Abstract:
The portable scent delivery device employs a housing and scent generator which selectively releases scent. The housing is suitably a headset, hat, shoulder harness or personal electronic device like a mobile telephone. The scent travels to the user&#39;s nose by diffusion.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/370,881 filed Apr. 8, 2002; 60/439,588 filed Jan. 13, 2003; and 60/458,185 filed Mar. 27, 2003. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to scent and, more particularly, to a scent delivery device which is worn by a user or housed in a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone. The device allows the user to breath a variety of scents by means of diffusion through the open air. 
   2. Art Related to the Invention 
   Portable electronic devices that store, transmit and display information are common commercial devices such as personal digital assistants (PDA), portable televisions, portable cassette players, portable radios, portable compact disc players, portable digital versatile disc (DVD) players, hand-held computer game apparatus (e.g. Game Boy®), laptop and hand-held computers, and mobile or wireless telephones. These well-known, commercially available devices are portable and allow a user to communicate without the need for a wire between users, to play complex computer games, store data as well as a wide variety of other personal uses. For example mobile telephones come in a variety of configurations, but are all generally hand-held units which fit into a user&#39;s pocket and operate anywhere in the world. 
   A portable scent delivery device is disclosed in International Patent Application Publication No. WO 99/01793 published Jan. 14, 1999. Such a device employs a case which houses scent containers, a mask which is worn by the user, a conduit which connects the case to the mask and a fan which moves scented air from the case through the conduit and to the mask. Such a device constitutes a closed air system. 
   The device of the &#39;793 Publication relies on convection or flow of scented air through a closed conduit system to move the scented air to the user&#39;s nose. Other prior art systems have also relied on fluid flow to move scent to a user&#39;s nose. A number of these prior art systems are open air systems which move the scent through the open air by means of a fan or pump. However, such systems tend to be bulky and not adaptable to miniaturization. 
   There is a need for a miniaturized scent delivery device that can be easily incorporated into portable electronic devices or worn by a user without appreciably increasing the bulk or weight of these portable electronic devices or interfering with the movement of the user. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
   The present invention is a scent delivery device worn by a user or housed in a portable electronic device such as a mobile telephone to provide scent to a user&#39;s nose or, more specifically, to the olfactory receptors of the user&#39;s nose, by means of diffusion. 
   Broadly, the scent delivery device of the present invention comprises: 
   a portable housing which is either a housing adapted to be worn by a user in close proximity to the nose of the user, or is a portable electronic device which is used in close proximity to the nose of the user; and 
   a means for selectively generating scent housed in said housing, wherein the scent travels by diffusion to the user&#39;s nose. 
   The term scent as used in the specification and claims means the effluent that is perceived by the olfactory organs. 
   The phrase portable electronic device (PED) as used in the specification and claims means personal digital assistants (PDA), portable televisions, portable cassette players, portable compact disc (CD) players, portable digital versatile disc (DVD) players, portable radios, laptop and hand-held computers, hand-held electronic game devices (Game Boy®), personal digital assistants (PDA), and mobile or wireless telephones. 
   The phrase housing adapted to be worn by the user as used in the specification and claims means hats, headsets, shoulder harness or neck harness, which is worn by the user; or adhesive or magnet support which is affixed to the skin of the user, thereby allowing the scent generating means to be placed in close proximity to or in the user&#39;s nose. 
   The phrase close proximity to the user&#39;s nose means about 30 inches or less (75 cm or less). This has been found to be an acceptable distance to allow the scent to reach the nose of the user by diffusion. 
   Diffusion is a recognized natural phenomenon of the spreading or scattering of material. In the present invention, diffusion moves the scent from the scent generating means to the nose by the ambient air, or the natural flows of air that surround the user and the scent delivery device. Generally, the scent delivery device will be positioned below the nose of the user and thus the scent will flow upward to the nose. Optionally, the flow of scent by diffusion can be assisted by means of a heater or a fan. As is recognized, hot air generally travels upward. The fan employed in the present invention is small and is not intended to cool the user but to provide a current or direction to the air so as to aid in the movement of scent to the nose. 
   The scent generating means is small and light so as not to hinder the user. The scent generator means can take on a number of embodiments. 
   In a first embodiment, the scent generating means of the present invention comprises a support affixed to the housing; one or more scent sources mounted on the support to selectively provide scent to the user&#39;s nose; and a release means for selectively releasing scent from the scent sources directly to the user&#39;s nose. 
   In this first embodiment of the scent generating means, the support is a silicon chip, disk, or thin plastic film, one side of which is affixed to the housing, the other side of which allows for scent to be released. 
   In this first embodiment of the scent generating means, the release means for selectively releasing scent to the user&#39;s nose acts on the scent source to release the scent. The means includes a micro-mechanical system (MEMS), tape or other means, to release the desired scent to or in the nares. The release means can be activated manually by the electronics of the PED or by its own electronics. 
   The scent source can be of many types for this first embodiment. The scent source can be a micro-container which contains scent molecules in a liquid or gel form. In this embodiment, the container holding the scent molecules is normally, closed, however, when the release means is activated, the container is selectively opened to allow the scent molecules to diffuse into the nares towards the olfactory nerve receptors. 
   The scent source can also be scent molecules which are microencapsulated in heat sensitive capsules. Under conditions of normal environmental temperatures, the microcapsules remain intact and the scent molecules are contained within. They cannot be sensed by the olfactory receptors. However, the means for releasing the scent selectively heats the microcapsules so that the desired scent source is heated and a certain portion of the scent molecules are liberated and allowed to diffuse to the olfactory receptors. As soon as the microcapsules cool, no more scent molecules are liberated from the microcapsules. 
   In a second embodiment of the scent generating means, one or more scent sources are mounted on a delivery means housed in said housing and the delivery means selectively delivers scent from the scent sources directly to the user&#39;s nose. 
   The scent sources are placed near or adjacent to the nares one at a time, or more than one at a time. The delivery means moves the scent source to the user&#39;s nose. The scent sources in this second embodiment are the same as those for the first embodiment. 
   In this second embodiment, the container holding the scent molecules is normally closed, however, when it is moved into position adjacent to the nares, it is selectively opened to allow the scent molecules to diffuse into the nares towards the olfactory nerve receptors. Where microencapsulated scent molecules are used, these molecules are moved under the nose and then heated or activated to release the scent. 
   A first embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) an endless belt rotatably mounted in said housing; 
   (2) each of said scent containers are mounted on said endless belt, a port in each of said scent containers through which scent travels when said port is open, and an elastic flap closing said port to prevent scent from leaving said scent container when said flap is down and allowing scent to travel through said port when said flap is up; 
   (3) an arm mounted in said housing which rides over said flap pushing said flap down when said containers rotate in one direction and when said containers rotate in the other direction said arm pushes said flap up; and 
   (4) a reversible motor mounted in said housing and rotating said endless belt in both said one and said other direction, thereby selectively releasing scent from said scent container. 
   The endless belt can be replaced with a disc that rotates, thus, instead of a linear movement, the scent container has a circular movement. 
   A second embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) a can mounted in the housing, said can having an open end which faces said user and a closed end; 
   (2) each of said scent containers housed in said can, a port in each of said containers through which scent travels when said port is open, said port facing said open end of said can; 
   (3) a rotatable disk mounted against said open end of said can and closing said open end of said can, said disk having one opening which corresponds in size to said port of said scent container; and 
   (4) a motor mounted in said housing and connected to said disk and rotates said disk to align said opening in said disk with said port in said scent container to release scent from one of said containers and to close the other scent containers, thereby selectively releasing scent from said scent container. 
   A third embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) a tube mounted in the housing, said tube having an open end which faces said user&#39;s nose and a closed end; 
   (2) each of said scent containers movably mounted in said tube, a port in each of said scent containers through which said scent travels when said port is open, said port facing said open end of said tube; and 
   (3) a reversible motor mounted in the housing and moving said scent containers individually into and out of said tube through the open end of said tube to place said port of a moved scent container under the nose of the user, thereby selectively releasing scent from said tubes. 
   A fourth embodiment of said delivery means comprises: 
   (1) capillary tubes which are bundled together and attached to said housing in such a way that the other end of each of said capillary tubes is open and the one end of each of said tubes is sealed, the scent containers are formed by said capillary tubes; 
   (2) removable caps are mounted on the other end of the tubes; and 
   (3) a motor attached to said removable caps to selectively open and close said caps to selectively release scent from said tubes. 
   A fifth embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) an endless belt rotatably mounted in said housing; 
   (2) each of said scent containers mounted on said endless belt, a port in each of said scent containers through which scent travels when said port is open, and a hinged cap closing said port to prevent scent from leaving said scent container when said cap is down and allowing scent to travel through said port when said cap is up; 
   (3) a motorized arm mounted on said housing for opening and closing said cap; and 
   (4) a reversible motor mounted on said housing and rotating said endless belt in both said one and said other direction. 
   A sixth embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) an endless belt rotatably mounted in said housing; 
   (2) a scent housing mounted in said housing for placing scent on said endless belt; 
   (3) a cleaner housing mounted in said housing for removing scent from said belt; and 
   (4) a motor for moving said belt so as to move scent on said belt from said scent housing to a user&#39;s nose and then to a cleaner housing. 
   A seventh embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) a matrix in said housing in which each of said scent containers are held; 
   (2) a dynamic alloy wire which is affixed to a cap of said scent containers; and 
   (3) means to activate said dynamic alloy wire to open said cap and allow scent to escape from said container and deactivate said dynamic alloy wire to close said container, said means being controllable, to allow for selection of which cap to open. 
   An eighth embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) a circular endless tube rotatably mounted in the housing in which said scent is housed in compartments, a port in each of said compartments through the wall of the tube through which scent travels when said port is open, and an elastic flap closing said port to prevent scent from leaving said compartments when said flap is down and allowing scent to travel through said port when said flap is up; 
   (2) an arm mounted in said housing which rides over said flap pushing said flap down when said tube rotates in one direction and when said tube rotates in the other direction said arm pushes said flap up; and 
   (4) a reversible motor mounted in said housing and rotating said tube in both said one and said other direction, thereby selectively releasing scent from said compartments. 
   A ninth embodiment of the delivery means comprises: 
   (1) an endless belt rotatably mounted in said housing, microencapsulated scent mounted on said endless belt; 
   (2) a heater mounted near said belt for heating the scent to be released from said belt; and 
   (3) a motor for moving said belt so as to move scent on said belt from said heater to release scent. 
   In any embodiment, a fan or heater can be employed to assist diffusion and provide a current of air on which the scent molecules travel to the nose. 
   With respect to a mobile telephone, the present invention can be defined as an improved mobile telephone wherein one end of the telephone has a microphone and the other end of the telephone has a speaker, the improvement comprising a scent generating means housed in said one end of said mobile telephone for selectively providing scent to a user&#39;s nose by means of diffusion. Because the scent generating means is housed at the microphone end of the telephone, the scent generating means is positioned at or near, in close proximity to the user&#39;s nose when the user talks on the telephone. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other aspects of the present invention may be more fully understood by reference to one or more of the following drawings: 
       FIGS. 1 ,  1 A,  1 B and  1 C illustrate a portable house of the invention, specifically,  FIG. 1  is a mobile telephone,  FIGS. 1A and 1B  are a headset, and  FIG. 1C  is adhesive tape; 
       FIGS. 2 ,  2 A and  3 A– 3 F illustrate the first embodiment of the delivery means and its operation; 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a side and top view of the second embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  7 A and  7 B illustrate the third embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIG. 8  illustrates the fourth embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIGS. 9A and 9B  illustrate the fifth embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIG. 10  illustrates the sixth embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIG. 11  illustrates the seventh embodiment of the delivery means; 
       FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate a top view and cross-section of a disc of the invention; 
       FIG. 14  illustrates a silicon chip of the invention; 
       FIGS. 15 and 16  illustrate a cross-section and top view of the tape of the invention; 
       FIG. 17  illustrates the eighth embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 18  illustrates the ninth embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional mobile telephone  1  with speaker  2  and microphone  3 . Scent generating means  4  is housed in the end of telephone  1  that houses microphone  3 . Telephone  1  is the portable housing in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B  illustrate headset  5  and microphone boom  6 . Boom  6  is affixed to headset  5  by means of articulating joint  7 . Joint  7  allows boom  6  to be moved away from the mouth and nose of user  8 . Scent generating means  4  is housed in boom  6 . Boom  6  can also house a microphone and be used in conjunction with a mobile phone or phone as used by an operator. Headset  5  with boom  6  is the portable housing adapted to be worn by a user in accordance with the present invention. 
     FIG. 1C  illustrates user  8  wearing tape  9  under his nose and above his upper lip. Tape  9  is the portable housing adapted to be worn by a user in accordance with the present invention. 
   Headset  6  is any conventional headset which is preferably adjustable to the head of user  8 . Boom  6  is affixed to headset  6  in any conventional manner, suitably with a nut and bolt. Preferably, boom  6  is movable such that it is adjustable to allow it to be placed under or into the nose of user  8 . 
     FIGS. 2 and 2A  illustrate boom  6  and frame  20  with endless belt  22  mounted thereon. Belt  22  rotates on wheels  24  and  26  while motor  28  provides the power to cause wheel  24  to rotate, thereby moving belt  22 . Scent container  30  is mounted on belt  22 . Each container  30  has a hole in top surface  32  and flap  34  which is affixed to the front of container  30  at point  36 . Arm  38  is affixed to frame  20  at the end of frame  20  that resides near or under the nose of user  8 . Arm  38  is spring biased to allow it to move upward and away from frame  20  in a direction perpendicular to the long axis of frame  20 . 
   Motor  28  is reversible such that it can cause belt  22  to move in forward direction A or reverse direction B. 
   Arm  38  rides over flap  34  when belt  22  moves in forward direction A as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Since flap  34  is affixed to scent container  30  at point  36  and arm  38  is spring biased, when the front of scent container  30  makes initial contact with arm  38 , it pushes arm  38  up and over flap  34 , thereby pushing flap  34  downward against scent container  30  and maintaining hole in top surface  32  closed. 
   In  FIG. 3C , belt  22  is stopped. In  FIGS. 3D and 3E , belt  22  travels in reverse direction B. Because flap  34  is not affixed at the back of container  30  and because arm  38  is spring biased, arm  38  gets under flap  34  when belt  22  operates in reverse direction B. In  FIG. 3F , belt  22  stops and scent escapes from container  30  through the hole in top surface  32 . Since arm  38  is mounted at the end of frame  20  which is at the nose of user  8 , user  8  will smell the scent. 
   Because flap  34  is biased to a closed position as shown in  FIG. 3A , flap  34  will close the hole in top surface  32  when belt  22  moves in forward direction A after being opened as shown in  FIG. 3F . Thus, after the position in  FIG. 3F , when belt  22  moves forward, container  30  and flap  34  will assume the position shown in  FIG. 3C  when arm  38  is moved to behind container  30  as shown in  FIG. 3C . 
   As an alternative to the embodiment in  FIGS. 2 ,  2 A and  3 A– 3 F, arm  38  can be spring loaded to ride off of top  34  and connected to a dynamic alloy wire to bring arm  38  down into a position as shown in  FIG. 3C . Then, movements of  FIG. 3D-3F  are employed to open container  30 . After scent has been delivered, belt  22  is moved in direction of arrow B to close container  30 . The dynamic alloy wire is deactivated and a spring then pulls arm  38  out of the path of container  30 . In this embodiment belt  22  can move in either direction to position container  30  in position to be opened by arm  38 . Other conventional means can be employed to move arm  38  into and out of engagement with container  30 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate a second preferred embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention. In  FIG. 4 , frame  40  has one or more cans  42  mounted thereon. Frame  40  is mounted on or part of the portable housing. Top  44  of cans  42  is open but sealed by disk  46 . Disk  46  is connected by shaft  48  to motor  50 . Motor  50  is affixed to the bottom of boom  40 . Motor  50  rotates disk  46  by means of shaft  48 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 5 , cans  42  contain a plurality of scent containers  52 . Disk  46  has hole  54 . Each scent container  52  is open at top  44  such that when hole  54  resides over one of scent containers  52 , the scent will travel upward through hole  54 . Suitably, one of the wedges in which said container  52  resides can be empty or closed such that there is a point where hole  54  can be positioned and no scent will escape cans  42 . 
     FIGS. 6A ,  6 B,  7 A and  7 B illustrate a third embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention. In  FIG. 6 , frame  60  has tube  62  mounted thereon. Frame  60  is attached to or part of the portable housing. Scent containers  64  are mounted in tube  62  and each contain solid wick  66 . Cap  67  is mounted on end of wick  66  and closes container  64  when wick  66  is retracted inside container  64 . Pistons  68  are mounted at the rear of each scent container  64  while pistons  69  are mounted at the rear of wicks  66 . Motor  70  controls the forward and rearward movements of pistons  68  and  69 . The front of tube  62  has a conical shaped section  72  such that when one of pistons  68  pushes one of containers  64  forward in direction C, the forward moving container  64  is guided out through hole  74  at the end of tube  62 . The length of travel of piston  68  is such to move the end of container  64  with cap  67  outside of tube  62 . Once cap  67  of container  64  has exited through hole  74  as shown in  FIG. 7A , piston  68  stops as does the forward movement or container  64 . Next, piston  69  is activated by motor  70  to cause wick  66  with cap  67  thereon to extend wick  66  outside of tube  62  as shown in  FIG. 7B , and thereby release scent. 
   Motor  70  can move pistons  68  and  69  in rearward direction D thereby moving wick  66  back into container  64  and container  64  back into tube  62 . 
   Each scent container has a wick positioned therein on which a scent has been absorbed or an equivalent arrangement. Wick  66  is stiff to allow it to move itself and cap  67  forward and backward 
     FIG. 8  illustrates a fourth embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention. In  FIG. 8  capillary tubes  80  contain scent  81  and are housed in frame  82 . Frame  82  is housed in or part of the portable housing. Each tube  80  has a capped end  84  and an open end  86 . Disk  88  is mounted on and rotatable about shaft  90 . Motor  92  rotates shaft  90  thereby causing disk  88  to rotate. Disk  88  is designed and operated similar to disk  46  of  FIG. 4  such that disk  88  has hole  94  which rotates so as to open and close end  86  of tube  80 . 
     FIGS. 9A and 9B  illustrate the fifth embodiment of the delivery means of the present invention.  FIG. 9A  is a side view while  FIG. 9B  is a top view. Frame  130  has end  132  where scent is released. Frame  130  is part of or affixed to the portable housing. Endless belt  136  is driven in a forward direction A by wheels and motor arrangement as shown in  FIG. 2 . Mounted on the side of belt  136  are clips  138  which hold container  140  by pressure against belt  136 . 
   Piston  142  moves both forward E to push containers  140  out of clip  138  and into corral  144 . Piston  142  then retracts. Activator  146  moves upward G to open the cap of container  140  and downward H to close container  140 . Piston  148  moves forward F 1  to push container  140  back into clip  138  and then retracts in direction E 1  to allow for unobstructed movement of belt  136 . 
   By opening and closing container  140  in this way, scent is released. The cap of container  140  is hinged. The concentration of the scent is controlled by the degree of opening of the cap. Activator  146  varies in its position of opening and closing. 
   Frame  130  can include a temperature sensor to determine how far open the container should be. This is based on vapor pressure for the scent employed in the device. 
     FIG. 10  illustrates the sixth embodiment of the delivery means wherein a frame similar to the one depicted in  FIG. 2  is illustrated with two ends  15  and  16 . Specifically, frame  20  has endless belt  22  mounted on wheels  24  and  26  with motor  28  providing power to rotate belt  22  in direction A. In this embodiment, housing  120  releases scent molecules  122  onto belt  22  and belt  22  carries scent molecules  122  to under the nose of user  8 . End  16  of frame  20  is positioned in close proximity to the user&#39;s nose such that when scent molecules  122  come into close proximity to the user&#39;s nose, scent will travel to the user&#39;s nose by diffusion. When belt  22  is continued to be rotated scent molecules  122  will pass through housing  124  and housing  124  cleans belt  22  to remove scent molecules  122  from belt  22 . Housing  120  can release a plurality of scents into one location of the belt thereby synthesizing scent on the spot. Housing  120  can employ any conventional means to deposit the scent onto the belt, for example with an inkjet type process. 
     FIG. 11  illustrates the seventh embodiment of the delivery means wherein containers  30  are housed in a body portion of frame  20  with dynamic alloy wire  200  connected to cap  202 . Each cap  202  has spring  204  which biases cap  202  in a closed position. Microprocessor  206  is connected to each wire  200  and controls the activation and deactivation of wire  200 , thereby controlling the opening and closing of cap  202 . 
     FIGS. 12 and 13  illustrate a disk  100  having adhesive  102  on one side of disk  100  and cavities  104  with microcapsules  106  housed therein on the other side of disk  100 . Microprocessor  108  is attached by wires  110  to heater  112 . Microprocessor  108  is controlled by the electronics in the PED or by a separate means which communicates in a conventional way to microprocessor  108  to control the scent that is released. Heater  112  not only causes the release of scent from microcapsule  106 , but can also cause an air current by the fact that the air is heated to above ambient temperatures, thereby causing an upward flow of air. 
   Instead of heater  112  to activate release of scent, a means can be employed to open and close cavities  104 . Specifically, each open end of cavity  104  can be capped with a micromechanical cap, a microelectrical cap, or a molecular cap. These different types of caps are made in a conventional manner and operate in a conventional way to open and close cavity  104 , thereby controlling the release of scent. Heater  112  can still be employed to promote movement of the scent molecules and provide a current of air to carry the scent to the user&#39;s nose. Microprocessor  108  is used to control the opening and closing of cavity  104 . 
   It will be understood by those of skill in the art that disc  100  can be a silicon chip into which capillary tubes or wells have been etched into the chip. These wells and tubes, often referred to as nanochannels, are often on the order of a few microns (micrometers) in diameter. They are able to house scent molecules because the scent molecules are smaller than the diameter of the nanochannels. 
   In  FIG. 14  such a silicon chip is illustrated. In this embodiment, a plurality of microcapsules or cavities  114  are embedded within microchip  115 . Each microcapsule  114  contains a small quantity of a concentrated scent-producing substance. Each capsule  114  may have a cap to prevent unintended release of the scent. Alternatively, the scent-producing substance may be a solid. Bottom side  116  has adhesive for affixing to the portable housing. 
   Microcapsules  114  are preferably arranged in a matrix grid on the microchip  115  as shown in  FIG. 14 . A grid of electrodes  117  are overlaid on or electrically connected to microcapsules  114  and connected by wires or other conductors to microprocessor  118 . Microprocessor  118  is housed on microchip  115 . Battery  119  supplies power. 
   The user selects a specific scent by pre-programming microprocessor  118 . Microprocessor  118  energizes the proper horizontal and vertical electrodes  117  for microcapsule  114  containing the selected scent. A heating element at the intersection of electrodes  117  heats up the specific microcapsule to release the scent. Alternatively, a catalyst or other chemical could be released or electrically activated at the intersection point to generate the desired scent. Or a piezoelectric lid may be positioned over each scent cavity, the lid opening when electrically energized to release the scent. 
   The electronics of the PED or switches can be added to the portable housing worn by the user to allow the user to control which microcapsules are energized. 
   It will be recognized that more than one cavity  114  or  104  can be opened at one time thereby allowing for the synthesis of scent by the device itself. 
     FIGS. 15 and 16  illustrate one embodiment of the present invention wherein a tape is employed either as the portable housing or to affix the scent generating means to the portable housing. Tape  150  has adhesives layer  152  on one side and cover tape  154  on the other side. Cover tape  154  adheres to the top of tape  150  because of adhesive layer  156 . In or on tape  150  are pockets  158  of scent  160 . By peeling back cover tape  154  in the direction of arrow A, pockets are opened and scent  160  can escape. By replacing cover tape  154  over opened pocket  158 , scent  160  is no longer released from pocket  158 , thus stopping the diffusion of scent to the user. 
     FIG. 17  illustrates the eighth embodiment of the present invention where a wheel-motor arrangement  24 ,  26 ,  28  is employed and tube  161  is compartmentalized into individual compartments that house scent  162 . Each compartment has port  163  and flap  164  which is biased in a closed position. Arm  165  rides over flap  164  when tube  161  moves in the direction of arrow A. When tube  161  is moved in a direction opposite arrow A, arm  165  rides under flap  164  and opens flap  164  allowing scent to escape from the compartments. The operation and movement of this embodiment works similar to the first embodiment as shown in  FIGS. 3A–3F . Protection tube  166  is stationary and affixed to housing  20 . Tube  161  moves about wheels  24 ,  26  driven by motor  28  both forward and reverse. Microcontrol controls the movement of motor  28 . 
     FIG. 18  illustrates the ninth embodiment where endless belt  22  is pre-formed with microencapsulated scent  125  adhered to belt  22 . Housing  126  has either a heater to open the capsules or a mechanical arm that provides shear to break the microcapsules and release the scent. The microcontroller of the devices is used to both rotate the belt to position the correct scent in housing  126  and to activate the heater or arm to release the scent. Depending on the type of microcapsule, either a heater or an arm is employed. Belt  22  can have either multiple scents or a single scent. 
   A fan or heater can be mounted in association with the present invention to create a current of air directed towards the nose or face of the user and thereby assist in the diffusion of scent molecules to the nose. Suitable fans include axle fans. Such fans are conventional fans which are small in size. One such fan measures 1½ inches×1½ inches by 1 inch (4×4×2.5 cm) and moves 7 cubic feet of air per minute (0.2 cum). 
   The present invention has been found to work well provided the PED is at a distance of less than or equal to about 30 inches (75 cm) from the user. 
   Instead of adhesive tape, a magnetic arrangement can be employed so that the device can be placed inside the nose. In this embodiment, for example, adhesive  102  of disk  100  ( FIG. 3 ) is replaced with a magnet. The device is placed in one nostril and a small round ball is placed on the outside of the nostril to fix the device temporarily inside the nostril. 
   In the embodiments that employ a moving belt or moving disc to open and close the scent containers, sensors are employed to provide feedback as to the location of the scent containers to allow the microprocessor to control the placement and to know the location of the scent container. 
   Additionally, the device of the present invention can receive input from any source of electronic content to synchronize the scent delivery with that content. For example, a video game played on the PED can communicate with the microcontroller to synchronize the scent delivery with the visual images of the game. Such synchronization can also be done between the device of the present invention and a stationary electronic device. The connection and programming are done in a conventional manner using conventional electronics. 
   The microprocessor and the battery for the device of the present invention can be made external to the device such that they are housed in a case worn on the belt or in a pocket of the user and connected by conventional wires to the electronics of the device. 
   It will be understood that the claims are intended to cover all changes and modifications of the preferred embodiments of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not constitute a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.