Ultraviolet Plant Illumination System

• US 20170311553A1
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dean & Company Strategy Consultants, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Sensor Electronic Technology Incorporated (Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Dobrinsky, Alexander, Shur, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/499,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311553A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/06 Treatment of growing trees or plants, e.g. for preventing decay of wood, for tingeing flowers or wood, for prolonging the life of plants
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/02 Receptacles, e.g. flower-pots or boxes self-acting watering devices A01G27/00; hanging flower baskets, holders or containers for flower-pots A47G7/00; Glasses for cultivating flowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/20 Forcing-frames; Lights , i.e. glass panels covering the forcing-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/635 Photosynthetic material analysis, e.g. chrorophyll
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8466 Investigation of vegetal material, e.g. leaves, plants, fruits
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/64 Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0627 Use of several LED's for spectral resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0098 Plants or trees wood G01N33/46
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A solution for illuminating plants is provided. An illustrative system can include: a set of visible light sources configured to emit visible radiation directed at the plant; a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed at the plant; and a set of sensors, wherein at least one sensor is configured to detect a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the ultraviolet radiation and a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the visible radiation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a set of visible light sources configured to emit visible radiation directed at a plant;

a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed at the plant; and

a set of sensors, wherein at least one sensor is configured to detect a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the ultraviolet radiation and a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the visible radiation.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to compare the fluorescence due to the ultraviolet radiation and the fluorescence due to the visible radiation to determine an FT ratio and control the set of ultraviolet radiation sources based on the FT ratio.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the control unit adjusts ultraviolet radiation emitted by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources in order to maximize a flavonoid content of the plant.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input/output connector for adjusting a set of parameters for growing the plant, wherein the set of parameters includes water, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of visible light sources include a first visible light source configured to operate in a blue spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 450 nanometers to approximately 490 nanometers and a second visible light source configured to operate in a red spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 650 nanometers to approximately 720 nanometers.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet radiation is time shifted from the visible radiation.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a stick, wherein the set of ultraviolet radiation sources are located on the stick and inserted in a support system adjacent to the plant.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a second stick, wherein the set of sensors are located on the second stick and inserted in the support system adjacent to the plant.

9. A system comprising:

a set of visible light sources configured to emit visible radiation directed at a plant;

a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed at the plant;

a set of sensors, wherein at least one sensor is configured to detect a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the ultraviolet radiation and a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the visible radiation; and

a control unit configured to compare the fluorescence due to the ultraviolet radiation and the fluorescence due to the visible radiation to determine an FT ratio and, based on the FT ratio, adjust a set of parameters for the plant to increase a flavonoid content.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of parameters includes a set of attributes for the ultraviolet radiation, a set of attributes for the visible radiation, a humidity level, a water level, a temperature level, and a carbon dioxide level.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an input/output connector for adjusting at least one of the set of parameters for the plant.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the set of parameters includes water, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the set of visible light sources include a first visible light source configured to operate in a blue spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 450 nanometers to approximately 490 nanometers and a second visible light source configured to operate in a red spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 650 nanometers to approximately 720 nanometers.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the ultraviolet radiation time shifted from the visible radiation.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising a stick, wherein the set of ultraviolet radiation sources are located on the stick and inserted in a planter adjacent to the plant.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a second stick, wherein the set of sensors are located on the second stick and inserted in the planter adjacent to the plant.

17. A planter comprising:

a plant located in soil;

a set of visible light sources configured to emit visible radiation directed at the plant;

a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed at the plant;

a set of sensors, wherein at least one sensor is configured to detect a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the ultraviolet radiation and a fluorescence emitted from the plant due to the visible radiation; and

a control unit configured to compare the fluorescence due to the ultraviolet radiation and the fluorescence due to the visible radiation to determine an FT ratio and, based on the FT ratio, adjust a set of parameters for the plant to increase a flavonoid content.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of parameters includes a set of attributes for the ultraviolet radiation, a set of attributes for the visible radiation, a humidity level, a water level, a temperature level, and a carbon dioxide level.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the set of visible light sources include a first visible light source configured to operate in a blue spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 450 nanometers to approximately 490 nanometers and a second visible light source configured to operate in a red spectrum with a peak wavelength of approximately 650 nanometers to approximately 720 nanometers.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the ultraviolet radiation is time shifted from the visible radiation.