Optimizing Plant Growth with Spectral Deficiency Automation

Introduction

As global demand for food continues to grow, agricultural industries are under increasing pressure to improve the efficiency and yield of their production systems. Traditional farming practices often lack the precision required to maximize plant growth, especially in controlled environments like greenhouses, vertical farms, and indoor growing systems. Our patented spectral deficiency-driven control system offers a smart, automated solution designed to optimize plant growth by precisely managing the light spectrum based on the specific needs of crops. This innovative technology allows growers to fine-tune lighting conditions, ensuring plants receive the exact wavelengths necessary for each stage of growth, resulting in higher yields and improved resource efficiency.

Challenges in Current Plant Growth Automation

In controlled environment agriculture (CEA) settings, such as greenhouses and vertical farms, lighting plays a critical role in plant development. However, traditional lighting systems often fail to adjust to the evolving needs of plants throughout their growth cycle. Plants require different wavelengths of light at different stages of growth—such as red light for flowering and blue light for vegetative growth. When these needs are not met, plants may experience reduced growth rates, lower yields, and suboptimal quality.

Furthermore, manual adjustments to lighting systems can be time-consuming and imprecise, leading to wasted energy and unnecessary operational costs. For growers looking to maximize efficiency and yield, there is a growing demand for intelligent automation solutions that can respond dynamically to plant growth conditions.

An Intelligent Solution for Precise Plant Lighting

Our patented spectral deficiency-driven control system is designed to monitor the specific lighting needs of plants and automatically adjust the spectrum to optimize growth. Using real-time data and intelligent algorithms, the system identifies deficiencies in the light spectrum and compensates by delivering the precise wavelengths plants require at each stage of their life cycle. This ensures that plants receive the optimal amount and type of light, improving growth rates, yield, and quality.

The system is fully automated, allowing growers to focus on other aspects of plant care while ensuring that lighting is always optimized for maximum productivity. By minimizing the manual adjustments needed for lighting systems, the technology also reduces energy consumption and lowers operational costs, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution for both small and large-scale farming operations.

Key Benefits

Precision Light Spectrum Control: Automatically adjusts the light spectrum to match the specific needs of plants, promoting optimal growth at each stage.
Increased Yield and Quality: Ensures plants receive the ideal light for improved growth rates, leading to higher yields and better-quality crops.
Energy Efficiency: Reduces energy waste by delivering only the necessary light wavelengths, lowering operational costs.
Automation for Scalability: Ideal for greenhouses, vertical farms, and other controlled environment agricultural systems, streamlining operations and maximizing efficiency.

Elevating Smart Farming with Automated Light Control

Licensing this spectral deficiency-driven control system provides agricultural technology companies and growers with a powerful tool to enhance plant growth, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity. This technology offers a scalable solution for smart farming operations that want to optimize their use of resources while delivering superior plant yields and quality.

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Abstract
Claims

Disclosed is a spectral deficiency-driven control system in a plant growth automation, the system comprising: a facilities resource management system; a processor; a memory element coupled to the processor; encoded instructions; wherein the system is further configured to: over a network, receive at least one of a facility systems data; based on the received facility systems data, control an action via the facilities resource management system; wherein the received facility systems data is gathered via at least one facility sensor configured to detect facility-incoming and, or facility-generated light spectra and a sensor manager for determining a deficiency in light spectra; and wherein the actions controlled by the facilities resource management system is augmenting at least one of a spectral output of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source; light brightness; and, or a light height adjustment, based on the spectral deficiency.

I claim:

1. A spectral deficiency-driven control system in a plant growth automation, said system comprising:

a facilities resource management system;

a processor;

a memory element coupled to the processor;

encoded instructions;

wherein the control system is further configured to:

over a network, receive at least one of a facility systems data;

based on the received facility systems data, control an action via the facilities resource management system;

wherein the received facility systems data is gathered via at least one facility sensor configured to detect at least one of: facility-incoming and facility-generated light spectra and a sensor manager for determining a deficiency in light spectra; and

wherein the action controlled by the facilities resource management system is augmenting at least one of a spectral output of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source; light brightness; and a light height adjustment, based on said deficiency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the facilities resource management system comprises at least one of at least one facility sensor configured for detecting at least one of facility-incoming and facility-generated light spectra; at least one sensor manager for aggregating light spectra data from the at least one of the facility sensors; a processor for detecting a threshold-grade light spectra deviation from a reference light spectra profile; and a controller for augmenting at least one of a spectral output of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source; light brightness; real light height adjustment; and a virtual light height adjustment based on a presence and amount of the threshold-grade light spectra deviation from the reference light spectra profile.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the facilities resource management system, based on the presence and amount of the threshold-grade light spectra deviation from the reference light spectra profile, vary a spectral output of at least one of a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) spectral channels from at least a single LED light source or from an array of LED light sources.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the facilities resource management system, based on the presence and amount of the threshold-grade light spectra deviation from the reference light spectra profile, activate a pulley control to tensionally control the line to adjust the height of at least one LED light sources from a top of at least one foliage canopy.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the facilities resource management system, based on the presence and amount of the threshold-grade light spectra deviation from the reference light spectra profile, vary a light intensity from at least one LED light source to a top, side, and, or bottom of at least one foliage.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the facilities resource management system, based on the presence and amount of the threshold-grade light spectra deviation from the reference light spectra profile, vary a light beam path, thereby varying a virtual light height adjustment between at least one LED light source and a top of at least one foliage by modulating a degree of movement or activity from at least one of a pointed source or linear array source of LED light.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the reference light spectra profile comprises light spectra data from sensors disposed on a top and exterior of a facility, wherein incoming light is unimpeded by structural or atmospheric impediments.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the reference light spectra profile comprises an aggregate of light spectra data of gathered incoming light unimpeded by structural or atmospheric impediments, over a period of time.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one facility sensor is at least one of a spectrometer, spectral radiometer, and a photo sensor configured for detecting at least one of a facility-incoming and a facility-generated, light spectra; operably communicative with at least one of a sensor manager and, or a processor for detecting a threshold-grade light spectra deviation from a reference light spectra profile; and capable of augmenting at least one of a controller-mediated function based on said deviation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one facility sensor is disposed on at least one of an exterior or interior of a plant growth facility; top of a foliage canopy; top of a foliage soil bed; on any one of a side of a foliage container unit; on any one of a side of a rack of foliage container units; on any surface of a spectrally-tuned light fixture; and, or on any fixture delivering any one of a controller-mediated output.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein any one of the controller-mediated function is operable with at least one third party interface via an Application Program Interface (API) gateway.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein any one of the controller-mediated function action triggers a second set of actions controlled by a—if this, then that—script manager.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the deficiency in light spectra is determined by comparing actual light spectra at a plant canopy-level against a reference light spectra profile by the sensor manager.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined deficiency in light spectra is by comparing an actual spectra profile against a probabilistic-modeled reference light spectra profile to determine a threshold-grade discrepancy.

15. The system of claim 1,

wherein the facility resource management system receives facility systems data corresponding to soil characteristics, and

an action controlled by the facilities resource management system is to dispense at least one of fertilizer and water to the soil.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the deficiency is adequate energy control, causing a need for temperature regulation, as a result of the light spectra inherent energy.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the height of at least one LED light source is adjusted in response to the deficiency.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein

the system continually stores received facilities system data, in the memory, and

the encoded instructions include algorithms for machine learning based on the stored facilities system data, enabling the system to learn and self-optimize in response to plant growth patterns.

19. A spectral deficiency-driven control system in a plant growth automation, said system comprising:

at least one sensor configured to detect any number of segments of a light spectrum of at least one of facility-incoming and facility-generated light;

at least one sensor manager capable of detecting a deficiency within any number of segments of light spectrum of the detected facility light by comparing an actual light spectra profile with a reference light spectra profile and determining a threshold-grade deviation;

at least one controller for at least one of actuating and managing at least one of a plant growth automation system output based on said threshold-grade deviation; and

wherein the controller is operably coupled to the sensor manager for causing any one of, or combination of, control, synchronization, coordination, and calibration of plant growth automaton systems, thereby enabling at least one of adaptive actuation and management of plant growth automation system outputs based on the determined threshold-grade deviation.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plant growth automation system output is at least one of a spectral output of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source; light brightness; and a light height adjustment, based on the sensor manager-determined threshold-grade deviation.

21. A spectral deficiency-driven control device in a plant growth automation, said device comprising:

at least one integrated sensor portion;

at least one integrated sensor manager;

a processor;

a memory element coupled to the processor;

encoded instructions;

wherein the device is further configured to:

receive at least one of a facility systems data by the at least one integrated sensor portion;

based on the received facility systems data, the sensor manager determines a threshold-grade deviation between the received facility systems data and an updated reference facility systems data profile; and

based on the threshold-grade deviation, cause any one of, or combination of, control, synchronization, coordination, and calibration of any number of plant growth automaton system outputs, thereby enabling adaptive actuation or management of plant growth automation system outputs.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the received facility systems data is at least one of any number of wavelength segments of a light spectrum of incoming light detected by at least one light spectra sensor and, or a detected deficiency within any number of wavelength segments of light spectrum by comparing an actual light spectra profile with a reference light spectra profile and determining a threshold-grade deviation for causing an operational state change.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the plant growth automation system outputs are at least one of varying spectral output of at least one light emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source, varying a light brightness, varying a real height from at least one LED light source and a top of a foliage, and, or varying a light beam path from at least one LED light source and a top of a foliage for causing a virtual foliage height adjustment.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the facility systems data comprises actual light spectra at a plant canopy-level and the deviation in light spectra is determined by comparing the actual light spectra against a reference light spectra profile by the sensor manager.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the actual light spectra at the plant canopy-level is detected by integrated sensors configured for measuring light spectra reflected from the top of the canopy.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the reference facility systems data profile comprises light spectra data from at least one sensor disposed on a top and exterior of a facility, wherein the incoming light sensed is unimpeded by structural or atmospheric impediments.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the reference facility systems data profile comprises an aggregate of light spectra data of sensed incoming light unimpeded by structural or atmospheric impediments, over a period of time.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the deviation in light spectra is by comparing an actual facility systems data against a probabilistic-modeled reference facility systems data profile to determine a threshold-grade discrepancy.

29. A spectral deficiency-driven method, said method comprising the steps of:

sensing at least one facility characteristic by at least one facility sensor, generating facility systems data,

wherein at least one facility systems data corresponds to wavelength segments of a light spectrum,

receiving, by a plant growth management system, at least one of a facility systems data over a network; and

wherein, the plant growth management system comprises a control system, comprising a controller, and a facilities resource management system comprising a processor, a memory, and encoded instructions,

comparing a real-time light spectra profile, composed from the light spectrum facility systems data, with a reference light spectra profile and determining a threshold-grade deviation for causing an operation state change of a plant growth automation,

controlling, by the plant growth management system, an action via any one of, or combination of a facilities resource management system based on the facilities systems data, wherein the actions controlled are at least one of varying spectral output of at least one light-emitting diode (LED) channel from at least one LED light source, light brightness, real light height, and a light-beam path for causing a virtual foliage height adjustment.

Title

Spectral deficiency driven control systems and methods in plant growth automation

Inventor(s)

Sam Lee

Assignee(s)

Infinity Capital LLC

Patent #

10517226

Patent Date

December 31, 2019