Systems, methods and articles to provide olfactory sensations

Abstract

A scent release system includes scent cartridges containing temperature activated scent media. The scent cartridges may bear machine-readable identification that specifies which scent media are carried by the cartridge. The scent release system can be controlled by a timer to initiate a phase change of the scent media to selectively release one or more scents, followed by a reverse phase change to selectively stop release of the respective scents. A scent release system in conjunction with a mobile electronic device, such as a smart phone, allows sending and receiving scent messages. The scent release system can be built into a case for the mobile electronic device, eliminating the need for a separate unit. A private scent delivery device in the form of a headset can be worn by users of a scent release system or by scent message recipients.

1 . A scent cartridge, comprising:
 a substrate;   a plurality of temperature activated scent media carried by the substrate, the temperature activated scent media each selectively activatable to release a respective scent and to stop releasing the respective scent, the scents released by at least two of the temperature activated scent media different from one another; and   at least one machine-readable identification structure physically associated with the substrate, the at least one machine-readable identification structure which provides machine-readable identification information that specifies each of the respective scents of the temperature activated scent media carried by the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the at least one machine-readable identification structure includes at least one machine-readable symbol carried by at least a portion of the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         3 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the at least one machine-readable identification structure includes at least one wireless transponder carried by at least a portion of the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         4 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the at least one machine-readable identification structure includes at least one ridge or depression on the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the at least one machine-readable identification structure includes at least one magnetic strip carried by the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the machine-readable identification information specifies a cartridge type, and each of a plurality of scent cartridges having respective temperature activated scent media that release a same combination of scents are identified by the cartridge type. 
     
     
         7 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the machine-readable identification information specifies individual scents for each of the temperature activated scent media carried by the substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the machine-readable identification information further distinguishes the scent cartridge from each one of a plurality of other scent cartridges. 
     
     
         9 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one alignment structure, the scent cartridge sized to be at least partially received in a housing, the alignment structure cooperatively interfacing with a complimentary alignment structure of the housing to at least one position to orient the temperature activated scent media in a defined orientation with respect to a set of activation elements in the housing.   
     
     
         10 . The scent cartridge of  claim 9  wherein there are at least four of the temperature activated scent media spatially distributed on a planar surface of the substrate in an ordered array of rows and columns to thermally conductively couple to a respective one of the activation elements of the set of activation elements, each of the temperature activated scent media have a respective major axis, each of the temperature activated scent media arranged with the respective major axis extending perpendicularly to the planar surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The scent cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the temperature activated scent media are arranged in a particular order according to a scent type convention. 
     
     
         12 . The scent cartridge of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a metallic foil in physical contact with at least some of the temperature activated scent media, the metallic foil thermally conductively coupling the temperature activated scent media to respective ones of the activation elements when the scent cartridge is at least partially received in the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The scent cartridge of  claim 1  wherein the temperature activated scent media takes the form of a wax impregnated with a respective volatile, lipophilic, or oil-based scent substance. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operation in a scent delivery system to provide scent from scent cartridges, the method comprising:
 removably receiving a scent cartridge by the scent delivery system, the scent cartridge bearing a number of scent media that selectively release respective scents;   reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system;   receiving a set of scent activation information by the scent delivery system, the set of scent activation information specifying a temporal sequence of scents to be released;   determining by at least one processor of the scent delivery system whether the scent cartridge is appropriate for the set of scent activation information; and   in response to determining that the scent cartridge is appropriate for the set of scent activation information, activating the scent media according to the set of scent activation information to provide scent from the scent delivery system.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the scent cartridge is inappropriate for the set of scent activation information, providing a notification from the scent delivery system.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein providing a notification from the scent delivery system includes causing a transducer of a communicatively coupled mobile electronic device to provide at least one visual, aural or tactile alert. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein providing a notification from the scent delivery system includes transmitting a message to a communicatively coupled processor-based device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the scent cartridge is inappropriate for the set of scent activation information, activating the scent media in an order specified by a spatial position of the scent media in the scent cartridge that corresponds to a number of spatial positions specified by the set of scent activation information.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes optically reading at least one machine-readable symbol physically associated with the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes wirelessly reading information from a wireless transponder physically associated with the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes magnetically reading information from a magnetic strip physically associated with the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes reading identification information that identifies a cartridge type of the scent cartridge, the cartridge type indicative of the scents releasable by all scent cartridges sharing the same cartridge type. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes reading identification information that identifies each scent releasable by the scent cartridge. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reading machine-readable information from the scent cartridge removably received by the scent delivery system includes reading identification information that distinguishes the scent cartridge from each—of a plurality of other scent cartridges. 
     
     
         25 - 69 . (canceled)