Electronically Controlled Scent Producer With Port Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scent delivery systems in performance venues, such as movie theaters, lack the ability to provide synchronized and location-specific scents that enhance the audience experience without complex infrastructure and interference with existing systems.
Innovation Solution
An electronically controlled scent producer with a moveable body, motors, and a local control unit that aligns actuator ports with a nozzle to emit scents synchronized with audio/visual presentations, allowing for precise scent emission at user locations without dedicated piping systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a scent delivery system is implemented in performance venues, then the audience experience is enhanced, but the infrastructure complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the performance venue into multiple zones or locations, each with independent scent producers. Each scent producer is a self-contained unit with its own control system, eliminating the need for complex centralized piping infrastructure while enabling location-specific scent delivery to enhance audience experience in different areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The scent producers are equipped with local control units that can autonomously receive and process scent emission instructions from audio/visual presentations. This self-service capability eliminates the need for complex centralized control infrastructure, as each unit independently manages its own scent delivery operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If synchronized scent emissions are provided at multiple locations, then the audience experience is enhanced, but the risk of scent interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system delivers different scents to different locations within the performance venue simultaneously. Each scent producer is configured to emit scents appropriate for its specific location and the corresponding audio/visual content, ensuring that scents are localized and do not interfere with each other while still providing a synchronized multi-location experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The scent emissions are synchronized with the periodic structure of audio/visual presentations, emitting scents at specific intervals or moments corresponding to scene changes or key moments. This periodic timing ensures that scents are delivered when needed without creating continuous interference, as emissions are coordinated across multiple locations in rhythm with the presentation.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing air-conditioning systems are utilized for scent delivery, then infrastructure cost is reduced, but scent delivery precision and control are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses existing air-conditioning ductwork or airflow paths as intermediary channels to transport scents from the scent producers to the audience areas. This intermediary approach allows the system to leverage existing infrastructure for cost reduction while the dedicated scent producers maintain precision control over scent emission timing and type, as the intermediary merely transports rather than controls the scent delivery.
Data Source
AI summary
Electronically controlled scent producer includes: a body, having plurality of chambers and actuators, each chamber receiving a respective scent essence, each actuator respective of a chamber and having actuator port, a first motor and second motor, and a local control unit, responsive of scent emission instructions configured to selectively activate second motor to displace body, to align a selected actuator port of an actuator respective of the selected chamber with a nozzle of a housing, and to selectively activate first motor to induce emission of the scent essence contained in selected chamber through selected actuator port, so as to produce a scent emission directed to external environment through nozzle. Activation of scent producer may be initiated according to scent track linked to audio/visual presentation, the scent track including scent emission instructions with timing information and associated scent identification information, such that predetermined scent emitted during a respective scene of presentation.