Patent Application
20220016446
This disclosure relates to air delivery systems, and more particularly to individual air delivery systems.
Air can contain airborne particles that are harmful to the human body. For example, air can contain pollutants, virus particles, and respiratory allergens that affect people in multiple ways. Individual air delivery systems can deliver clean air to a user to protect the user from such airborne particles. Improvements to individual air delivery systems are sought.
In an example implementation, a method of delivering air to a user includes receiving, by a controller and from a sensor, motion information of the user. The motion information represents motion of a portion of a head of the user below eyes of the user. The sensor and the controller are coupled to a portable article of the user. The method also includes determining, by the controller, based on the motion information, a position of the head of the user. The method further includes controlling, by the controller based on the determined position, a fluid outlet of a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to and configured to receive air from a fan. The fan is coupled to the portable article of the user.
In some implementations, receiving the motion information includes receiving the motion information from a motion detector configured to sense an orientation of the jaw of the user.
In some implementations, controlling the fluid outlet includes controlling vents of the fluid outlet to change a direction of air flowing from the fluid outlet.
In some implementations, the method further includes receiving, from one or more sensors, ambient condition information representing at least one of 1) wind speed information, 2) wind direction information, or 3) airborne particulate information. The method also includes controlling, by the controller, based on the ambient condition information, at least one of the fluid outlet and the fan. In some implementations, the method also includes receiving, from the one or more sensors, breathing information of the user, and determining, by the controller and based on the breathing information, a time of inhalation of the user. The method also includes controlling, by the controller, based on the ambient condition information and on the time of inhalation, at least one of the fluid outlet and the fan.
In some implementations, the method also includes receiving, from one or more sensors, facial information of the user representing facial features of the user below the eyes of the user. The method also includes determining, by the controller, based on the facial information of the user and on a mathematical model of the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect, a location of a facial region of the user away from the nose and mouth of the user, and controlling, by the controller, the fluid outlet to direct air to the facial region of the user.
In some implementations, determining the position of the head of the user includes determining, in real-time, the position of the head of the user.
In some implementations, determining the position of the head of the user includes determining the position of a nose or mouth of the user.
In some implementations, the method also includes controlling, by the controller, a flow rate of the fan.
In some implementations, controlling the flow rate of the fan comprises controlling the flow rate of the fan at a variable flow rate or a pulsed flow rate.
Implementations of the present disclosure include an air delivery system that includes a fan coupled to a portable article of a user. The air delivery system also includes a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fan. The fluid conduit includes a fluid outlet configured to deliver air to a face of the user. The air delivery system also includes a tracking system coupled to the portable article. The tracking system includes at least one motion sensor and a controller configured to control the outlet of the fluid conduit based on information received from the at least one motion sensor. The at least one motion sensor tracks a position of a portion of a head of the user below eyes of the user.
In some implementations, the fluid outlet resides at the portable article away from an ambient breathing proximity of the user. In some implementations, the portable article includes a backpack, in which the fluid outlet is generally flush with a surface of a shoulder strap of the backpack.
In some implementations, the air delivery system also includes an air filter fluidly coupled to the fan. The air filter filters the air circulated through the fluid conduit.
In some implementations, the fluid outlet includes one or more vents and the controller is configured to move the vents to control the fluid outlet to change a direction of the air.
In some implementations, the at least one motion sensor senses motion information representing motion of the jaw of the user. The controller determines a position of the head of the user based on the motion information and the controller controls the outlet based on the determined position of the head.
In some implementations, the tracking system further includes one or more sensors configured to sense ambient condition information representing at least one of 1) wind speed information, 2) wind direction information, or 3) airborne particulate information, and the controller is configured to control, based on the ambient condition information, at least one of the fluid outlet and the fan.
Implementations of the present disclosure also include an air delivery apparatus that includes a fan and a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the fan. The fluid conduit includes a fluid outlet that resides away from an ambient breathing proximity of a user. The fluid outlet is configured to deliver air to the face of the user. The air delivery apparatus also includes at least one sensor configured to sense motion information of the user. The motion information represents a motion of a lower portion of a face of the user. The air delivery apparatus also includes a controller communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to perform operations including 1) receiving the motion information from the at least one sensor; and 2) controlling, based on the motion information, an orientation of the fluid outlet.
In some implementations, the fluid outlet resides at a surface of a portable article carried by the user, the surface disposed away from the ambient breathing proximity of the user.
In some implementations, the at least one sensor includes multiple sensors configured to sense ambient condition information representing at least one of 1) wind speed information, 2) wind direction information, or 3) airborne particulate information. The controller is configured to control, based on the ambient condition information, at least one of the fluid outlet and the fan.
In some implementations, the at least one sensor includes multiple sensors configured to sense facial information of the user representing the lower portion of the face of the user. The controller is configured to perform operations including 1) determining, based on the facial information of the user and on a mathematical model of the Coand{hacek over (a)} effect, a location of a facial region of the user away from a nose and mouth of the user; and 2) controlling the fluid outlet to direct the air to the facial region of the user.
Implementations of the present disclosure also include an air delivery apparatus that includes an oxygen source and a fluid conduit fluidly coupled to the oxygen source. The fluid conduit includes a fluid outlet residing away from an ambient breathing proximity of a user and is configured to deliver air to the face of the user. The air delivery apparatus also includes at least one sensor configured to sense motion information of the user. The motion information represents a motion of a lower portion of a face of the user. The air delivery apparatus also includes a controller communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to perform operations including 1) receiving the motion information from the at least one sensor; and 2) controlling, based on the motion information, an orientation of the fluid outlet.
The present disclosure features an air delivery system that delivers air to a user accurately and efficiently. For example, by tracking the motion of a portion of the user below the eyes of the user, the system can accurately detect the orientation of the head and direct an airflow in a desired direction. The air delivery system can also save energy by controlling a flow rate (e.g., at a variable flow rate, constant flow rate, pulsed flow rate, or combination thereof) of the fan based on environmental conditions and user-related parameters. Additionally, the air delivery system disclosed herein is hidden from view and is implemented in commonly used articles to provide the user a “seamless” experience. Furthermore, the air delivery system resides away from a breathing proximity of the user so that the user does not have to wear anything on or close to the face to receive the air.
The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
The example airflow system 102 includes a fan 114 and an air filter 116. The airflow system 102 is fluidly coupled to a fluid conduit 118 that receives and flows air from the fan 114 to the user 101. The fluid conduit 118 has a fluid outlet 120 that delivers air to the face 140 or near the face 140 of the user 101. All or most of the components of the air delivery system 100 may be disposed inside the backpack 131 and confined or hidden from view such that the backpack 131 shows no apparent modifications. Specifically, the air delivery system 100 may be preferably confined in articles regularly used by the user 101, instead of having a dedicated housing or assembly that is visible and apparent to those around the user 101. In other words, the air delivery system 100 is not invasive or intrusive, but instead, the system 100 is hidden from the user 101 and from others around the user 101. For example, only the fluid outlet 120 of the fluid conduit 118 can be slightly exposed outside the backpack 131. Other components, such as a user interface (e.g., touchscreen or other control device), as well as a colorimetric sensor, may also be exposed or partially exposed outside the backpack 131.
The example implementation of the tracking system 106 includes one or more sensors 110 and a controller 108 that controls the fluid outlet 120 and the fan 114 to change a direction and flow rate of the fan 114. Referring also to
The fluid outlet 120 resides at a location away from the ambient breathing proximity 141 of the user 101. In some implementations, the ambient breathing proximity 141 of the user 101 can be any point in space that is at a distance of less than about 6 inches away from the nose 152 or mouth 153 of the user 101 (e.g., with the head 142 straight). For example, the fluid outlet 120 can reside between 6 to 24 inches away from the nose 152 or mouth 153 of the user.
The fluid outlet 120 can reside at a surface 133 of the portable article 130. In some aspects, the fluid outlet 120 can be generally flush with the surface 133 of a shoulder strap 172 of the backpack 131. In some implementations, the fluid outlet 120 can extend less than about 0.5 inches from the surface 133 of the backpack 131. The fluid outlet 120 can include vents 121 that are controlled by the controller 108 to change a direction of the airflow 135 flowing from the outlet 120. The vents 121 can include horizontal and vertical vents that direct the airflow in multiple directions. In some implementations, the vents 121 (or the fluid outlet) can include a spherical-type vent such as a spherical spout air vent. A small actuator coupled to the vents 121 and controlled by the controller 108 can change the orientation of the vents 121.
As shown in the example implementation of
As further described in detail below with respect to
The motion sensor (or detector) 112 senses the motion of the head 142 of the user 101 and sends the motion information to the controller 108. The controller 108 includes or is coupled to a processor 111 that processes the information received from the sensors 110 and determines, based on the sensor information, a direction in which the fluid outlet 120 will deliver the airflow 135. For example, the processor 111 determines a position of the head 142 of the user 101 and, based on the position of the head 142, the processor 111 determines in what direction the fluid outlet 120 will point. The processor 111 sends the information to the controller 108 and the controller 108 controls, based on the information received from the processor 111, the fluid outlet 120 to change a direction of the air. The processor 111 can also cumulatively develop an individual profile that charts the user's exposure to air pollution over time.
The sensors 110 can send the motion information to the controller 108 in real time, and the controller 108 can determine, in real time, the position of the head 142 of the user 101. In example implementations, “real time” means that a duration between receiving an input and processing the input to provide an output can be minimal, for example, in the order of seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, or nanoseconds, sufficiently fast to follow, with the airflow, the position of the head 142 of the user.
The motion information represents the motion of the lower portion 154 of the head 142 of the user 101 below the eyes 144 of the user 101. For example, the motion detector 112 can sense the orientation of the jaw 147, the orientation of the nose 152, or the orientation of the mouth 153 or neck or shoulders of the user 101. In some implementations, the motion detector 112 can track the orientation of the jawline 149 of the user 101. By tracking the motion of the jawline 149, the controller 108 determines the position of the head 142 based on the tracking information received from the detector 112, which includes the position and orientation of the jaw 147 or jawline 149. The jawline 149 can include the curve of the jaw 147 from ear to ear or a portion of the curve of the jaw 147. An advantage of using the jawline 149 as an identifying geometry is the optical visibility of the jawline 149 from below because of the rigid and constant shape of the jaw. This can provide dependable three-dimensional positioning of the head relative to a location of the motion sensor 112. Thus, the controller 108 (with the processor 111) determines, based on the motion information, a position of the head 142 of the user 101, and then controls the fluid outlet 120 (or the airflow system 102 or both) based on the position of the head 142.
The one or more sensors 110 can sense one or more environmental or ambient parameters including, without limitation, humidity, temperature, wind speed, wind direction, air quality, and air particles (e.g., particulate type and density). Thus, the controller 108 receives, from the sensors 110, ambient condition information that represents at least one of wind speed information, wind direction information, and airborne particulate information. The controller 108 then controls based on the ambient condition information, the fluid outlet 120 or the airflow system 102 (e.g., the fan 114) or both. In some implementations, the tracking system 106 can include a global positioning system (GPS) and the controller 108 can be wirelessly connected to the internet or to a cellular network to receive weather information and other environmental or ambient information.
The one or more sensors 110 can also sense breathing information of the user 101 such as the inhalation and exhalation of the user 101. The controller 108 receives the breathing information from the sensors 110 and determines a time of inhalation of the user 101. The controller then controls, based on the time of inhalation, the fluid outlet 120 or the airflow system 102 (e.g., the fan 114) or both. Thus, the controller 108 can control the fluid outlet 120 and the fan 114 based on one or more of 1) the position of the head 142 of the user 101, 2) ambient condition information, and 3) breathing information of the user 101. For example, the controller 108 can control the flow rate of the fan 114 and the orientation of the vents 121 to save power and effectively deliver air to the user 101.
As shown in
The facial region 155 is spaced from the nose 152 or mouth 153 of the user 101 a distance enough to allow the air, under the Coanda effect, to ‘attach’ to and flow along the surface of the face 140 of the user 101 to the nose 152 or mouth 153 of the user 101. Upon determining the position of such point 155, the controller 108 controls the fluid outlet 120 (and the fan 114, if necessary) to direct air to the region (or point) 155 of the face 140 of the user 101. Thus, using the Coanda effect to deliver air can help deliver air reliably to positions that might not have line-of-sight from the fluid outlet 120. In some implementations, the face 140 can include the neck 157 of the user 101 and the facial region 155 can be a region on the neck 157 of the user 101. For example, the region 155 can be spaced between about 3 to 8 inches from the nostrils or mouth of the user.
The air delivery system 100 can also include other features to improve the user experience. For example, the air delivery system 100 can include a noise-cancelling device (e.g., a noise cancelling speaker) disposed at the airflow system 102 or the tracking system 106 to reduces fan blade noise and other noises of the air delivery system. The air delivery system 100 can also include a fluid emitter (e.g., a chemical emitter) and an electronic nose to detect odors near the user 101. The electronic nose and the fluid emitter can be part of the tracking system 106. The fluid emitter can deliver to the user 101, without limitation, a cooling mist, insect repellent, and aerosolized drugs (e.g., hypertonic saline to clean the respiratory tract). The fluid emitter can be communicatively coupled to the electronic nose to deliver, based on odor information received from the electronic nose, a desired amount of scents (e.g., olfactory receptor antagonists to turn off smell perception of the user 101 when the user 101 is exposed to unpleasant odors).
The controller 700 includes a processor 710, a memory 720, a storage device 730, and an input/output device 740. Each of the components 710, 720, 730, and 740 are interconnected using a system bus 750. The processor 710 is capable of processing instructions for execution within the controller 700. The processor may be designed using any of a number of architectures. For example, the processor 710 may be a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computers) processor, a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) processor, or a MISC (Minimal Instruction Set Computer) processor.
In one implementation, the processor 710 is a single-threaded processor. In another implementation, the processor 710 is a multi-threaded processor. The processor 710 is capable of processing instructions stored in the memory 720 or on the storage device 730 to display graphical information for a user interface on the input/output device 740.
The memory 720 stores information within the controller 700. In one implementation, the memory 720 is a computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory 720 is a volatile memory unit. In another implementation, the memory 720 is a non-volatile memory unit.
The storage device 730 is capable of providing mass storage for the controller 700. In one implementation, the storage device 730 is a computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, the storage device 730 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or a tape device.
The input/output device 740 provides input/output operations for the controller 700. In one implementation, the input/output device 740 includes a keyboard and/or pointing device. In another implementation, the input/output device 740 includes a display unit for displaying graphical user interfaces.
A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of what is described. For example, the steps of exemplary operations described herein may be performed in other orders than those described, some steps may be removed, and other steps may be added. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
