Scent Dispensation

摘要

A scent dispenser may comprise a vial retaining mechanism, a heating element, vial sensor, and a controller. The vial retaining mechanism includes a vial coupling that removeably retains a vial containing a scented solution. The includes a wick extending from a cavity of the vial through an opening of a neck of the vial. The heating element is shaped to receive and heat the wick of the vial. The vial sensor includes an array of sensor pads that are arranged in alignment with the vial retained by the vial coupling. The controller is electrically coupled to the heating element and electrically coupled to the array of sensor pads. The controller regulates a temperature level of the heating element, and receives signals from the array of sensor pads and processing the signals to determine a fluid level of the vial.

主权项

1. A vial sensing apparatus, comprising:
a first vial including a first side, one or more sidewalls, and a second side, the one or more sidewalls connecting the first side to the second side, the first side, the one or more sidewalls, and the second side collectively forming an inner cavity, the first side including an opening through which a solution containable in the inner cavity is dispensed from the first vial; and a vial sensor including a first array of sensor pads electrically coupled to a controller, a sidewall from the one or more sidewalls of the first vial being situated adjacent to the first array of sensor pads within an first array of electric fields, the first array of sensor pads being electrically charged to produce the first array of electric fields, the controller detecting changes in one or more of the electric fields of the first array as the solution is dispensed from the first vial.