Light system for plant cultivation

• US 10,225,899 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KOWA Company Limited
• Original Assignee: KOWA Company Limited
• Inventors: Mizukusa, Yutaka, Inoue, Kenichi, Kashiwagi, Kazuhiro, Taniji, Ayafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US15/565,768
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 315294, 315312, 315360, 47 58
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 31/00 Soilless cultivation, e.g. hydroponics growth substrates therefor A01G24/00; cultivation of seaweed A01G33/00
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/00 Botany in general
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A lighting system for plant cultivation comprises a light source, a light source driving unit that drives the light source, and a control unit that transmits a pulse signal to the light source driving unit. The control unit comprises a first pulse generating unit that generates a first pulse signal (S1) of a predetermined frequency, a second pulse generating unit that generates a second pulse signal (S2) of a frequency different from the predetermined frequency, and a pulse signal selecting unit that selects any one of the first pulse signal (S1) and the second pulse signal (S2) to transmit the selected one to the light source driving unit. The light source driving unit includes a frequency determining unit that determines whether the frequency of the pulse signal received from the control unit is the frequency of the first pulse signal (S1) or the frequency of the second pulse signal (S2), a first driving unit that, when receiving the first pulse signal (S1) from the control unit, converts the first pulse signal (S1) to a constant current, output to drive the light source, and a second driving unit that, when receiving the second pulse signal (S2) from the control unit, outputs a pulse with an original pulse waveform of the second pulse signal (S2) to drive the light source.

Claims

1. A lighting system for plant cultivation comprising:

a light source;

a light source driving unit that drives the light source; and

a control unit that transmits a pulse signal to the light source driving unit,

the control unit comprising;

a first pulse generating unit that generates a first pulse signal of a predetermined frequency;

a second pulse generating unit that generates a second pulse signal of a frequency different from the predetermined frequency; and

a pulse signal selecting unit that selects any one of the first pulse signal and the second pulse signal to transmit the selected one to the light source driving unit,

the light source driving unit comprising;

a frequency determining unit that determines whether the frequency of the pulse signal received from the control unit is the frequency of the first pulse signal or the frequency of the second pulse signal;

a first driving unit that, when receiving the first pulse signal from the control unit, converts the first pulse signal to a constant current output to drive the light source; and

a second driving unit that, when receiving the second pulse signal from the control unit, outputs a pulse with an original pulse waveform of the second pulse signal to drive the light source.

2. The lighting system for plant cultivation as recited in claim 1, further comprising

a data storage unit that stores control data for controlling the pulse signal selecting unit in accordance with a variety of a plant to be cultivated,

wherein the control unit controls an operation of the pulse signal selecting unit on a basis of the control data stored in the data storage unit.

3. The lighting system for plant cultivation as recited in claim 2, further comprising

an entry and exit information notifying unit that notifies the control unit of entry information in accordance with entry of a person into a cultivation area and notifies the control unit of exit information in accordance with exit of a person from the cultivation area,

wherein, during a period from when the entry and exit information notifying unit notifies the control unit of the entry information to when the entry and exit information notifying unit notifies the control unit of the exit information, the control unit makes the pulse signal selecting unit select the first pulse signal.

4. The lighting system for plant cultivation as recited in claim 1, further comprising

an entry and exit information notifying unit that notifies the control unit of entry information in accordance with entry of a person into a cultivation area and notifies the control unit of exit information in accordance with exit of a person from the cultivation area,

wherein, during a period from when the entry and exit information notifying unit notifies the control unit of the entry information to when the entry and exit information notifying unit notifies the control unit of the exit information, the control unit makes the pulse signal selecting unit select the first pulse signal.