Devices, systems, and methods for providing and using crop control hardware in a master controller in an assembly line grow pod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10757870-B2
Application number	US-201815926771-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for providing and operating crop control hardware are provided herein. Some embodiments include an assembly line grow pod having a master controller with a plurality of bays and being communicatively coupled to components of the grow pod, a crop control module within one of the bays such that the crop control module is communicatively coupled to the master controller and the components of the grow pod, and a second control module in one of the bays, which is removably insertable such that it is removable from the bay without altering the assembly line grow pod functionality. The crop control module is programmed to sense a removal of the second control module, determine control signals necessary to maintain an operation of the grow pod and the components of the grow pod, and provide the control signals to the grow pod or the components of the grow pod.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly line grow pod comprising:
a master controller comprising a plurality of bays, the master controller communicatively coupled to one or more components of the assembly line grow pod;
a crop control module received within a first bay of the plurality of bays of the master controller such that the crop control module is communicatively coupled to the master controller and the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod; and
a second control module in a second bay of the plurality of bays, the second control module being removably insertable such that the second control module is removable from the second bay of the plurality of bays without altering a functionality of the assembly line grow pod,
wherein the crop control module is programmed to sense a removal of the second control module, determine one or more control signals necessary to maintain an operation of the assembly line grow pod and the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod, and provide the one or more control signals to the assembly line grow pod or the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod on behalf of the second control module.

2. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the crop control module is removably insertable such that the crop control module is removable from the first bay of the plurality of bays without altering a functionality of the assembly line grow pod or the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod.

3. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the crop control module is fixed within the first bay of the plurality of bays of the master controller such that the crop control module is not removable from the master controller.

4. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the second control module controls components that supply water, components that supply nutrients, components that adjust ambient air conditions, components that adjust lighting, components that provide seeds, components that harvest plants, components that clean trays, or components that direct movement of carts on a track of the assembly line grow pod.

5. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising:
a track; and
a plurality of carts supporting trays, the plurality of carts movable along the track,
wherein one or more control modules in the master controller provides one or more control signals to the plurality of carts to cause movement of the plurality of carts along the track.

6. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more lighting devices;
a seeder component;
a harvester component; and
a sanitizer component,
wherein one or more control modules in the master controller provides one or more control signals to the one or more lighting devices, the seeder component, the harvester component, and the sanitizer component.

7. A master controller in an assembly line grow pod, the master controller comprising:
a plurality of bays, each one of the plurality of bays comprising a bay I/O port that is communicatively coupled to one or more components of the assembly line grow pod; and
a crop control module received within a first bay of the plurality of bays of the master controller, the crop control module comprising:
an I/O port communicatively coupled to the bay I/O port,
a processing device, and
a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processing device to:
receive an input,
determine an action to be completed based on the input, wherein the action comprises providing one or more instructions or signals for operation of the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod,
determine a second control module within a second bay of the plurality of bays for completing the action,
transmit an instruction to the second control module, the instruction directing the second control module to complete the action,
receive a second input;
determine a second action to be completed based on the second input, wherein the second action comprises providing one or more second instructions or signals for operation of the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod,
determine that no other control module is available or exists within the plurality of bays for completing the second action; and
complete the second action.

8. The master controller of claim 7 , wherein the one or more programming instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to:
receive one or more signals or data from the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod;
determine that the action has not been completed by the second control module; and
determine a third action to be completed based on the input wherein the third action comprises providing one or more additional instructions or additional signals for operation of the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod.

9. The master controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programming instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to:
determine a third control module within one of the plurality of bays for completing the third action, and
transmit a third instruction to the third control module, the third instruction directing the third control module to complete the third action.

10. The master controller of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programming instructions, when executed, further cause the processing device to:
determine that no other control module is available or exists within the plurality of bays for completing the third action; and
complete the third action.

11. The master controller of claim 7 , wherein the crop control module comprises a housing supported on a base, the housing comprising the processing device and the non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium.

12. The master controller of claim 11 , further comprising a support mechanism in the first bay of the plurality of bays, the support mechanism supporting the base of the crop control module.

13. The master controller of claim 7 , wherein the crop control module is removably insertable such that the crop control module is removable from the first bay of the plurality of bays without altering a functionality of the assembly line grow pod or the one or more components of the assembly line grow pod.

14. The master controller of claim 7 , wherein the crop control module is fixed within the first bay of the plurality of bays of the master controller such that the crop control module is not removable from the master controller.

15. The master controller of claim 7 , further comprising the control module, wherein the control module is removably insertable such that the control module is removable from the second bay of the plurality of bays without altering a functionality of the assembly line grow pod.

16. A master controller in an assembly line grow pod, the master controller comprising:
a plurality of bays, each one of the plurality of bays comprising a bay I/O port that is communicatively coupled to one or more components of the assembly line grow pod; and
a crop control module received within a first bay of the plurality of bays of the master controller, the crop control module comprising:
an I/O port communicatively coupled to the bay I/O port,
a processing device, and
a non-transitory, processor-readable storage medium comprising one or more programming instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the processing device to:
receive an input,
determine an action to be completed based on the input, whe

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

• Millar Gary Bret
• Hurst Kevin

Classifications

• A01G9/249

  Lighting means (with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045) · CPC title

• A01G9/246 Primary

  Air-conditioning systems · CPC title

• A01G27/003

  Control of self-acting watering devices (Hydroponic system controls A01G31/008) · CPC title

• G05B2219/2629

  Assembly line · CPC title

• G05B2219/45106

  Used in agriculture, tree trimmer, pruner · CPC title