IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,986,788
Granted Patent B2
US 10,986,788 · App. 16/774,386 · Granted Apr 27, 2021

Systems and methods for providing temperature control in a grow pod

Inventors: Gary Bret Millar (Highland, UT); Mark Gerald Stott (Eagle Mountain, UT); Todd Garrett Tueller (American Fork, UT); Michael Stephen Hurst (Farmington, UT); Alan Ray Bentley (Alpine, UT); Taylor John Woodbury (Provo, UT)
Assignee: GROW SOLUTIONS TECH LLC
A01G9/24A01G9/246A01G31/042A01G31/06A01G9/143A01G9/1423
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,986,788
App. No.
16/774,386
Granted
Apr 27, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control system includes a shell including an enclosed area, one or more carts moving on a track within the enclosed area, an air supplier within the enclosed area, one or more vents connected to the air supplier and configured to output air within the enclosed area, and a controller. The controller is configured to: identify a plant on the one or more carts; determine a humidity recipe for the identified plant; control the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant; receive an image of the plant the in one or more carts captured by the imaging sensor; and update the humidity recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

Claims (64)

1. A control system comprising:

a shell including an enclosed area;

one or more carts moving on a track within the enclosed area;

an air supplier within the enclosed area;

an imaging sensor configured to capture an image of a plant in the one or more carts;

one or more vents connected to the air supplier and configured to output air within the enclosed area; 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:

identify the plant on the one or more carts;

determine a humidity recipe for the identified plant;

control the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant;

receive an image of the plant the in one or more carts captured by the imaging sensor; and

update the humidity recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:

identify another plant on the one or more carts, the another plant being a different type from the plant;

determine another humidity recipe for the identified another plant; and

control a humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the another humidity recipe.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the shell includes photoelectric cell on an outer surface of the shell.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein 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 size or a color of the plant based on the captured image; and

update the humidity recipe for the plant based on the size or color of the plant.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the track includes an ascending portion wrapping around a first axis perpendicular to ground and a descending portion wrapping around a second axis perpendicular to the ground.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosed area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas.

7. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas independently.

8. The control system of claim 6 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas based on days of simulated growth for the identified plant.

9. A method for controlling humidity for plants in an assembly line grow pod, the method comprising:

sending, by a grow pod computing device, instructions to one or more carts to move along a track within an area enclosed by a shell;

identifying, by the grow pod computing device, a plant in the one or more carts;

determining, by the grow pod computing device, a humidity recipe for the identified plant;

obtaining an image of the plant in the in one or more carts captured by an imaging sensor; and

updating the humidity recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

identifying, by the grow pod computing device, another plant on the one or more carts, the another plant being a different type from the plant;

determining, by the grow pod computing device, another humidity recipe for the identified another plant; and

controlling, by the grow pod computing device, humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the another humidity recipe.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shell includes photoelectric cell on an outer surface of the shell.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a size or a color of the plant based on the image of the plant; and

updating the humidity recipe for the plant based on the size or color of the plant.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling, by the grow pod computing device, humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas independently.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising controlling, by the grow pod computing device, humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas based on days of simulated growth for the identified plant.

16. A controller for one or more vents of an assembly line grow pod, the controller comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memory modules storing humidity recipes; 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:

identify a plant in a cart within an area enclosed by a shell;

determine a humidity recipe for the identified plant;

control the air output from the one or more vents based on the humidity recipe for the identified plant;

receive an image of the plant the in one or more carts captured by the imaging sensor; and

update the humidity recipe for the plant based on the captured image of the plant.

17. The controller of claim 16 , wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to:

identify another plant on the one or more carts, the another plant being a different type from the plant;

determine another humidity recipe for the identified another plant; and

control a humidity of the air output from the one or more vents based on the another humidity recipe.

18. The controller of claim 16 , wherein 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 size or a color of the plant based on the captured image; and

update the humidity recipe for the plant based on the size or color of the plant.

19. The controller of claim 16 , wherein the area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas; and

wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas independently.

20. The controller of claim 16 , wherein the area includes a plurality of sub-enclosed areas; and

wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to control the humidity of the plurality of sub-enclosed areas based on days of simulated growth for the identified plant.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2020
From: MILLAR, GARY BRET; STOTT, MARK GERALD; TUELLER, TODD GARRETT; HURST, MICHAEL STEPHEN; BENTLEY, ALAN RAY; WOODBURY, TAYLOR JOHN
To: GROW SOLUTIONS TECH LLC
Reel/Frame 051642/0098 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15970048 · May 3, 2018
Provisional Application 62519696 · Jun 14, 2017
Provisional Application 62519304 · Jun 14, 2017
Related Publication 20200154647A1 · May 21, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,414,509