Status display method and environmental control system

Abstract

To enable a user to easily and appropriately grasp a growth state of a plant.SOLUTION: A state display system 60 has a data acquisition part 61, an arithmetic part 62 and a display part 63. The data acquisition part 61 acquires feature data of a plant P. The arithmetic part 62 calculates a first score x1 and a second score x2 being two scores regarding two indices on the basis of the feature data. The display part 63 displays a graph G in which coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2 are plotted on a plane coordinate system C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for displaying the growth status of plants and an environmental control system for implementing the said method. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, in the field of protected horticulture, where plants are cultivated in greenhouses, the environment inside the greenhouse is controlled according to the current growth state of the plants. For example, growers observe plant characteristics such as stem diameter, elongation, and leaf color, and then determine the plant's growth state based on their own expertise and observational results.

[0003] However, since the know-how possessed by producers varies from person to person, there is a risk of inconsistencies in the judgment of the plant's growth state. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a cultivation device having a sensor that detects the height of plants, etc., and a judgment unit that determines whether the plant's growth state is inferior to a predetermined growth state based on the sensor's detection results. In the device of Patent Document 1, the plant's growth state determined by the judgment unit is notified to the user, such as a producer. This allows the user to understand the plant's growth state as determined by the cultivation device. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2017-051134 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Here, the environment inside the greenhouse is adjusted according to the ideal growing conditions determined by the desired yield and quality of the plants. Therefore, in order to properly adjust the environment inside the greenhouse, it is necessary to accurately understand how close or far the current growing conditions of the plants are to the ideal growing conditions. However, in Patent Document 1, although the user can know whether the current growing conditions of the plants are inferior to the specified growing conditions, they cannot accurately understand how close or far the current growing conditions of the plants are to the ideal growing conditions.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a method and system that enables users to easily and appropriately understand the growth status of plants. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a method for displaying a state, comprising: a data acquisition step of acquiring characteristic data related to the growth state of a target plant, which is a plant to be observed; a score calculation step of calculating a score for at least two indicators that indicate the growth state of the target plant based on the characteristic data; and a display step of displaying a graph plotting coordinate positions corresponding to each score on a coordinate system with the at least two indicators as coordinate axes.

[0008] According to the present invention, a user can grasp the current growth state of a target plant at a glance by viewing a graph in which coordinate positions corresponding to scores are plotted on a coordinate system. Since the coordinate system uses at least two indicators representing the plant's growth state as its coordinate axes, the user can also easily grasp the coordinate position of the plant's ideal growth state on the coordinate system. Therefore, the user can easily and appropriately grasp how close or far the plant's current growth state is from the ideal growth state.

[0009] In the state display method of the present invention, the data acquisition step means acquires the characteristic data of the target plant at two or more times, the score calculation step calculates the respective scores of the target plant at the two or more times based on the characteristic data at the two or more times, and the display step preferably displays the graph in which the coordinate positions corresponding to the respective scores at the two or more times are collectively plotted on the coordinate system.

[0010] According to the present invention, a graph in which the coordinate positions of the scores of the target plant at each time are collectively plotted on one coordinate system is displayed. Therefore, the user can grasp at a glance the state of change over time of the growth state of the target plant.

[0011] In the state display method of the present invention, it is preferable that the at least two indicators are a first indicator indicating the degree of the vigor of the plant and a second indicator indicating the deviation of the growth of the plant.

[0012] According to the present invention, the user can visually and easily grasp the degree of vigor and the deviation of growth indicating the growth state of the target plant by looking at a graph in which the coordinate positions corresponding to the scores are plotted on a plane coordinate system having the first indicator and the second indicator as coordinate axes.

[0013] In the state display method of the present invention, the data acquisition step acquires, as the characteristic data of the target plant, first characteristic data including at least any one of the stem diameter, the elongation amount of the growth point, the leaf width, the leaf length, the leaf color, and the leaf twist, and second characteristic data including at least any one of the distance between the opening flower and the fruit cluster, the pedicel length, the presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, the flower orientation, the leaf color, and the leaf width. The score calculation step preferably calculates a first score, which is the score regarding the first indicator of the target plant, based on the first characteristic data, and calculates a second score, which is the score regarding the second indicator of the target plant, based on the second characteristic data.

[0014] According to the present invention, a first score of the target plant is calculated based on the above-described first feature data, and a second score of the target plant is calculated based on the second feature data. Therefore, it is possible to more appropriately determine the degree of grass growth indicating the growth state of the target plant and the deviation of growth.

[0015] The environmental control system of the present invention is an environmental control system that executes the above-described state display method, and includes storage means for storing a plurality of environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate positions on the coordinate system, and among the plurality of environmental control parameters, environmental control means for executing environmental control in the greenhouse based on the environmental control parameters determined by the coordinate positions corresponding to the respective scores calculated in the score calculation step.

[0016] According to the present invention, one environmental control parameter is determined from among the plurality of environmental control parameters stored in the storage unit according to the coordinate position corresponding to the score calculated in the score calculation step of the state display method. Then, environmental control is executed based on the determined environmental control parameter. Therefore, it is possible to execute appropriate environmental control according to the growth state of the target plant, and the user can easily grasp the content of the currently executed environmental control by comparing the content displayed in the display step with the data stored by the storage means.

[0017] In the environmental control system of the present invention, the coordinate system is divided into a plurality of blocks, the storage means stores the plurality of environmental control parameters associated with each of the plurality of blocks, and the environmental control means preferably executes environmental control based on the environmental control parameters associated with the block to which the coordinate position corresponding to the respective scores calculated in the score calculation step belongs among the plurality of environmental control parameters.

[0018] If environmental control parameters are precisely determined according to coordinate positions in a coordinate system, the amount of data stored in the storage means may become large, potentially reducing processing speed. Furthermore, if the amount of data stored in the storage means becomes large, it may become difficult for the user to easily understand the content of the environmental control currently being executed. According to the present invention, by dividing the coordinate system into multiple blocks and using environmental control parameters linked to each block, it is possible to suppress the data volume from becoming enormous and to make it even easier for the user to understand the content of the environmental control currently being executed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the plant cultivation system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a view from arrow A in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a plant cultivation system. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the imaging device and its surrounding components. [Figure 5] This is a table showing characteristic data of plants. [Figure 6] This diagram shows how the first score is calculated. [Figure 7] This diagram shows how the second score is calculated. [Figure 8] This is a graph displayed by the status display system. [Figure 9] This figure shows the environmental control parameters stored in memory.

[0020] Next, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 9. The vertical direction in Figure 1 (i.e., the vertical direction in which gravity acts) is defined as the vertical direction. The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in Figure 1 is defined as the horizontal direction. The direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1 is defined as the predetermined direction.

[0021] (Plant cultivation system) First, the configuration of the plant cultivation system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the plant cultivation system 1. Figure 2 is a view from arrow A in Figure 1, and shows the high-wire method, which is one of the cultivation methods for plants P. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the plant cultivation system 1. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the imaging device and its surrounding configuration.

[0022] The plant cultivation system 1 acquires information about the surrounding environment and growth status of plants P, such as tomatoes, that are being cultivated, notifies users such as producers of this information, and cultivates the plants P based on this information. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the plant cultivation system 1 includes a cultivation house 2 (the greenhouse of the present invention), a sensing system 3, an environmental control system 4, a regulator 5, a supply device 6, etc.

[0023] Cultivation House 2 is a building such as a greenhouse. As shown in Figure 1, Cultivation House 2 has a plurality of columns 102 erected on the ground 101, beams 103 supported by the columns 102 and extending horizontally, and a roof 104 installed above the columns 102 and beams 103. The roof 104 is provided with an openable and closable skylight (not shown). The columns 102, beams 103, roof 104, etc. form the interior space 105 of Cultivation House 2. Multiple plants P are cultivated in the interior space 105. The multiple plants P are planted, for example, in ridges 107 provided on a base 106 on the ground 101.

[0024] Multiple plants P are cultivated using the commonly known high-wire method, as shown in Figure 2. The high-wire method involves suspending a spool 112 movably from a wire 111 stretched in a predetermined direction approximately parallel to the horizontal direction, and then guiding the stem S of the plants P along a support wire 113 hanging from the spool 112, thereby fixing the stem S to the support wire 113. The high-wire method is used, for example, for cultivating tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc. The wire 111 is suspended from a beam 103, etc., via a suspension member (not shown). As shown in Figure 2, the spool 112 has a hook 114 that is movable along the wire 111, and is suspended from the wire 111 via the hook 114. The spool 112 is moved along the wire 111 in a predetermined direction, for example, by a worker. As shown in Figure 2, the stem S of the plants P is fixed to the support wire 113 by a locking member 115, for example, a pinch. The stem S is supported by the thread spool 112, the training wire 113, and one or more locking members 115, allowing the plant P to grow vertically. As shown in Figure 2, the position where the stem S is fixed is changed by moving the thread spool 112 in a predetermined direction as the plant P grows (see the dashed line in Figure 2). As a result, the portion of the stem S of the plant P below the locking members 115 extends in the predetermined direction. This makes it possible to perform tasks such as harvesting at a constant height, improving work efficiency.

[0025] The sensing system 3 is used to acquire information related to the environment of the internal space 105 of the cultivation greenhouse 2 and the growth status of plants P. The sensing system 3 includes an imaging device 31, a measuring device 32, and a communication unit 33. The sensing system 3 is connected to the environmental control system 4, which will be described later.

[0026] The imaging device 31 moves within the internal space 105, photographs the plant P, and generates image data. The image data of the plant P contains information related to the growth state of the plant P. The image data generated by the imaging device 31 is transmitted by the communication unit 33 to the environmental control system 4, which will be described later. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, rails 141 are provided within the internal space 105 for the imaging device 31 to travel on. The rails 141 are suspended from the beam 103 via suspension members 142, etc. The direction in which the rails 141 extend is approximately parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, the imaging device 31 includes a main body 150, a camera 160, a first moving mechanism 170, and a second moving mechanism 180. The imaging device 31 travels along the rail 141 by the first moving mechanism 170, moves the camera 160 up and down by the second moving mechanism 180, and photographs the plant P with the camera 160. The imaging device 31 is equipped with, for example, a rechargeable battery 21 as a power source. The rechargeable battery 21 is charged by a charging device (not shown) provided at a predetermined position on the rail 141.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the camera 160 includes a camera body 161, a lens 162, and an image sensor (not shown). The camera 160 captures an image, which is a collection of multiple pixels, by converting the image that has passed through the lens 162 into image data using the image sensor. The camera body 161 is suspended from the main body 150 by, for example, wire ropes 54 and 55. The camera body 161 is configured to be horizontally rotatable by a rotation mechanism (not shown). The lens 162 is a so-called zoom lens and is configured to allow the focal length to be changed (i.e., the shooting range to be changed). Alternatively, the camera 160 may have a fixed-focal-length wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens, and the lenses may be configured to be switchable.

[0029] The first moving mechanism 170 is for moving the camera 160 along the rail 141 in an extending direction. As shown in Figure 4, the first moving mechanism 170 has a first motor 41 and wheels 42-45. The first motor 41 is, for example, a general-purpose servo motor. The first motor 41 has, for example, a rotary encoder (not shown). This makes it possible to detect the position of the imaging device 31 in the extending direction. The wheels 42-45 are rotatably mounted on the main body 150. The wheels 42-45 are arranged to sandwich the rail 141 from above and below. More specifically, the wheels 42 and 43 are arranged to sandwich the rail 141 from above, and the wheels 44 and 45 are arranged to sandwich the rail 141 from below. This allows the main body 150 to be stably suspended from the rail 141. The wheel 42 is connected to the rotation axis of the first motor 41 via, for example, an endless belt 46. As a result, the power from the first motor 41 is transmitted to the wheels 42, and the camera 31 travels along the rails 141.

[0030] The second movement mechanism 180 is for moving the camera 160 vertically. The second movement mechanism 180 includes, for example, a second motor 51 and drums 52 and 53. The second movement mechanism 180 rotates the drums 52 and 53, around which wire ropes 54 and 55 are wound, thereby raising and lowering the camera 160. The second motor 51 is, for example, a servo motor similar to the first motor 41. The drums 52 and 53 are connected to the rotation axis of the second motor 51 via an endless belt or pulley (not shown). As a result, the power of the second motor 51 is transmitted to the drums 52 and 53, causing them to rotate and changing the length of the portion of the wire ropes 54 and 55 not wound around the drums 52 and 53. In this way, the camera 160 is driven up and down (see the dashed line in Figure 4).

[0031] The measuring device 32 acquires information related to the environment of the internal space 105. Examples of measuring devices 32 include a thermometer, a hygrometer, and a carbon dioxide concentration meter. The communication unit 33 transmits image data acquired by the imaging device 31 and information such as temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide concentration acquired by the measuring device 32 to the environmental control system 4, which will be described later.

[0032] The control device 5 is a device for regulating the environment of the interior space 105. The control device 5 includes, for example, an air conditioning unit for temperature control, a skylight operating device for opening and closing the skylight, a ceiling curtain operating device for opening and closing the ceiling curtain, a mist generating device for humidification, and a carbon dioxide supply device for supplying carbon dioxide into the interior space 105. As shown in Figure 3, the control device 5 is electrically connected to the environmental control system 4.

[0033] The supply device 6 is a device for supplying water and fertilizer to the plants P. The supply device 6 includes, for example, a water supply device that supplies water to each plant P, and a fertilizer supply device that supplies fertilizer to each plant P. As shown in Figure 3, the supply device 6 is electrically connected to the environmental control system 4.

[0034] The environmental control system 4 is for adjusting the environment of the internal space 105 and supplying water and fertilizer to the plants P. As shown in Figure 3, the environmental control system 4 includes a status display system 60, a memory 70 (storage means of the present invention), a control unit 80 (environmental control means of the present invention), and a communication unit 90.

[0035] The communication unit 90 receives image data transmitted from the communication unit 33 of the sensing system 3 and information about the environment of the internal space 105 transmitted from the measuring device 32. The communication unit 90 may also be electrically connected to an external PC.

[0036] (Status display system) The status display system 60 is for displaying a graph plotting a score indicating the growth status of the observed plant P (the target plant of the present invention). As shown in Figure 3, the status display system 60 has a data acquisition unit 61, a calculation unit 62, and a display unit 63.

[0037] The data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data related to the growth state of plant P. The characteristic data acquired by the data acquisition unit 61 includes first characteristic data related to the vigor of plant P and second characteristic data related to the bias in the growth of plant P. Furthermore, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires the first and second characteristic data of plant P at multiple time points. The process by which the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data corresponds to the data acquisition process of the present invention. In this embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data for each of the multiple plants P located in the internal space 105.

[0038] The data acquired by the data acquisition unit 61 will be explained in detail below with reference to Figure 5. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data of plant P at different dates as multiple times, and this data is recorded in a table T1 containing the characteristic data of plant P for each date. For example, table T1 contains characteristic data of plant P for six dates (October 29, November 5, November 12, November 26, December 3, and December 10, 2021). The characteristic data of plant P is, for example, the value at the same time on each date. The "week" listed in table T1 indicates how many weeks have passed since the start of cultivation of plant P. Note that table T1 only contains characteristic data of plant P from week 15 to week 20, but in reality, all characteristic data from week 1 to the final week (for example, week 20) ​​is included.

[0039] Table T1 lists the characteristic data of plant P, including the elongation of the growing point (cm), stem diameter (cm), flowering cluster distance (cm), leaf length (cm), leaf width (cm), number of branches, leaf color (dark, moderate, light), leaf twist (strong, moderate, weak), presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, pedicel length (cm), and flower orientation (upward, sideways, downward). In Table T1, leaf color is displayed as 0 for dark, 1 for moderate, and 2 for light. Leaf twist is displayed as 0 for strong, 1 for moderate, and 2 for weak. The presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip is displayed as 0 for none and 1 for present. Flower orientation is displayed as 0 for downward, 1 for sideways, and 2 for upward. In addition, Table T1 includes characteristic data for plant P, as well as the average temperature (°C), average daytime temperature (°C), average nighttime temperature (°C), and average cumulative solar radiation (kJ / cm²) of the internal space 105. 2 The following information is provided: For example, as shown in Figure 5, the elongation of plant P on October 29, 2021 was 17.6 cm, and the flowering fruit cluster distance was 23.3 cm. Also, the leaf twist of plant P on November 5, 2021 is shown as 0 in Table T1, indicating that the leaf twist is strong. Note that Table T1 may be displayed to the user by the display unit 63 described later.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first feature data acquired by the data acquisition unit 61 includes information on the stem diameter (cm), elongation of the growing point (cm), leaf width (cm), leaf length (cm), leaf color (dark, moderate, light), and leaf twist (strong, moderate, weak) of the plant P. The second feature data acquired by the data acquisition unit 61 includes information on the flowering fruit cluster distance (cm), pedicel length (cm), presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, flower orientation (upward, sideways, downward), leaf color (dark, moderate, light), and leaf width (cm) of the plant P.

[0041] The data acquisition unit 61 acquires some or all of the information contained in the first feature data and some or all of the information contained in the second feature data by analyzing the image data generated by the imaging device 31, for example. Alternatively, the data acquisition unit 61 may acquire some or all of the information contained in the first feature data and some or all of the information contained in the second feature data from values ​​entered by the user into an external PC (not shown). In this case, for example, the user observes and measures the characteristics of plant P and manually enters the observation and measurement results into the external PC. Alternatively, the user writes the observation and measurement results of the characteristics of plant P on a piece of paper and has the external PC read the paper using OCR technology (Optical Character Reader). The data of the values ​​entered into the external PC is sent to the data acquisition unit 61 via the communication unit 90. The data acquisition unit 61 may acquire the first feature data and the second feature data from both the image data generated by the imaging device 31 and the values ​​entered by the user into the external PC.

[0042] The calculation unit 62 calculates scores for two indicators of the growth state of plant P based on the feature data: a first indicator indicating the degree of plant vigor and a second indicator indicating the bias in growth. More specifically, the calculation unit 62 calculates a first score x1 for the first indicator based on the first feature data and a second score x2 for the second indicator based on the second feature data. The calculation unit 62 also calculates the first score x1 and second score x2 for plant P at each time point based on the feature data at multiple time points. The process by which the calculation unit 62 calculates the first score x1 and second score x2 corresponds to the score calculation process of the present invention. For example, the calculation unit 62 calculates the average value of the first score x1 and second score x2 for each of the multiple plants P in the internal space 105.

[0043] Next, while referring to FIG. 6, an example of how the calculation unit 62 calculates the first score x1 will be described. First, the calculation unit 62 calculates scores Sa1 to Sa6 corresponding to each first feature data by comparing each first feature data P1 to P6 with a predetermined threshold value provided for each first feature data. Specifically, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa1 to 0 when the value P1 of the stem diameter of the plant P is n-1 below the threshold value V1, sets Sa1 to 1 when P1 is greater than the threshold value V1 n-1 and below the threshold value V1 n and sets Sa1 to 2 when P1 is greater than the threshold value V1 n . Also, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa2 to 0 when the value P2 of the growth point elongation amount of the plant P is n-1 below the threshold value V2, sets Sa2 to 1 when P2 is greater than the threshold value V2 n-1 and below the threshold value V2 n and sets Sa2 to 2 when P2 is greater than the threshold value V2 n . Also, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa3 to 0 when the value P3 of the leaf width of the plant P is n-1 below the threshold value V3, sets Sa3 to 1 when P3 is greater than the threshold value V3 n-1 and below the threshold value V3 n and sets Sa3 to 2 when P3 is greater than the threshold value V3 n . Further, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa4 to 0 when the value P4 of the leaf length of the plant P is n-1 below the threshold value V4, sets Sa4 to 1 when P4 is greater than the threshold value V4 n-1 and below the threshold value V4 n and sets Sa4 to 2 when P4 is greater than the threshold value V4 n . Also, for the leaf color P5 of the plant P, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa5 to 0 when the color is dark, sets Sa5 to 1 when the color is moderate, and sets Sa5 to 2 when the color is light. And for the leaf twist P6 of the plant P, the calculation unit 62 sets Sa6 to 0 when the twist is strong, sets Sa6 to 1 when the twist is moderate, and sets Sa6 to 2 when the twist is weak.

[0044] Note that the threshold values V1 n to V4 n , V1 n-1 to V4 n-1This is a value that is set in advance for each type of plant P. Furthermore, regarding leaf color P5, the determination of whether the color is dark, moderate, or light may be performed, for example, by comparing it with each of the pre-prepared colors, or by obtaining the RGB values. Furthermore, regarding leaf twist P6, the determination of whether the twist is strong, moderate, or weak may be performed, for example, by comparing it with images that show the degree of each twist, or by using stereoscopic image analysis software, etc.

[0045] Next, the calculation unit 62 calculates the first score x1 by summing the scores Sa1 to Sa6 (see Figure 6). In this embodiment, the calculation unit 62 adjusts the first score x1 so that it is in one of nine steps from 1 to 9. For example, the calculation unit 62 sets the first score x1 to 1 when the sum of the scores Sa1 to Sa6 is 0, sets the first score x1 to 1 to 9 when the sum of the scores Sa1 to Sa6 is between 1 and 9, and sets the first score x1 to 9 when the sum of the scores Sa1 to Sa6 is between 10 and 12.

[0046] The following describes an example of how the calculation unit 62 calculates the second score x2, referring to Figure 7. First, the calculation unit 62 calculates scores Sb1 to Sb6 corresponding to each second feature data by comparing each second feature data P7 to P12 with a predetermined threshold set for each second feature data. Specifically, the calculation unit 62 determines that the flowering fruit cluster distance P7 of plant P is the threshold V7 n-1 In the following cases, Sb1 is set to 0, and P7 is the threshold V7. n-1 Larger than threshold V7 n In the following cases, Sb1 is set to 1, and P7 is the threshold V7. n When it is greater than the threshold V8, Sb1 is set to 2. Also, the calculation unit 62 determines that the value P8 of the pedicel length of plant P is equal to the threshold V8. n-1 In the following cases, Sb2 is set to 0, and P8 is the threshold V8. n-1 Larger than threshold V8 n In the following cases, Sb2 is set to 1, and P8 is the threshold V8. nWhen it is greater than, Sb2 is set to 2. Also, the calculation unit 62 considers the presence or absence of leaves P9 at the tip of the flower of plant P, setting Sb3 to 0 when there are no leaves and Sb3 to 1 when there are leaves. Furthermore, the calculation unit 62 considers the orientation P10 of the flower of plant P, setting Sb4 to 0 when it is facing downwards, Sb4 to 1 when it is facing sideways, and Sb4 to 2 when it is facing upwards. Also, the calculation unit 62 considers the leaf color P11 of plant P, setting Sb5 to 0 when the color is dark, Sb5 to 1 when the color is moderate, and Sb5 to 2 when the color is light. Finally, the calculation unit 62 considers the value of the leaf width P12 of plant P to be the threshold V12 n-1 In the following cases, Sb6 is set to 0, and P12 is the threshold V12. n-1 Larger than threshold V12 n In the following cases, Sb6 is set to 1, and P12 is the threshold V12. n If it is greater than this, set Sb6 to 2.

[0047] Note that threshold V7 n , V8 n , V12 n , V7 n-1 , V8 n-1 , V12 n-1 These are values ​​that are pre-set for each type of plant P. Furthermore, the determination of whether the leaf color P11 is dark, moderate, or light may be performed, for example, by comparing it with pre-prepared colors, or by obtaining RGB values. Also, in this embodiment, the leaf width value P3 of plant P included in the first feature data and the leaf width value P12 of plant P included in the second feature data are the same. Additionally, the leaf color P5 of plant P included in the first feature data and the leaf color P11 of plant P included in the second feature data are the same.

[0048] Next, the calculation unit 62 calculates a second score x2 by summing the scores Sb1 to Sb6 (see Figure 7). In this embodiment, the calculation unit 62 adjusts the second score x2 so that it is one of nine levels from A to I. For example, the calculation unit 62 sets the second score x2 to A when the sum of the scores Sb1 to Sb6 is 0, sets the second score x2 to A to I when the sum of the scores Sb1 to Sb6 is 1 to 9, and sets the second score x2 to I when the sum of the scores Sb1 to Sb6 is 10 or 11.

[0049] The display unit 63 displays a graph G plotted on a planar coordinate system C, which uses a first indicator indicating the degree of plant vigor and a second indicator indicating the bias in growth as coordinate axes, the coordinate positions of the plants P corresponding to the first score x1 for the first indicator and the second score x2 for the second indicator (see Figure 8). The step of the display unit 63 displaying the graph G corresponds to the display step of the present invention. For example, the display unit 63 displays a graph G plotted on the coordinate positions of multiple plants P located in the internal space 105, corresponding to the average values ​​of their first score x1 and second score x2.

[0050] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the plane coordinate system C has the first indicator on the vertical axis and the second indicator on the horizontal axis. The plane coordinate system C is displayed in a 9x9 grid with nine levels on the vertical axis from bottom to top (1 to 9) and nine levels on the horizontal axis from left to right (A to I). The first indicator shows that 9 is the strongest plant vigor and 1 is the weakest. The second indicator shows that A is the state most biased towards reproductive growth and I is the state most biased towards vegetative growth. Hereafter, when indicating any coordinate position on the plane coordinate system C, the notation will be "(number of the first indicator)-(letter of the second indicator)". For example, if the first indicator is 1 and the second indicator is B, it will be "1-B". The coordinate position "5-E", which is in the central part of the plane coordinate system C, indicates the ideal growth state of plant P. In other words, if the coordinate positions of plant P corresponding to its first score x1 and second score x2 are plotted at "5-E" on the plane coordinate system C, then plant P can be said to be in an ideal growth state.

[0051] Furthermore, the plane coordinate system C is divided into nine 3x3 blocks B1 to B9. Block B1 contains "1-A", "2-A", "3-A", "1-B", "2-B", "3-B", "1-C", "2-C", and "3-C". Block B2 contains "1-D", "2-D", "3-D", "1-E", "2-E", "3-E", "1-F", "2-F", and "3-F". Block B3 contains "1-G", "2-G", "3-G", "1-H", "2-H", "3-H", "1-I", "2-I", and "3-I". Block B4 contains "4-A", "5-A", "6-A", "4-B", "5-B", "6-B", "4-C", "5-C", and "6-C". Block B5 contains "4-D", "5-D", "6-D", "4-E", "5-E", "6-E", "4-F", "5-F", and "6-F". Block B6 contains "4-G", "5-G", "6-G", "4-H", "5-H", "6-H", "4-I", "5-I", and "6-I". Block B7 contains "7-A", "8-A", "9-A", "7-B", "8-B", "9-B", "7-C", "8-C", and "9-C". Block B8 contains "7-D", "8-D", "9-D", "7-E", "8-E", "9-E", "7-F", "8-F", and "9-F". Block B9 contains "7-G", "8-G", "9-G", "7-H", "8-H", "9-H", "7-I", "8-I", and "9-I".

[0052] As shown in Figure 8, the display unit 63 displays a graph G plotted on a planar coordinate system C, showing coordinate positions corresponding to a first score x1 (which can take any number from 1 to 9) and a second score x2 (which can take any number from A to I). For example, if the first score x1 of plant P on October 29, 2021 is 9 and the second score x2 is G, the display unit 63 displays a graph G plotted at "9-G" on the planar coordinate system C (see Figure 8). The shaded area in Figure 8 is where "9-G" is plotted. The display unit 63 also displays a graph G plotting coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 for multiple different dates on a single planar coordinate system C. For example, if the first score x1 of plant P on October 29, November 5, November 12, November 26, December 3, and December 10, 2021, is 9, 8, 8, 7, 6, and 1 respectively, and the second score x2 is G, F, C, G, C, and D respectively, the display unit 63 will display a graph G plotted together at "9-G", "8-F", "8-C", "7-G", "6-C", and "1-D" on the planar coordinate system C (see Figure 8). It is preferable that the display unit 63 changes the color of the plotted coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 depending on the time (each date in this embodiment). This allows the user to easily distinguish the plot of plant P at each time.

[0053] The display unit 63 may display a graph plotting the coordinate positions corresponding to the first and second scores calculated based on the characteristic data of plant P for all observation days, or it may display a graph plotting only the coordinate positions corresponding to the first and second scores of plant P for one or more arbitrary observation days. In the former case, while it is possible to compare the growth status of plant P for all observation days since the start of cultivation, the graph is difficult to read due to the large number of plots. In the latter case, since it is possible to compare the growth status of plant P only for the observation days for which the growth status is to be understood, the number of plots can be reduced and the graph becomes easier to read. One or more arbitrary observation days are, for example, the most recent six observation days.

[0054] The display unit 63 is, for example, a monitor that displays the graph G described above. The monitor is installed, for example, in a position easily visible to the user, and multiple monitors are installed at positions corresponding to multiple plants P in the internal space 105. Alternatively, fewer monitors may be installed than the number of plants P in the internal space 105. In this case, one monitor displays multiple graphs G plotting the coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 of the multiple plants P.

[0055] As described above, the data acquisition process is performed by the data acquisition unit 61 of the status display system 60, the score calculation process is performed by the calculation unit 62, and the display process is performed by the display unit 63, thereby executing the status display method of the present invention.

[0056] Memory 70 stores multiple environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate position on the aforementioned planar coordinate system C. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the planar coordinate system C is divided into nine blocks B1 to B9, and as shown in Figure 9, memory 70 stores nine environmental control parameters associated with each of the nine blocks B1 to B9. For example, environmental control parameter No. 1 is associated with block B1. Environmental control parameter No. 1 matches the setting file "Grass Strengthening Control 1.xml". The information stored in memory 70 can be viewed by the user. Note that the format of the setting file is not limited to XML. For example, it may be in CSV format or JSON format.

[0057] The control unit 80 is configured, for example, by a general-purpose PC and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. The control unit 80 performs environmental control of the internal space 105 based on environmental control parameters associated with the block to which the coordinate position corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 calculated by the calculation unit 62 belongs, from among a plurality of environmental parameters. More specifically, the control unit 80 controls the operation of the adjustment device 5 and the supply device 6 in order to bring the plant P to an ideal growth state based on a setting file that matches the environmental control parameter No. The control unit 80 may also refer to information related to the environment of the internal space 105 acquired by the measuring device 32 when performing environmental control.

[0058] Specific environmental control measures include, for example: (1) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the air conditioning unit and skylight operating device, which are adjustment devices 5, to raise or lower the temperature of the interior space 105. (2) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the ceiling curtain operating device, which is an adjustment device 5, to adjust the amount of sunlight on the plants P. (3) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the mist generator and skylight operating device, which are adjustment devices 5, to adjust the humidity of the interior space 105. (4) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the carbon dioxide supply device and skylight operating device, which are adjustment devices 5, to adjust the carbon dioxide concentration in the interior space 105. (5) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the water supply device, which is a supply device 6, to adjust the amount of water supplied to the plants P. (6) The control unit 80 controls the operation of the fertilizer supply device, which is a supply device 6, to adjust the amount of fertilizer supplied to the plants P. The control unit 80 executes the environmental controls described in (1) to (6) above, in appropriate combination, based on a configuration file (for example, "Plant Vigor Enhancement Control 1.xml") that matches the environmental control parameters associated with the block to which the coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 of the plant P belong.

[0059] (effect) As described above, the status display system 60 of this embodiment includes a data acquisition unit 61, a calculation unit 62, and a display unit 63. The data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data of plant P. The calculation unit 62 calculates two scores, a first score x1 and a second score x2, for two indicators based on the characteristic data. The display unit 63 displays a graph G plotted on a planar coordinate system C, showing the coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2. As a result, the user can grasp the current growth state of the plant P being observed at a glance by looking at the graph G plotted on the planar coordinate system C, showing the coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2. Since the planar coordinate system C uses two indicators that show the growth state of plant P as coordinate axes, the user can also easily grasp the coordinate position of the ideal growth state of plant P on the planar coordinate system C. Therefore, the user can easily and appropriately grasp how close or far the current growth state of plant P is from the ideal growth state.

[0060] In the status display system 60 of this embodiment, the two indicators are a first indicator that shows the degree of plant vigor and a second indicator that shows the bias in plant growth. With this, the user can easily visually grasp the degree of plant vigor and the bias in growth, which indicate the growth state of plant P, by looking at a graph G in which coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2 are plotted on a planar coordinate system C with the first and second indicators as coordinate axes.

[0061] In the status display system 60 of this embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires first characteristic data of plant P, including the stem diameter, elongation of the growing point, leaf width, leaf length, leaf color, and leaf twist, and second characteristic data of plant P, including the flowering fruit cluster distance, pedicel length, presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, flower orientation, leaf color, and leaf width. The calculation unit 62 calculates a first score x1 for the first indicator based on the first characteristic data and a second score x2 for the second indicator based on the second characteristic data. This allows for a more appropriate determination of the degree of plant vigor and growth bias, which indicate the growth state of plant P.

[0062] Furthermore, in the status display system 60 of this embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data of plant P at different dates, representing multiple times. The calculation unit 62 calculates a first score x1 and a second score x2 of plant P at different dates based on the characteristic data at different dates, representing multiple times. The display unit 63 then displays a graph G plotting the coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2 at different dates, representing multiple times, in a planar coordinate system C. This allows the user to grasp at a glance how the growth state of plant P changes over time.

[0063] The environmental control system 4 of this embodiment includes the status display system 60, a memory 70, and a control unit 80. The memory 70 stores a plurality of environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate position on the planar coordinate system C. The control unit 80 performs environmental control of the internal space 105 based on the environmental control parameter determined by the coordinate position corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 calculated by the calculation unit 62, from among the plurality of environmental control parameters. According to this, one environmental control parameter is determined from among the plurality of environmental control parameters stored in the memory 70 based on the coordinate position corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 calculated by the calculation unit 62 of the status display system 60. Then, environmental control is performed based on the determined environmental control parameter. As a result, appropriate environmental control according to the growth state of the plant P can be performed, and the user can easily understand the content of the environmental control currently being performed by comparing the content displayed by the display unit 63 with the data stored in the memory 70.

[0064] In the environmental control system 4 of this embodiment, the plane coordinate system C is divided into nine blocks B1 to B9. The memory 70 stores multiple environmental control parameters associated with each of the nine blocks B1 to B9. The control unit 80 executes environmental control based on the environmental control parameters associated with the block to which the coordinate position corresponding to the first score x1 and second score x2 calculated by the calculation unit 62 belongs, from among the multiple environmental control parameters. If the environmental control parameters are determined in detail according to the coordinate position on the plane coordinate system C, the amount of data stored in the memory 70 may become large, potentially reducing the processing speed. Furthermore, if the amount of data stored in the memory 70 becomes large, it may become difficult for the user to easily grasp the content of the environmental control currently being executed. According to this embodiment, by dividing the plane coordinate system C into multiple blocks B1 to B9 and utilizing the environmental control parameters associated with each of the blocks B1 to B9, it is possible to suppress the data capacity from becoming enormous and to make it even easier for the user to grasp the content of the environmental control currently being executed.

[0065] (modified version) The following describes modified versions of the above embodiment. However, components having the same configuration as the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 of the status display system 60 performs the data acquisition process, the calculation unit 62 performs the score calculation process, and the display unit 63 performs the display process. However, at least one of the data acquisition process, score calculation process, and display process may be performed by the user. For example, the user may perform the data acquisition process by writing characteristic data of plant P on a predetermined form or tablet. Alternatively, the user may perform the score calculation process by manually calculating a first score x1 and a second score x2 based on the characteristic data. Furthermore, the user may display a graph G plotted on a planar coordinate system C with coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2, which are manually entered.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the display unit 63 displays a graph G plotting coordinate positions corresponding to the first score x1 and the second score x2 on a two-axis planar coordinate system C where the first indicator is on the vertical axis and the second indicator is on the horizontal axis. However, the display unit 63 may also display a three-dimensional graph plotting coordinate positions corresponding to the scores on a three-axis three-dimensional coordinate system. In this case, the calculation unit 62 calculates three scores for three indicators that show the growth state of plant P, based on the characteristic data of plant P. When calculating three scores, for example, in addition to the first score x1 and the second score x2, the calculation unit 62 may calculate a third score such as a score related to an indicator showing the passage of time, a score related to an indicator showing the average solar radiation amount over the observation days, and a score related to an indicator showing the amount of transpiration of the plant.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the at least two indicators indicating the growth state of plant P are a first indicator indicating the degree of plant vigor and a second indicator indicating the unevenness of plant P's growth. However, the indicators indicating the growth state of plant P are not limited to the first and second indicators described above. For example, indicators indicating the growth state of plant P may include indicators showing the amount of transpiration or photosynthesis of the plant.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the first feature data is information on the stem diameter, elongation of the growing point, leaf width, leaf length, leaf color, and leaf twist of plant P. However, the first feature data may include at least one of the stem diameter, elongation of the growing point, leaf width, leaf length, leaf color, and leaf twist. Also, in the above embodiment, the second feature data is information on the flowering cluster distance, pedicel length, presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, flower orientation, leaf color, and leaf width of plant P. However, the second feature data may include at least one of the flowering cluster distance, pedicel length, presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, flower orientation, leaf color, and leaf width. Furthermore, the feature data for plant P is not limited to the above. For example, the feature data may include the number of branches of plant P, flower color, root color, root spread, leaf temperature (measured by an infrared sensor, etc.), leaf density, etc.

[0070] In the above embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data of plant P at multiple times, representing different dates. However, the data acquisition unit 61 may also acquire characteristic data of plant P at different times on the same day. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the data acquisition unit 61 acquires characteristic data of plant P once a week. However, the data acquisition unit 61 may acquire characteristic data of plant P once every one to several days, or it may acquire characteristic data of plant P multiple times a day.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the scores Sa1 to Sa6 used to calculate the first score are set to either 0, 1, or 2. However, the possible values ​​for each score may differ. For example, Sa1 may take any value of 0, 1, or 2, while Sa2 may take any value of 0, 0.5, or 1. The same applies to the scores Sb1 to Sb6 used to calculate the second score.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the plane coordinate system C is divided into nine blocks B1 to B9. However, the plane coordinate system C may be divided into two to eight blocks, or even ten or more blocks. The block division is set such that, for example, the environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate positions included in each block are the same, and the environmental control parameters associated with each block are different from each other. Alternatively, the plane coordinate system C may not be divided into blocks. In this case, the memory 70 stores a plurality of environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate positions on the plane coordinate system C. The control unit 80 then performs environmental control of the internal space 105 based on the environmental control parameter determined by the coordinate position corresponding to the score calculated by the calculation unit 62, from among the plurality of environmental control parameters.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the memory 70 stores nine environmental control parameters associated with each of the nine blocks. However, there may be eight or fewer environmental control parameters associated with each of the nine blocks. That is, there may be overlaps in the environmental control parameters associated with at least two of the blocks.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the calculation unit 62 calculates a first score x1 and a second score x2 indicating the growth state of the plant P by comparing various predetermined characteristic data with predetermined thresholds, etc. In this regard, the threshold values ​​and the content of the various characteristic data used in calculating each score may be changed for each type and variety of plant P being observed.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the calculation unit 62 calculates the first score x1 and the second score x2 by comparing the feature data acquired by the data acquisition unit 61 with a threshold, etc. However, the calculation unit 62 may also calculate the first score x1 and the second score x2 using AI (artificial intelligence) technology. In this case, for example, the AI ​​is pre-trained with the first score x1 and the second score x2 corresponding to various combinations of feature data of plant P. Based on the trained data, the AI ​​infers the first score x1 and the second score x2 corresponding to various combinations of feature data of the observed plant P acquired by the data acquisition unit 61.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the plant P is assumed to be cultivated using a high-wire system, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be applied to a plant cultivation system for growing orchids or the like planted in a container such as a movable planter (not shown). [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1. Plant cultivation system 2. Cultivation greenhouse (greenhouse) 4. Environmental control system 60 Status Display System 61 Data acquisition unit (data acquisition means) 62. Calculation Unit (Score Calculation Means) 63 Display section (display means) 70. Memory (storage method) 80 Control unit (environmental control means) C plane coordinate system G-graph P plant x1 First score x2 Second score

Claims

1. A data acquisition process to obtain characteristic data related to the growth state of the target plant, which is the plant being observed, A score calculation step, based on the characteristic data, calculates a score for each of two or three indicators that show the growth state of the target plant. An environmental control system that performs a state display method comprising a display step of displaying a graph plotting coordinate positions corresponding to each of the scores on a coordinate system whose coordinate axes are the two or three of the aforementioned indicators, A data acquisition means for executing the aforementioned data acquisition process, A score calculation means for performing the score calculation process, A display means for performing the aforementioned display step, A storage means for storing a plurality of environmental control parameters determined according to the coordinate position on the aforementioned coordinate system, The system includes an environmental control means that performs environmental control within the greenhouse based on an environmental control parameter determined by the coordinate position corresponding to the score calculated by the score calculation step, among the plurality of environmental control parameters, The two or three indicators mentioned above include a first indicator that shows the degree of plant vigor and a second indicator that shows the bias in plant growth. The data acquisition means, in the data acquisition step, acquires, as characteristic data of the target plant, first characteristic data including at least one of stem diameter, elongation of the growing point, leaf width, leaf length, leaf color, and leaf twist, and second characteristic data including at least one of flowering fruit cluster distance, pedicel length, presence or absence of leaves at the flower tip, flower orientation, leaf color, and leaf width. The first feature data comprises a plurality of types of feature data related to the vigor of the plant, The second feature data comprises multiple types of feature data related to the bias in plant growth, The score calculation means calculates a first score, which is the score for the first indicator of the target plant, based on the first feature data, and calculates a second score, which is the score for the second indicator of the target plant, based on the second feature data. The first score is obtained by comparing each of the multiple types of feature data included in the first feature data with a predetermined threshold to calculate a plurality of first individual scores, and then summing up the plurality of first individual scores. The environmental control system is characterized in that the second score is obtained by comparing each of the multiple types of feature data included in the second feature data with a predetermined threshold to calculate a plurality of second individual scores, and then summing up the plurality of second individual scores.

2. The data acquisition means acquires the characteristic data of the target plant at two or more time points in the data acquisition step. The score calculation means calculates the respective scores of the target plant at the two or more time points based on the characteristic data at the two or more time points in the score calculation step. The environmental control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the display means displays the graph in which the coordinate positions corresponding to the respective scores at the two or more time points are plotted together on the coordinate system during the display step.

3. The aforementioned coordinate system is divided into multiple blocks, The storage means stores the plurality of environmental control parameters associated with each of the plurality of blocks, The environmental control system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the environmental control means performs environmental control based on the environmental control parameter associated with the block to which the coordinate position corresponding to each score calculated by the score calculation step belongs, among the plurality of environmental control parameters.

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