Systems and methods for providing temperature control in a grow pod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10568275-B2
Application number	US-201815970048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A temperature control system includes a shell including an enclosed area, one or more carts moving on a track within the enclosed area, an air supplier within the enclosed area, one or more vents connected to the air supplier and configured to output air within the enclosed area, and a controller. The controller includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, and machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to: identify a plant on the one or more carts, determine a temperature recipe for the identified plant, and control a temperature of the air output from the one or more vents based on the temperature recipe for the identified plant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A temperature control system comprising:
a shell including an enclosed area;
one or more carts moving on a track within the enclosed area;
an air supplier within the enclosed area;
an imaging sensor configured to capture an image of a plant in the one or more carts;
one or more vents connected to the air supplier and configured to output air within the enclosed area; and
a controller comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory modules; and
machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
identify the plant on the one or more carts;
determine a temperature recipe for the identified plant;
control a temperature of the air output from the one or more vents based on the temperature recipe for the identified plant;
receive an image of the plant the in one or more carts captured by the imaging sensor; and
update the temperature recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

2. The temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
determine a humidity recipe for the identified plant; and
control a humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant.

3. The temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the shell includes photoelectric cell on an outer surface of the shell.

4. The temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
determine a size or a color of the plant based on the captured image; and
update the temperature recipe for the plant based on the size or color of the plant.

5. The temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the track includes an ascending portion wrapping around a first axis perpendicular to ground and a descending portion wrapping around a second axis perpendicular to the ground.

6. The temperature control system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosed area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas.

7. The temperature control system of claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the temperature of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas independently.

8. The temperature control system of claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the temperature of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas based on days of simulated growth for the identified plant.

9. A method for controlling temperature for plants in an assembly line grow pod, the method comprising:
sending, by a grow pod computing device, instructions to one or more carts to move along a track within an area enclosed by a shell;
identifying, by the grow pod computing device, a plant in the one or more carts;
determining, by the grow pod computing device, a temperature recipe for the identified plant;
controlling, by the grow pod computing device, a temperature of air output from one or more vents of the assembly line grow pod based on the temperature recipe for the identified plant;
receiving, by the grow pod computing device, an image of the plant in one or more carts captured by an imaging sensor; and
updating the temperature recipe for the plant based on the received image of the plant.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a humidity recipe for the identified plant; and
controlling a humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shell includes photoelectric cell on an outer surface of the shell.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining a size or a color of the plant based on the captured image; and
updating the temperature recipe for the plant based on the size or color of the plant.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling, by the grow pod computing device, temperature of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas independently.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling, by the grow pod computing device, temperature of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas based on days of simulated growth for the identified plant.

16. A controller for one or more vents of an assembly line grow pod,
one or more processors;
one or more memory modules storing temperature recipes; and
machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
identify a plant in a cart within an area enclosed by a shell;
retrieve a temperature recipe for the identified plant from the one or more memory modules;
control a temperature of air output from one or more vents of the assembly line grow pod based on the temperature recipe for the identified plant;
receive an image of the plant in the cart; and
update the temperature recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

17. The controller of claim 16 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
determine a humidity recipe for the identified plant; and
control a humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant.

18. The controller of claim 16 , wherein the area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas.

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

• Millar Gary Bret
• Stott Mark Gerald
• Tueller Todd Garrett
• Hurst Michael Stephen
• Bentley Alan Ray
• Woodbury Taylor John

Classifications

• A01G9/246 Primary

  Air-conditioning systems · CPC title

• A01G31/042

  with containers travelling on a belt or the like, or conveyed by chains · CPC title

• A01G31/06

  Hydroponic culture on racks or in stacked containers · CPC title

• A01G9/24 Primary

  Devices {or systems} for heating, ventilating, regulating temperature {, illuminating}, or watering, in greenhouses, forcing-frames, or the like · CPC title

• A01G9/143

  Equipment for handling produce in greenhouses · CPC title