Plant Growing Zone Scheduling for Multi-Crop Environment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plant growing systems are limited by the number of plant types that can be grown simultaneously due to constraints in the number of independently controllable growing zones, restricting the diversity and yield of plants that can be cultivated.
Innovation Solution
A plant growing system with a control system that determines and adjusts specific environmental conditions for subsets of plant types across multiple growing zones over different time periods, allowing for efficient allocation and optimization of resources to grow multiple plant types simultaneously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of independently controllable growing zones is increased to grow more plant types simultaneously, then plant diversity and yield are improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the environmental conditions in each growing zone changeable over time. The control system dynamically adjusts environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light, CO2) for different zones at different time periods, allowing a single zone to serve multiple plant types sequentially. This temporal dynamics enables one physical zone to replace multiple static zones, reducing device complexity while maintaining plant diversity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the time dimension to the growing system. Instead of only spatial differentiation (multiple zones), the system uses temporal differentiation (different time periods) as another dimension. Plants are assigned to zones based on both spatial and temporal factors, with environmental conditions varying by time period. This adds a time-based layer to the growing architecture, allowing the same physical space to accommodate different plant types at different times.
2Manufacturing precision
If environmental conditions are optimized for each plant type in separate zones, then plant growth quality is improved, but the number of zones required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the environmental control functions for multiple plant types into a single growing zone through time-based scheduling. Instead of having separate dedicated zones for each plant type, the system combines multiple plant cultivation functions into one zone that cycles through different environmental configurations at different time periods. This merging reduces the total number of zones needed while maintaining optimized conditions for each plant type during its active period.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes each growing zone universal by enabling it to serve multiple plant types through temporal scheduling. A single zone can be configured to meet the environmental requirements of different plant types at different times, making the zone multi-functional. The control system manages this universality by assigning zones to different plant types based on time periods and environmental condition sets, allowing one physical zone to replace multiple specialized zones.
3Adaptability or versatility
If plants are relocated frequently between zones to optimize growth conditions, then adaptability to environmental needs is improved, but loss of time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-assigning plants to specific growing zones based on their environmental requirements and the scheduled time periods. The control system determines in advance which plants go to which zones and when, creating a predetermined planting plan. This preliminary assignment eliminates the need for frequent mid-growth relocations, as plants are placed in zones that will provide appropriate conditions for their development stage, reducing both relocation time and operational disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of environmental conditions through temporal scheduling rather than physical replication of zones. Instead of physically moving plants between multiple identical zones, the system uses a single zone that sequentially replicates different environmental configurations at different times. The control system manages these virtual environmental copies by applying different environmental condition sets to the same physical zone at different time periods, eliminating physical relocation while maintaining environmental adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a plant growing system (100), comprising: a plurality of plant growing zones (122); a control apparatus (120) configured to control one or more environmental conditions in each of the plurality of plant growing zones (122); and a receiver (142) configured to receive input data indicating plant type characteristics of a plurality of plant characteristics types to be grown in a plant growing apparatus (120). Also disclosed is a plant growing apparatus (120) configured to grow a plurality of plant types, a method to control a plant growing apparatus (120) configured to grow a plurality of plant types, and a computer program including computer-readable instructions executable to perform a method to control a plant growing apparatus (120) configured to grow a plurality of plant types.