IP Library Granted Patent US 11,656,171
Granted Patent B2
US 11,656,171 · App. 16/331,304 · Granted May 23, 2023

Control apparatus, control method, and control system

Inventors: Masatoshi Takashima (Tokyo, JP); Tetsu Ogawa (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Sony Group Corporation
G01N21/31A01G7/045G01N2021/8466
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,656,171
App. No.
16/331,304
Granted
May 23, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments include a control apparatus, a control method, and a control system that can effectively utilize an index regarding light incident on a measured object by obtaining the index effective for the measured object. The control apparatus can effectively utilize an effective index by controlling improvement of an environment that affects calculation of the effective index on the basis of the effective index representing an index that is related to light incident on a measured object and that is effectively utilized for the measured object. The measured object may be a plant.

Claims (68)

1. A control apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

acquire environment improvement information regarding improvement of an environment that affects calculation of an effective index on a basis of the effective index, and

control an environment improvement apparatus to improve an environment for a plant on a basis of the environment improvement information, wherein

the effective index represents an index that is related to light incident on the plant and is effectively utilized for the plant,

the effective index is obtained by converting a transport ETR (Electron Transfer Rate) of the plant into an amount of light incident on the plant, and

the transport ETR is set to be a lower ETR value of a photosystem reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of photosystem reaction in the plant and a carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of carbon reduction reaction.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor acquires the environment improvement information based on at least one of an environment improvement target corresponding to the photosystem reaction or an environment improvement target corresponding to the carbon reduction reaction.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor

determines that the environment improvement target is light when a photosynthetic rate is limited by the photosystem reaction, and

acquires information regarding application of supplemental light to the plant as the environment improvement information.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the processor determines a maximum amount of supplemental light based on a difference between the carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR and the photosystem reaction maximum ETR, and sets the maximum amount of supplemental light as the information regarding application of supplemental light to the plant.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the processor determines that the environment improvement target is at least one of temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration around the plant or nutrients for the plant when the photosynthetic rate is limited by the carbon reduction reaction.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor controls display of the environment improvement information.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor acquires the environment improvement information on a basis of the effective index acquired in real time.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor acquires prediction information prepared in advance,

calculate a predicted effective index based on the prediction information, and

acquires the environment improvement information on a basis of the predicted effective index, wherein the prediction information includes temperature information.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the processor determines whether to repeat or end a process for calculating the predicted effective index, and

in response to ending the process, controls the improvement of the environment on a basis of the environment improvement information.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the index regarding the light incident on the plant is obtained from a measurement value of the plant obtained by sensing of an image sensor.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the index is a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), and

the effective index is an effective PPFD value representing a PPFD value contributed to growth of the plant among PPFD values.

12. A control method of a control apparatus executed by the control apparatus, the control method comprising:

acquiring environment improvement information regarding improvement of an environment that affects calculation of an effective index on a basis of the effective index, and

controlling an environment improvement apparatus to improve the environment for the plant on a basis of the environment improvement information, wherein

the effective index represents an index that is related to light incident on a plant and that is effectively utilized for the plant,

the effective index is obtained by converting a transport ETR (Electron Transfer Rate) of the plant into an amount of light incident on the plant, and

the transport ETR is set to be a lower ETR value of a photosystem reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of photosystem reaction in the plant and a carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of carbon reduction reaction.

13. A control system comprising:

a sensing apparatus sensing a plant;

an environment sensor configured to sense an environment around the plant;

an environment improvement apparatus configured to improve an environment for the plant; and

a control apparatus configured to control the environment improvement apparatus, the control apparatus including

a processor configured to

calculate an effective index representing an index effectively utilized for the plant as an index regarding light incident on the plant on a basis of sensing results of the sensing apparatus and the environment sensor, and

control the environment improvement apparatus on a basis of the effective index to improve an environment that affects the calculation of the effective index, wherein

the effective index is obtained by converting a transport ETR (Electron Transfer Rate) of the plant into an amount of light incident on the plant, and

the transport ETR is set to be a lower ETR value of a photosystem reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of photosystem reaction in the plant and a carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of carbon reduction reaction.

14. A control apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to

control display of information obtained by controlling improvement of an environment that affects calculation of an effective index based on the effective index representing an index that is related to light incident on a plant and that is effectively utilized for the plant,

improve the environment by controlling an environment improvement apparatus on a basis of at least one of an environment improvement target, and

cause displaying of a value of the effective index before the improvement of the environment and a value of the effective index after the improvement of the environment, wherein

the effective index is obtained by converting a transport ETR (Electron Transfer Rate) of the plant into an amount of light incident on the plant, and

the transport ETR is set to be a lower ETR value of a photosystem reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of photosystem reaction in the plant and a carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of carbon reduction reaction.

15. The control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the processor causes displaying of a value of the effective index after the improvement of the environment obtained by improving light for the plant as the environment improvement target in a case where a photosynthetic rate is limited by the photosystem reaction.

16. The control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the processor causes displaying of a value of the effective index after the improvement of the environment obtained by improving at least one of temperature, humidity, or carbon dioxide concentration around the plant or nutrients for the plant as the environment improvement target in a case where the photosynthetic rate is limited by the carbon reduction reaction.

17. The control apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the index is a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), and

the effective index is an effective PPFD value representing a PPFD value contributed to growth of the plant among PPFD values.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program, the computer program being executable by a processor to perform operations comprising:

controlling display of information obtained by controlling improvement of an environment that affects calculation of an effective index based on the effective index representing an index that is related to light incident on a plant and that is effectively utilized for the plant,

improving the environment by controlling an environment improvement apparatus on a basis of at least one of an environment improvement target, and

causing display of a value of the effective index before the improvement of the environment and a value of the effective index after the improvement of the environment, wherein

the effective index is obtained by converting a transport ETR (Electron Transfer Rate) of the plant into an amount of light incident on the plant, and

the transport ETR is set to be a lower ETR value of a photosystem reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of photosystem reaction in the plant and a carbon reduction reaction maximum ETR, which is a maximum value of carbon reduction reaction.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063100/0636 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2019
From: TAKASHIMA, MASATOSHI; OGAWA, TETSU
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048530/0232 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2016-185346 · Sep 23, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190369609A1 · Dec 5, 2019