| abstract |
A system for recording, analyzing, editing, and playback of scents is disclosed. A scent can be sampled and represented in various manners, such as by reference to an activation pattern of olfactory receptors (determined experimentally or by using computer programs), description of chemical structure, description of its characteristics by a panel of human subjects, or its pattern of interaction with an artificial scent-sensing device (an 'artificial nose' device). A scent emitter having a set of chemicals which can be volatilized is disclosed for re-creation of the scents from the stored scent representation. The scent representation can be transmitted over computer networks, such as the Internet, for re-creation at remote locations, and can be stored for re-creation of the scent at times different from the time of sampling of the scent. The system finds applications in advertisements which may appear on pages on the World Wide Web, in re-creating scents for forensic or quality control analysis, as enhancements to virtual reality simulations, custom creation of scents by scent designers, and other uses. |