IP Library Granted Patent US 11,533,861
Granted Patent B2
US 11,533,861 · App. 17/232,851 · Granted Dec 27, 2022

Control systems for autonomous aquaculture structures

Inventors: Dominico P. Julian (Oakland, CA); Charles Nordstrom (Berkeley, CA); Jeff Zerger (Pacifica, CA); Joel Fraser Atwater (Danville, CA); Benjamin Lundquist Saenz (Berkeley, CA)
Assignee: X Development LLC
A01G33/00G05B13/0265G05D1/0206A01D44/00G05D2201/0201
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,533,861
App. No.
17/232,851
Granted
Dec 27, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media that implement an autonomous or semi-autonomous growth platform used to control live cargo exposures to environmental parameters by changing depth in an offshore environment. For example, the growth platform can be lowered at night so that farmed seaweed can perform luxury uptake of nutrients and raised during the daytime so that the farmed seaweed can capture sunlight.

Claims (34)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;

determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;

determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and

generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the dissolved oxygen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a presence of nearby ships, and wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to change a depth of the platform on which the marine life grows.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to navigate from a current position to the updated position.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a data processing apparatus and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;

determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;

determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and

generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

9. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

10. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

11. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

12. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the dissolved oxygen.

13. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a presence of nearby ships, and wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to change a depth of the platform on which the marine life grows.

14. The medium of claim 8 , wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to navigate from a current position to the updated position.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

one or more storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:

determining an environmental parameter associated with an autonomous submersible structure that includes a platform on which marine life grows;

determining, based on the environmental parameter, a schedule for changing a position of the platform over a period of a day, the positions and times specified by the schedule optimizing a balance between different, conflicting conditions that independently contribute to growth and health of the marine life;

determining an updated position for the autonomous submersible structure based on the schedule; and

generating an instruction to move the autonomous submersible structure to the updated position based on determining the updated position.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the marine life comprises seaweed, kelp or algae.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of sunlight, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to decrease depth at certain times of the day to improve access to sunlight, and increase depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to sunlight.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a nutrient concentration in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the nutrient concentration, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the nutrient concentration.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises an amount of dissolved oxygen in surrounding seawater, and wherein the schedule indicates that the platform is to increase depth at certain times of the day to improve access to the dissolved oxygen, and decrease depth at other times of the day to increase access to other conditions that contribute to growth and health of the marine life while decreasing access to the dissolved oxygen.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises a presence of nearby ships, and wherein the instruction comprises an instruction for the autonomous submersible structure to change a depth of the platform on which the marine life grows.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2024
From: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
To: TIDALX AI INC.
Reel/Frame 068477/0306 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 9, 2021
From: JULIAN, DOMINICO P.; NORDSTROM, CHARLES; ZERGER, JEFF; ATWATER, JOEL FRASER; SAENZ, BENJAMIN LUNDQUIST
To: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 056475/0505 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2021
From: JULIAN, DOMINICO P.; NORDSTROM, CHARLES; ZERGER, JEFF; ATWATER, JOEL FRASER; SAENZ, BENJAMIN LUNDQUIST
To: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
Reel/Frame 055956/0245 →
Continuity (1)
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