Illuminator for plant growth

• US 8,074,397 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CCS Corporation
• Original Assignee: CCS Corporation
• Inventors: Yoneda, Kenji, Takahata, Minoru, Hayashi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): VALENTI, ANDREA M
• Application Number:
  US10/203,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,946 Days
• Field of Search: 47/10.1 R, 47/17, 47D/IG.6
• US Class Current: 47/58.1LS
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 47/06 Plant growth regulation by control of light thereon

Abstract

To provide an illuminator for plant growth that can illuminate a plant intermittently (pulse illumination) or continuously to cause an effect similar to sunbeam spot phenomenon, thereby accelerating photosynthetic reaction.

Specifically, the illuminator for plant growth includes a light source composed of a semiconductor optical device, a control unit for outputting a turn-on timing signal for the light source, a rhythm signal detecting unit for A/D converting an input rhythm signal, a timing signal modulating unit for modulating the turn-on timing signal with the output signal from the rhythm signal detecting unit, and a pulse drive unit for pulse-modulating a power signal with the modulated turn-on timing signal outputted from the timing signal modulating unit and supplying the pulse-modulated power signal to the light source.

Claims

1. An illumination method for plant growth, comprising steps of:

providing a light source composed of a semiconductor optical device;

modulating light generated by the light source with a rhythm signal extracted from a musical composition produced artificially, and

illuminating a plant to be illuminated with the modulated light;

wherein said rhythm signal produced artificially indicates sound length, pitch or stress according to a certain musical time or rule;

wherein the light source is comprised in an illuminator composed of a semiconductor optical device, and which comprises a control unit for outputting a turn-on timing signal for the light source, a rhythm signal detecting unit for taking in an input rhythm signal, a timing signal modulating unit for modulating said turn-on timing signal with the output signal from the rhythm signal detecting unit, and a pulse drive unit for pulse-modulating a power signal with the modulated turn-on timing signal outputted from the timing signal modulating unit and supplying the pulse-modulated power signal to said light source, whereby the plant to be illuminated is pulse-illuminated while changing a light quantity of the light source in synchronization with said input rhythm signal;

wherein said timing signal modulating unit multiplies the output signal from said rhythm signal detecting unit by the turn-on timing signal generated by said control unit to generate a signal synchronized with an amplitude of the rhythm signal, and sums the signal and said turn-on timing signal to modulate said turn-on timing signal.

2. An illumination method for plant growth, comprising steps of:

providing a light source composed of a semiconductor optical device;

modulating light generated by the light source with a rhythm signal extracted from a musical composition produced artificially, and

illuminating a plant to be illuminated with the modulated light;

wherein said rhythm signal produced artificially indicates sound length, pitch or stress according to a certain musical time or rule;

further comprising providing various sensors for measuring environmental factors of the plant including atmospheric temperature, carbon dioxide concentration, and water temperature and when the plant is to be pulse-illuminated, based on measurement data of the sensors, setting a dimming pattern for generating said turn-on timing signal for optimal activation of the plant, or performing switching among a plurality of dimming patterns previously stored for optimal activation of the plant.