Apparatus for monitoring airing events
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cigar humidor monitoring systems fail to effectively detect prolonged absence of airing events and contamination from sensor fumes, and they are not optimized for space efficiency and material compatibility with humidors.
Innovation Solution
The system employs time series anomaly detection using grammar-based compression to identify airing events and uses materials like stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or Spanish Cedar for the sensor casing to prevent contamination and ensure optimal placement and functionality within the humidor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are used in humidors, then humidity monitoring is achieved, but sensor fumes contaminate the cigar storage environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful sensing elements from the internal humidor environment and places them in an external monitoring device. The sensor is housed in a casing positioned outside the cigar storage chamber, connected via a probe that penetrates only minimally into the humidor. This separation removes the source of fume contamination from the protected environment while preserving monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary probe structure that allows the sensor to access internal humidity conditions without requiring the sensor body to be inside the humidor. The probe acts as a mediator, transmitting environmental data from the internal chamber to the external sensor, thereby enabling monitoring while maintaining environmental integrity.
2Measurement precision
If the sensor is placed inside the humidor for accurate monitoring, then measurement accuracy improves, but the sensor casing occupies valuable storage space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the sensing probe is contained within a minimally invasive casing that can be positioned at the humidor boundary. The probe itself is a slender, space-efficient element that extends only as far as necessary into the internal environment, allowing the sensor functionality to be nested within a compact form factor that minimizes storage space occupation.
3Reliability
If the humidor is opened frequently for airing, then cigar quality is maintained, but the prolonged absence of airing events leads to musty taste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors environmental parameters (humidity, temperature) and provides alerts when conditions indicate the need for airing. The system tracks the time elapsed since the last airing event and notifies the user when this duration exceeds optimal thresholds, enabling timely intervention to maintain cigar quality without requiring frequent manual checking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables preliminary detection of suboptimal conditions before they cause damage. By monitoring environmental parameters and tracking airing intervals, the system identifies when airing is needed in advance, allowing users to perform the airing action before musty taste develops, thus preventing quality degradation rather than merely responding to it.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus is described herein related to an environmental monitoring system configured to avoid spoilage of goods by alerting a supervisor to hazardous conditions. The sensors monitor a plurality of parameters, of which relative humidity is of particular importance. The system offers multiple alternative ways of detecting airing events including time series anomaly discovery. The system also offers different ways of processing data related to airing events and of allowing a user to monitor either the presence or the absence of airing events.