Horticultural Care Tracking System with Iconographic Dispatch

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Solution Overview

Problem

Large-scale horticultural operations face challenges in collecting and sharing information in a timely and effective manner, and dispatching remedial courses of action to workers with varying capabilities, which hinders the implementation of a true horticultural feedback loop.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing image capture devices, sensors, and a workflow server to track, validate, and verify horticultural care through automated data collection and analysis, enabling remote collaboration and iconographic language for dispatching remedial actions to line workers, ensuring consistent communication across language and educational divides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If manual information collection methods are used in large-scale horticultural operations, then operational flexibility is maintained, but information collection timeliness and effectiveness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation collection timelinessVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical information collection methods with automated electronic systems including image capture devices, sensors, and computer processors that automatically collect, transmit, and analyze horticultural data, eliminating the time loss associated with manual collection while managing system complexity through automated workflows

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service information collection where plants and grow operations automatically generate and transmit their own data through integrated sensors and image capture devices, eliminating the need for manual intervention and significantly reducing information collection time without requiring complex centralized management

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If remedial courses of action are dispatched to workers with widely varying capabilities, then operational flexibility is maintained, but execution consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexecution consistencyVSAvoidworker capability adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback loop where the system monitors worker execution of remedial courses of action, compares actual results against expected outcomes, and provides real-time feedback for correction, ensuring consistent execution across workers with varying capabilities while maintaining the ability to adapt to individual skill levels

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring remedial courses of action with detailed instructions, validation criteria, and verification steps before dispatch to workers, ensuring that execution consistency is built into the process design itself rather than relying solely on worker capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If automated data collection systems are implemented, then information collection timeliness is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation collection efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing multi-functional integrated systems where single devices perform multiple functions (e.g., image capture devices that both capture images and transmit data, sensors that monitor multiple parameters), increasing information collection productivity while minimizing the increase in system complexity through consolidation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Reliability

If validation and verification processes are added to track remedial actions, then execution reliability is improved, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremedial action verificationVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service verification where the system automatically validates and verifies remedial course of action execution through automated data collection, image analysis, and comparison against expected outcomes, improving execution reliability while minimizing process complexity by eliminating manual verification steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11347384B2Horticultural care tracking, validation and verification

Publication Date: 2022.05.31 IUNU INC

AI summary

Techniques for collecting information about plants on a per plant or near per plant basis and promulgating remedial courses of action are disclosed. A horticultural operation receives plant information such as a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of plants respectively, wherein at least one of the received plurality of images is an image of interest containing an identified plant, an identified artifact, and is associated with an identified issue of the identified plant corresponding to the identified artifact. The image of interest is displayed to workers in the horticultural operation along with the identified issue of the identified plant corresponding to the identified artifact.