Systems and methods for managing a weight of a plant in a grow pod

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154016-B2
Application number	US-201815985119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

An assembly line grow pod includes a seeding region, a harvesting region, a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region, a cart including a tray for holding plant matter, and a wheel coupled to the tray, where the wheel is engaged with the track, and a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly line grow pod comprising: a seeder system within a seeding region, wherein the seeder system is configured to dispense seeds; a harvester system within a harvesting region, wherein the harvester system is configured to harvest plant matter; an ascending portion that moves upward in a vertical direction and a descending portion that moves downward in the vertical direction, wherein the ascending portion and the descending portion are positioned between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a cart comprising: a tray for holding the plant matter; and a wheel coupled to the tray, wherein the wheel is engaged with the track; a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart; and a controller communicatively coupled to the weight sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a computer readable and executable instruction set, which when executed, causes the processor to: determine the weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart with the weight sensor; retrieve a preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the cart; compare the determined weight of the plant matter with the retrieved preferred weight; and change a recipe for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the determined weight with the preferred weight, wherein the recipe for the plant matter comprises water and nutrient requirements, lighting requirements, and temperature requirements for the plant matter.

2. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , wherein the weight sensor is positioned on the tray of the cart.

3. The assembly line grow pod of claim 2 , wherein the weight sensor is a first weight sensor, and the assembly line grow pod further comprises a second weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track.

4. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1 , further comprising an environmental sensor positioned in the tray of the cart, wherein the environmental sensor detects a level of water in the tray of the cart.

5. The assembly line grow pod of claim 4 , wherein the environmental sensor and the weight sensor are communicatively coupled to a master controller.

6. An assembly line grow pod system comprising: a track; a seeder system within a seeding region, wherein the seeder system is configured to dispense seeds; a harvester system within a harvesting region, wherein the harvester system is configured to harvest plant matter; an ascending portion that moves upward in a vertical direction and a descending portion that moves downward in the vertical direction, wherein the ascending portion and the descending portion are positioned between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a cart comprising: a tray for holding the plant matter; and a wheel coupled to the tray, wherein the wheel is engaged with the track; a weight sensor positioned on at least one of the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart; a watering system for dispensing a mixture to the plant matter positioned within the cart; and a controller communicatively coupled to the weight sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a computer readable and executable instruction set, which when executed, causes the processor to: receive an identification of a type of the plant matter positioned within the cart; determine the weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart with the weight sensor; retrieve a preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the received identification of the type of plant matter; compare the determined weight of the plant matter with the retrieved preferred weight; change a recipe for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the determined weight with the preferred weight, wherein the recipe for the plant matter comprises water and nutrient requirements, lighting requirements, and temperature requirements for the plant matter; and direct the watering system to dispense the mixture according to the changed recipe to the plant matter positioned within the cart.

7. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6 , wherein the weight sensor is a first weight sensor positioned on the tray of the cart, and the assembly line grow pod system further comprises a second weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track.

8. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 7 , wherein:
the second weight sensor is positioned on the tray of the cart at a position that is different than the first weight sensor; and
the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to determine a first weight of plant matter positioned at a first portion of the tray with the first weight sensor and to determine a second weight of plant matter positioned at a second portion of the tray with the second weight sensor.

9. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 8 , wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to:
receive a first identification of a type of plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart;
receive a second identification of a type of plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart;
retrieve a first preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart based at least in part on the received first identification of the type of plant matter;
retrieve a second preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart based at least in part on the received second identification of the type of plant matter;
compare the first determined weight of the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart with the first preferred weight;
compare the second determined weight of the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart with the second preferred weight;
change a recipe for at least one of the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart and the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the first and second determined weights of the plant matter positioned in the first portion and the second portion of the cart with the first preferred weight and the second preferred weight; and
direct the watering system to dispense the changed recipe to the plant matter positioned within the at least one of the first portion of the cart and the second portion of the cart.

10. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to:
detect a weight of the cart with the weight sensor;
retrieve a known weight of the cart; and
determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart based at least in part on the detected weight of the cart and the known weight of the cart.

11. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6 , wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to:
detect a water level in the cart with an environmental sensor;
determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart based at least in part on the detected water level in the cart.

12. The assembly line grow pod of claim 6 , wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to:
determine when the cart is at a first position on the track;
determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart when the cart is at the first position on the t

Assignees

• Grow Solutions Tech Llc

Inventors

• Millar Gary Bret
• Hurst Michael Stephen
• Woodbury Taylor John

Classifications

• G01G19/042

  having electrical weight-sensitive devices · CPC title

• G01G11/003

  Details; specially adapted accessories (details of weighing apparatus in general G01G21/00; auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus in general G01G23/00) · CPC title

• G01F23/20

  by measurement of weight, e.g. to determine the level of stored liquefied gas · CPC title

• A01G31/042 Primary

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

• G01F23/00

  Indicating or measuring liquid level or level of fluent solid material, e.g. indicating in terms of volume or indicating by means of an alarm · CPC title