Systems and methods for harvesting plants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10999973-B2
Application number	US-201815985885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A harvesting system is provided. The harvesting system includes a track, a cart configured to move along the track, the cart including an upper plate configured to support a plant, one or more sensors, a lifter, 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: receive information from the one or more sensors, determine whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the information, and send to the lifter an instruction for tilting the upper plate by a degree in response to determination that the plant in the cart is ready to harvest.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A harvesting system comprising:
a track,
a cart configured to move along the track, the cart including an upper plate configured to support a plant,
one or more sensors;
a lifter; 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:
receive information from the one or more sensors;
determine whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the information; and
send to the lifter an instruction for tilting the upper plate by a predetermined degree in response to determination that the plant in the cart is ready to harvest,

wherein the lifter is configured to rotate to tilt the upper plate in response to the instruction for tilting the upper plate.

2. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the cart includes a lower plate and the upper plate is pivotally coupled to the lower plate.

3. The harvesting system of claim 2 , wherein the lower plate includes an opening and the lifter is configured to pass through the opening.

4. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the lifter includes a wheel at one end of the lifter, and the wheel is configured to rotate when the lifter is in contact with the upper plate and pushes the upper plate.

5. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the track includes a harvesting zone, and the lifter is located within the harvesting zone.

6. The harvesting system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a lighting device positioned over the harvesting zone and configured to output natural light.

7. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a proximity sensor, and the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to calculate a height of the plant in the cart based on information received from the proximity sensor.

8. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a weight sensor, and 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 weight of the plant in the cart based on information received from the weight sensor.

9. The harvesting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a camera configured to capture an image of the plant, and the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
process the captured image received from the camera; and
determine a chlorophyll level of the plant based on the processed image.

10. A harvesting system comprising:
a track,
a cart configured to move along the track, the cart including:
a lower plate;
an upper plate configured to support a plant and pivotally coupled to the lower plate via a hinge; and
the hinge including an actuator configured to rotate the upper plate against the lower plate;
one or more sensors; 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:
receive information from the one or more sensors;
determine whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the information; and
send to the actuator an instruction for rotating the upper plate by a degree against the lower plate in response to determination that the plant in the cart is ready to harvest.

11. The harvesting system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors include a proximity sensor, and the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to calculate a height of the plant in the cart based on information received from the proximity sensor.

12. The harvesting system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors include a weight sensor, and 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 weight of the plant in the cart based on information received from the weight sensor.

13. The harvesting system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors include a camera configured to capture an image of the plant, and the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:
process the captured image received from the camera; and
determine a chlorophyll level of the plant based on the processed image.

14. The harvesting system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a harvesting zone; and
a lighting device positioned over the harvesting zone and configured to output natural light.

15. The harvesting system of claim 10 , wherein the actuator includes an electric motor.

16. A method for harvesting a plant in a cart, the method comprising:
sending, to the cart, an instruction for moving on a track;
receiving information about the plant in the cart from one or more sensors;
determining whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the information; and
sending, to a lifter, an instruction to tilt an upper plate of the cart by a degree against a lower plate of the cart in response to determination that the plant in the cart is ready to harvest,
wherein the lifter is configured to rotate to tilt the upper plate in response to the determination that the plant in the cart is ready to harvest.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
calculating a height of the plant in the cart based on information received from a proximity sensor; and
determining whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the height.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining a weight of the plant in the cart based on information received from a weight sensor; and
determining whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the weight.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving an image of the plant from a camera;
processing the captured image;
determining a chlorophyll level of the plant based on the processed image; and
determining whether the plant in the cart is ready to harvest based on the chlorophyll level.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the instruction includes an instruction for rotating the lifter by a predetermined degree.

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B61D9/14

  Tipping systems controlled by trackside means · CPC title

• A01D93/00 Primary

  Harvesting apparatus not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• A01D91/00 Primary

  Methods for harvesting agricultural products · CPC title

• A01G31/045

  with containers guided along a rail · CPC title

• A01G31/042

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