Patent Application
20230418264
The present invention relates to an aroma display and, more specifically, to an aroma scheduling server for distributing scents in accordance with a schedule using an aroma display on which a plurality of aroma cartridges is loaded, to allow emission of various scents, an aroma display device and an aroma display control device as well as a computer program therefor. The present application claims convention priority on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-191912 filed on Nov. 18, 2020, and incorporates the description of this Japanese Application in its entirety.
Human communication is done in various modalities based on human senses. Most frequently used are visual and auditory communications. By contrast, olfaction or sense of smell, on which we rely considerably in our lives, is hardly used in communication. However, if the sense of smell can be utilized in addition to visual and auditory senses, communication would be more efficient and different people would be able to share their experiences more profoundly.
Communication is not the only field in which an aroma or a scent plays a significant role. By way of example, mediation would be more satisfactory if surrounded by a calming and relaxing scent. After working for hours, a brisk, refreshing aroma would be perfect for a break time.
To meet this demand, a device that generates scents in accordance with instructions (hereinafter referred to as an “aroma display”) as described, for example, in Patent Literature 1 has been developed and come to be used widely.
In our daily life, however, it is troublesome to operate an aroma display to generate desired scents from one situation to another. Therefore, there is a demand for an aroma display, an aroma display control device and a scheduling server that enable by easy generation of scents fit for situations, at various scenes and times in daily life.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides an aroma display, including: a message receiving means for receiving an external message; a correspondence storage means for storing correspondence between an event name of an event and aroma information related to a scent to be generated at the event; an event notification extracting means for extracting an event notification including an event name from a message received by the message receiving means; an aroma information reading means for reading aroma information corresponding to the event name from the correspondence storage means; and an aroma emitting means for emitting a scent in accordance with the aroma information read by the aroma information reading means.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an aroma display, including: a timer; a correspondence storage means for storing correspondence between an event name of an event and aroma information related to a scent to be generated at the event; a schedule storage means for storing event information including an event name of an event to be scheduled and time information related to the event; a schedule extracting means for extracting an event based on time measured by the timer and on the time information of each piece of the event information stored in the schedule storage means; and an aroma emitting means for emitting a scent in accordance with the aroma information corresponding to the event name included in the event information of the event extracted by the schedule extracting means, in accordance with the correspondence stored in the correspondence storage means.
Preferably, the aroma emitting means allows loading of a plurality of aroma cartridges each having an identification number indicative of its scent source, and is capable of emitting a scent from any designated aroma cartridge among the plurality of aroma cartridges; the aroma information includes the identification number. The aroma emitting means includes: an identification number storage means for storing the identification number allotted to each of the plurality of aroma cartridges loaded to the aroma emitting means; and a cartridge driving means for driving that aroma cartridge which has the identification number included in the aroma information among the plurality of aroma cartridges loaded to the aroma emitting means and thereby for generating a scent.
More preferably, the event notification may include a duration of scent emission; and in response to the event notification including information related to the duration of scent emission, the cartridge driving means drives the aroma cartridge for the duration from the start time of the event.
Further preferably, in the aroma display, the time information of the event information further includes an event end time; and the cartridge driving means drives the cartridge driving means from the event start time until the event end time.
According to a third aspect, the present invention provides an aroma display control device, for controlling one or more aroma displays, including: a communication destination information storage means for storing communication destination information enabling communication with the one or more the aroma displays as communication destinations; a message receiving means for receiving an external message; a correspondence storage means for storing correspondence between an event name of an event and aroma information related to a scent to be generated at the event; an event notification extracting means for extracting an event notification including an event name from a message received by the message receiving means; an aroma reading means for reading aroma information corresponding to the event name from the correspondence storage means; and a command transmitting means for transmitting a command to an aroma display as a communication destination stored in the communication destination information storage means so that a scent is emitted in accordance with the aroma information read by the aroma reading means.
Preferably, the command transmitting means includes a full transmission means for transmitting the command to each of the aroma displays of communication destination stored by the communication destination information storage means to generate a scent in accordance with the aroma information read by the aroma reading means.
More preferably, the event notification may include information related to a duration of scent emission in an event indicated by the event notification; and the command transmitting means includes a means, responsive to the event notification including the information related to the duration, for transmitting the command including the event name and the information related to the duration, to an aroma display of communication destination stored by the communication destination information storage means to generate a scent in accordance with the aroma information read by the aroma reading means.
According to a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program causing a computer to function as any of the above-described devices.
According to a fifth aspect, the present invention provides an aroma scheduling server, including: a timer; a correspondence storage means for storing correspondence between an event name of an event and an identification number of a scent to be generated at the event; an access information storage means storing access information to an aroma display; a schedule information storage means, receiving from a user, inputs of an event name, start time and end time of the event, and location information specifying the location where the event takes place, for storing schedule information including the event name, the start time and the end time, and the location information; an identification number reading means for reading, from the correspondence storage means, an identification number of a scent corresponding to the event name input by the user, and for adding it to the schedule information corresponding to the event name; a schedule information reading means for detecting whether a piece of schedule information having substantially the same start time as the time indicated by the timer exists in the schedule information stored in the schedule information storage means, and for reading the detected piece of schedule information; and an event notification transmitting means for transmitting an event notification including scent identification information, scent emission duration, and an event name determined in accordance with the read piece of schedule information to a destination determined by the access information included in the piece of schedule information read by the schedule information reading means.
Preferably, the schedule information storage means includes an emission-interval-added schedule information storage means, receiving, from a user, inputs of an event name, start time and end time of the event, and location information specifying the location where the event takes place and time interval for emitting a scent at the event, for storing schedule information including the event name, the start time and the end time, the location information and the emission time interval; the scheduling server further includes: an aroma emission time calculating means for calculating aroma emission time at which the scent is to be emitted for the event based on the event start time and the emission time interval; the schedule information reading means includes an aroma emission schedule information reading means for detecting whether a piece of schedule information having the emission time substantially the same as the time indicated by the timer exists in the schedule information stored in the emission-interval-added schedule information storage means, and for reading the detected piece of schedule information.
According to a sixth aspect, the present invention provides a computer program causing a computer to function as any of the above-described scheduling servers.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the following description and in the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference characters. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated.
On the Internet, a so-called scheduling service is widely offered. A scheduling service make it possible to keep records of where and what events take place at any specific time of any specific day. As a result, it is possible to check a schedule of a person, a group or the like, day by day, week by week, month by month and year by year. Further, it often includes a service to send an e-mail (hereinafter simply referred to as a mail) to a specific address of a mail (hereinafter, “a mail address”) notifying the start of an event to a specific mail address at the start time or prescribed time before the start of the event.
These events may include the time for meditation and a work break for refreshment as mentioned above, which may be more satisfactory if specific aroma or scent is generated at the event site. The first embodiment is to enable timely operation of an aroma display installed at a specific location, by utilizing such a scheduling service.
Use of a scheduling service for operating the aroma display in this manner faces a problem that the operation of scheduling service itself cannot be customized. A typical scheduling service allows registration of event name, event start time, end time (or event duration), place, participant name and participant contact information only, and it is difficult to designate a scent.
Therefore, in the embodiment as described in the following, combinations of an event name and a scent to be generated for the event are stored beforehand in the aroma display. The event is registered with the scheduling service, and at the event start time, a mail designating the event name is sent to the aroma display set on the event site. Thus, upon receiving the mail, the aroma display can determine the scent using the event name as a key, and generates the determined scent. In the following, the aroma display used in the aroma scheduling system in accordance with the first embodiment will be described.
[Configuration]
In the building of business facility 70, there is an office 80, and at prescribed positions in office 80, aroma displays 90 and 92 are installed, which aroma displays are capable of receiving mails from scheduling server 62 through wireless communication with wireless router 68. Further, in the building of business facility 70, there are provided aroma display 82 and a panel-type computer 84 for controlling aroma display 82. Aroma display 82 and panel-type computer 84 are capable of wireless communication with each other, and panel-type computer 84 is further capable of communicating with scheduling server 62 through wireless router 68. Though only one aroma display 82 is shown as an aroma display capable of communicating with panel-type computer 84 in
It is noted that aroma displays 90 and 92 and panel-type computer 84 have their mail addresses, and respectively receive event notification mails from scheduling server 62 through a mail server, not shown.
Referring to
Control board 110 includes: a control processor 130 capable of wireless communication with the outside, for controlling the micro-blower group 112 and sirocco fan 116 based on externally applied information and on information from the NFC chip group 118; a memory 138 and a timer 139, both connected to control processor 130; an input-output OF 134 for controlling each of the micro-blowers 140, . . . in the micro-blower group 112 in accordance with instructions from control processor 130; an input-output I/F 132 receiving scent identifiers of respective cartridges from NFC chips 150, . . . 152 in the NFC chip group 118 and inputting them to control processor 130; and a wireless communication unit 136 enabling wireless communication of control processor 130 with the outside, for example, with the panel-type computer 84 (see
Memory 138 includes an ROM (Read-Only Memory) and an RAM (Random Access Memory). ROM stores programs for generating scents for events, which will be descried later with reference to
Aroma displays 90 and 92 shown in
In the following description, when an event is to be registered with scheduling server 62, by way of example, one operates a smart phone 66 to enter a prescribed event name, start time and end time of the event, and a destination address of a notification e-mail, to be registered in scheduling server 62. Following the event name, one may add, with commas, duration and strength of scent emission from the aroma display, though these are optional and not essential.
Extraction of a plurality of elements separated by delimiters, such as commas, from mail texts can be realized easily by a program instruction and the like. If there are two (only two) elements after separation, the first is the event name and the second is the duration of emission. The duration of emission is a numeral, counted by seconds. If there are three elements, the first and the second are the event name and the duration as in the case of two elements, and the third indicates the strength of emission. In the present embodiment, the strength of emission is also given by a numeral. If the second and the third character sequences are absent or if the second and third character sequences are not a date or a numeral, these are ignored and prescribed default values are used as the duration and the strength of emission.
The program further includes: a steps 185, which is executed if the determination at step 184 is in the positive, that is, if at least a correct event name is extracted from the mail text, of reading an aroma identification number corresponding to the designated event name from the event correspondence table; a step 186 of looking up an aroma cartridge having the corresponding aroma identification number on the cartridge table stored in memory 138 shown in
The program further includes: a step 190, which is executed if the determination at step 188 is in the positive, of setting timer 139 shown in
The program further includes: a step 198 executed if the determination at step 184 is in the negative, or if the determination at step 188 is in the negative, of performing a predetermined error handling process (for example, sending an error message to a prescribed address, writing details of the error in a log file etc.), stopping generation of a scent if emission of a scent is in progress, and ending execution of the program.
A memory 260 is connected to memory controller 306 of semiconductor integrated circuit 250. In the present embodiment, memory 260 includes a combination of a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory includes a flash memory, which stores, for example, a basic program for operating processor 300, an application program and so on. The volatile memory is used as a working memory and as a main memory during execution of a program.
Panel-type computer 84 further includes: an RF circuit 252 capable of wireless communication with processor 300 through peripheral OF 304; an audio circuit 254; a sensor group 256; a display controller 262 and a camera controller 266; and an external port 258 connected to semiconductor integrated circuit 250, allowing connection of a portable memory, a portable hard disk and the like, not shown. A touch-panel display 264 is further connected to display controller 262. Similarly, a camera 268 is connected to camera controller 266.
Referring to
The program further includes: a step 184 of branching the control flow depending on whether an event name has been successfully extracted or not at step 182; a step 185, executed if the determination at step 184 is in the positive, of reading an aroma identification number corresponding to the designated event from the event correspondence table stored in memory 260; and a step 186 of looking up a cartridge table storing the aroma identification numbers from NFC tags attached to the cartridges loaded in aroma display 82 and loaded positions of respective cartridges, for the aroma cartridge having the read aroma identification number. The cartridge table is received beforehand by panel-type computer 84 from aroma display 82, and stored in memory 260 (see
The program further includes: a step 188 of determining whether or not the cartridge number of aroma cartridge having the identification number designated at step 186 is on the cartridge table, and branching the control flow depending on the result; a step 350, executed if the determination at step 188 is in the positive, of activating aroma display 82 to emit scented air from the aroma cartridge of the cartridge number read at step 186 for the designated duration with designated strength, and ending the process; and a step 198, executed if the determination at step 184 is in the negative, that is, if the event included in the received message is not found on the event correspondence table, or if the determination at step 188 is in the negative, that is, if the aroma cartridge having the aroma identification number read at step 185 is not on the cartridge table, of performing a prescribed error handling process and ending the process.
[Operation]
The scheduling system 50 described above operates as follows. Referring to
Scheduling server 62 registers the event on a schedule table, not shown. Thereafter, at a prescribed time interval, a process of checking the schedule table iteratively runs to see whether or not there is an event immediately following a registered event start time, that is, whether or not there is an event of which start time is substantially the current time. When such an event is found, scheduling server 62 transmits a mail including the event name, the emission duration and strength, if any, separated by commas, to the mail destination designated for the event. Here, it is assumed that aroma displays 90, 92 and panel-type computer 84 use the same mail address and check with a relatively short time period whether a mail has been received.
By way of example, when aroma display 90 receives this mail, aroma display 90 operates as follows. Referring to
At step 186, it is determined whether or not the cartridge having the aroma identification number read from the event table at step 185 is found on the cartridge table of aroma display 90. If such an aroma cartridge is not found on the cartridge table, the designated scent cannot be emitted. Therefore, control proceeds to step 198, where the error handling process is done, and the program ends. If such an aroma cartridge is found on the cartridge table, the scent can be generated by aroma display 90. Therefore, at step 190, the timer is set to the emission duration and at step 192, the timer is started. At the following step 194, the aroma cartridge of the designated identification number is driven with the designated aroma strength. Specifically, at step 194, a signal, which is an alternate signal of a prescribed signal length, of which amplitude is determined by the designated strength, is transmitted to the micro-blower of the cartridge corresponding to the designated identification number. When the output of the alternate signal for a prescribed time period ends, it is determined whether or not the timer has expired at step 196. If the timer has not expired, step 194 is repeated. In this manner, the scent of the designated identification number is emitted with the designated strength continuously for the emission duration, to the outside from the cartridge having the NFC tag of the identification number. When the timer expires, execution of the program ends.
If aroma displays 90 and 92 shown in
On the other hand, different from aroma displays 90 and 92, in the case of aroma display 82, panel-type computer 84 is interposed. Here, it is assumed that the same mail address as aroma displays 90 and 92 is allotted to panel-type computer 84. Then, referring to
When an event name is successfully extracted, the aroma identification number corresponding to the event name is read from the event correspondence table at step 185, and the aroma cartridge having the aroma identification number is looked up on the cartridge table of aroma display 82 (step 186). Specifically, panel-type computer 84 looks up the cartridge table obtained by communication with aroma display 82 and stored in advance, for the aroma cartridge having the designated identification number. At the following step 188, it is determined whether or not such an aroma cartridge is found. If such an aroma cartridge is not found, the designated scent cannot be emitted and, therefore, determination at step 188 is in the negative, an error handling process is done at step 198, and the program ends without emitting any scent.
If it is determined at step 188 that the cartridge having the designated aroma identification number is loaded on aroma display 82, at step 350, a command is issued to aroma display 82 so that the micro-blower driving the cartridge among the micro-blower group 112 shown in
[Effects]
As described above, in the aroma scheduling system 50 in accordance with the present embodiment, simply by effectively using a common scheduling service and by scheduling common registration related to an event, it becomes possible to emit a scent allotted to the event at a desired location and at a desired time. For example, when a meeting takes place or one mediates in a certain room, an aroma or scent corresponding to the contents of the event such as the meeting or the mediation can be emitted from the aroma display positioned at that location, simply by designating the event and the location. If there is a work break at prescribed time at a workplace, it is possible to emit refreshing aroma when the break starts. As a result, there is an effect that aromas or scents suitable for various events can be enjoyed simply by an operation of event scheduling.
[Configuration]
In the first embodiment described above, generation of a scent is controlled by using an external scheduling service. If such a scheduling service is available within a company, a system more flexible than the first embodiment can be built. The second embodiment is directed to such an in-company scheduling system 400 (
Referring to
Referring to
Computer 470 includes, in addition to DVD drive 502, a CPU 490, a GPU 492, a bus 510 connected to CPU 490, GPU 492 and DVD drive 502, a ROM 496 connected to bus 510, storing a boot-up program and the like of the computer 470, a RAM 498 connected to bus 510, storing instructions forming a program, a system program and work data, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 500, which is a non-volatile memory connected to bus 510. HDD 500 is to store programs to be executed by CPU 490 and GPU 492 and storing data and the like used by the programs executed by CPU 490 and GPU 492 even when computer 470 is turned off. Computer 470 further includes a network OF 508 providing connection to in-company LAN 486 allowing communication with other terminals, a USB port 506 to which a USB memory 484 is detachably attached, providing communication between USB memory 484 and various units in computer 470, a speech OF 504 connected to bus 510, and a speaker 480 and a microphone 482 connected to speech OF 504.
Basic configuration of computer 412 shown in
The database for scheduling service used in the present embodiment includes: a schedule table 608 for holding information on registered schedules; a facility master table 610 for storing in advance locations where events may possibly take place; an event master table 612 for storing in advance events that may possibly be scheduled; an aroma master table 614 for storing information on various scents that may possibly be emitted at various events; an aroma display master table 616 for storing information on aroma displays that exist in the areas covered by in-company scheduling server 410; and a user master table 618 for storing information on users of the scheduling service provided by in-company scheduling server 410. These tables are basically resident in the memory when the database is in use, while they are written back to HDD 500 as needed if memory capacity runs out.
At step 654, computer 412 displays the schedule entry screen transmitted from in-company scheduling server 410, allowing the user to enter the event name, event start date and time, event end date and time and the facility ID where the event takes place. When inputs are all entered, computer 412 transmits the input information to in-company scheduling server 410. Here, for entering the inputs, it is preferred that by using the information obtained by accessing facility master table 610, event master table 612 and aroma master table 614 etc. at step 652, a drop box, for example, listing the event name and the event ID, the facility name and the facility ID, the aroma name and the aroma ID is shown to allow easy input of the event. From computer 412 to in-company scheduling server 410, event ID, facility ID and aroma ID are transmitted, in addition to the event start time and end time.
In response to this communication, in-company scheduling server 410 checks this input at step 656 and if there is any error, resends the entry screen to computer 412 with an error message. If there is no error, information related to the event is registered with schedule table 608. Thereafter, the event notification program is activated at step 658 and the process ends.
Referring to
The program further includes: a step 706, executed if the determination at step 704 is in the positive, of executing step 708 for each aroma display retrieved at step 702, and ending execution of the program.
At step 708, in-company scheduling server 410 transmits the event name, the aroma emission duration, the aroma ID and the aroma emission strength to the aroma display as the object of processing.
On the other hand, among the aroma display IDs searched at step 702, an ID of a computer such as panel-type computer 84 shown in
Step 806 includes: a step 820 of determining whether or not the aroma cartridge having the aroma ID designated by in-company scheduling server 410 is loaded on the aroma display as the object of processing, and branching the control flow depending on the result; a step 822, executed if the determination at step 820 is in the positive, of transmitting a command to generate a scent to the aroma display as the object of processing, designating the aroma ID of the scent to be generated, the emission duration and the emission strength, and ending execution of step 806; and a step 824, executed if the determination at step 820 is in the negative, of executing a prescribed error handling process, and ending execution of step 806.
The process of step 802 is done every time since there is a possibility that the aroma cartridges loaded to each aroma display is changed as needed.
[Operation]
In the present embodiment, the event name, the emission duration, the aroma ID and the aroma strength are transmitted directly from in-company scheduling server 410 to each object aroma display 90, 92 or to the management computer such as panel-type computer 84, not through a mail. Aroma display 90 or 92, which is not an object of management by the panel-type computer 84, operates in the same manner as in the first embodiment except that a message is directly received from in-company scheduling server 410, rather than from a mail received by accessing a mail server.
When a panel-type computer 84 is interposed, the panel-type computer 84 and the aroma display 82 under the control of panel-type computer 84 operate as follows.
The panel-type computer 84 extracts, from the message received from in-company scheduling server 410, the event name, the emission duration, the aroma ID and the emission strength (step 800). Further, the panel-type computer 84 obtains the aroma ID table of each aroma display it managest (step 802). At step 806, the panel-type computer 84 executes step 806 on each aroma display and ends execution of the program.
At step 806, the panel-type computer 84 determines whether or not the aroma cartridge having the aroma ID designated by in-company scheduling server 410 is loaded to the aroma display 82 to be processed, and branches the control flow depending on the result (step 820). If the aroma cartridge having the designated aroma ID is loaded to the aroma display 82 to be processed (if the determination at step 820 is in the positive), the panel-type computer 84 transmits a command to generate a scent to the aroma display 82 to be processed, designating the aroma ID of the scent to be emitted, the emission duration and the aroma strength, and ends execution of step 806 (step 822). If the aroma cartridge having the designated aroma ID is not loaded to the aroma display 82 to be processed (if the determination at step 820 is in the negative), the panel-type computer 84 executes a prescribed error handling process and ends execution of step 806 without transmitting any command to the aroma display 82 (step 824).
The operation of each aroma display managed by the panel-type computer 84 is the same as the first embodiment.
[Effects]
In the second embodiment, different from the first embodiment, a message is transmitted not by a mail but directly from the in-company scheduling server 410 to each aroma display or to the management computer. Therefore, as soon as an event start time arrives, an event notification for generating a scent is transmitted substantially without any delay, to each aroma display and to the management computer, so that a prescribed scent is emitted at each location without delay. It becomes unnecessary for each aroma display and the management computer to repetitively access the mail server, reducing load on the network.
When an aroma display is to be managed through a management computer, in order to simultaneously operate aroma displays placed in the same room or the like, what is necessary for in-company scheduling server 410 is simply to transmit a message only to the management computer. Therefore, management of aroma displays by in-company scheduling server 410 becomes simpler.
[Configuration]
Both in the first and second embodiments above, a scent is generated only at the event start time. If duration of aroma emission is made longer, the aroma effect lasts longer. The scent source, however, will be used up faster, which is economically undesirable. Once a scent is emitted, it lasts for a while. Therefore, it is not preferable to make the duration longer.
On the other hand, it is sometimes desirable to maintain the aroma effect all through an event. If there is such a request, in the first and second embodiments, this effect can be attained by registering one same event a number of times, with the start time set at prescribed intervals. This procedure, however, is undesirable from the viewpoint of schedule management, since originally one event is registered a number of times.
Therefore, when registering a schedule with in-company scheduling server 410, for example, time interval of aroma emission may be registered separately from the schedule start time. Here, a field for time interval is made in schedule table 608 shown in
[Operation]
With this configuration, when the program of
[Effect]
Therefore, according to this embodiment, an aroma is emitted at a prescribed time interval from the start to the end of an event and the aroma effect can be maintained.
In any of the above-described embodiments, the device for schedule management and the device for emitting aroma are separate devices. The present invention, however, is not limited to such embodiments. The device for schedule management may be the same as the device for emitting aroma. Specifically, the aroma display 82 shown in
Here, the program of which control structure is shown in
In this case, the schedule itself may be adopted to be registered with the aroma display only, or a schedule formed by another computer or the like may be downloaded to the aroma display.
By enabling aroma emission event scheduling on the aroma display, it becomes possible for each user to separately schedule his/her own aroma display. As a result, each user can enjoy his/her favorite scents whenever he/she likes and, therefore, it becomes possible to spend well-modulated work and daily life.
The tembodiments as have been described here are mere examples and should not be interpreted as restrictive. The scope of the present invention is determined by each of the claims with appropriate consideration of the written description of the embodiments and embraces modifications within the meaning of, and equivalent to, the languages in the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-191912 | Nov 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/041259 | 11/10/2021 | WO |
