Automated vertical plant cultivation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11617309-B2
Application number	US-202016803499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

An automated plant cultivation system operating seed or plant capsule(s) and/or capsule(s) retaining casing(s) capable of controlling the growing environment of each plant capsule throughout the plant life cycle wherein the capsule(s) can be adapted to operate under any irrigation method.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A plant cultivation system comprising:
a first capsule sized to hold growth media as well as a seed or a plant therein, the first capsule having a casing with an identifier tag that is electronically readable by an optical scanner or signal sensing device;
a moisture sensor positioned to detect a moisture level of the growth media in the first capsule;
a second capsule sized to hold growth media as well as another seed or another plant therein;
a wide span self-supported linear magazine including
a first cavity that is upward facing and having sidewalls that detachably accommodates the first capsule therein,
a second cavity that is also upward facing and also having sidewalls that detachably accommodate the second capsule therein,
a third cavity that is downfacing, disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity, and shares a first common sidewall with the first cavity and a second common sidewall with the second cavity, and
a fluid channel that conveys water horizontally along the wide span self-supported linear magazine, the fluid channel being in fluid communication with the first capsule and the second capsule disposed in the first cavity and the second cavity, but not in fluid communication with the third cavity, and
a light source disposed in the third cavity and configured to emit light therefrom, and at least a portion of the light reflects off the first common sidewall and the second common sidewall so as to illuminate an area below the third cavity; and
a processor configured to
receive contents of the identifier tag from the optical scanner or signal sensing device, and receive an output from the moisture sensor, and
control a flow of fluid from the fluid channel to the first capsule based on the output from the moisture sensor.

2. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein information read from the identifier tag includes an address associated with the casing of the first capsule.

3. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein the identifier tag includes information regarding at least one of casing content, date of manufacturing, plant location, seed batch, educational references, technical, or plant growing information.

4. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein the optical scanner or signal sensing device is a camera.

5. The plant cultivation system of claim 4 , wherein the processor obtains data from the camera that includes data regarding at least one of a plant growth stage, imagery reflecting the heath health of the plant, or imagery indicating pest infestation.

6. The plant cultivation system of claim 4 , wherein the processor obtains data from the camera regarding an ambient light level.

7. The plant cultivation system of claim 4 , wherein the processor obtains data from the camera regarding identification of at least one of the wide span self supported linear magazine structure, the first capsule, the second capsule, or the casing of the first plant capsule.

8. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured by execution of computer executable code that includes an artificial intelligence algorithm.

9. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein the processor receives contents of the identifier tag from the sensing device and associates the at least one detachable seed and/or plant casing with a specific location within the at least one wide span self-supported linear magazine structure.

10. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , further comprising:
another moisture sensor positioned to detect a moisture level of the growth media in the second capsule, wherein
the processor is configured to control a flow of fluid from the fluid channel to the second capsule based on the output from the another moisture sensor.

11. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third capsule; and
another wide span self-supported linear magazine including
a fourth cavity that is upward facing and having sidewalls that detachably accommodates the third capsule therein, wherein
the another wide span self-supported linear magazine is positioned below the wide span self-supported linear magazine, and
the third capsule is positioned to receive light emitted from the light source in the third cavity of the wide span self-supported linear magazine.

12. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a light sensor that is positioned to sense an ambient light at a top of the third capsule, and
the processor is configured to control an operation of the light source to change an ambient light at the top of the third capsule.

13. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a wireless remote control device that controls an operation of the processor in response to the processor receiving a wireless control signal from the wireless remote control device.

14. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a power distribution bus that provides power to the light source of the wide span self-supported linear magazine, and power to another device in the another wide span self-supported linear magazine.

15. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
another fluid channel disposed in the another wide span self-supported linear magazine; and
a vertical circulatory pipe system that supplies fluid to the fluid channel of the wide span self-supported linear magazine and to the another fluid channel of the another wide span self-supported linear magazine.

16. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a sprinkler head that is disposed in the first capsule and receives fluid from the fluid channel.

17. The plant cultivation system of claim 11 , wherein:
the optical scanner or a signal sensing device includes a camera, and the camera is configured to perform at least one of
prompt the processor to download a plan growing file from a remote computer,
identify an number of wide span self-supported linear magazines are included in the plant cultivation system,
identify an occupancy state of each cavity in the plant cultivation system,
associate each capsule with a plant content,
monitor and report to the processor plant growth of a plant in the first capsule,
communicate ambient light levels to the processor,
report a plant-related anomaly to the processor, or
provide an alert in response to determining that a plant is ready to be pollinated.

18. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a LED strip.

19. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein
the light source is controllable to provide a spectral distribution that is controllably modulated.

20. The plant cultivation system of claim 1 , wherein
the casing of the first capsule includes a root egress opening.

Assignees

• Spiro Daniel S
• Urban Planter Llc

Inventors

• Spiro Daniel S

Classifications

• A01G7/00

  Botany in general · CPC title

• G05B2219/2625

  Sprinkler, irrigation, watering · CPC title

• Y02P60/21

  Dinitrogen oxide [N2O], e.g. using aquaponics, hydroponics or efficiency measures · CPC title

• G05B15/02

  electric · CPC title

• A01G9/249

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