SCENT BLENDING

Number: 20190262739
Published: 2019-08-29
Filed: 2018-02-26
Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors: Reichow; Mark A., Catanzaro; Samantha M., Lester; David, Johnson; Steven A.
CPC: A63J5/00; A61L9/01; A63J25/00; A61L9/125; A63G31/00; G05B15/02
Verdict: High Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Scent blending immersive theme park effect system.

Abstract

One embodiment of the present disclosure may take the form of a method of dispersing scents in congruity with entertainment. Multiple scents are dispersed into the environment surrounding a participant at various points in congruity with visual entertainment. The scents are selectively provided at various times to coincide with the display of one or more elements in the entertainment experience such as a location or character. One embodiment of the present disclosure may take the form of a system for blending scents. The system includes an airflow source, a plurality of scent distributors, and a controller operably coupled to the airflow source and plurality of scent distributors to selectively control delivery of the scents from the plurality of scent distributors to bulk airflow delivered to a participant environment.

Background

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to scent delivery and entertainment methods and systems.BACKGROUND

Scents can induce olfaction and olfaction memory in the brain of a subject. Scents are processed by the olfactory bulb, which extends from the nose to the bottom of the brain. The olfactory bulb is an integral part of the limbic system which is the same part of the brain that performs functions including long-term memory, motivation, behavior, and emotion. Such close coupling may be why the sense of smell triggers memories and emotions for most people. Scent is arguably the most powerful human sense as it is the only sense integrally processed in the limbic system along with other fundamental functions such memory and emotion. Scents can be used to trigger memories or emotional responses.

The science of scent augmentation likely began historically as a way to mask or cover unpleasant smells that occurred in an environment. Perfumes and plant extracts were used to cover offensive odors from people and animals. Even today scent augmentation has been used at large scale malodorous facilities such as the Blue Plains wastewater treatment facility that notoriously causes unpleasant odors in Alexandria, Va. This history focused on using scent to hide or overpower scents in an environment and was in direct contrast with the idea of using scent augmentation artistically to recreate an environment for entertainment purposes.

It is useful to think abo

Claims

1. A method for providing time-varying scent effects in a scripted entertainment event, the method comprising: providing a scent score defining a sequence of scent dispersion instructions arranged on a timeline; executing the sequence of scent dispersion instructions using one or more scent dispersion devices to produce multiple scents having intensity and composition that vary over time according to the scent score; distributing multiple scents produced by the one or more scent dispersion devices to a participant in the entertainment event, where each scent dispersion instruction of the sequence of scent dispersion instructions corresponds to at least one of the multiple scents and is distributed to the participant in time with a story element of a corresponding story script for the scripted entertainment event. 5. A method of dispersing scents in congruity with entertainment, the method comprising: providing a first scent media producing a first scent representing a first set of physical objects appearing in the entertainment; displaying an entertainment experience comprising time-varying representations of the first set of represented physical objects; and while displaying the entertainment experience, controlling a quantity of scent molecules from the first scent media introduced into air surrounding a participant in coordination to a characteristic of the time-varying representations, wherein the characteristic includes a perceived distance between the participant and the first set of represented physical objects, a perceived size of the first set of represented physical objects, a perceived density of the first set of represented physical objects, a perceived atmospheric conditions between the participant and the first set of represented physical objects, or perceived obstructions between the participant and the first set of represented physical objects. 12. A method of dispersing scent in congruity with story-based entertainment, the method comprising: providing a first scent associated with a first story element; providing a second scent associated with a second story element; while displaying the story-based entertainment, controllably releasing the first and second scents in congruity with at least one of the first or second story elements. 17. A method of creating a time-varying scent experience, the method comprising: dispersing a first scent in a perceivable magnitude into a breathing air volume of a participant during a first time period for a first duration; and reducing the perceivable magnitude of the first scent during a second time period for a second duration. 22. A scent blending system, comprising: an airflow source that generates a bulk airflow; a plurality of scent distributors fluidly connected to the bulk airflow, wherein each scent distributor corresponds to a scent; a controller in electrical communication with the scent distributors, wherein the controller selectively activates the scent distributors to add one or more scents to the bulk airflow.