Method for operating network of cultivation containers and system of interconnected cultivation containers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a network (1) consisting of cultivation containers (2), in which a plurality of cultivation containers (2) are integrated into the network (1), each of the plurality of cultivation containers (2) comprises a cultivation device for cultivating a plant, a plant processing device for processing the cultivated plant, a control device for controlling the plant processing device, and a communication device (3) for receiving data from or providing data to the control device, the control units (3) of at least two cultivation containers (2, 1 ', 2' ') in the network (1) communicate directly and bidirectionally with each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a network consisting of cultivation containers and a method of operating the network. Background Art

[0002] Traditionally, farmers grow plants through field cultivation. For this purpose, specific atmospheric conditions are essential for successful cultivation. In particular, the soil must be rich in humus and thus provide sufficient nutrients. In addition, the soil and the ambient air must provide sufficient humidity to promote plant growth. Moreover, sufficient radiation must be ensured. Additionally and importantly, plant cultivation is inseparable from the provision of sufficient arable land area.

[0003] The global population is increasing continuously, and thus the demand for sufficient food is also increasing continuously. At the same time, due to reasons such as anthropogenic industrial emissions, the climate undergoes long-term changes, especially adverse changes from the perspective of plant cultivation: heatwaves and water shortages, as well as soil nutrient deficiencies caused by monoculture, are some challenging phenomena and examples of the deterioration of cultivation conditions that farmers are likely to face frequently currently and in the future. According to scientific disclosures, adverse agricultural conditions will persist and challenging phenomena will occur more frequently when stable, predictable, and controllable cultivation conditions are actually required to obtain optimal agricultural outputs.

[0004] One way to solve this problem can be found in the so-called indoor or vertical farming techniques, that is, growing crops in vertically stacked layers arranged inside buildings, containers, etc. This technique combines controlled environment agriculture to optimize plant growth and increase crop yields, and at the same time reduces the arable land area. In addition, vertical farming can reduce human interference in the cultivation process due to automation, thereby improving the overall performance, because machines do not need to sleep or take vacations and are not affected by mood swings, so they are less prone to errors. With the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence, the degree of automation is expected to gradually increase. Additionally, vertical farming also has the advantage of reducing transportation inputs, because cultivation can be carried out in urban areas close to consumers, thus avoiding polluting and costly transportation.

[0005] However, the current drawback of this method is that, compared with classical field cultivation, vertical farming is associated with huge energy consumption, because lighting, climate control, and nutrients must be provided entirely by technical means. Therefore, vertical farming can only become a solution to the aforementioned challenges when energy consumption and costs are reduced and the degree of automation and crop yields are significantly increased.

[0006] One way to optimize energy consumption is to shorten the transport distance from the cultivated plants to the consumers. This means that the containers are placed where there is demand, and furthermore, in each case, the same number of containers are placed there to exactly meet the demand. At the same time, the containers should be placed as much as possible in places with low energy costs, for example, because solar or wind energy can be widely utilized there.

[0007] Therefore, the containers are located at many different locations, some close to each other and some far from each other.

[0008] It is known from the prior art, for example, from EP 3 439 451 A1, that such containers are integrated into a farm networking service to control and monitor them through a central server unit.

[0009] The disadvantage of this centralized management is that in the case where the containers in the same network are operated by different container operators, these container operators generally consider it dangerous if their data is shared throughout the network and thus can be viewed by others. Each container operator hopes to ensure that its data is protected from being accessed by others and no proprietary technology is transferred. In addition, each container operator has a great interest in operating its containers independently and does not want to follow centralized control instructions. Therefore, the methods known in the prior art for centralized control of containers in a network consisting of many containers are not applicable to the use case where the containers embedded in the network are operated by different operators and economically independent owners.

[0010] Another disadvantage may be that the server must always be accessible to the containers, which means that once the server or its connection is disconnected, the communication will be completely interrupted. In addition, a sufficiently powerful data connection to the server is required for each individual container. This is a problem in remote areas and will question the reliability of the entire network. In addition, a large amount of data traffic is generated, which greatly increases the carbon footprint of the container network. It is known that global data traffic and the required servers and data centers make a significant contribution to CO 2 emissions. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating a network consisting of cultivation containers and a system of interconnected cultivation containers, wherein the control units of different containers can communicate with each other in the network, but there is no risk that the communication or the exchanged data is viewed or modified by a third party.

[0012] The object of the invention is achieved by a method of operating a network consisting of cultivation containers, wherein a plurality of cultivation containers are integrated into a network, wherein each of the plurality of cultivation containers comprises cultivation equipment for plant cultivation, plant treatment equipment for treating cultivated plants, control equipment for controlling the plant treatment equipment, and communication equipment for receiving data from or providing data to the control equipment, and wherein the control units of at least two cultivation containers in the network communicate directly and bidirectionally with each other.

[0013] Advantageously, the invention enables direct and bidirectional communication between two containers within the network. There is thus provided a method of operating a network consisting of cultivation containers and a system of interconnected cultivation containers, wherein the control units of different containers can communicate with each other in the network, but there is no risk that the communication or the exchanged data will be viewed or modified by a third party. In particular, the exchanged communication and data cannot be read or modified by a central server, a network node, a network operator, other containers, etc. In this way, each container operator retains full control over its own data and its own growth process within the container. The know-how of each container is thus ensured to be secure. To achieve this, the two containers communicate directly and bidirectionally with each other via the network. Preferably, the communication is carried out via the Internet and / or a mobile radio network. "Direct and bidirectional communication" particularly refers to end-to-end communication that preserves application-specific characteristics at the communication endpoints. The end-to-end principle removes critical components from intermediate communication nodes to increase routing options, improve data transfer rates and ensure that the application only fails when an endpoint fails. This principle meets the need for reliable communication in, for example, an inherently unstable environment. The communication on the network preferably uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture for direct and bidirectional communication, such that the communicating containers are equal participants with equal privileges in the network. The communicating containers maintain full control over the data they exchange at least at the application layer, presentation layer, session layer and / or transport layer (see the host layers in the Open Systems Interconnection model - OSI model). The connection itself is preferably established by the network provider via the network, particularly at the media layer level in the OSI model. However, the network provider or other network participants cannot read or modify the communication itself.

[0014] It is also conceivable that the communication is provided in a more reliable manner without single points of failure, requires less data traffic and is thus more environmentally friendly. In this way, even when a potential server goes down or its connection is interrupted, the communication between the two containers is not disturbed but maintained. This applies to the case where the communication containers are directly connected or wired together. For example, this may be the case if the containers are positioned close to each other. Thus, the server as a single point of failure becomes unnecessary. In addition, the containers communicate directly and immediately with each other without detouring via the server, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of data generated. This means that the containers can also be efficiently set up and operated in less developed regions with less infrastructure. The architecture of this network is particularly efficient because there is no central network control or network management. Thus, the network can be expanded or reduced by simply adding or removing containers in the network without affecting the rest of the network structure. Preferably, the network can thus self-organize.

[0015] Another advantage of the method according to the invention is that the data of one container is not shared throughout the network but only provided to dedicated other containers that directly and two-way exchange information with it. Thus, each container retains unrestricted sovereignty and control over its own data. In this way, containers from different operators can be integrated into a single network without compromising data security and data control.

[0016] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container in the network broadcasts a demand request to the communication device of the second cultivation container or the corresponding communication devices of a group of second cultivation containers or to the communication devices of all cultivation containers in the network. Advantageously, according to the present invention, the demand request is sent directly from the first container to the second container. The demand request preferably includes a demand for products, a demand for energy, a demand for water, a demand for plant nutrient solution, a demand for plant treatment agents, and / or a demand for consumption or emission certificates. Thus, it can be advantageously achieved that the control device of a specific container (i.e., the first container) that identifies an additional need for, for example, energy, water, nutrient solution, or plant treatment agents requests another container (i.e., the second container) to provide assistance by providing the requested goods via its communication device. It can also be achieved that a control unit that identifies that the specific or growing demand of consumers for products exceeds the actual self-production sends a corresponding demand request for a specific quantity of products to another container (i.e., the second container) to inquire whether the missing part of the products can be supplied from that other container. The request for a specific product may also include a request for the right or permission for that specific product in the form of a consumption or emission certificate, such as the right to emit a certain amount of CO2 (also known as a CO2 certificate) or the right to consume a certain amount of water, etc. The control device of another container (i.e., the second container) receives the demand request via its own communication device and can decide whether it can fully or at least partially meet the required goods. It is conceivable that the demanding container initially only sends the demand request to the closest container. In this scenario, the farther container will only be contacted if the closer container does not meet the demand. This avoids unnecessary data traffic. It is also conceivable that the demand request includes a demand for human capital, i.e., a demand for specific working hours of employees.

[0017] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container in the network broadcasts a supply offer to the communication device of the second cultivation container or the corresponding communication devices of a group of second cultivation containers or to the communication devices of all cultivation containers in the network. Advantageously, according to the present invention, the supply offer is sent directly from the first container to the second container. The supply offer preferably includes an offer to provide products, energy, water, plant nutrient solution, plant treatment agent and / or an offer for consumption or emission certificates. Thus, it can be advantageously achieved that the control device of a specific container (i.e., the first container) that identifies an oversupply of, for example, products, energy, water, nutrient solution or plant treatment agent, via its communication device asks another container (i.e., the second container) whether the other containers can take over a part of the oversupply. The control device of the other container (i.e., the second container) receives the supply offer via its own communication device and can decide whether it can help to reduce the oversupply completely or at least partly by taking over a part of the oversupply. It is conceivable that the offering container initially sends the supply offer only to the closest container. In this scenario, the more distant containers are only contacted if the closer containers do not take over the oversupply. Again, this avoids unnecessary data traffic.

[0018] In the above mechanism, these containers directly and bidirectionally inform each other about shortages and surpluses of specific goods and request help to reduce shortages and surpluses. The above mechanism can be used particularly efficiently with containers supplied with renewable energy. The disadvantage of using renewable energy such as solar or wind energy is that the energy supply fluctuates strongly depending on the weather. However, if different containers coordinate with each other, for example, coordinate their energy requirements or production capacities, these fluctuations can be balanced. This possibility especially occurs when the containers are located at sites with different weather systems.

[0019] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container in the network receives a response message from the communication device of the second cultivation container or the corresponding communication devices of a group of second cultivation containers or the communication devices of all cultivation containers in the network. Advantageously, the recipient of the demand request or supply offer (i.e., the second container) can reply to the request or offer by means of the response message. For this purpose, the response message preferably includes: information on whether the requested demand can be fully or partly satisfied directly by the second cultivation container or indirectly by reducing the corresponding demand of the second cultivation container; and / or information on whether the offered supply can be fully or partly used directly by the second cultivation container or indirectly by reducing production or use in the second cultivation container. Thus, an efficient information exchange is carried out directly and bidirectionally between the communication devices of the two containers.

[0020] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container in the network broadcasts operation information to the communication device of the second cultivation container or the corresponding communication devices of a group of second cultivation containers or the communication devices of all cultivation containers in the network. The operation information preferably includes one or more schedules of the growth formula and / or expected product of a specific plant, plant cycle, production workload, energy requirement, water requirement, nutrient solution requirement, and / or plant treatment agent requirement, accumulated wastewater, and / or accumulated plant waste. In this way, it is advantageously possible to achieve the containers notifying each other of specific events or discoveries. For example, it is conceivable that particularly favorable cultivation parameters determined by the control unit are transmitted to other containers in the form of a growth formula so that they can adjust their cultivation parameters accordingly. In addition, it is conceivable that a container provides a schedule to its neighboring containers from which the expected production capacity utilization rate, yield, and / or resource consumption can be derived, so that a group of containers can prevent under-capacity and over-capacity of products or resources between them by coordinating their schedules. For this purpose, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing device of the cultivation container is controlled by the control device so that the plant cycle is timed based on the demand requests, supply offers, and / or operation information of other cultivation containers.

[0021] According to the present invention, preferably, the demand request, supply request, operation information, and / or response message include location data and / or distance data. Advantageously, the location data can be used to determine the distance between two containers communicating with each other. Then, when sending a demand request or a supply offer, especially when sending a demand request or a supply offer for the container targeted by the demand request or supply offer, this distance information can be considered. In the same way, the requested container can also consider this distance information when deciding whether to fully or partially approve the demand request or supply offer. For example, the distance may play a significant role in whether the product can be delivered within a specific time because the length of the required transportation route also takes time. Preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container broadcasts its demand request and / or supply offer to the closest one or more cultivation containers based on the calculated distance, especially the calculated effective distance. In this way, unnecessary data traffic can be avoided.

[0022] According to the present invention, preferably, each of the plurality of cultivation containers includes a positioning device for providing location data to the communication device, wherein one or more communication devices of the first cultivation container and / or the second cultivation container calculate the distance between the first cultivation container and the second cultivation container based on the location data. Advantageously, accurate position determination can be achieved, and thus accurate distance calculation can be further achieved. Preferably, the positioning device includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) device or a Galileo device that determines the position by using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

[0023] According to the present invention, preferably, the calculated distance includes an effective distance taking into account the connection and transport characteristics of the desired or requested goods. Thus, the distance is not only a direct route such as a crow flies, but depends on the actual route, for example, the alignment of roads, railway tracks, lines or cables, etc., and the actual transport route of the corresponding goods of the means of transport used, such as railways, ships or trucks. When using a truck, traffic information can also be included, and when using a railway or a ship, the corresponding schedule can be included. Considering all these parameters enables the determination of the effective distance, which in turn advantageously reflects the actual transport time for a specific good between the two containers in question.

[0024] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the first cultivation container classifies other cultivation containers into different priorities based on the calculated distance, in particular the calculated effective distance, and wherein the first cultivation container sequentially broadcasts a demand request and / or a supply offer to other cultivation containers according to the priority classification. This can advantageously achieve that a demand request and / or a supply offer is only sent sequentially to cultivation containers with a lower priority when the demand request and / or the supply offer has not been approved by cultivation containers with a higher priority. In this way, the amount of data traffic can be minimized. In addition, the communication in the network acts as a self-learning system because all containers independently determine their priority lists without a central control unit such as a server, etc.

[0025] According to the present invention, preferably, the communication device of the second cultivation container forwards the demand request, supply offer, response message and / or operation information received from the first cultivation container to a third cultivation container in the network. It is conceivable that the demand request or supply offer is passed from one container to the next as long as no container fully accepts the entire demand request or supply offer or there is at least still an open request or offer. The request or offer is preferably forwarded according to a predefined pattern or a priority list determined by the requesting or offering container. Forwarding individual requests or offers can avoid unnecessary data transfer because forwarding only occurs when the request or offer is still in an open state.

[0026] Another subject matter of the present invention for achieving the above object is a system of a network composed of interconnected cultivation containers, and this network is operated by the method of the network composed of cultivation containers according to the present invention as described above. The system includes a plurality of cultivation containers, wherein each of the plurality of cultivation containers includes cultivation equipment for plant cultivation, plant processing equipment for processing cultivated plants, control equipment for controlling the plant processing equipment, and communication equipment for receiving data from or providing data to the control equipment, and is characterized in that the plurality of cultivation containers are integrated into a network such that the communication equipment of one cultivation container in the network is configured to communicate bidirectionally and directly with any other communication equipment of another cultivation container in the network.

[0027] All the mentioned features, characteristics and advantages of the method according to the present invention equally apply to the system according to the present invention, and vice versa.

[0028] These and other features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will also become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of the present invention by way of example. This description is given for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the scope of the present invention. The reference numerals cited below refer to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] Figure 1 An embodiment of the method and system according to the present invention is schematically illustrated. Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0030] The present invention will be described with respect to specific embodiments and with reference to specific drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The described drawings are non-limiting. In the drawings, for illustrative purposes, the sizes of some of these elements may be enlarged and not drawn to scale.

[0031] Unless otherwise specified, when using the indefinite article or the definite article in reference to a singular noun, e.g., "a", "an", "the", this includes the plural of that noun.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the description and claims are used to distinguish between similar elements and are not necessarily used to describe an order or a time sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way are interchangeable where appropriate, and the embodiments of the present invention described herein are capable of operating in an order other than the order described and / or shown herein.

[0033] In Figure 1 a method and system 100 according to the present invention are schematically illustrated.

[0034] System 100 includes a plurality of cultivation containers 2 interconnected in network 1. Each cultivation container 2 includes so-called indoor or vertical farming techniques, i.e., techniques for growing crops, especially in vertically stacked layers arranged inside the container 2. For this purpose, each container 2 includes cultivation equipment for plant cultivation and plant processing equipment for processing the plants cultivated in the cultivation equipment.

[0035] The cultivation equipment preferably includes vertically stacked cultivation vessels for supporting the crops during growth. It is also conceivable that the cultivation equipment includes vertically oriented walls provided with channels extending vertically or horizontally on the wall surfaces and serving as supports for the plants and their roots. The plant processing equipment is preferably configured to supply water and / or nutrient solution to the plants. Preferably, the plant processing equipment also includes means for sowing plant seeds into the cultivation equipment and / or for cutting plants and / or for treating potential plant diseases. Preferably, the plant processing equipment includes harvesting means for harvesting mature cultivated plants before starting a new cultivation cycle.

[0036] In addition, each container also includes control equipment for at least controlling the plant processing equipment. For example, the amount of water or nutrient solution supplied by the plant processing equipment is actively controlled by the control equipment. It is conceivable that the type of nutrient solution or fertilizer is also selected by the control equipment. In addition, it is also possible to determine by the control unit the time for sowing new seeds into the cultivation equipment and / or for harvesting mature plants, which means that the entire cultivation cycle is controlled by the control unit.

[0037] In addition, each container includes communication equipment 3 for receiving data from and / or for providing data to the control equipment. Each communication equipment 3 is configured to communicate directly and bidirectionally with the communication equipment 3 of another cultivation container 2 in network 1. Thus, it can be advantageously achieved that the control equipment of different cultivation containers 2 communicate directly with each other via their respective communication equipment 3. A central communication server for coordinating the communication between these containers 2 is not necessary or even not implemented. The communication between these two containers 2, 2” is preferably carried out via end-to-end communication and / or point-to-point connection in the network.

[0038] This method enables the control equipment 3 of a specific container 2, 2' (hereinafter referred to as the first container 2' by way of example) to transmit the current or expected overcapacity or undercapacity situation to the control equipment 3 of another container 2, 2” (hereinafter referred to as the second container 2” by way of example).

[0039] The communication preferably includes broadcasting a demand request 10 or a supply offer 20 from the first container 2, 2' to the second container 2, 2”. After evaluating the possibility of partially or fully approving the demand request 10 or the supply offer 20, the second container 2, 2” sends a corresponding response message 40 back to the first container 2, 2'.

[0040] The response message 40 indicates whether the requested demand can be fully or partially satisfied directly by the second cultivation containers 2, 2” or indirectly by reducing the corresponding demand of the second cultivation containers 2, 2”; or whether the offered supply can be fully or partially used directly by the second cultivation containers 2, 2” or indirectly by reducing the production or use in the second cultivation containers 2, 2”.

[0041] Conceivably, if the demand request 10 or the supply offer 20 is not fully approved by the second containers 2, 2”, the second containers 2, 2” forward the received demand request 10 or supply offer 20 (see forwarding step 50) to a third container 2, 2”' in the network 1. The third container 2, 2”' sends its response message 40 directly to the first container 2, 2' (see arrow 40’) or indirectly to the first container 2, 2” through the second container 2, 2”.

[0042] In addition, the communication may further include operation information 30 to inform the second containers 2, 2” about the current growth parameters of the first container 2, 2' and to allow coordination between the two containers 2, 2', 2”.

[0043] The operation information 30 may include a growth formula for a specific plant or an expected product 4, a plant cycle, a production workload, an energy requirement 5, a water requirement 6, a nutrient solution requirement, a plant treatment agent requirement, and one or more schedules for accumulated wastewater and / or accumulated plant waste.

[0044] In the sense of the present invention, the second container 2' may be a single second container 2' or a group of second containers 2'.

[0045] The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following specific examples:

[0046] Example 1

[0047] The demand request 10 may include, for example, a demand for the product 4. For example, if the local market (see local consumer 60) requests a certain demand for the plant product 4 that exceeds the production capacity of the first container 2', the first container 2' sends a demand request 10 for the missing product to the second container 2” to inquire whether the second container 2” can provide at least part of the missing product 4.

[0048] If so, the second container 2” indicates to the first container 2' via the response message 40 that the second container 2' can provide the missing product 4 (see the dashed arrow). Conceivably, the second container 2' will increase its own productivity or start a new growth cycle for this purpose.

[0049] If the demand cannot be met, the second container 2” forwards 50 the demand request 10 to a third container 2”' in the network 1, or the second container 2” informs the first container 2' by means of a response message 40 that the demand cannot be met.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] The demand request 10 may include a demand request 10 for energy 5. If the first container 2' indicates an insufficient energy supply due to, for example, cloudy weather (when supplied by solar energy) or windless weather (when supplied by wind energy), the demand request 10 is broadcast to the second container 2”.

[0052] If the second container 2” has an energy production surplus due to local weather conditions or because it is supplied by another type of energy source, the missing energy can be supplied by the second container 2”. It is also conceivable that the second container 2” can reduce its own energy consumption because the demand for product 4 in its local market 60 is low or because it is in a stage where its plants require less energy, especially shortly after sowing. In this case, the second container 2” informs the first containers 2, 2' by using a response message 40 that the missing energy can be provided by the second containers 2, 2”.

[0053] If the demand cannot be met, the second containers 2, 2” forward 50 the demand request 10 to the third containers 2, 2”', or the second containers 2, 2” inform the first containers 2, 2' that the requested demand cannot be met.

[0054] Example 3

[0055] The demand request 10 may include a demand for water 6 and / or plant nutrient solution and / or plant treatment agent. If the first containers 2, 2' determine a possible shortage in the supply of water, nutrient solution, or plant treatment agent, the corresponding demand request 10 is broadcast to the second containers 2, 2”, asking whether the second containers 2, 2” can help provide the requested goods. In this case, the demand request preferably includes a request for a specific right or license for that particular product, such as a water consumption certificate that entitles the holder to consume a certain amount of water.

[0056] Alternatively, if the first containers 2, 2” detect a surplus in the supply of water 6, nutrient solution, or treatment agent, a supply offer 20 for water 6 and / or plant nutrient solution and / or plant treatment agent is broadcast from the first containers 2, 2' to the second containers 2, 2” instead of a demand request 10.

[0057] Example 4

[0058] As described above, the communication may also include a supply offer 20. If the first containers 2, 2' detect an overproduction of the product, the surplus is provided to the second containers 2, 2'' by means of the supply offer 20. The second container 2'' indicates to the first container 2' via a response message 40 whether the surplus of the product 4 will be partially or fully taken over. It is conceivable that the second container 2'' reduces its own production in response to the upcoming handover of the product 4 from the first container 2', for example, by postponing an upcoming seeding process.

[0059] It is also conceivable that during a bidding process, the surplus is provided to a group of second containers 2, 2'' via a plurality of individual supply offers 20, where each container 2, 2'' in the group can bid on part or all of the surplus, and the first container 2, 2' allocates the surplus to one container 2, 2'' that offers the highest bid price.

[0060] Example 5

[0061] The containers 2, 2'' preferably include a positioning device 8 for determining their respective positions. The position data is sent together with each communication 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 so that the containers 2 communicating with each other can calculate their distances. Preferably, they calculate not only their actual geographical distance such as the straight-line distance, but also their effective distance from each other, which takes into account the transport movements and means of transport for specific goods such as energy 5, product 4, water 6, etc. In this way, the actual transport time can be taken into account.

[0062] It is conceivable that the first containers 2, 2' create a priority list of the second containers 2, 2'' for a specific good. The priority list lists the second containers 2, 2'' having the shortest effective distance to the first containers 2, 2' for that specific good as having a higher priority. For example, if the product is transported by truck, the container 2, 2' that is closest and most accessible by truck has the highest priority.

[0063] In the case where the first containers 2, 2' request a specific good, a demand request 10 is first sent to the second container 2, 2'' with the highest priority in the priority list for that specific good. If this second container 2, 2'' is unable to provide the requested good, the demand request 10 is sent to the container 2, 2'' with the second highest priority in the priority list, and so on, until the request is approved.

[0064] Example 6

[0065] If a group of containers 2 are supplied by the same energy source, the containers 2 inform each other of their upcoming growth cycles by using the operation information 30. This enables: the second containers 2, 2” that receive such operation information 30 from the first containers 2, 2' can postpone their own planned growth cycles in such a way that the periods of high energy consumption of the two containers 2 overlap as little as possible.

[0066] Reference numeral

[0067] 1 Network

[0068] 2 Cultivation Container

[0069] 3 Communication Device

[0070] 4 Product

[0071] 5 Energy

[0072] 6 Water

[0073] 8 Positioning Device

[0074] 10 Demand Request

[0075] 20 Supply Offer

[0076] 30 Operation Information

[0077] 40 Response Message

[0078] 50 Forwarding Step

[0079] 60 Local Consumer

[0080] 100 System.

Claims

1. A method of operating a network (1) consisting of cultivation containers (2), wherein, A plurality of cultivation containers (2) are integrated into the network (1), wherein each of the plurality of cultivation containers (2) includes cultivation equipment for plant cultivation, plant treatment equipment for treating cultivated plants, control equipment for controlling the plant treatment equipment, and a communication device (3) for receiving data from or providing data to the control equipment. It is characterized in that the communication devices (3) of at least two cultivation containers (2, 2', 2”) in the network (1) communicate directly and bidirectionally with each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The at least two cultivation containers (2, 2', 2”) in the network (1) communicate with each other via peer-to-peer (P2P) and / or end-to-end communication.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') in the network (1) broadcasts a demand request (10) to the communication device (3) of the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or the corresponding communication devices (3) of a group of second cultivation containers (2, 2”) or the communication devices (3) of all cultivation containers (2) in the network (1).

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein The demand request (10) includes a demand for a product (4), a demand for energy (5), a demand for water (6), a demand for plant nutrient solution, a demand for a plant treatment agent, and / or a demand for a consumption or emission certificate.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') in the network (1) broadcasts a supply offer (20) to the communication device (3) of the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or the corresponding communication devices (3) of a group of second cultivation containers (2, 2”) or the communication devices (3) of all cultivation containers (2) in the network (1).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The supply offer (20) includes an offer for a product (4), an offer for energy (5), an offer for water (6), an offer for plant nutrient solution, an offer for a plant treatment agent, and / or an offer for a consumption or emission certificate.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') in the network (1) broadcasts operation information (30) to the communication device (3) of the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or the corresponding communication devices (3) of a group of second cultivation containers (2, 2”) or the communication devices (3) of all cultivation containers (2) in the network (1).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The operation information (30) includes a growth formula for a specific plant and / or one or more schedules of an expected product (4), a plant cycle, a production workload, an energy demand (5), a water demand (6), a nutrient solution demand, and / or a plant treatment agent demand.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') in the network (1) receives a response message (40) from the communication device (3) of the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or the corresponding communication devices (3) of the group of second cultivation containers (2, 2”) or the communication devices (3) of all cultivation containers (2) in the network (1).

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The response message (40) includes information on whether the requested requirement can be fully or partially satisfied directly by the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or indirectly by reducing the corresponding requirement of the second cultivation container (2, 2”).

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The response message (40) includes information on whether the offered supply can be fully or partially used directly by the second cultivation container (2, 2”) or indirectly by reducing production or use in the second cultivation container (2, 2”).

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The requirement request (10), the supply request (20), the operation information (30) and / or the response message (40) include positioning data and / or distance data.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein, Each of the plurality of cultivation containers (2) includes a positioning device (8) for providing the positioning data to the communication device (3), wherein the one or more communication devices (3) of the first and / or the second cultivation container (2, 2', 2”) calculate the distance between the first and the second cultivation container (2, 2', 2”) based on the positioning data.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The calculated distance includes an effective distance taking into account the connection and transport characteristics of the required or offered goods.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') broadcasts its requirement request and / or supply offer to the one or more closest cultivation containers based on the calculated distance, in particular the calculated effective distance.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein, The communication device (3) of the first cultivation container (2, 2') classifies other cultivation containers (2, 2”) into different priorities based on the calculated distance, in particular the calculated effective distance, and wherein the first cultivation container (2, 2') sequentially broadcasts the requirement request (10) and / or supply offer (20) to the other cultivation containers according to the priority classification.

17. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The processing device of the cultivation container (2, 2') is controlled by the control device such that the plant cycle is timed based on the requirement requests (10), supply offers (20) and / or operation information (30) of other cultivation containers (2, 2”).

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The communication device (3) of the second cultivation container (2, 2”) forwards (50) the requirement request, supply offer, response message (40) and / or operation information (30) received from the first cultivation container (2, 2') to a third cultivation container (2, 2”') in the network (1).

19. A system (100) of a network (1) consisting of interconnected cultivation containers (2), said network being operated in particular by the method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The system (1) includes a plurality of cultivation containers (2), wherein each of the plurality of cultivation containers (2) includes cultivation equipment for plant cultivation, plant processing equipment for processing the cultivated plants, control equipment for controlling the plant processing equipment, and communication equipment (3) for receiving data from or providing data to the control equipment. It is characterized in that the plurality of cultivation containers (2) are integrated into the network (1) such that the communication equipment (3) of one cultivation container (2) in the network (1) is configured to communicate bidirectionally and directly with any other communication equipment (3) of another cultivation container (2) in the network (1).

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