Cultivation facility operation support system

Abstract

The present invention obtains information on equipment necessary for realizing a successful cultivation environment and automatic control condition satisfying orientation towards the business of an operator to be assisted from among information related to the evaluation of the business of the operator. The operator to be assisted inputs, from an input / output terminal 1N to a server device 4, the facility condition of a soil cultivation facility N to be assisted, the type of the plant to be cultivated, and the orientation towards the business of the operator to be assisted. From the server device 4, the successful cultivation environment and automatic control condition selected by a selection unit 44, and information of equipment necessary for realizing the successful cultivation environment and automatic control condition are sent to the input / output terminal 1N. Even for operators not experienced in agriculture or operators whose experience is insufficient, it is possible to obtain information necessary for cultivation of a plant that they themselves desire to cultivate in a soil cultivation facility that they themselves operate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cultivation facility operation support system that supports the operation of a plurality of completely closed soil cultivation facilities. [Background Art]

[0002] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-176081 (Patent Document 1) discloses an example of a plant factory system that uses a plurality of containers as completely closed cultivation facilities for plant cultivation. Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3223356 (Patent Document 2) discloses a plant cultivation device configured such that various measuring devices are installed in a container serving as a cultivation facility, and the cultivation environment such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, and CO₂ can be reproduced without being affected by geographical factors. Further, Japanese Patent No. 6006719 (Patent Document 3) discloses a plant cultivation system in which a plurality of pots each containing a culture medium are vertically arranged and cultivation is performed in a cultivation facility.

[0003] Furthermore, WO2021 / 039765 (Patent Document 6) discloses a method for producing crops using natural light, in which an external business entity (farmer) who is not a user of the living space in an office or a residence remotely operates a cultivation device.

[0004] In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2021-12483 (Patent Document 4) discloses a plant cultivation management system that enables even a producer with little experience to perform cultivation management in accordance with a cultivation plan reflecting the producer's management policy. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2023-94736 (Patent Document 5) discloses a yield improvement system that improves yield in a plant cultivation factory by changing environmental conditions of a space in which a growth process with an assigned yield is performed. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-176081 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3223356 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6006719 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Publication No. 202112483 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-94736 [Patent Document 6] WO2021-039765 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] Currently, the number of plant producers is declining, and there is a problem in that the cultivation know-how of skilled producers is not being shared or passed down. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the number of new farmers who can produce high value-added crops. To this end, as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, technologies that utilize containers as cultivation facilities have been proposed so that even those without agricultural experience can enter agriculture. In addition, as described in Patent Documents 4 and 5, systems that manage cultivation and propose cultivation conditions have been proposed so that even those with little agricultural experience can increase yields. However, the transmission of cultivation know-how from skilled farmers is not easy, and no technology has been proposed that supports anyone to obtain the same profit / yield / crop quality as skilled farmers. Furthermore, conventional technologies have not included cultivation facility operation support systems that take into account the business orientation of the supported operators. As a result, the proposed content does not always align with the orientation of the supported operators, and situations have arisen where the operation does not last long.

[0007] The objective of the present invention is to provide a cultivation facility operation support system that enables inexperienced operators to operate multiple fully enclosed soil cultivation facilities in a way that allows them to achieve the same profits, yields, and crop quality as skilled farmers, based on an evaluation of the business by an experienced operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a cultivation facility operation support system for cultivating plants in soil using multiple fully enclosed soil cultivation facilities equipped with an automatic environmental control device configured to reproduce cultivation conditions such as sunlight, temperature, humidity, CO2, and fertilization regardless of geographical factors. The cultivation facility operation support system of the present invention comprises multiple input / output terminals operated by multiple operators of the cultivation facilities, measuring devices and automatic environmental control devices installed in the multiple soil cultivation facilities, and a server device connected to the multiple input / output terminals via a communication network. The server device comprises a management information storage unit, an equipment information storage unit, and a selection unit.

[0009] In this specification, it is desirable that all "operators" are skilled growers. However, in this invention, operators are not limited to being skilled growers, but are growers who have cultivation experience and consider themselves to have had successful experiences. In other words, anyone who stores their successful experiences as information in the management information storage unit becomes an operator. Furthermore, "supported operators" are growers with no cultivation experience at all, and growers who have no cultivation experience with specific types of plants.

[0010] The management information storage unit stores management information including environment variables related to cultivation within multiple soil cultivation facilities transmitted from measuring devices and automatic environmental control devices installed in multiple soil cultivation facilities, the execution history of cultivation tasks of the automatic environmental control devices, successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, and information regarding the operator's evaluation of the business of the soil cultivation facility that obtained the information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions. The equipment information storage unit stores information on the equipment necessary to achieve the successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions stored in the management information storage unit.

[0011] In this specification, "information regarding the operator's evaluation of the project" refers to information showing how successful projects are evaluated based on predetermined project evaluation items. "The supported operator's orientation towards the project" refers to the level of results that the supported operator desires regarding predetermined project evaluation items when carrying out the project. These evaluation items include, for example, the amount of runners produced, the amount of side shoots produced, disease resistance, fruit softness, cultivation strategy, and regional characteristics of plants. By understanding how the operator evaluates these evaluation items, the level of success of the project can be specifically understood in relation to the operation of the project. Furthermore, the operator's personality orientation can also be understood from the operator's evaluation of these operational items. That is, it can be understood whether the operator who cultivates plants is meticulous, or rough in their work, or whether they are meticulous about the condition of the plants. By knowing, for example, what the operator wants to do with flower thinning, how often they want to perform foliar spraying, and whether they want to apply supplemental fertilizer, the operator's personality orientation can also be understood. As mentioned above, the project orientation of the supported project operator indicates the level of results they desire in relation to predetermined project evaluation criteria when carrying out their project, and this orientation corresponds to the evaluation of the project operator's work. Therefore, the following selections become possible based on the project orientation of the supported project operator.

[0012] When the selection unit receives information from the input / output terminal regarding the equipment conditions of the supported soil cultivation facility, the types of plants to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator of the supported soil cultivation facility, it selects appropriate successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions from the information stored in the management information storage unit that correspond to the equipment conditions of the supported soil cultivation facility, the types of plants to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator, and outputs them to the input / output terminal. The selection unit also selects information on the equipment necessary to realize the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the equipment information storage unit and outputs it to the input / output terminal.

[0013] In this invention, first, an inexperienced or inexperienced operator who is about to start cultivating plants using a newly established, completely enclosed soil cultivation facility inputs information from the input / output terminal regarding the equipment conditions of the soil cultivation facility, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the operator's business orientation. Based on this input information, the server device's selection unit selects from the information stored in the management information storage unit information that is likely to match the operator's business orientation, as well as information on the equipment necessary to realize the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions, and sends this information to the input / output terminal. As a result, even an inexperienced or inexperienced operator can obtain information on the equipment necessary to realize a successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions that meets the operator's business orientation, from information regarding the evaluation of the operator's business in relation to the cultivation of the plants they wish to cultivate. The selection unit also selects the equipment information necessary to realize the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the equipment information storage unit and outputs it to the input / output terminal.

[0014] The management information storage unit may have a feature extraction function that converts the evaluation of each indicator that constitutes the operator's evaluation of the business into numerical values ​​and stores them as features. The selection unit may also have a feature extraction function that converts the orientation of the supported operator towards the business into numerical values ​​corresponding to the indicators and stores them as features. In this case, the selection unit can make highly objective selections by performing the selection based on the features.

[0015] The method of selecting information using features by the selection unit and the method of displaying them are arbitrary. For example, a feature that converts the support operator's orientation towards their business into a numerical value corresponding to an indicator may be used as a criterion. From the information necessary to achieve a successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions stored in the management information storage unit, all business information in which the feature that evaluates the operator's business falls within ±15% of this criterion may be selected and displayed as selectable on the display of the support operator's input / output terminal. Alternatively, information on equipment associated with the selected business information may be displayed as information on equipment necessary to achieve a successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the equipment information storage unit, and displayed as selectable on the display of the support operator's input / output terminal.

[0016] The indicators used to evaluate the operator's business preferably include workload, economic efficiency, and the quality of the plants cultivated. By using workload, economic efficiency, and the quality of the plants cultivated as indicators, the operator's orientation is judged from indicators closely related to cultivation, and therefore, information can be provided that aligns with the operator's orientation regarding cultivation.

[0017] The server device may further include an ordering unit that places an order for equipment based on the equipment information selected by the selection unit, when a request for at least some of the equipment is input from an input / output terminal. In this way, even operators with no agricultural experience can start cultivating plants quickly. Of course, the equipment may include plant seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and growing media.

[0018] Preferably, the input / output terminal includes a display that displays information selected by a selection unit. Further preferably, the input / output terminal has a function of prioritizing a plurality of pieces of information selected by the selection unit and displaying the information on the display in a selectable manner. This configuration allows an operator to easily input information indicating that ordering is unnecessary for equipment already owned by the operator to an ordering unit, thereby preventing unnecessary orders. The selection unit may be configured to select information on necessary equipment and display the information on the display so that equipment owned by the supported operator can be utilized. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of alternative pieces of equipment for the selected equipment, the selection unit may display the plurality of alternative pieces of equipment on the display in a selectable manner. This configuration increases the likelihood that ordering work does not need to be canceled even when the selected equipment is out of stock.

[0019] Preferably, the server device further includes a management data viewing permitting unit that permits the input / output terminal to view data stored in a management information storage unit in response to a request from the input / output terminal. This configuration allows an operator of an existing open-field cultivation facility, for which information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions targeted for information selection is stored in the management information storage unit, to view the operation status of a newly started open-field cultivation facility. As a result, if an error is found in the operation of the newly started open-field cultivation facility, a skilled operator can immediately provide advice thereto.

[0020] A plurality of open-field cultivation facilities may each be provided with an imaging device that captures the work status of workers. In this case, the server device preferably further includes a video data storage unit that stores video data captured by the imaging device, and a video data viewing permitting unit that permits the input / output terminal to view the video data stored in the video data storage unit in response to a request from the input / output terminal.

[0021] This configuration allows checking actual work conditions, enabling work similar to that performed by a skilled worker in the operation of a newly started open-field cultivation facility. As a result, even an inexperienced operator can achieve the same profit, yield, and crop quality as a skilled farmer.

[0022] The server device may further comprise: a point storage section provided with a plurality of individual memory units for storing point data corresponding to an operator who operates a plurality of soil culture cultivation facilities; and a point giving unit that gives points to a point storage section of an operator who operates the soil cultivation facility that is the transmission source of the information selected by the selection unit. Although any method of using the points is acceptable, giving points allows benefits to be returned to the operator who provided the information on the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions selected by the selection unit, so that more information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions can be collected.

[0023] The points given by the point giving unit may be predetermined, or may be changeable according to the intention of the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the transmission source of the information stored in the management information storage section. This configuration can further stimulate the motivation of the operator serving as the information provider.

[0024] The points given by the point giving unit may be points corresponding to a license fee set by the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the transmission source of the information.

[0025] Furthermore, the point giving unit has a content pricing function that calculates the magnitude of points to be given. This content pricing function obtains the difference between result history data such as yield and selling price of the supported soil cultivation facility and expected value data such as predicted yield and selling price preset for the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions. When this difference is large in a positive direction, it is preferable that more points are given to the individual memory unit of the operator who operates the soil cultivation facility that is the transmission source of the information selected by the selection unit.

[0026] The present device may further comprise a profit prediction unit that predicts profit based on the predicted yield, selling price, and the like preset for the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions. It is preferable that the profit prediction unit outputs the predicted profit to the input / output terminal of the operator of the supported soil cultivation facility. This configuration can encourage the selection of cultivation methods. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0027] [Figure 1] This figure is used to illustrate an outline of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied when a container is used as a completely enclosed soil cultivation facility. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the detailed configuration of the management information storage unit and the selection unit. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the feature extraction processing unit. [Figure 4] This is an example of a conversion table for plant seeds and seedlings corresponding to the input know-how. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of an index used to evaluate the know-how of successful operators. [Figure 6] This table shows an example of a conversion result where an exponent is converted into a numerical value. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of an output screen where a supported operator searches for existing know-how based on their desired crops and business orientation. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of output information regarding the cultivation environment and automatic control conditions selected by the selection unit, as well as the equipment necessary to realize the cultivation environment and automatic control conditions. [Figure 9] This figure shows the concept of the system that forms the basis of the present invention. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows the algorithms of the programs used in the content creation process. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart of the algorithm for a program that performs tasks related to content selection and usage. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the outline of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied when a container is used as a completely closed soil cultivation facility. In Figure 1, 1 to N (where N is a positive integer) are containers used as completely closed soil cultivation facilities. A "completely closed soil cultivation facility" is a cultivation facility that has a completely closed cultivation environment and uses a housing configured so that the plants inside do not come into direct contact with the outside air, and is equipped with an automatic environmental control device configured to reproduce the cultivation environment such as sunlight, temperature and humidity, CO2, and fertilization without being affected by geographical factors. As a cultivation stand used in a completely closed soil cultivation facility, for example, a vertical cylindrical cultivation stand with multiple stands arranged vertically can be used. In such a structure, in order to maximize the cultivated area inside the container, plants can be planted on the wall surface of the vertical cylinder, LEDs can be irradiated from the side, and the stands can be rotated to equalize the exposure conditions. Furthermore, by adapting to soil cultivation, it is possible to realize organic cultivation which can be expected to increase the price of the produce. In a completely closed cultivation environment, it is possible to control variables that contribute to cultivation, such as temperature, humidity, CO2, and light intensity, inside a highly airtight container. The environmental automatic control system can be remotely controlled and manages the light source according to an automated operation program that constitutes a predetermined cultivation content.

[0029] The soil cultivation facilities 1 to N using this embodiment are equipped with measuring devices 1A to NA, which include various measuring instruments such as a meter for measuring light intensity equivalent to sunlight, a temperature meter, a humidity meter, and a CO2 meter; an automatic environmental control device 1B to NB; and imaging devices 1C to NC for photographing the working conditions of workers. In this embodiment, assuming that the operators of the N soil cultivation facilities are different, N input / output terminals 11 to 1N corresponding to each soil cultivation facility are prepared. The measuring devices 1A to NA, the automatic environmental control devices 1B to NB, and the imaging devices 1C to NC for photographing the working conditions of workers may each have their own communication functions. However, it is also possible to provide one communication unit in each soil cultivation facility 1 to N to perform communication between the measuring devices 1A to NA, the automatic environmental control devices 1B to NB, the imaging devices 1C to NC for photographing the working conditions of workers and the communication network 3 collectively.

[0030] The input / output terminals 11 to 1N operated by the operator of the cultivation facility may be mobile communication terminals such as smartphones or personal computers with communication capabilities, and their type is not limited. If the operator of the cultivation facility is operating multiple input / output terminals, one input / output terminal should be assigned to each operator.

[0031] In this embodiment, for information transmission, the measuring devices 1A to NA, the automatic environmental control devices 1B to NB, and the imaging devices 1C to NC are connected to a communication network 3 such as the Internet. A server device 4 is connected to the communication network 3.

[0032] Server device 4 is composed of a communication unit, a high-speed computing unit, and a large-capacity memory unit, and is operated by program execution. Server device 4 includes an output control unit 40, a management information storage unit 41, a management data viewing permission unit 42, an equipment information storage unit 43, a selection unit 44, an order unit 45, a video data storage unit 46, a video data viewing permission unit 47, a point awarding unit 48, a point storage unit 49, and a revenue forecasting unit 50.

[0033] The output control unit 40 receives input from the input / output terminal 12 and controls the information output to the input / output terminal by acquiring and providing necessary data from related functional units. For example, it receives input from the supported operator regarding the direction of their business and provides know-how in line with that direction.

[0034] The management information storage unit 41 stores management information as content or know-how packages that include environment variables related to cultivation within multiple soil cultivation facilities transmitted from measuring devices and automatic environmental control devices installed in multiple soil cultivation facilities, the execution history of cultivation tasks of the automatic environmental control devices, successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, and information regarding the operator's evaluation of the business of the soil cultivation facility that obtained the information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions. The management information storage unit 41 will be described in detail later.

[0035] The management data viewing permission unit 42 allows input / output terminals 11 to 1N to view data stored in the management information storage unit 41 in response to requests from those terminals. In this way, the operator of a newly started soil cultivation facility can also view the operating status of the facility, including the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions that were selected for information storage in the management information storage unit. If an error is noticed in the operation of the newly started soil cultivation facility, an experienced operator can immediately provide advice. Of course, access to this data can be restricted to specific individuals.

[0036] The equipment information storage unit 43 stores information on the equipment necessary to achieve the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions stored in the management information storage unit 41. This equipment includes plant seeds, fertilizers, and growing media. While it is preferable for the operator of a successful soil cultivation facility to input the information on the equipment used in their success, it is also acceptable for the equipment manufacturer to input this information.

[0037] When the selection unit 44 receives input from the input / output terminals (11 to 1N) regarding the equipment conditions of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, it selects appropriate successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the information in the management information storage unit 41 that correspond to the equipment conditions of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator of the facility to be supported, and outputs them to the input / output terminals. The selection unit 44 also selects information on the equipment necessary to realize the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the equipment information storage unit 43 and outputs it to the input / output terminals. The selection unit 44 will be described in detail later.

[0038] The input / output terminals 11 to 1N are preferably equipped with a display that shows the information selected by the selection unit 44. The input / output terminals 11 to 1N are preferably equipped with a function that allows the information of the equipment selected by the selection unit 44 to be displayed on the display as an acquisition request. A general-purpose touch panel can be used as such a display.

[0039] Figure 2 shows the detailed configuration of the management information storage unit 41 and the selection unit 44. The management information storage unit 41 includes a feature extraction processing unit 41A and a storage database 41B. The storage database 41B stores management information including environment variables related to cultivation transmitted from measuring devices 1A to NA installed in multiple soil cultivation facilities 1 to N via the output control unit 40 of the server device 4, the execution history of cultivation tasks transmitted from environmental automatic control devices 1B to NB, successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, and information regarding the operator's evaluation of the business of the soil cultivation facility that obtained the information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions. The successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions correspond to soil cultivation facilities 1 to N, and in this embodiment, the operator of the soil cultivation facility that successfully operated the facility inputs the data in a way that makes it clear that it is the cultivation environment and automatic control conditions of the successful facility.

[0040] The feature extraction processing unit 41A converts the indicators that constitute the operator's evaluation of the business into numerical values ​​and processes them as features, which are then stored in the storage database 41B. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the feature extraction processing unit 41A handles as know-how the environment variables related to cultivation within multiple soil cultivation facilities transmitted from measuring devices and automatic environmental control devices installed in multiple soil cultivation facilities, the execution history of cultivation tasks of the automatic environmental control devices, successful cultivation environments, and automatic control conditions transmitted from these facilities. Under the operation of the system administrator, data for converting the evaluation values ​​of the indicators for each plant seedling into numerical values ​​is input to the conversion table calculation unit, and a conversion table is calculated. Figure 4 is an example of a conversion table for plant seedlings corresponding to the input know-how. This conversion table is created by the system administrator to enhance the objectivity of the evaluation, as the operator's evaluation of the business is arbitrary. In other words, by using the conversion table, the system administrator corrects extreme evaluations of operators based on general data collected by the system administrator. The indicator calculation function unit converts the index of the evaluation of successful operators' work (know-how), as shown in Figure 5, into numerical values ​​using the conversion table shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 is a table showing an example of the conversion results when the index is converted into numerical values. The numerical values ​​in the "Evaluation" column shown in Figure 5 are relative values ​​from the standard for each evaluation item. The index calculation function multiplies the conversion coefficients listed in the "Workload Axis," "Economy Axis," and "Quality Axis" of the conversion table in Figure 4 by the number of "Evaluations" for the evaluation items shown in Figure 5 to obtain feature quantities for the "Workload Axis," "Economy Axis," and "Quality Axis" in Figure 6. The feature quantities are represented as the sum of the numerical values ​​in each column of the "Workload Axis," "Economy Axis," and "Quality Axis" in Figure 6 (the value in the bottom column). In the numerical value in the X(N) column of Figure 6, the workload is 11, indicating "quite troublesome," economy is 0.2, indicating "average," and quality is "good taste." These feature quantities for the "Workload Axis," "Economy Axis," and "Quality Axis" are stored as numerical values ​​in the storage database 41B along with various data for each know-how.

[0041] The feature extraction processing unit 44A in the selection unit 44 shown in Figure 2 receives information corresponding to the support target operator's orientation towards the business, similar to the feature extraction processing unit 41A in the management information storage unit 41. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the evaluation items for the business include, for example, the "amount of runners produced" of plants, the "amount of side shoots produced," "disease resistance," "fruit softness," "cultivation strategy," and "regional characteristics." By how the operator evaluates these evaluation items, the level of success of the business can be specifically understood in relation to the operation of the business. The support target operator's orientation towards the business indicates what level of results the target operator desires for the predetermined evaluation items when carrying out the business. This orientation corresponds to the operator's evaluation of the business. The sum of the numerical values ​​in the "workload axis," "economic efficiency axis," and "quality axis" columns in the bottom column of the table in Figure 6 is the feature quantity corresponding to the operator's evaluation of the business. In this embodiment, the feature extraction processing unit 41A in Figure 2 extracts the support target operator's orientation towards the business as a feature quantity converted into numerical values ​​corresponding to the indicators that constitute the evaluation of the business, and outputs it to the selection execution unit 44B. In this embodiment, the slide input switch "Priority of Business Feasibility" in the "Directionality" column shown on the screen of the input / output terminal 11A in Figure 7 is used to input feature quantities corresponding to the "Economic Axis" in Figure 6, the input switch "Acceptable Workload" is used to input feature quantities corresponding to the "Workload Axis" in Figure 6, and the input switch "Crop Quality" is used to input feature quantities corresponding to the "Quality Axis" in Figure 6.

[0042] In other words, the input / output terminal of the supported operator inputs the equipment conditions of the supported soil cultivation facility, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the operator's business orientation for operating the supported soil cultivation facility. That is, information similar to that shown in Figure 5 is input to the feature extraction processing unit 44A as an evaluation index specified by the supported operator. The feature quantities obtained by the feature extraction processing unit 44A are input to the selection execution unit 44B, which uses these feature quantities to select successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions (know-how) with similar feature quantities from the stored data in the management information storage unit 41A, and outputs them to the supported operator's input / output terminal via the output control unit 40. The selection execution unit 44B selects information on the equipment necessary to realize the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions (know-how) from the equipment information storage unit 43 and outputs it to the supported operator's input / output terminal via the output control unit 40. According to this embodiment, information is provided considering the business orientation of the operator inputting the know-how and the supported operator receiving support from this system, so more appropriate information can be provided. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since selection is performed based on feature quantities, a highly objective selection becomes possible.

[0043] Figure 8 shows an example of output from the selection unit 44, including information on the cultivation environment and automatic control conditions selected by the selection unit, as well as the equipment necessary to realize these conditions. Such output is displayed on the display of the input / output terminal.

[0044] When the ordering unit 45 receives requests for at least some of the equipment based on the equipment information selected by the selection unit 44 from the input / output terminals 11 to 1N, it places an order for the equipment based on these requests. If the operator can easily input to the ordering unit that equipment already owned does not need to be ordered, unnecessary orders can be prevented. To enable this, it is preferable to use the aforementioned touch panel as a display. By providing the ordering unit 45, even operators with no prior agricultural experience can begin cultivating plants quickly.

[0045] The server device 4 is further equipped with a video data storage unit 46 for storing video data captured by imaging devices 1C to NC, and a video data viewing permission unit 47 that, in response to requests from input / output terminals 11 to 1N, makes the video data stored in the video data storage unit 46 viewable by the input / output terminals 11 to 1N. The location and number of imaging devices (1C to NC) installed in a single soil cultivation facility are arbitrary, and the operator of the soil cultivation facility may decide this. In this way, the operation of the soil cultivation facility operated by an expert, based on the information selected by the selection unit 44, can be confirmed by video. Therefore, when operating a newly started soil cultivation facility, it becomes possible to perform necessary tasks after observing work similar to that of an expert. As a result, even inexperienced operators can obtain the same profit / yield / crop quality as experienced farmers.

[0046] Furthermore, the server device 4 includes a point storage unit 49 and a point awarding unit 48, each equipped with multiple individual memory units corresponding to operators who operate multiple soil cultivation facilities 1 to N. The point awarding unit 48 awards points to the individual memory units of operators who operate the soil cultivation facilities that are the source of the information selected by the selection unit 44. The use of the points is optional and may be exchangeable for money. By awarding points, it becomes possible to return benefits to operators who provide information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions selected by the selection unit 44. In addition, the points awarded by the point awarding unit 48 may be changed at the discretion of the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the information stored in the management information storage unit, and it may be possible for supported operators who have received information to spend points they possess as a token of appreciation. Setting up such point awarding increases the motivation of those who provide information and makes it possible to collect more information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions. The points awarded by the point awarding unit 48 may be points equivalent to the license fee set by the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the information.

[0047] Furthermore, the point awarding unit 48 of this embodiment has a content pricing function that calculates the magnitude of the points to be awarded. The content pricing function calculates the difference between the performance history data, such as the yield and sales price of the supported soil cultivation facility, and the expected value data, such as the predicted yield and sales price, which are pre-set for the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions. If this difference is large in the positive direction, the selection unit 44 assigns more points to the individual memory unit (built into the point storage unit 49) of the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the selected information.

[0048] In this embodiment, for example, an inexperienced or inexperienced operator (supported operator) who wants to start cultivating plants using a newly established, fully enclosed soil cultivation facility N inputs the equipment conditions of the supported soil cultivation facility N and the type of plant to be cultivated from the input / output terminal 1N. The server device 4 then sends the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions selected by the selection unit 44, as well as information on the equipment necessary to achieve the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions, to the input / output terminal 1N. Therefore, even an inexperienced or inexperienced operator can obtain the information necessary to cultivate the plants they wish to grow in the soil cultivation facility they operate. Furthermore, when the ordering unit 45 receives a request from the input / output terminal 1N for the acquisition of at least some of the equipment based on the equipment information selected by the selection unit 44, it places an order for the equipment based on this request. In this way, even an inexperienced operator can start cultivating plants early. Furthermore, operators with no agricultural experience or insufficient experience can, via the input / output terminal 1N, view video footage of work performed by experienced farmers in a soil cultivation facility, based on information selected by the selection unit 44 and stored in the video data storage unit 46. Therefore, when operating a newly started soil cultivation facility N, it becomes possible to perform necessary tasks after observing work similar to that of experienced farmers.

[0049] In this embodiment, the server device 4 is equipped with a revenue prediction unit 50 that predicts revenue based on a successful cultivation environment and pre-set predicted yield and selling price for automatic control conditions. The revenue prediction unit 50 outputs the predicted revenue to the input / output terminal 1N of the operator of the supported soil cultivation facility. This makes it possible to encourage the selection of a cultivation method.

[0050] Figure 9 shows the concept of the system that forms the basis of the present invention. This concept uses a fully enclosed soil cultivation container that can reproduce the cultivation environment (sunlight, temperature and humidity, CO2, fertilization, etc.) without being affected by geographical factors. The container manages environmental variables related to cultivation and the history of cultivation tasks (IoT, task management, etc.). A successful cultivation method in the above environment is packaged as Content CT, including materials, seeds and seedlings, automatic control of the cultivation environment, and the work content such as tasks that need to be performed.

[0051] This system constitutes a content marketplace for distributing this content CT. Content users (supported operators such as new farmers) who purchase the content can relive successful cultivation (including profitability) in their own containers. Revenue from content sales is returned to the experienced farmers who developed the content.

[0052] If a content user's cultivation is unsuccessful, the experienced farmer who developed the content can provide consultation based on the user's cultivation record data (IoT data, task execution history, and actual cultivation images). The experienced farmer can view the content user's cultivation results, including subsequent harvest yields and feedback from buyers regarding the harvested produce, and use this information to improve the content.

[0053] This concept allows for the sharing of successful cultivation methods and measures to improve the profitability and success rate of new farmers. By enabling experienced farmers to generate revenue by sharing their know-how, the overall profitability of users of cultivation containers can be increased. As a result, the content itself will be improved based on data, creating a system and business model that continuously increases agricultural profitability. Furthermore, a calculation model that provides revenue forecasts based on content revenue examples, the number and size of containers, etc., may be provided. In addition, for content pricing support, the output of the revenue forecast model will be used to assist content providers in setting prices.

[0054] Regarding the function of presenting metrics, for example, the output of the above model will be discounted immediately after content publication because it only has the performance of the content provider and therefore little basis for revenue reproducibility. For content that is highly profitable and the accuracy of the prediction model has improved, pricing will be set that balances the profit of the content provider with the number of sales to users (for reference). If another content provider improves on the content and sells it, it will be possible to adjust the distribution of rights and profits (source and destination trees). The distribution ratio will be calculated taking into account the improvement in profitability before and after the improvement.

[0055] In addition to experienced farmers, potential content providers could include material manufacturers (soil, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.), equipment manufacturers (robots, containers, house builders, etc.), device manufacturers (LEDs, IoT, etc.), and AI development companies.

[0056] Under the concept shown in Figure 9, an example of the program algorithm used in the server device 4 when realizing the above embodiment is described below. Figure 10 shows the program algorithm used in the process of creating the aforementioned content CT (know-how package), and this algorithm is used when the operator creates content (information) and saves it in the management information storage unit 41. First, in step S1, the skilled grower (operator) starts cultivation using their own soil cultivation equipment, specifying the variety of crop to be cultivated and materials such as fertilizer and soil. In step S2, the operator establishes their cultivation method using the environmental automatic control equipment and records the cultivation status using the measuring device 1A and the imaging device 1C. In step 3, they check whether the cultivation was successful / improved. This is a judgment made by the operator. If successful, they proceed to step S4, where the operator saves the environmental automatic control and material information implemented in the successful cultivation as content CT in the management information storage unit 41. Then, in step S5, the operator inputs an evaluation corresponding to the content (see Figure 5) as information attached to the content CT and saves it in the management information storage unit 41. Finally, in step S6, a decision is made as to whether or not to improve the content. If improvements are made, the process returns to step S1; otherwise, it terminates.

[0057] Figure 11 shows the algorithm of the program that performs the aforementioned tasks of selecting and using content. In this algorithm, in step S11, the supported operator inputs information about their orientation towards their business into the selection unit 44 using their own input / output terminal. The selection unit 44 converts the input information about the orientation towards the business into features using a conversion table (step S12), and the selection unit 44 narrows down one or more appropriate contents related to successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions (know-how) that have similar features to the converted features from the stored data stored in the management information storage unit 41, and displays them on the supported operator's output terminal via the output control unit 40 (step S13). The selection unit 44 may also convert information about the orientation of the content stored in the management information storage unit 41 into features using a conversion table. Next, the supported operator determines whether or not they have decided which content to use from the displayed content (step S14). If they have decided, the selection unit 44 displays information about the materials necessary for using the selected content on the supported operator's input / output terminal via the output control unit 40 (step S15). Next, the ordering unit 45, based on instructions from the input / output terminal of the supported user, orders the materials necessary for using the selected content via the output control unit 40 (step S16).

[0058] The algorithms shown in Figures 10 and 11 are examples, and the present invention is not limited to these algorithms. [Industrial applicability]

[0059] According to the present invention, based on information regarding the business orientation of the supported operator, information on successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, as well as information on the equipment necessary to achieve those successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, are selected from the information stored in the management information storage unit to operate multiple fully enclosed soil cultivation facilities. This allows even inexperienced supported operators to operate the facilities in a way that suits their own business and lifestyle, thereby increasing sustainability and enabling them to achieve the same profits, yields, and crop quality as experienced farmers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1~N Soil cultivation facility 11-1N Input / Output Terminal 3. Communication Network 4 Server devices 40 Output control unit 41 Management information storage section 42 Management data viewing access section 43 Equipment Information Storage Section 44 Selection Section 45 Ordering Department 46 Video data storage unit 47 Video data viewing access area 48 points awarding section 49 Point Storage Section 50 Revenue Forecasting Department

Claims

1. Sunshine, temperature and humidity, CO 2 A cultivation facility operation support system that supports the operation of a soil cultivation facility in order to cultivate plants in soil using multiple fully enclosed soil cultivation facilities equipped with an automatic environmental control device configured to reproduce the cultivation environment, such as fertilization, without being affected by geographical factors, Multiple input / output terminals operated by multiple operators of the aforementioned soil cultivation facility, The facility comprises measuring devices installed in the aforementioned multiple soil cultivation facilities, the aforementioned automatic environmental control device, and a server device connected to the aforementioned multiple input / output terminals via a communication network, The server device is A management information storage unit stores management information including environment variables related to cultivation within the multiple soil cultivation facilities transmitted from the measuring devices and the automatic environmental control devices installed in the multiple soil cultivation facilities, the execution history of cultivation tasks of the automatic environmental control device, successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions, and information regarding the operator's evaluation of the business based on the input of the successful cultivation environments and automatic control conditions. The equipment information storage unit stores information about the equipment necessary to realize the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions, which are stored in the management information storage unit. A cultivation facility operation support system comprising a selection unit that, upon input / output of the equipment conditions of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, selects appropriate successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions corresponding to the equipment conditions of the soil cultivation facility to be supported, the type of plant to be cultivated, and the business orientation of the operator of the supported, from the information in the management information storage unit and outputs them to the input / output terminal of the operator of the supported, and also selects information on the equipment necessary to realize the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions from the equipment information storage unit and outputs it to the input / output terminal.

2. The aforementioned management information storage unit has a feature extraction function that converts the evaluation of each indicator used to evaluate the operator's business into numerical values ​​and stores them as features. The selection unit has a feature extraction function that converts the business orientation of the supported operator into a numerical value corresponding to the indicator and stores it as a feature. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit performs the selection based on the feature quantities.

3. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 2, wherein the indicators used to evaluate the operator's business include workload, economic efficiency, and the quality of the plants cultivated.

4. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the server device further comprises an ordering unit that places an order for equipment based on the acquisition request when an acquisition request for at least some of the equipment is input from the input / output terminal based on the equipment information selected by the selection unit.

5. The input / output terminal is equipped with a display that shows the information selected by the selection unit. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the input / output terminal has a function of assigning priority to a plurality of pieces of information selected by the selection unit and displaying them on the display in a selectable manner.

6. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 5, wherein the selection unit selects information on the necessary equipment so that the equipment owned by the supported operator can be utilized and displays it on the display unit.

7. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 6, wherein the equipment includes plant seeds and seedlings and fertilizer.

8. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, further comprising a management data viewing permission unit that, in response to a request from the input / output terminal, allows the input / output terminal to view the data stored in the management information storage unit.

9. Each of the aforementioned soil cultivation facilities is equipped with an imaging device to photograph the working conditions of the workers. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, further comprising: a video data storage unit for storing video data captured by the imaging device; and a video data viewing permission unit for allowing viewing of the video data stored in the video data storage unit from the input / output terminal in response to a request from the input / output terminal.

10. The server device is A point storage unit equipped with multiple individual memory sections corresponding to the multiple operators, The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, further comprising a point awarding unit for awarding points to the individual memory unit of the operator who operates the soil cultivation facility, which is the source of the information selected by the selection unit.

11. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 10, wherein the points awarded by the point awarding unit can be changed at the discretion of the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the information.

12. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 11, wherein the points awarded by the point awarding unit are points equivalent to the license fee set by the operator of the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the information.

13. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 10, wherein the point awarding unit has a content pricing function that calculates the magnitude of the points to be awarded, and the content pricing function finds the difference between the performance history data of the yield and sales price of the supported soil cultivation facility and the expected value data of the predicted yield and sales price that have been set in advance for the selected successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions, and if this difference is large, more points are given to the individual memory unit of the operator who operates the soil cultivation facility that is the source of the information selected by the selection unit.

14. The cultivation facility operation support system according to claim 1, further comprising a revenue prediction unit that predicts revenue based on a predetermined predicted yield and selling price for the successful cultivation environment and automatic control conditions, wherein the revenue prediction unit outputs the predicted revenue to the input / output terminal of the operator of the soil cultivation facility to be supported.

Images