According to an embodiment, the wireless transmission module is a module capable of transmitting data according to a wireless communication protocol, in particular a Wi-Fi protocol, or preferably a protocol of the Bluetooth type, or indeed a protocol of the Bluetooth Low Energy type. Preferably, the acquisition unit may include a control module of the wireless transmission module, the control module being arranged to trigger the transmission of said notification to the remote electronic device during the detection performed by the processing unit.

[0038] In alternative embodiments of the invention, the processing unit is remote from the acquisition unit, for example the processing unit forms part of a data processing server. Where applicable, the acquisition unit may include a control module for the wireless transmission module, the control module being arranged to trigger the transmission of images by the transmission module to the processing unit during acquisition of images by the optical sensor.

[0039] Advantageously, the acquisition unit may comprise at least one sensor arranged to acquire at least one item of information relating to the surroundings of the diffuser, such as an ambient temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, etc. Thus, data relating to the air quality of the room in which the diffuser is installed can be collected.

[0040] Advantageously, the acquisition unit comprises a magnetic field sensor capable of detecting the magnetic field emitted by a tag, in particular a magnetic tag, attached to the vial. If applicable, the magnetic field sensor can be arranged under the recess intended to accommodate the vial, for example by being mounted on an electronic circuit board. It is therefore understood that the magnetic field sensor makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a vial in the recess. In a non-limiting manner, the magnetic field sensor may be a Hall effect sensor. If desired, the magnetic field sensor may be a sensor of the NFC or RFID type, capable of obtaining the identification information of a radio frequency tag, or an RFID or NFC tag.

[0041] Advantageously, the control module may be arranged to deactivate the wireless transmission module in the absence of detection of a magnetic field by the magnetic field sensor. The wireless transmission module is particularly energy consuming, ensuring transmission of images acquired by the optical sensor only when necessary. Alternatively or additionally, the control module may be arranged to deactivate the wireless transmission module in the absence of reception of an item of information identifying a given type of vial.

[0042] Preferably, the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to the remote electronic device only upon detection by the processing unit of a fill level of the vial below the predetermined threshold. In a variant, the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to the remote electronic device periodically, said notification containing the result of the comparison by the processing unit of the fill level of the vial below the predetermined threshold.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present invention, the communication unit may be arranged to send a fill notification to the remote electronic device depending on the determined fill level and in particular containing the determined fill level. Advantageously, the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to the remote electronic device indicating the need to replace the vial, for example when the determined fill level falls below a predetermined threshold, for example when the determined fill level corresponds to an "empty" level. Even more advantageously, the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to the remote electronic device anticipating an imminent replacement of the vial, for example when the determined fill level falls below a second predetermined threshold higher than the first threshold, for example when the determined fill level corresponds to an intermediate level between an "empty" level and a full level. If desired, the processing unit may be arranged to predict the end of the useful life of a vial installed in a diffuser, for example according to a previously determined fill state of the vial, and the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to the remote electronic device containing the predicted duration.

[0044] Preferably, the communication unit may be arranged to send a notification to said remote electronic device containing the charge level of the electrical energy source of the acquisition unit and, optionally, information originating from other sensors of the acquisition unit.

[0045] The invention also relates to an acquisition unit of a system for detecting the filling state of a diffuser vial according to the invention.

[0046] The present invention also relates to an assembly consisting of a product diffuser, the diffuser comprising a vial containing the product and an acquisition unit according to the invention. Where applicable, the acquisition unit can be mounted on the diffuser, in particular on the vial. In a variant, the acquisition unit can be integrated into the diffuser.

[0047] The present invention also relates to a detection system for diffuser vials, the vials containing a product intended to be diffused, the system comprising an acquisition unit with a housing defining at least a recess intended to accommodate the vial, the acquisition unit comprising a magnetic field sensor capable of detecting the magnetic field emitted by a tag, in particular a magnetic tag, affixed to the vial when the vial is accommodated in the recess. If applicable, the housing may comprise a fixing member for fixing the housing to the diffuser.

[0048] Advantageously, the acquisition unit is provided with an optical sensor arranged to acquire an image of the vial, and the detection system comprises a processing unit arranged to determine the fill level of the vial from said image, and a communication unit arranged to send a fill notification to a remote electronic device depending on the determined fill level.

[0049] The invention will now be described with reference to embodiments, which are given by way of example only and do not limit the scope of the invention, based on the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0050] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial schematic diagram of a system for detecting the fill status of a diffuser vial according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded schematic view of the diffuser and acquisition unit of the system of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 3 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a capture unit attached to the diffuser of FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 10 is a partial schematic diagram of a system for detecting the fill state of a diffuser vial according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partially exploded schematic view of the diffuser and acquisition unit of the system of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial schematic perspective view of the acquisition unit of FIG. 5.

[0051] In the following description, elements that are identical in terms of structure or function are provided with the same reference numerals in different drawings unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the terms "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "lower," and "above" should be interpreted relative to the orientation of the acquisition unit that corresponds to normal use of the detection system, such as when the acquisition unit is attached to an electric diffuser plugged into a female electric wall socket, as the acquisition unit is shown.

[0052] FIG. 1 shows a system 1 for detecting the filling state of a vial of a diffuser 2, the vial containing a quantity of product intended to be diffused, according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0053] In a non-limiting example, the vial contains a pheromone-based composition containing at least one carrier solvent and, preferably, a mixture of fatty acids and / or derivatives, such as the product sold by Ceva Sante Animal under the trademark Feliway®. The composition is pheromone-based and can be administered to non-human mammals, particularly cats, by diffusion in the ambient air for the treatment of stress- or anxiety-related symptoms in the non-human mammal.

[0054] The system 1 comprises a capture unit 3 intended to be attached to a diffuser 2. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the diffuser 2 and the capture unit 3, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the diffuser 2 with the capture unit 3 attached.

[0055] In the described, non-limiting embodiment, the diffuser 2 is an electrical diffuser comprising a male electrical plug 21 intended to cooperate with a female electrical wall socket, a diffusing member 23, and a vial 22 removably attached to the diffusing member, said vial containing the product intended to be diffused.

[0056] The vial 22 comprises a body 24 having a base wall 25 and a wick 26 disposed in the vial by piercing the product to cause the product to rise by capillary action towards the diffusion member 23 of the diffuser 2. The diffusion member 23 comprises a heating resistor (not shown) arranged to heat when powered and thus diffuse, by evaporation, the product contained in the vial.

[0057] The acquisition unit 3 comprises a housing 31 defining a recess L intended to accommodate a vial 22. Said recess L is defined by a substantially cylindrical side wall 32 of the housing 31 that is open at the top and closed at the bottom by a base wall 33. The upper edge of the side wall 32 therefore defines an opening O through which the vial 22 can be inserted into the recess L. During normal insertion of the vial 22 into the recess L, the body 24 of the vial is surrounded by the side wall 32, and the base wall 25 of the vial faces the base wall 33 of the recess L.

[0058] The edge of the side wall 32 is provided with a plurality of elastically deformable tabs 34 distributed over the periphery of said side wall and which together form fixing members for fixing the acquisition unit 3 on the diffuser 2. In other words, the tabs 33 allow the vial 22 to be inserted into the recess L. However, once the vial 22 is inserted, the tabs 33 resist this removal such that a force must be applied to the vial 22 to allow this removal from the recess.

[0059] The housing 31 is disposed below the base wall 33 of the recess L and includes a compartment 35 in which is disposed an electronic circuit board 41 and a battery 42 electrically connected to the circuit board 41. A removable cover 36 closes the compartment 34.

[0060] The electronic circuit board 41 carries an optical sensor 4, i.e., in the embodiment described, a camera 4. The camera 4 is arranged in the cavity 37 of the housing and is connected to the electronic circuit board 41 by a connector 43, i.e., in the embodiment described, a flexible printed circuit board.

[0061] The cavity 37 extends adjacent to the side wall 32 and widens towards a lateral gap 38 formed in said side wall 32. Thus, in this position, the camera 4 can acquire an image of the diffuser 2 in an area at a position corresponding to the position of the vial 22.

[0062] The electronic circuit board 41 also carries a light source 44, i.e., in the embodiment described, a light emitting diode 44. The base wall 33 is pierced by an orifice 37, and the light emitting diode 44 is mounted on the circuit board 41 below said orifice 37. In this way, the light emitting diode 44 can illuminate the vial 22 from below, through the base wall 25, to facilitate the acquisition of good quality images by the camera 4.

[0063] The electronic circuit board 41 also comprises a control module 45, which integrates a wireless transmission module 46. In the embodiment described, the wireless transmission module 46 is a module capable of transmitting data according to a wireless communication protocol, in particular the Wi-Fi protocol. The control module 45 controls the various elements of the acquisition unit 3, in particular the camera 4 and the wireless transmission module. More precisely, the control module 45 is arranged to trigger image acquisition by the camera 4 periodically, for example once a day.

[0064] The electronic circuit board 41 also comprises a number of sensors capable of obtaining information about the surroundings of the diffuser 2, including in particular an ambient temperature sensor and a Hall effect sensor. In the embodiment described, the various sensors are integrated into the control module 45.

[0065] The vial 22 may be provided with a magnetic tag, for example affixed to the outer surface of its base wall 25. A Hall effect sensor is integrated into the control module 45 and is therefore placed under the recess L and is able to detect the magnetic field emitted by said tag. It will be appreciated that said Hall effect sensor therefore makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a vial in the recess L. In the absence of detection of a vial in the recess L by the Hall effect sensor, the control module 45 can then deactivate the wireless transmission module 46 in order to minimize the energy consumption of the acquisition unit 3.

[0066] Now, with further reference to FIG. 1, the system 1 will be further described.

[0067] The system 1 comprises a processing unit 5 and a communication unit 6. In the embodiment described, the processing unit 5 and the communication unit 6 are integrated in a data processing server 7, which is remote from the acquisition unit 3.

[0068] During use by a user of the diffuser 2 to which the acquisition unit 3 is attached, each image I acquired by the camera 4 is transmitted to the server 7 by the wireless transmission module 46 .

[0069] The image Im is sent to a processing unit 5 where it undergoes several pre-processing operations, in particular resizing, sub-sampling and / or conversion to black and white, which may simplify the processing of the image Im.

[0070] The processing unit 5 extracts from the image I a set of predetermined filling levels {n1,...,n m}. In the embodiment described, the assembly includes seven filling levels n1 to n6 ranging between an "empty" level n1 and a "full" level n6. It should be noted that the processing unit 5 can also determine from the image I whether the vial 22 of the diffuser 2 is incorrectly positioned or whether the diffuser 22 is in fact not equipped with a vial.

[0071] For these purposes, the processing unit 5 implements a classifier capable of classifying an image I from a knowledge base containing multiple classes, each of which includes one of the filling levels n1 to n6 of the set and a state of "mispositioned" or "absent", each class represented by a tag.

[0072] In the described embodiment, the classifier is a neural network previously trained by a machine learning algorithm in supervised mode. For example, the initial values of the network's hyperparameters, in particular the synaptic weights and bias values of the various neurons of the network, are randomly established. A set of images of vials with various previously known filling states is then provided to the classifier, which is trained to assign a tag representing one of the filling levels to each image. The actual filling level corresponding to each image is then provided to the classifier so that the loading and bias values can be adjusted. In this way, the classifier itself defines an optimal decision rule for the set of images, allowing it to assign class tags to these images.

[0073] Thus, at the end of the operations performed by the processing unit 5, the determined filling level n of the vial is provided to the communication unit 6.

[0074] It is worth noting that during acquisition of the acquisition unit 3 by the user, said unit is coupled to the user's smartphone 8, which is equipped with a software application for monitoring the filling status of the vial 22 within the area of the server 7.

[0075] Upon receiving level n, the communication unit 6 then sends a notification N containing said level n to the smartphone 8. The software application can then indicate to the user the amount of product remaining in the vial 22.

[0076] In the described embodiment, depending on the value of level n, notification N may contain a warning intended to be sent to the user via a software application. Thus, if the level n selected by processing unit 5 is equal to or lower than a given intermediate level, e.g., level n2, notification N may include a request to the user asking the user to schedule a replacement of vial 22 and providing the user with a commercial link that allows the user to obtain a refill. If the level n selected by processing unit 5 is level n1, i.e., the "empty" level, notification N may include a request to the user asking the user to replace vial 22 as soon as possible.

[0077] FIG. 4 shows a system 100 for detecting the filling state of a vial of a diffuser 200, the vial containing a quantity of product intended to be diffused, according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0078] The system 100 comprises a capture unit 300 intended to be attached to the diffuser 200. Figure 5 is an exploded view of the diffuser 200 and the capture unit 300, and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the capture unit 300.

[0079] Similar to the embodiment of Figures 1-3, diffuser 200 is an electrical diffuser comprising a male electrical plug 210 intended to cooperate with a female electrical wall socket, a diffusing member 230, and a vial 220 removably attached to the diffusing member, said vial containing a product intended to be diffused.

[0080] The vial 220 comprises a body 240 having a base wall 250 and a wick 260 disposed in the vial by piercing the product to cause the product to rise by capillary action towards the diffusion member 230 of the diffuser 200. The diffusion member 230 comprises a heating resistor (not shown) arranged to heat when powered and thus diffuse, by evaporation, the product contained in the vial.

[0081] The acquisition unit 300 comprises a housing 310 defining a recess L intended to accommodate the vial 220. The recess L is defined by a side wall 320 forming a ring and attached to a base wall 330. The upper edge of the side wall 320 therefore defines an opening O through which the lower part of the vial 220 can be inserted into the recess L. During normal insertion of the vial 220 into the recess L, the body 240 of the vial is surrounded by the side wall 320 and the base wall 250 of the vial faces the base wall 330 of the recess L.

[0082] The edges of the side walls 320 are elastically deformable and thus form fixing members for fixing the acquisition unit 300 onto the vial 220. In other words, the edges deform to allow the vial 220 to be inserted into the recess L. However, once the vial 220 is inserted, the edges resist this removal such that a force must be applied to the vial 220 to allow this removal from the recess.

[0083] The acquisition unit 300 therefore forms an element that is independent of the vial 220 and that can be attached and detached as needed, in particular for replacing or filling the vial 220 .

[0084] The side wall 320 forms a hollow ring that therefore extends all the way around the recess L and defines a compartment 350 in which is located an electronic circuit board 410 and a battery 420 electrically connected to the circuit board 410.

[0085] The electronic circuit board 410 comprises two optical sensors 400a, i.e., in the embodiment described, two phototransistors 400a sensitive to infrared light, and two infrared light emitters 400b, in the embodiment described, consisting of two light-emitting diodes. Each sensor 400a and each emitter 400b is therefore arranged in the compartment 350 opposite an orifice 401 provided for this purpose in the surface of the side wall 320 flanking the recess L.

[0086] More precisely, each of the optical sensors 400a is therefore arranged opposite one of the emitters 400b. Each sensor 400a, together with the emitter 400b facing it, therefore forms a sensor-emitter pair arranged on either side of the recess L, with the associated orifices 401 corresponding and therefore located between the sensor and the emitter when the vial 220 is placed in the recess L. In other words, each emitter 400b is arranged to emit an infrared light beam (indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 6 ) through the recess L, and the vial 220 is therefore arranged towards the associated optical sensor 400a.

[0087] It will be noted that due to the shape of the housing 310 and the shape of the side wall 320, the sensor-emitter pairs are positioned at the same height relative to the base wall 330 of the housing, such that they are intended to be directly above the base wall 250 of the vial 220. Furthermore, these sensor-emitter pairs are located on either side of the diameter of the recess L.

[0088] The electronic circuit board 410 also has a light source 440, i.e., a light emitting diode 440, which in the illustrated embodiment is disposed within the compartment 350 and directed towards the outside of the housing 310. The side wall 320 is pierced by an orifice through which the light emitting diode 440 can emit light.

[0089] The electronic circuit board 410 also comprises a control module 450 integrating a microcontroller, and a wireless transmission module 460. In the embodiment described, the wireless transmission module 460 is a module capable of transmitting data directly to a smartphone or tablet 800 according to a wireless communication protocol of the Bluetooth Low Energy type.

[0090] The electronic circuit board 410 also includes a number of sensors capable of obtaining information about the surroundings of the diffuser 2, including, in particular, an ambient temperature sensor, a Hall effect sensor, and an NFC tag reader. In the described embodiment, the various sensors are integrated into the control module 450.

[0091] The control module 450 controls various elements of the acquisition unit 300, in particular, controls the emitter 400b, processes data generated by the sensor 400a, controls the light source 440, and can control the activation, deactivation, and transmission of data by the wireless transmission module 460.

[0092] 1 to 3, a Hall effect sensor makes it possible to detect the magnetic field emitted by the tag. It will be appreciated that the Hall effect sensor therefore makes it possible to detect the presence or absence of a vial in the recess L. In the absence of detection of a vial in the recess L by the Hall effect sensor, the control module 450 can then deactivate the wireless transmission module 460 in order to minimize the energy consumption of the acquisition unit 3.

[0093] The NFC tag reader allows the vial 220, if it contains such an NFC tag, to obtain its identity and thus authenticate the vial 220 so that the control module 450 can allow or prohibit access to one or more functions of the system 100, including the diffusion function.

[0094] With further reference to FIG. 4, the operation of system 100 will now be described.

[0095] Control module 450 is arranged to cause the emission of an infrared beam by each of emitters 400b periodically, for example every four hours.

[0096] It will be noted that if the vial 220 contains sufficient liquid, the liquid level will extend above the normal optical path of the light beam emitted by one and / or the other of the emitters 400b toward the sensor 400a. One and / or the other of these beams will then be refracted by the liquid as they pass through the vial and will not reach the associated optical sensor 400a. Conversely, if the liquid level drops below the normal optical path of one or the other of these light beams, the light beam will therefore not be substantially deflected and the associated optical sensor 400a will receive it. In other words, the current flow between the emitter and collector of each phototransistor 400a depends on the liquid level in the vial relative to the position of the phototransistor. Therefore, the control module 450 can determine whether the liquid level is above or below the position of these sensors by comparing the current flow of the sensors 400a with a given threshold. More precisely, if the current flow of one of the sensors 400a is above a given threshold, the control module 450 can then conclude that the vial 220 is substantially empty. Conversely, if the current flow of each of the sensors 400a is below a given threshold, the control module 450 can conclude that the vial 220 still contains sufficient liquid.

[0097] It will therefore be seen that, regardless of the orientation of the plug 210 and the vial 220, at least one of the sensor-emitter pairs can enable detection of the fill state of the vial 220. Furthermore, contrary to the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, all operations of the detection system are performed in the domain of the acquisition unit 300 and not in the domain of a remote computer server.

[0098] When an insufficient liquid level in vial 220 is detected by the microcontroller of control module 450, control module 450 controls light source 440 to emit a light signal indicating that vial 220 is empty and needs to be replaced or refilled. Simultaneously, control module 450 controls wireless transmission module 460 to emit a notification to phone 800 indicating the vial's empty status and containing instructions to refill the vial.

[0099] The above description clearly explains how the present invention makes it possible to achieve the object it addresses by proposing a system in which the diffuser user can replace the diffuser vial when it is empty and can order a refill before the vial is empty in order to allow continued use of the diffuser by adding an acquisition unit to the diffuser for acquiring an image of the vial, processing said image with a processing unit to determine the amount of product remaining in the vial and providing notification of said amount to the user.

[0100] In any case, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically described herein, but in particular extends to all equivalent means and any technically possible combinations of said means. It is particularly possible to consider equipping diffusers of other types than those described, in particular ultrasonic diffusers or even non-electrical diffusers, or diffusers associated with other types of products than pheromone-based compositions, in particular diffusers for insecticides, insect repellents, disinfectants, antiseptics, mold inhibitors, fragrances, essential oils, deodorizers, or air fresheners. An acquisition unit may also be provided to be integrated into the diffuser. Solutions other than those cited may also be possible that allow the processing unit to determine the fill level of the vial, in particular other types of classifiers, or even regression algorithms, or even image processing algorithms. It is also possible to envisage the use of optical sensors of other types than those described, in particular emitter-receiver-based sensors operating at wavelengths other than infrared.

Claims

1. A system (1, 100) for detecting the filling state of a vial (22, 220) of a diffuser (2, 200), said vial containing a product intended to be diffused, said system comprising: an acquisition unit (3, 300) provided with an optical sensor (4, 400a) intended to be placed opposite said vial in order to acquire at least one light beam that has passed through said vial; a processing unit (5, 450) designed to detect from said light beam whether the filling level (n) of said vial is lower than a predetermined threshold; and a communication unit (6, 460) designed to send a notification (N) about said filling level to a remote electronic device (8, 800) in response to said detection, The acquisition unit (3, 300) comprises a pair of infrared light sensors (400a) intended to be positioned at two different locations facing the vial (220) and at the same height, and a pair of infrared light emitters (400b) intended to be positioned facing the vial and facing one of the infrared light sensors (400a) and to emit at least one infrared light beam through the vial towards the corresponding optical sensor (400a), The processing unit (5, 450) is arranged to determine that the fill level of the vial (2, 200) is below the predetermined threshold when one optical sensor (400a) of the pair of infrared light sensors (400a) receives the infrared light beam.

2. 2. The detection system (100) of claim 1, wherein the pair of infrared light emitters (400b) and the pair of infrared light sensors (400a) are intended to be positioned opposite a side wall of the vial (220) and adjacent a bottom wall (250) of the vial.

3. 3. The detection system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit comprises two pairs of infrared light sensors intended to be positioned opposite the vial at two different locations, the infrared light sensors of the same pair being positioned at two different locations and at the same height, and two pairs of infrared light emitters, each intended to be positioned opposite the vial facing a corresponding infrared light sensor and configured to emit at least one infrared light beam through the vial toward the corresponding infrared light sensor.

4. A detection system (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the acquisition unit comprises a housing (31, 310) defining a recess (L) intended to at least partially accommodate the vial (22, 220) and a fixing member (34, 320) for fixing the housing to the diffuser (2, 200), and the optical sensor (4, 400b) is arranged in the housing so as to face the side wall of the vial when the vial is accommodated in the recess.

5. 5. The detection system (1, 100) of claim 4, wherein the housing (31, 310) has a peripheral wall (32, 320) that laterally bounds the recess (L), the peripheral wall having a lateral gap (38, 401), and the pair of infrared light sensors (4, 400a) are arranged in the housing opposite the gap.

6. The detection system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processing unit (450) and the communication unit (460) are integrated in the acquisition unit (300).

7. A detection system (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the acquisition unit (3, 300) comprises at least one sensor arranged to acquire at least one item of information relating to the surroundings of the diffuser (2, 200).

8. The detection system (1, 100) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the acquisition unit (3, 300) comprises a magnetic field sensor capable of detecting a magnetic field emitted by a tag affixed on the vial (22, 220).

9. 9. The detection system (1, 100) of claim 8, wherein the acquisition unit (3, 300) comprises a control module (45, 450) of the communication unit (46, 460), the control module being arranged to put the communication unit into a deactivated state in the absence of detection of a magnetic field by the magnetic field sensor.

10. An acquisition unit (3, 300) of a system (1, 100) for detecting the filling state of a vial (22, 220) of a diffuser (2, 200) described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Assembly consisting of a product diffuser (2, 200), said diffuser comprising a vial (22, 220) containing said product, and an acquisition unit (3, 300) according to claim 10.

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