Method, controller and computer program product for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method, comprising: selecting a growth protocol; selecting an identifier (45) of a container; associating the growth protocol with the container identifier; and determining an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to a target value specified in the growth protocol. The method further comprises: controlling an environmental control system (11-13, 27) based on the adjusted target value; obtaining measurement information associated with the container identifier from a device (23); determining a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; and comparing the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired value of the plant growth parameter. The method further comprises determining a value associated with the difference between the values, and based on the value exceeding a threshold, replacing the target value with the adjusted target value and replacing the desired value of the plant growth parameter with the measured value of the plant growth parameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a controller configured to perform such a method.

[0003] The present invention also relates to a computer program product enabling a computer system to perform such a method. Background Art

[0004] The world population is expected to grow from the current 6.5 billion to 9 billion in 2050. Communities are rapidly becoming dominant cities. This will impose significant limitations on the availability of food and clean water. The space available for food production will become even more insufficient. There is a need to innovate production methods to provide higher yields through smaller spaces while becoming more sustainable (minimizing the use of energy and water).

[0005] Producing food in a closed environment such as a vertical farm is one way to meet these needs. Globally, significant investments are being made in this method of growing food. In a vertical farm, the yield per unit area is much higher than that in open areas. Water use is minimized. Plant diseases and pests can be more easily prevented.

[0006] In a vertical farm (also known as an urban farm or a plant factory), food is grown in multiple layers, enabling better utilization of the available space. This means that sunlight will not reach the plants, and almost all of the light must come from artificial lighting, which consumes energy. So far, one problem hindering the full adoption of vertical farming is the limited return on investment. Establishing a vertical farm requires a large investment. The return on investment depends largely on the operational efficiency of the farm. Usually, crops are grown by following a so-called growth protocol (also known as a growth recipe). The growth protocol specifies the optimal target values for lighting, climate, irrigation, and crop handling for a day and every day until the end of the growth period.

[0007] For commercial vertical farm operations, this way of working has a drawback. The process of developing a growth protocol is actually quite non-digital. It requires many time-consuming growth trials to find the optimal growth protocol. Since the growth protocol is specific to a crop variety, it must be carried out for each of the many existing crop varieties.

[0008] US2018 / 0359955A1 discloses a method for self-learning in a growth pod. A computing device stores logic that causes an assembly line growth pod to receive growth data from sensors to determine the output of a plant and compare the output of the plant with a desired plant output. In some embodiments, the logic causes the assembly line growth pod to determine a change to a growth formula to increase the output of the plant and change the growth formula to increase the output of the plant. For example, if a plant is deficient in output measurements (such as height, circumference, fruit yield, water consumption, light consumption, etc.), a neural network can be used to change the formula to correct the deficiency. Similarly, if a plant exceeds expectations for a particular measurement, the neural network can be used to determine the cause of the unexpected result and change the formula to reproduce the unexpected result.

[0009] One disadvantage of the method of US2018 / 0359955A1 is that it is not easy to determine which changes to make to the planting formula based on the difference between the output of the plant and the desired plant output, which makes the use of this method complex. The neural network needs to be trained to be useful. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The first object of the present invention is to provide a method that can be used to improve the growth protocol in a relatively simple manner, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the plant growth environment.

[0011] The second object of the present invention is to provide a controller that can improve the growth protocol in a relatively simple manner, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the plant growth environment.

[0012] In a first aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment includes: selecting a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; selecting a container identifier that identifies a container from a plurality of container identifiers, the container including at least one plant, and the plurality of container identifiers being stored in the memory or another memory; associating the growth protocol with the container identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values for one or more growth condition parameters; for a first growth condition parameter among the one or more growth condition parameters, determining an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; and controlling the environmental control system based on the adjusted target value.

[0013] The method further includes: obtaining measurement information associated with the container identifier from at least one device; determining a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; comparing the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired value of the plant growth parameter, the desired value of the plant growth parameter being included in the growth protocol; determining a value associated with the difference between the measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired value of the plant growth parameter; in the growth protocol, replacing the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold; and in the growth protocol, replacing the desired value of the plant growth parameter with the measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the value exceeding the threshold. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0014] Accordingly, an automated method is provided that can gradually refine the growth protocol while growing plants in a production environment, thereby gradually increasing operational efficiency. By doing so, the need for conducting expensive and time-consuming growth trials is (partially) avoided. Instead of trying to figure out which adjustments to the growth protocol will result in a difference between the output of the plant and the desired output of the plant, the growth protocol is adjusted to see if they will add value, such as reducing the difference between the output of the plant and the desired output of the plant. Typically, when growing plants in a commercial environment, by following a (fixed) growth protocol, no new knowledge can be generated that can be used to improve the growth protocol. With the provided automated method, continuous learning can be used to improve the growth protocol. This increases the return on investment for the grower. The electricity consumption can be monitored to optimize g / mol or g / kwh or profitability.

[0015] For example, the method may include obtaining the measurement information from the at least one device during or after the final growth stage of the growth protocol. Alternatively, for example, the method may include obtaining the measurement information from multiple devices and determining the measured value of the plant growth parameter in multiple growth stages based on the measurement information.

[0016] The target value of the first growth condition parameter may represent a light setting, the environmental control system may include a plurality of lighting devices, and the method may include selecting, from the plurality of lighting devices, the lighting device associated with the container identifier and controlling the lighting device based on the adjusted target value. This may be beneficial if it is not possible to use the same light setting on all lighting devices, for example, if different plant containers are associated with different growth protocols and need to be illuminated with different light settings. The association between the container identifier and the lighting device may be manually configured or automatically determined. If multiple different lighting devices are capable of illuminating the same container, then all of them or a (strict) subset of them may be selected. As an example of the latter, a plant container may need to be illuminated with a different color and / or intensity than another plant container (with another plant or the same type of plant in another growth stage). In this case, the selection may be based on the capabilities of the lighting devices, such as pre-harvest lighting devices versus seedling lighting devices.

[0017] The target value of the first growth condition parameter may represent a light setting, the environmental control system may include a plurality of lighting devices, and the method may include: determining the current location of the container identifier; selecting the lighting device from the plurality of lighting devices by selecting the lighting device associated with the current location of the container identifier; and controlling the lighting device based on the adjusted target value. This "follow-me" light source selection allows for automatic tracking of the container, for example, by using a camera or RFID tag, and allows for automatic selection of the associated lighting device.

[0018] The method may include: determining a crosstalk-free area corresponding to the container identifier in which plants growing therein have no light crosstalk, the crosstalk-free area being determined based on user input, or based on the distance between the plurality of lighting devices and the plants growing in the container, and / or based on the pattern of light emitted by the plurality of lighting devices; determining one or more plant identifiers corresponding to one or more plants growing in the crosstalk-free area of the container; and obtaining the measurement information associated with the container identifier by obtaining the measurement information associated with the one or more plant identifiers. If one or more plants are illuminated by multiple lighting devices with different light settings, then this may result in light crosstalk. If measurement information about the one or more plants is obtained, then it may not be possible to determine what the effect of the adjusted light setting is. Therefore, it is beneficial to obtain measurement information about one or more plants in the crosstalk-free area.

[0019] The method may include: determining an optical characteristic of light received from additional lighting devices among the plurality of lighting devices at the location of the container identifier; determining a target value for compensation based on the adjusted target value and the optical characteristic; and in the growth protocol, replacing the target value with the target value for compensation according to the value exceeding the threshold. If additional lighting devices cause optical crosstalk, the effect of the adjusted light settings can still be determined by compensating for the optical crosstalk by means of the optical characteristic of the light received at the container location.

[0020] For example, this can be beneficial if it is not possible to obtain measurement information from one or more plants in a crosstalk-free area. However, this can also be beneficial if it is possible to obtain measurement information from one or more plants in a crosstalk-free area. For example, the measured growth results in the crosstalk area can be compared with the growth results in an adjacent crosstalk-free area. If the growth result at a certain location in the crosstalk area exceeds the growth result in the adjacent crosstalk-free area, the adjusted light settings for that location in the crosstalk area can be stored in a new improved light protocol, which can be tested / validated on the next container. The optical characteristic of the light received at the location of the container identifier can be measured or calculated using, for example, an optical sensor.

[0021] The growth protocol may include target values for a plurality of growth condition parameters, the plurality of growth condition parameters may include the first growth condition parameter and one or more other growth condition parameters, and the method may include: when controlling the environmental control system based on the adjusted target value of the first growth condition parameter, controlling the environmental control system or an additional environmental control system based on one or more target values specified for the one or more other growth condition parameters without adjustment. Generally, the growth protocol includes target values for a plurality of growth condition parameters (such as light, temperature, humidity, and CO 2 level). By adjusting only the target value of one of the growth condition parameters, it is easier to determine what additional benefits further adjustments may bring.

[0022] In addition to the optical crosstalk area, due to changes in temperature (T), relative humidity (Rh), or CO 2 along the air flow direction, there may be temperature (T), relative humidity (Rh), and / or CO 2 "crosstalk" areas. If the target values of the growth condition parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, or CO 2 are adjusted, this "crosstalk" can be avoided or taken into account in a similar manner as described above for light.

[0023] The method may include: associating the growth protocol with an additional container identifier; determining a target value of an additional adjustment by applying an additional adjustment to an additional target value of the one or more target values, the additional adjustment being greater than the predetermined minimum value and less than the predetermined maximum value; controlling the environmental control system or a different environmental control system based on the target value of the additional adjustment; obtaining additional measurement information associated with the additional container identifier from one or more devices; determining an additional measured plant growth parameter value based on the additional measurement information; comparing the additional measured plant growth parameter value with the desired plant growth parameter value; determining an additional value of the difference between the additional measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; in the growth protocol, replacing the additional target value with the target value of the additional adjustment according to the additional value exceeding the threshold; and in the growth protocol, replacing the desired plant growth parameter value with the additional measured plant growth parameter value according to the additional value exceeding the threshold. Experiments on the target value of the adjustment may be performed on multiple containers. Each time the value of the adjustment exceeds a threshold (e.g., higher than zero), the target value of the adjustment is considered beneficial and stored as a new target value in the growth protocol.

[0024] The method may include: associating the growth protocol with an additional container identifier; determining a target value of an additional adjustment by applying an additional adjustment to an additional target value of the one or more target values, the additional adjustment being greater than the predetermined minimum value and less than the predetermined maximum value; controlling the environmental control system or a different environmental control system based on the target value of the additional adjustment; obtaining additional measurement information associated with the additional container identifier from one or more devices; determining an additional measured plant growth parameter value based on the additional measurement information; comparing the additional measured plant growth parameter value with the desired plant growth parameter value; determining an additional value of the difference between the additional measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; comparing the value with the additional value; in the growth protocol, replacing the target value with the target value of the adjustment according to the value exceeding the threshold and the value exceeding the additional value; and in the growth protocol, replacing the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold and the value exceeding the additional value. Experiments on the target value of the adjustment may be performed simultaneously on multiple containers. In this case, results from multiple experiments may be collected before evaluating the results. The target value of the adjustment with the highest value is stored as a new target value in the growth protocol.

[0025] The method may include determining the target value of the adjustment based on a growth model of a plant species or variety associated with the growth protocol. In this case, the method may further include modifying the growth model based on the relationship between the target value of the adjustment and the measured value of the plant growth parameter. The growth model can be used to better understand plant growth and to determine in a reasonable manner what adjustments to make to the target value.

[0026] In a second aspect of the invention, a method of controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment includes: selecting a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; selecting a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers stored in the memory or an additional memory; associating the growth protocol with the plant identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values for one or more growth condition parameters; for a first growth condition parameter of the one or more growth condition parameters, determining a target value of an adjustment by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; and controlling the environmental control system based on the target value of the adjustment.

[0027] The method further includes: obtaining measurement information associated with the plant identifier from at least one device; determining a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; comparing the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired value of the plant growth parameter, the desired value of the plant growth parameter being included in the growth protocol; determining a value associated with the difference between the measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired value of the plant growth parameter; in the growth protocol, replacing the target value with the target value of the adjustment according to the value exceeding a threshold; and in the growth protocol, replacing the desired value with the measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the value exceeding the threshold. The method may be performed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0028] In a third aspect of the invention, a controller includes: at least one sensor interface for obtaining measurement information from at least one device; at least one control interface for controlling an environmental control system; and at least one processor adapted to perform any of the steps of the above method.

[0029] In addition, a computer program for performing the methods described herein is provided, as well as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the computer program. For example, the computer program may be downloaded or uploaded to an existing device by an existing device, or stored when manufacturing these systems.

[0030] A non - transitory computer - readable storage medium stores at least a first software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations including the following steps: select a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; select a container identifier that identifies a container from a plurality of container identifiers, the container including at least one plant and the plurality of container identifiers being stored in the memory or an additional memory; associate the growth protocol with the container identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values of one or more growth condition parameters; for a first growth condition parameter of the one or more first growth condition parameters, determine an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; and control an environmental control system based on the adjusted target value.

[0031] The executable operations further include: obtain measurement information associated with the container identifier from at least one device; determine a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information; compare the measured plant growth parameter value with a desired plant growth parameter value included in the growth protocol; determine a value associated with the difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; in the growth protocol, replace the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding a threshold; and in the growth protocol, replace the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold. The method may be executed by software running on a programmable device. The software may be provided as a computer program product.

[0032] A non - transitory computer - readable storage medium stores at least a second software code portion that, when executed or processed by a computer, is configured to perform executable operations including the following steps: select a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; select a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers, the plurality of plant identifiers being stored in the memory or an additional memory; associate the growth protocol with the plant identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values for one or more growth condition parameters; for a first growth condition parameter of the one or more growth condition parameters, determine an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; and control the environmental control system based on the adjusted target value.

[0033] The executable operations further include: obtaining measurement information associated with the plant identifier from at least one device; determining a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; comparing the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired value of the plant growth parameter, the desired value of the plant growth parameter being included in the growth protocol; determining a value associated with the difference between the measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired value of the plant growth parameter; in the growth protocol, replacing the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold; and in the growth protocol, replacing the desired value of the plant growth parameter with the measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the value exceeding the threshold.

[0034] As those skilled in the art will recognize, aspects of the present invention may be implemented as a device, a method, or a computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects, which are generally referred to herein as "circuits", "modules" or "systems". The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented as algorithms executed by a processor / microprocessor of a computer. In addition, aspects of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media, on which computer-readable program code is embodied (e.g., stored).

[0035] Any combination of one or more computer-readable media may be utilized. The computer-readable media may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium may include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0036] A computer-readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal (e.g., in the form of a baseband or as part of a carrier wave) having computer-readable program code embodied therein. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium may be any computer-readable medium that is not a computer-readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0037] The program code embodied on a computer-readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wired, fiber optic cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination thereof. The computer program code for carrying out operations in accordance with aspects of the present invention may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object-oriented programming languages such as Java(TM), Smalltalk, C++, etc., and conventional procedural programming languages such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., through the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0038] Hereinafter, aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems), and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. It will be understood that each block in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, particularly a microprocessor or a central processing unit (CPU), to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which are executed by the processor of the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0039] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions for implementing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0040] Computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other devices to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide a process for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0041] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of apparatus, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than shown in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, depending on the functionality involved, actually be executed substantially in parallel, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, can be implemented by a system based on dedicated hardware for performing the specified functions or actions, or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent and will be further elucidated by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0043] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the system;

[0044] Figure 2 schematically depicts an example of a plant growth environment in which the system can be used;

[0045] Figure 3 depicts Figure 2 a side view of one of the containers depicted in;

[0046] Figure 4 schematically depicts Figure 2 a top view of the containers depicted in.

[0047] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the system;

[0048] Figure 6 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of the method;

[0049] Figure 7 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the method;

[0050] Figure 8 is a flowchart of the third embodiment of the method;

[0051] Figure 9 is a flowchart of the fourth embodiment of the method;

[0052] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the fifth embodiment of the method;

[0053] Figure 11 is a block diagram of the third embodiment of the system;

[0054] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an exemplary data processing system for performing the method of the present invention.

[0055] Corresponding elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0056] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a controller for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment: a light control computer 1. For example, the plant growth environment can be a vertical farm. In Figure 1 the example, light conditions (light intensity, spectrum, and their dependence on time of day and plant growth stage) are controlled by the light control computer 1, and climate conditions (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide level) are controlled by the climate control computer 25. Light conditions are typically specified in a light protocol / light recipe, and climate conditions are typically specified in a climate protocol / recipe. The light protocol and the climate protocol are part of the growth protocol.

[0057] The light computer 1 controls lighting devices 11-13, such as LED modules. The lighting devices 11-13 can be, for example, top lighting devices or intermediate lighting devices, which are typically suspended between plants or parts thereof. The climate computer 25 controls a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 27. Optionally, the climate control computer 25 can receive sensor data from one or more climate sensors (not shown), such as temperature sensors and / or CO2 sensors, and the climate control computer 25 controls the HVAC system 27 based on the sensor data.

[0058] The light control computer 1 includes a receiver 3, a transmitter 4, a processor 5, and a memory 7. The processor 5 is configured to: select a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in the memory 7; select a container identifier that identifies a container (which includes at least one plant) from a plurality of container identifiers or select a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers; and associate the growth protocol with the container or plant identifier. In an alternative embodiment, the set of growth protocols is stored on an Internet server ( Figure 1 not shown in

[0059] In Figure 1 the example of Figure 1 , the growth protocol includes target values for a plurality of growth condition parameters. The plurality of growth condition parameters includes a first growth condition parameter and one or more other growth condition parameters. The target value of the first growth condition parameter represents a light setting. The growth protocol also includes one or more other target values for temperature, CO 2 level and / or humidity. A plurality of container or plant identifiers are stored in the memory 7.

[0060] The processor 5 is further configured to: for the first growth condition parameter among the one or more growth condition parameters, determine an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to a first target value of the one or more target values; and control at least one of the lighting devices 11-13 based on the adjusted target value and via the transmitter 4 by the climate control computer 25, so as to control the HVAC system 27 based on the one or more other target values specified for the one or more other growth condition parameters. The one or more other target values are not adjusted.

[0061] The adjustment to the first target value is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value. Although the adjustment can be randomly selected within these boundaries, preferably, the adjusted target value is determined to deviate slightly from the target value specified in the stored growth protocol, and the adjusted target value is determined to be expected to achieve a value closer to the desired value (such as maximum yield), so that the desired value is higher than the value of the target value specified in the stored growth protocol.

[0062] The processor 5 is further configured to: obtain measurement information associated with the container or plant identifier from at least one of the sensor devices 21-23 via the receiver 3; determine a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information; and compare the measured plant growth parameter value with the desired plant growth parameter value. The desired plant growth parameter value is included in the growth protocol and is typically a previously determined measured growth parameter that is determined based on previously obtained measurement information related to the target value currently specified in the growth protocol.

[0063] In Figure 1 the example of Figure 1 , the measurement information is obtained from at least one sensor device. In an alternative embodiment, the measurement information is obtained from a user device (such as a mobile device or a tablet) where the user has manually entered the measurement information. Although the light can be controlled for each container (and each container typically contains a plurality of plants of the same type), generally the climate cannot be controlled for each container, but only for each larger spatial area (such as each growth height). On the other hand, the measurement information can be obtained for each plant or for a plurality of plants.

[0064] For statistical reasons, obtaining measurement information of multiple plants is preferred over obtaining measurement information of a single plant. This can be achieved by selecting a container identifier and obtaining measurement information about multiple plants in the identified container (usually about at least 10 - 100 plants; for light, the smaller the adjustment of the color component or intensity, the more plants are required to establish a statistically significant effect). This can also be achieved by selecting multiple plant identifiers, using the same target value of adjustment on the selected plants, obtaining measurement information about the selected plants, and determining the average measured plant growth parameter value or average value.

[0065] The processor 5 is further configured to: determine a value related to the difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; in the growth protocol, replace the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold; and in the growth protocol, replace the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold. This value is also referred to as the adjusted value.

[0066] The processor 5 may be configured to determine the adjusted value by using a value function. The value function defines the value of each set of input parameter values. The parameter to be optimized is the plant growth period or depends on the plant growth period. The grower may be able to select a goal, such as maximizing the weight of the plant, maximizing the growth efficiency, or maximizing the profit, which leads to the selection of the corresponding value function. Generally, the growth efficiency is expressed as the biomass produced per unit energy consumption (e.g., in g / kWh). If the grower selects maximizing the growth efficiency as the goal, the value function is equal to the growth efficiency, and the input parameters are the biomass and the consumed energy. If the grower selects maximizing the plant weight as the goal, the value function is equal to the plant growth period, and the input parameter is the biomass.

[0067] The growth protocol associated with at least one container slightly deviates from the growth protocols stored in the set of growth protocols. It is beneficial to determine the adjustments to be made by using a self - learning algorithm. The initial adjustments may be randomly selected, and in the later stage, the adjustments may be determined based on the early adjustments (which have been proven to be successfully helpful for the established goal).

[0068] The self - learning can be activated or adjusted based on external (user) input. For example, it is possible for the grower to indicate the growth protocol or the farm part he / she wants to use to activate the self - learning. The grower can also indicate which growth parameters are allowed or prohibited from being adjusted. The light control computer 1 can also access external knowledge sources, which can determine which growth parameters or growth parameter adjustments may improve the value. For example, these external knowledge sources may be external reports from scientific research or data shared by other farm systems.

[0069] The algorithm can also consider available historical data (e.g., the results of past executed growth protocols and their outcomes, including adjustments to target values and actual growth conditions). In addition to crop-related attributes such as crop size, appearance, or quality, the value function can also include external factors such as electricity consumption (e.g., measured) and historical, actual, and expected energy rewards and crop rewards.

[0070] After determining the measured value of the plant growth parameter, a first value corresponding to the measured value of the plant growth parameter or to a set of input parameters including the measured value of the plant growth parameter (e.g., also including the measured energy consumption parameter) is obtained by using the value function. Next, a second value corresponding to the desired value of the plant growth parameter or to a set of input parameters including the measured value of the plant growth parameter is determined. This second value may have been previously stored.

[0071] The adjustment value is equal to the difference between the first and the second values. If this adjustment value exceeds a threshold, the adjustment made to the growth protocol is considered beneficial, and the growth protocol stored in the set of growth protocols is also adjusted. If the threshold is zero, any improvement in the value will result in an adjustment to the growth protocol stored in the set of growth protocols.

[0072] Using the above controller, aspects of the light protocol can be optimized, such as the spectral composition of the light. For example, the ratio of blue light to red light can be optimized while keeping the photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) constant.

[0073] Similarly, the PPFD can be optimized. Generally, the higher the PPFD, the higher the growth rate and the higher the sales revenue of the harvested plants. However, usually the growth efficiency is affected (i.e., the g / kWh value decreases).

[0074] By also including in the input parameters the selling price ($ / kg) of the harvested plants and the energy price ($ / kWh), a value function can be defined, and the maximum value of the value function corresponds to the maximum profit generated from the vertical farm operation. Using the above controller, the light protocol can be optimized to achieve such maximum profit.

[0075] Therefore, the above controller can be used to improve the growth protocol by strategically adjusting the nominal growth protocol and analyzing the results. The adjustment should preferably be large enough to be able to detect the response with sufficient accuracy (in a statistical sense). The adjustment should preferably be as small as possible so as not to overly affect plant growth and endanger the operation of the plant growth environment.

[0076] The controller can also match the adjusted size to the size of the sample (e.g., the number of plant containers involved), and vice versa. As an example of the latter, when the accuracy obtained is too low for the desired (large) adjusted size, the number of plants (e.g., plant containers) on which the adjusted target value is tested can be increased. In cases where the controller has seen positive results from subsequent parameter value adjustments (e.g., light setting adjustments), the controller can decide to make a larger parameter value adjustment, while only applying it to one or two plant containers. By working in this way, the risk of having a significant impact on the yield is kept to a minimum. The controller can also decide to make larger adjustments in a part of the plant growth environment with a large number of sensing devices (e.g., a part of a vertical farm). This allows for timely readjustment if a deviation has a negative impact on the plants.

[0077] The grower's goals that can beneficially be used with the above controller include: maximum growing efficiency, maximum profit, immediate production, best growth uniformity, best coloring, best shelf life, best compound concentration (e.g., vitamin C), and best compliance with customer contracts. Another example of a goal is reproducibility. However, aiming for the target value of maximizing one of the above goals (e.g., maximum growing efficiency) too aggressively so that the result becomes overly strictly dependent on the reliability of the system, e.g., using this target value only rarely maximizes the goal, is generally not advisable.

[0078] The self - learning algorithm can be based on machine - learning techniques such as reinforcement learning, and on classical techniques that iteratively search for the maximum value of a value. For example, a well - known classical method for finding the global maximum (or minimum) is the simulated annealing method. A well - known classical method for finding the nearest local maximum (or minimum) is the gradient - descent method.

[0079] In Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment of computer 1, computer 1 includes a processor 5. In an alternative embodiment, computer 1 includes multiple processors. Processor 5 can be a general - purpose processor, such as from Intel or AMD, or a dedicated processor. For example, processor 5 can run an operating system based on Windows or Unix. Memory 7 can include one or more memory units. For example, memory 7 can include one or more hard disks and / or solid - state memories. For example, memory 7 can be used to store the operating system, applications, and application data.

[0080] For example, receiver 3 and transmitter 4 can use one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies to communicate with lighting devices 11 - 13 and sensing devices 21 - 23. In an alternative embodiment, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used in computer 1 instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. In Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 3 and the transmitter 4 are combined into a transceiver. The computer 1 may include other components typical of a computer, such as a power connector and a display. The present invention can be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0081] In Figure 1 the embodiment of, the system of the present invention is a computer. In an alternative embodiment, the system of the present invention is a different device. In Figure 1 the embodiment of, the system of the present invention includes a single device. In an alternative embodiment, the system of the present invention includes multiple devices. In Figure 1 the embodiment of, the computer 1 uses a transmitter to control the lighting device. In an alternative embodiment, the computer 1 uses only an analog line to control the lighting device.

[0082] Figure 2 depicts an example of a plant growth environment in which the Figure 1 system can be used. In Figure 2 the example of, the first container 45 and the second container 46 move on a conveyor belt 41.

[0083] For example, the conveyor belt 41 can be part of a layer of a growing rack, where the growing rack has multiple layers for growing plants. In this case, a container containing seedlings is inserted at one end of the layer. As the plants are pushed from the beginning to the end through the layer, the plants receive light treatment and are subjected to the climate according to the growth protocol. At the end of the layer, the container containing the plants can be removed from the layer for harvesting (or rearranged or repositioned for another treatment). This is typical for so-called first-in, first-out (FIFO) logistics systems.

[0084] Alternatively, at one end of the layer, a container containing seedlings is inserted, while a container containing plants ready for harvesting is withdrawn from the same end (so-called last-in, first-out (LIFO) logistics system).

[0085] A first subset of the lighting devices 11 - 13 is controlled to irradiate the first container 45 according to the light settings associated with the first container 45. A second subset of the lighting devices 11 - 13 is controlled to irradiate the second container 46 according to the light settings associated with the second container 46. For example, the lighting devices 11 - 13 can be LED lighting modules.

[0086] Each lighting device typically uses the light settings specified in the growth protocol associated with the closest container. When another container with another associated growth protocol becomes the closest container, the lighting device will start using different lighting settings. Thus, the light protocol associated with the container follows the container throughout the entire journey of the container from the start to the end of the growth layer. Each time the container moves to a new position, the lighting elements at the new position will be controlled to emit light according to the light protocol associated with that container.

[0087] Generally speaking, the growth protocol associated with the container follows the starting container throughout the entire displacement of the container from the start to the end of the growth layer. However, in practice, in most cases, it is also not possible to change the climate within the growth layer without affecting the climate of other growth layers in the climate unit. In such cases, the climate protocol can be associated with all containers in the climate unit.

[0088] To find the optimal growth protocol, the lighting device will deviate slightly from the light settings specified in the growth protocol for the selected container. In other words, the target value of the adjustment follows the logistic movement of the container.

[0089] Generally, the system can track the plant containers by determining all logistic movements (e.g., by having a camera monitor a continuous linear process or by deriving logistic movements from information provided by the logistic system) or by detecting the position of each plant container (e.g., each plant container can be equipped with an identification tag, and the identification tag can be a visual identifier such as a QR code or an RF identifier such as an NFC or RFID tag).

[0090] By determining the measured values of the plant growth parameters, the success of the adjustment can be evaluated. The characteristics (e.g., weight) of the selected plants are measured regularly (i.e., at least once, for example, during the harvest period) to determine the value of the adjustment. The plant-related measurements can be stored together with the corresponding plant identifiers and the applied growth protocol.

[0091] In the last growth stage of the growth protocol or afterwards, it is usually sufficient to obtain measurement information from the sensor device. For example, if plant 87 is in its last growth stage, it may be sufficient to obtain measurement information only from sensor device 23. However, measurement information can also be obtained from each of sensor devices 21 - 23, and the measured values of the plant growth parameters can be determined based on the measurement information over multiple growth stages.

[0092] In the latter case, the merits of the adjustment may not be determined (only) at the end of the growth cycle (when the container containing the plant is removed from the growth layer), but (also) at intermediate times. For this purpose, sensor devices distributed along the growth layer can be used. The sensor devices can have fixed positions or move along the growth layer (e.g., move synchronously with the movement of the container). In Figure 2In the example, the sensor devices 21 - 23 are cameras distributed throughout the growth layer to detect plant characteristics related to determining the value of the adjustment.

[0093] In the case where the goal is to maximize plant weight, the weight is measured continuously, frequently, or finally at harvest. Based on this measurement, the value of the value function is determined. Based on this value, the (self - learning) algorithm may suggest (further) adjustments to the growth protocol associated with this container. The growth protocol can be adjusted within a day, daily, or weekly while the container is in the growth layer.

[0094] One way to continuously measure weight (although indirectly) can be to determine the plant coverage or plant covered volume (using the height information obtained from the camera image) by processing the images captured by the (3D) camera and use it as an indication of the biomass produced (e.g., by correlating the plant coverage or plant covered volume with biomass data).

[0095] The camera does not necessarily need to be able to identify individual plants. Usually, mature plants may overlap in such a way that individual plants are no longer distinguishable. Nevertheless, the camera can still be used to determine the properties of the "green matter" in the field of view and, when the plant density (number of plants per square meter) is known, break it down into average plant properties. Although less practical, if it is desired to determine the weight of each plant, a plant identifier can be provided for individual plants (e.g., if the plants are potted plants, there is a QR code on each pot).

[0096] Crosstalk (e.g., crosstalk of lighting) between adjacent selected plants (subject to different applied growth protocols) can be resolved, for example, by not considering the measurement information of the plants in the crosstalk area. The measured properties and the applied growth protocol can be provided to the algorithm to suggest the next deviation from the growth protocol, with the aim of optimizing the value.

[0097] In Figure 2 the example, the sensor devices 21 - 23 include cameras. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor devices 21 - 23 can include rulers. In Figure 2 the example, each container includes multiple plants. Usually, there are more plants transported on the conveyor belt 41 than Figure 2 shown. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the container 46 can include three rows of three plants, and only the front row is depicted in Figure 2 .

[0098] Figure 4 is schematically depicted Figure 2Top view of the containers depicted in. Containers 45 - 49 are moving on conveyor belt 42. Container 45 contains plants 51 - 77 and container 46 contains plants 81 - 89. Each plant may be assigned a plant identifier. To avoid the effects of optical crosstalk, for example, measurement information related only to plants 63 - 65 may be obtained. While it is generally not possible to use different light settings for different plants in the same container, it is generally possible to obtain different measurement information for different plants in the same container.

[0099] Figure 5 Shows a second embodiment of a controller for an environmental control system in a plant growth environment: climate control computer 31. In Figure 5 the example, the climate (temperature, humidity, CO2 level) is controlled by climate control computer 31 and the light conditions (light intensity, spectrum, and their dependence on time of day and plant growth stage) are controlled by light control computer 91. Light computer 91 controls lighting devices 11 - 13, such as LED modules. Climate computer 31 controls the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 27.

[0100] Climate control computer 31 includes a receiver 33, a transmitter 34, a processor 35, and a memory 37. Processor 35 is configured to select a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in memory 37, select a container identifier that identifies a container (which includes at least one plant) from a plurality of container identifiers or select a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers. And associate the growth protocol with the container or plant identifier. In an alternative embodiment, the set of growth protocols is stored on an Internet server ( Figure 5 not shown in).

[0101] In Figure 5 the example, the growth protocol contains target values for a plurality of growth condition parameters. These plurality of growth condition parameters include a first growth condition parameter and one or more other growth condition parameters. The first growth condition parameter represents one of temperature, CO 2 level, and / or humidity. The growth protocol also includes at least one target value representing a light setting. A plurality of container or plant identifiers are stored in memory 37.

[0102] Processor 35 is also configured to: for the first growth condition parameter among one or more growth condition parameters, determine an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to a first target value of one or more target values; and control the HVAC system 27 based on the adjusted target value and control the light control computer 91 (and thereby control at least one of the lighting devices 11 - 13) based on the target light setting via transmitter 35. The adjustment to the first target value is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value. The target light setting is not adjusted.

[0103] The processor 35 is further configured to: obtain measurement information associated with a container or plant identifier from at least one of the sensor devices 21-23 via the receiver 33; determine a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; and compare the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired value of the plant growth parameter. The desired value of the plant growth parameter is included in the growth protocol.

[0104] The processor 35 is further configured to: determine a value associated with the difference between the measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired value of the plant growth parameter; in the growth protocol, replace the target value with an adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold; and in the growth protocol, replace the desired value of the plant growth parameter with the measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the value exceeding the threshold.

[0105] The climate control computer 31 may additionally receive sensor data from one or more climate sensors (not shown), which may include, for example, a temperature sensor and / or a CO2 sensor, and control the HVAC system 27 based on the sensor data to achieve a target temperature or carbon dioxide value.

[0106] In Figure 5 the illustrated embodiment of the computer 31, the computer 31 includes a processor 35. In alternative embodiments, the computer 31 includes multiple processors. The processor 35 may be a general-purpose processor, such as from Intel or AMD, or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor 35 may run an operating system based on Windows or Unix. The memory 37 may include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 37 may include one or more hard disks and / or solid-state memories. For example, the memory 37 may be used to store an operating system, applications, and application data.

[0107] For example, the receiver 33 and the transmitter 34 may use one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies to communicate with the HVAC system 27 and the sensor devices 21-23. In alternative embodiments, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used in the computer 31 instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. In Figure 5 the illustrated embodiment, a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In alternative embodiments, the receiver 33 and the transmitter 34 are combined into a transceiver. The computer 31 may include other components typically used in a computer, such as a power connector and a display. The present invention may be implemented using a computer program running on one or more processors.

[0108] In Figure 5 the embodiment, the computer 31 uses the transmitter to control the HVAC system 27. In alternative embodiments, the computer 31 controls the HVAC system 27 only using analog lines.

[0109] In Figure 6 a first embodiment of a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment is shown. Step 101 includes selecting a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory. Step 103 includes selecting a container identifier that identifies a container from a plurality of container identifiers or a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers. A container includes at least one plant and the plurality of container or plant identifiers are stored in the memory or an additional memory.

[0110] Step 105 includes associating the growth protocol selected in step 101 with the container or plant identifier selected in step 103. The growth protocol includes one or more target values of one or more growth condition parameters. Step 107 includes: for a first growth condition parameter among the one or more growth condition parameters, determining an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values. The adjustment is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value.

[0111] Step 109 includes controlling the environmental control system based on the adjusted target value determined in step 107. Step 111 includes obtaining measurement information associated with the container or plant identifier selected in step 103 from at least one device. Step 113 includes determining a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information obtained in step 111. Step 115 includes comparing the measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 113 with a desired plant growth parameter value. The desired plant growth parameter value is included in the growth protocol selected in step 101.

[0112] Step 117 includes determining a value associated with the difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value. Step 118 includes comparing the value determined in step 117 with a threshold T. If it is determined in step 118 that the value exceeds the threshold T, then step 119 is performed next. Step 119 includes replacing the target value with the adjusted target value in the growth protocol. Step 121 includes replacing the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value in the growth protocol.

[0113] If it is determined in step 118 that the value does not exceed the threshold T, then after step 121, step 103 or steps 101 and 103 are repeated, and then the method continues as Figure 6 shown. After step 121, step 103 or steps 101 and 103 are also repeated, and then the method continues, as Figure 6 shown.

[0114] In the next iteration of steps 103 to 121, select another container or plant identifier, determine an adjusted target value by applying another adjustment to the target value (e.g., the adjusted target value stored in previous iteration step 119), control the environmental control system or another environmental control system based on the adjusted target value, obtain additional measurement information related to the another container or plant identifier, determine an additional measured plant growth parameter value and compare it with the desired growth parameter value (e.g., compare it with the measured plant growth parameter value stored in the previous iteration of step 121), determine an additional (adjustment) value, and if the additional value exceeds a threshold, replace the target value with the adjusted target value and replace the desired growth parameter value with the additional measured growth parameter value.

[0115] In Figure 7 is shown a second embodiment of a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment. In Figure 2 example, it is described that a plant container is inserted into a growth layer and a growth protocol is associated with the container. It is also described that the next container inserted into the same growth layer may be associated with a different growth protocol. Since the container is not shielded from the light generated by the lighting module above the adjacent container, crosstalk of different light protocols of adjacent containers may occur. This second embodiment addresses this issue.

[0116] In Figure 7 the embodiment, the environmental control system includes a plurality of lighting devices. Step 101 includes selecting a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory. The growth protocol includes one or more target values of one or more growth condition parameters. Step 131 includes selecting a container identifier that identifies a container from a plurality of container identifiers. The container includes at least one plant, and the plurality of container identifiers are stored in a memory or another memory. Step 133 includes associating the growth protocol selected in step 101 with the container identifier selected in step 131.

[0117] After step 133, steps 107, 135, and 137 are performed. Step 107 includes: for a first growth condition parameter among one or more growth condition parameters, determining an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value (including the target value in the growth protocol selected in step 101). In Figure 7 the embodiment, the target value of the first growth condition parameter represents a light setting. The adjustment is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value.

[0118] Step 135 includes selecting a lighting device associated with the container identifier selected in step 131 from among a plurality of lighting devices. Step 137 includes determining a crosstalk-free region of the container corresponding to the container identifier selected in step 131. The crosstalk-free region is determined based on user input or based on the distance between the plurality of lighting devices and the plants growing in the container and / or based on the pattern of light emitted by the plurality of lighting devices. Plants growing in the crosstalk-free region do not have light crosstalk. For example, the central region of the container generally does not have light crosstalk. Step 139 includes determining one or more plant identifiers corresponding to one or more plants growing in the crosstalk-free region of the container, as determined in step 137. For example, step 139 may include selecting Figure 4 plant identifiers 63, 64, and 65.

[0119] Step 141 includes controlling the lighting device selected in step 135 based on the adjusted target value determined in step 107. Step 143 includes obtaining measurement information associated with the one or more plant identifiers determined in step 139 from at least one device. Step 113 includes determining a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information obtained in step 143. Step 115 includes comparing the measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 133 with a desired plant growth parameter value. The desired plant growth parameter value is included in the growth protocol selected in step 101.

[0120] Step 117 includes determining a value related to the difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value. Step 118 includes comparing the (adjustment) value with a threshold T. If it is determined in step 118 that the value exceeds the threshold T, then step 119 is performed next. Step 119 includes replacing the target value with the adjusted target value in the growth protocol. Step 121 includes replacing the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value in the growth protocol.

[0121] Thus, in Figure 7 an embodiment, light crosstalk is avoided by including only plants that do not suffer from such crosstalk. For example, a light protocol is associated with three adjacent containers in a growth layer, and measurement information is obtained only for the plants in the middle of the three containers (assuming they are not affected by crosstalk). Or, if the next container inserted into the same growth layer is associated with a different growth protocol, then measurement information for the central plant of the container can be obtained, as regarding Figure 4 described.

[0122] In Figure 8 is shown a third embodiment of a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment. In Figure 8In an embodiment, the environmental control system includes a plurality of lighting devices and also controls additional environmental control systems. Step 101 includes selecting a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory. The growth protocol includes target values for a plurality of growth condition parameters. The plurality of growth condition parameters includes a first growth condition parameter and one or more other growth condition parameters.

[0123] Step 131 includes selecting a container identifier that identifies a container from a plurality of container identifiers. The container includes at least one plant, and the plurality of container identifiers are stored in a memory or an additional memory. Step 133 includes associating the growth protocol selected in step 101 with the container identifier selected in step 131. Steps 107, 161, and 165 are performed after step 133.

[0124] Step 107 includes determining an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to a target value of one or more target values of the first growth condition parameter. The target value of the first growth condition parameter represents a light setting. The adjustment is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value. Step 165 includes determining one or more additional target values for one or more other growth condition parameters (such as temperature). These one or more additional target values are not adjusted.

[0125] Step 161 includes determining the current location of the container identifier selected in step 133. Step 163 includes selecting a lighting device from a plurality of lighting devices that is associated with the current location of the container identifier as determined in step 161. Step 166 is performed after steps 107, 163, and 165 are completed.

[0126] Step 166 includes two sub-steps: step 167 and step 169. Step 167 includes controlling the lighting device selected in step 163 based on the adjusted target value. Step 169 includes controlling an additional environmental control system (such as controlling climate control computer 25 and thereby controlling Figure 1 the HVAC system 27) based on the one or more additional target values (without adjustment) determined in step 165. Steps 167 and 169 are performed in parallel.

[0127] After step 166, step 143 and step 173 are performed. Step 143 includes obtaining measurement information associated with a container identifier from at least one device. Step 113 includes determining a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information obtained in step 143. Step 115 includes comparing the measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 113 with a desired plant growth parameter value. The desired plant growth parameter value is included in the growth protocol selected in step 101. Step 117 includes determining a value related to the difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value, also referred to as an adjusted value or adjustment value.

[0128] Step 173 includes determining the light characteristics of the light received from an additional lighting device among a plurality of lighting devices at the location of the container identifier (e.g., via a light / color sensor). This additional lighting device may cause light crosstalk. Step 175 includes determining a compensated target value based on the adjusted target value determined in step 107 and the light characteristics determined in step 173.

[0129] Step 118 includes comparing the (adjusted) value determined in step 117 with a threshold T. If it is determined in step 118 that the value exceeds the threshold T, then step 177 is performed next. Step 177 includes replacing the target value with the compensated target value determined in step 175 in the growth protocol. Step 121 includes replacing the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 113 in the growth protocol.

[0130] A fourth embodiment of a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment is as Figure 9 shown. This fourth embodiment is a variant of the first embodiment of Figure 6 . In the embodiment of Figure 9 , step 103 and step 203 are performed after the growth protocol is selected in step 101. Step 203 includes selecting an additional container identifier that identifies an additional container from a plurality of container identifiers or selecting an additional plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers. This additional container includes at least one plant. In an alternative embodiment, steps 101, 103, and 203 are performed in parallel.

[0131] Next, step 205 includes associating the growth protocol selected in step 101 with the additional container identifier selected in step 203. Step 207 includes determining the target value of the additional adjustment by applying an additional adjustment to an additional target value of one or more target values included in the growth protocol. The additional target value can be the target value of the same growth condition parameter or a different growth condition parameter as the target value of the adjustment determined in step 107. In the former case, the additional adjustment is different from the adjustment determined in step 107. The additional adjustment is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value.

[0132] Step 209 includes controlling the environmental control system or a different environmental control system based on the target value of the additional adjustment determined in step 207. Step 211 includes obtaining additional measurement information associated with the additional container identifier selected in step 203 from one or more devices. Step 213 includes determining the value of the plant growth parameter of the additional measurement based on the additional measurement information obtained in step 211. Step 215 includes comparing the value of the plant growth parameter of the additional measurement determined in step 213 with the desired plant growth parameter value (which is also used in step 115). Step 217 includes determining an additional value of the difference between the value of the plant growth parameter of the additional measurement and the desired plant growth parameter value.

[0133] After steps 117 and 217 have been completed, step 231 is executed. Step 231 includes comparing the (adjustment) value determined in step 117 with the additional (adjustment) value determined in step 217. If the value exceeds the additional value, step 118 is executed. Step 118 includes comparing the value with a threshold T. If it is determined in step 118 that the value exceeds the threshold T, then step 119 is executed next. Step 119 includes replacing the target value in the growth protocol with the target value of the adjustment determined in step 107. Step 121 includes replacing the desired plant growth parameter value in the growth protocol with the measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 113.

[0134] If the value does not exceed the additional value, step 218 is executed. Step 218 includes comparing the additional value with a threshold T. If it is determined in step 218 that the additional value exceeds the threshold T, then step 219 is executed next. Step 219 includes replacing the target value in the growth protocol with the target value of the additional adjustment determined in step 207. Step 121 includes replacing the desired plant growth parameter value in the growth protocol with the additional measured plant growth parameter value determined in step 213. After step 121 or step 221 is completed, step 101 is repeated, and the method continues as Figure 9 shown.

[0135] In Figure 10 a fifth embodiment of a method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment is shown. This fourth embodiment is Figure 6 an extension of the first embodiment of Figure 10 . In the embodiment of Figure 6 , step 107 of

[0136] Figures 6 to 10 is implemented by step 251, and step 253 is executed after step 121. Step 251 includes determining an adjusted target value based on a growth model of a plant species or variety associated with a growth protocol. Step 253 includes modifying the growth model based on the relationship between the adjusted target value and the measured plant growth parameter value.

[0137] Figure 11 The embodiments of Figure 11 show various aspects of the present invention. In alternative embodiments, multiple of these aspects are combined.

[0138] A third embodiment of a controller for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment is shown: an Internet server 271. In the example of

[0139] , the climate (temperature, humidity, CO2 level) is controlled by a climate control computer 25, and the light conditions (light intensity, spectrum, and their dependence on the time of day and the plant growth stage) are controlled by a light control computer 91. The light computer 91 controls lighting devices 11-13, such as LED modules. The climate computer 25 controls a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 27. Figure 11 The Internet server 271 includes a receiver 273, a transmitter 274, a processor 275, and a memory 277. The processor 275 is configured to: select a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in the memory 277; select a container identifier that identifies a container (which includes at least one plant) from a plurality of container identifiers, or select a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers. And associate the growth protocol with the container or plant identifier. 2 level and / or humidity.

[0140] The processor 275 is further configured to: for a first one of one or more growth condition parameters, determine an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to a first target value of one or more target values. The adjustment to the first target value is greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value. Do not adjust the target values of other growth condition parameters.

[0141] The processor 275 is further configured to control, via the transmitter 274, the climate control computer 25 (and thus the HVAC system 27) and the light control computer 91 (and thus at least one of the lighting devices 11-13) based on the adjusted target value and the unadjusted other target values.

[0142] The processor 275 is further configured to obtain measurement information associated with a container or plant identifier via the receiver 273; determine a measured value of a plant growth parameter based on the measurement information; and compare the measured value of the plant growth parameter with a desired plant growth parameter value. The desired plant growth parameter value is included in a growth protocol. For example, the measurement information can be obtained from the grower's user device or from an automatic weighing system coupled to the grower's ERP system.

[0143] The processor 275 is further configured to determine a value related to the difference between the measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired plant growth parameter value; in the growth protocol, replace the target value with an adjusted target value according to the value exceeding a threshold; and in the growth protocol, replace the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the value exceeding a threshold.

[0144] In Figure 11 the example, the Internet server 271 is shown controlling a single light control computer 91 and a single climate control computer 25. However, the advantage of using a central computer is that it allows adjustments to be arranged at different locations, such as within a vertical farm or between different farms. For example, the Internet server 271 can arrange different trials in parallel or sequentially at different locations, and can perform Figures 6 to 9 the method of Figures 6 to 9 or thus perform a combination of the methods of

[0145] As an example, a grower can have multiple vertical farms, each vertical farm having at least one climate unit, each climate unit having at least one growth rack, and each growth rack having at least one growth layer. In this example, the grower grows a certain crop and variety in these vertical farms and follows a nominal growth protocol and a certain time and logistics schedule. Then options can be provided to the grower via a user interface to select from the following options:

[0146] - A list of available targets (e.g., a target to maximize growth efficiency). Alternatively, the user may be able to define a target via a target editor. The grower can also select multiple targets or define various constraints to, for example, maximize the biomass produced while keeping the energy per kilogram of biomass produced below a certain maximum limit;

[0147] - For a selected target, the list of growth condition parameters can vary and is relevant to achieving that target (for example, the temperature in vertical farm 1 and growth unit 1 can be, for example, between 22 °C and 25 °C, while in growth unit 2 it can be between 20 °C and 30 °C).

[0148] Depending on the choice made, the Internet server 271: is connected to the light control computer 91 and the climate control computer 25; selects a plant container in the growth layer of the growth rack of the growth unit of the vertical farm; and instructs the light control computer 91 or the climate control computer 25 to use the adjusted target value (for example, the deviation of the temperature) of the container. In an alternative embodiment, the Internet server 271 can be connected to the central control system of the vertical farm, which is then connected to other local systems (such as including a logistics system, a light control computer, a climate control computer, and possibly an ERP system).

[0149] At the harvest of the container, the measured plant parameters of the harvested plant are retrieved. Alternatively, the plant parameters can be measured and retrieved while the plant still resides in the growth layer, or when the plant is removed from the growth layer for re-spacing or re-positioning. The harvest information is then processed, together with processing all available information on past executed or ongoing similar growth protocols (or growth protocols of similar plants or similar plant varieties) and their results, to suggest improved adjustments to the nominal growth recipe. This can be repeated several times, or even continuously.

[0150] In Figure 11 In the illustrated embodiment of the server 271, the server 271 includes a processor 275. In an alternative embodiment, the server 271 includes multiple processors. The processor 275 can be a general-purpose processor, such as from Intel or AMD, or a dedicated processor. For example, the processor 275 can run an operating system based on Windows or Unix. The memory 277 can include one or more memory units. For example, the memory 277 can include one or more hard disks and / or solid-state memories. For example, the memory 277 can be used to store the operating system, application programs, and application data.

[0151] For example, the receiver 273 and the transmitter 274 can communicate with the light control computer 91 and the climate control computer 25 using one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In an alternative embodiment, multiple receivers and / or multiple transmitters are used in the server 271 instead of a single receiver and a single transmitter. In Figure 11In the illustrated embodiment, a separate receiver and a separate transmitter are used. In an alternative embodiment, the receiver 273 and the transmitter 274 are combined into a transceiver. The server 271 may include other typical server components, such as a power connector and a display. The present invention may be implemented using a server program running on one or more processors.

[0152] Figure 12 A block diagram is depicted that shows an exemplary data processing system that can perform the method as Figures 6 - 10 described.

[0153] As Figure 12 shown, the data processing system 300 may include at least one processor 302 coupled to a memory element 304 via a system bus 306. Thus, the data processing system can store program code within the memory element 304. In addition, the processor 302 may execute program code accessed from the memory element 304 via the system bus 306. In one aspect, the data processing system may be implemented as a computer suitable for storing and / or executing program code. However, it should be understood that the data processing system 300 may be implemented in the form of any system that includes a processor and a memory capable of performing the functions described in this specification.

[0154] The memory element 304 may include one or more physical memory devices. By way of example, the physical memory devices such as local memory 308 and one or more mass storage devices 310. Local memory may refer to random access memory or other non-persistent memory devices typically used during the actual execution of program code. The mass storage device may be implemented as a hard disk drive or other persistent data storage device. The processing system 300 may also include one or more cache memories (not shown) that provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times program code must be retrieved from the mass storage device 310 during execution. For example, if the processing system 300 is part of a cloud computing platform, the processing system 300 may also be able to use the memory element of another processing system.

[0155] Optionally, input / output (I / O) devices described as input device 312 and output device 314 may be coupled to the data processing system. Examples of input devices may include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a microphone (e.g., for speech and / or utterance recognition), etc. Examples of output devices may include, but are not limited to, a monitor or display, a speaker, etc. The input and / or output devices may be coupled to the data processing system directly or via an intervening I / O controller.

[0156] In one embodiment, the input and output devices may be implemented as a combined input / output device (inFigure 12 shown with a dashed line surrounding input device 312 and output device 314). An example of such a combined device is a touch-sensitive display, sometimes also referred to as a "touch screen display" or simply a "touch screen". In such an embodiment, input to the device can be provided by the movement of a physical object on or near the touch screen display, such as a stylus or a user's finger.

[0157] Network adapter 316 can also be coupled to the data processing system to enable it to be coupled to other systems, computer systems, remote network devices, and / or remote storage devices via an intervening proprietary network or a public network. The network adapter can include: a data receiver for receiving data transmitted to data processing system 300 by the system, device, and / or network; and a data transmitter for transmitting data from data processing system 300 to the system, device, and / or network. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are examples of different types of network adapters that can be used by data processing system 300.

[0158] As Figure 12 shown, memory element 304 can store application 318. In various embodiments, application 318 can be stored in local memory 308, one or more mass storage devices 310, or separately from local memory and mass storage devices. It should be understood that data processing system 300 can further execute an operating system ( Figure 12 not shown in the figure) that can facilitate the execution of application 318. Application 318, implemented in the form of executable program code, can be executed by data processing system 300, for example, by processor 302. In response to the execution of the application, data processing system 300 can be configured to perform one or more of the operations or method steps described herein.

[0159] Various embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a program product for use with a computer system, where the program of the program product defines the functions of the embodiments (including the methods described herein). In one embodiment, the program can be embodied on a variety of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, where the phrase "non-transitory computer-readable storage media" as used herein includes all computer-readable media, with the sole exception being transitory propagated signals. In another embodiment, the program can be embodied on various transitory computer-readable storage media. Exemplary computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to: (i) non-writable storage media on which information is permanently stored (e.g., read-only storage devices within a computer, such as CD-ROM disks readable by a CD-ROM drive, ROM chips, or any type of solid-state non-volatile semiconductor memory); (ii) writable storage media on which variable information is stored (e.g., flash memory, floppy disks within a floppy disk drive or hard disk drive, or any type of solid-state random access semiconductor memory). The computer program can be run on the processor 302 described herein.

[0160] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well. It will be further understood that when the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0161] Corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all elements or steps, plus the functional elements in the following claims, are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The selection and description of the embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and some practical applications, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments: namely, the embodiments have various modifications suitable for the particular purposes contemplated.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment, the method comprising: - Select (101) a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; - Select (103) a container identifier identifying a container from a plurality of container identifiers, the container including at least one plant and the plurality of container identifiers being stored in the memory or an additional memory; - Associate (105) the growth protocol with the container identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values for one or more growth condition parameters; - For a first growth condition parameter among the one or more growth condition parameters, determine (107) an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; - Control (109) an environmental control system based on the adjusted target value; - Obtain (111) measurement information associated with the container identifier from at least one device (21-23); - Determine (113) a measured plant growth parameter value based on the measurement information; - Compare (115) the measured plant growth parameter value with a desired plant growth parameter value, the desired plant growth parameter value being included in the growth protocol; - Determine (117) a value associated with a difference between the measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; - In the growth protocol, replace (119) the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding a threshold; and - In the growth protocol, replace (121) the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target value of the first growth condition parameter represents a light setting, the environmental control system comprises a plurality of lighting devices (11 - 13), and the method comprises: - Select (135) a lighting device associated with the container identifier from the plurality of lighting devices; And - Control (141) the lighting device based on the adjusted target value.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The target value of the first growth condition parameter represents a light setting, the environmental control system includes a plurality of lighting devices (11-13), and the method includes: - Determine (161) a current location of the container identifier; - Select (163) the lighting device from the plurality of lighting devices by selecting a lighting device associated with the current location of the container identifier; and - Control (167) the lighting device based on the adjusted target value.

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The method includes: - Determine (137) a crosstalk-free area of the container corresponding to the container identifier, in which plants growing in the crosstalk-free area have no light crosstalk, the crosstalk-free area being determined based on user input, or based on a distance between the plurality of lighting devices and plants growing in the container, and / or based on a pattern of light emitted by the plurality of lighting devices, - Determine (139) one or more plant identifiers corresponding to one or more plants growing in the crosstalk-free area of the container, and - Obtain (143) the measurement information associated with the container identifier by obtaining measurement information associated with the one or more plant identifiers.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The method includes: - Determine (173) the optical characteristics of the light received from additional lighting devices among the plurality of lighting devices at the location of the container identifier; - Determine (175) a target value for compensation based on the adjusted target value and the optical characteristics; and - In the growth protocol, replace (177) the target value with the target value for compensation according to the value exceeding the threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The growth protocol includes target values of a plurality of growth condition parameters, the plurality of growth condition parameters including the first growth condition parameter and one or more other growth condition parameters, and the method includes: when controlling the environmental control system based on the adjusted target value of the first growth condition parameter, controlling (169) the environmental control system or an additional environmental control system (25, 27) based on one or more target values specified for the one or more other growth condition parameters without adjustment.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method includes: - Associate (105) the growth protocol with an additional container identifier; - Determine (107) a target value for an additional adjustment by applying an additional adjustment to an additional target value of the one or more target values, the additional adjustment being greater than the predetermined minimum value and less than the predetermined maximum value; - Control (109) the environmental control system or a different environmental control system (25, 27) according to the target value for the additional adjustment; - Obtain (111) additional measurement information associated with the additional container identifier from one or more devices (21 - 23); - Determine (113) an additional measured value of the plant growth parameter based on the additional measurement information; - Compare (115) the additional measured value of the plant growth parameter with the desired plant growth parameter value; - Determine (117) an additional value of the difference between the additional measured value of the plant growth parameter and the desired plant growth parameter value; - In the growth protocol, replace (119) the additional target value with the target value for the additional adjustment according to the additional value exceeding the threshold; and - In the growth protocol, replace (121) the desired plant growth parameter value with the additional measured value of the plant growth parameter according to the additional value exceeding the threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method includes: - Associate (205) the growth protocol with an additional container identifier; - Determine (207) a target value for an additional adjustment by applying an additional adjustment to an additional target value of the one or more target values, the additional adjustment being greater than the predetermined minimum value and less than the predetermined maximum value; - Control (209) the environmental control system or a different environmental control system (25, 27) according to the target value for the additional adjustment; - Obtain (211) additional measurement information associated with the additional container identifier from one or more devices (21 - 23); - Determine (213) an additional measured value of the plant growth parameter based on the additional measurement information; - Compare (215) the additional measured value of the plant growth parameter with the desired plant growth parameter value; - Determine (217) an additional value of the difference between the additional measured plant growth parameter value and the desired plant growth parameter value; - Compare (231) the value with the additional value; - In the growth protocol, replace (119) the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold and the value exceeding the additional value; and - In the growth protocol, replace (121) the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold and the value exceeding the additional value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method includes obtaining the measurement information from the at least one device (21-23) during or after the last growth stage of the growth protocol.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method includes: - Obtain the measurement information from a plurality of devices (21-23); and - Determine the measured plant growth parameter values in a plurality of growth stages based on the measurement information.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes determining (251) the target value of the adjustment based on a growth model of a plant species or variety associated with the growth protocol.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the method includes modifying (253) the growth model based on the relationship between the target value of the adjustment and the measured value of the plant growth parameter.

13. A method for controlling an environmental control system in a plant growth environment, the method comprising: - Select (101) a growth protocol from a set of growth protocols stored in a memory; - Select (103) a plant identifier from a plurality of plant identifiers stored in the memory or another memory; - Associate (105) the growth protocol with the plant identifier, the growth protocol including one or more target values for one or more growth condition parameters; - For a first growth condition parameter among the one or more growth condition parameters, determine (107) an adjusted target value by applying an adjustment to the target value of the one or more target values, the adjustment being greater than a predetermined minimum value and less than a predetermined maximum value; - Control (109) an environmental control system based on the adjusted target value; - Obtain (111) measurement information associated with the plant identifier from at least one device (21-23); - Determine (113) the measured plant growth parameter values based on the measurement information; - Compare (115) the measured plant growth parameter values with desired plant growth parameter values included in the growth protocol; - Determine (117) a value associated with the difference between the measured plant growth parameter values and the desired plant growth parameter values; - In the growth protocol, replace (119) the target value with the adjusted target value according to the value exceeding the threshold; and - In the growth protocol, replace (121) the desired plant growth parameter value with the measured plant growth parameter value according to the value exceeding the threshold.

14. A controller (1, 31), comprising: At least one sensor interface (3, 33) for obtaining measurement information from at least one device (21-23); At least one control interface for controlling an environmental control system; And at least one processor adapted to perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. A computer program product storing at least one software code portion which, when run on at least one processor of the controller of claim 14, causes the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

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