Apparatus and method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output

• US 8,738,160 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2009
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Hillstrom III, Jeffery Bucove
• Original Assignee: David A. Hillstrom III
• Inventors: Bucove, Jeffery, Hillstrom, David A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US13/055,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,767 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/276, 435/34, 435/7.2, 435/29, 47/581.LS, 315/294, 315/152
• US Class Current: 700/90
• 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: A01H 3/00 Processes for modifying phenotypes , e.g. symbiosis with bacteria A01H4/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/40 Monitoring or fighting invasive species
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A method and apparatus for metabolism manipulation of life forms using spectral output which comprises at least one array of LED light sources which have metabolic manipulating spectral emissions. The array sends one or more environmental signals selected from the group consisting of day/night cycles, seasonal cycles, competitive signals and harsh condition preparedness. A remotely programmable microcontroller is operatively connected to the at least one array for controlling the spectral emissions in a desired manner. The microcontroller selectively sending on commands, off commands and intensity commands to the at least one array. The method and apparatus include software for driving the microcontroller and the software is stored in a memory. A power source is operatively connected to the at least one array of LED light sources, and a graphic user interface facilitates inputting information, by an operator.

Claims

1. An apparatus for metabolism manipulation of life forms using spectral output comprising:

at least one array of diffuse LED light sources, having a predetermined number of metabolic manipulating spectral emissions, for sending one or more environmental signals selected from the group consisting of;

day/night cycles, seasonal cycles, competitive signals and harsh condition preparedness, so that said predetermined number of metabolic manipulating spectral emissions is compatible with at least one photosensitive characteristic of the life forms for manipulating a metabolic process thereof;

a remotely programmable microcontroller, for controlling said spectral emissions in a desired manner, operatively connected to said at least one array, by selectively sending on commands, off commands and intensity commands to said at least one array,

software for driving said microcontroller,

a memory for storing said software,

a power source operatively connected to the at least one array of diffuse LED light sources, and

a graphic user interface for an operator input to said apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said life forms are plants and said at least one array of diffuse LED light sources has photosynthetic promoting spectral emissions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said at least one array of LED light sources comprises a first plurality of identical diffuse LED light sources having a first spectral emission, a second plurality of identical diffuse LED light sources having a second spectral emission and a third plurality of identical diffuse LED light sources having a third spectral emission, and each of the first second and third pluralities of identical diffuse LED light sources are controlled by the microcontroller.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first, second and third pluralities of diffuse LED light sources populate a respective first, second and third distinct surface areas of the at least one array.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first, second and third pluralities of diffuse LED light sources are mixed to populate an entire surface of the at least one array.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said illumination commands include, for each of the first, second and third pluralities of diffuse LED light sources, on commands, off commands, intensity commands and strobe commands.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said strobe commands activate the lights at a strobe frequency of 36 KHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first, second and third spectral emissions are at respective first, second and third photosynthetic promoting wavelengths.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the at least one array of LED light sources and the micro-controller is fixed to a single circuit board.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said life forms are plants having photosynthetic characteristics.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is adapted to transmit illumination commands to the at least one array of LED light sources.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said life forms are multi-cellular animals which utilize photometric environmental signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the commands further include pre-glow and afterglow commands.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is programmed to command the at least one array to emit predetermined wavelengths of photosynthetic promoting light for a first predetermined period of time.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller is programmed to command the at least one array to emit predetermined wavelengths of predetermined power outputs for a second predetermined period of time.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one array of diffuse LED light sources is networked to another at least one array of LED light sources to form a networked array and the networked array is controlled by a control means.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one array of diffuse LED light sources is programmable remotely, over the Internet, via a handheld device.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one array of diffuse LED light sources comprises a predetermined number of pluralities of identical diffuse LED light sources having a predetermined number of respective photosynthetic promoting spectral emissions so that said predetermined number of respective photo-synthetic promoting spectral emissions is compatible with the photosynthetic characteristics of a plant of interest and sufficient to promote growth thereof.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said software is open source software.

20. A method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output comprising the steps of:

a. Determining a metabolic light sensitivity of a plant of interest;

b. Fabricating an array of light sources comprising in combination desired pluralities of diffuse LED light sources having desired spectral emissions that are compatible with said metabolic light sensitivity of said plant of interest;

c. Placing the plant of interest in desirable proximity to said array of light sources; and

,

d. Operatively connecting a programmable microprocessor to the array of light sources

wherein the programmable microprocessor is adapted to transmit on commands, off commands, and intensity commands to the desired pluralities of diffuse LED light sources so that the desired pluralities of diffuse LED light sources emit the desired spectral emissions at a desired time and for a desired period at a desired intensity to imitate daylight including a predawn glow, a sunlight cycle and an after sunset glow, the programmable microprocessor controlling spectral emissions to manipulate plant metabolism to achieve at least one of forcing flowering, manipulating inter-nodal distances, and driving root propagation; and

at least one array of diffuse LED light sources comprises a predetermined number of pluralities of identical diffuse LED light sources having a predetermined number of respective photosynthetic promoting spectral emissions so that said predetermined number of respective photo-synthetic promoting spectral emissions is compatible with the photosynthetic characteristics of said plant of interest and sufficient to promote growth thereof.

21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of strobing specific pluralities of light sources for desired time intervals at desired intensities.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein there is more than one array of diffuse light sources including, in addition to the array of diffuse light sources with spectral emissions that are compatible with said photosynthetic properties of said plant, an array of diffuse light sources providing one or more of the following environmental signals selected from:

seasonal cycles, competitive signals and harsh condition preparedness.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

implementing a Phototropic Morphosis Management System (PMMS) methodology;

gathering data regarding phototropic signalling and photosynthesis manipulations for said plant of interest; and

utilizing said Phototropic Morphosis Management System to optimize said a predetermined number of pluralities of identical diffuse LED light sources for said plant of interest.

24. A method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output comprising the steps of:

a. Determining the metabolic light sensitivity of an invasive plant of interest;

b. Fabricating an array of light sources comprising in desired pluralities of LED light sources;

c. Placing a target area in desirable proximity to said array of light sources; and

,

d. Operatively connecting a programmable microprocessor to the array of light sources,

wherein the programmable microprocessor is adapted to transmit on commands, off commands, and intensity commands to the desired pluralities of light sources so that the desired pluralities of diffuse light sources emit the desired spectral emissions at a desired time and for a desired period at a desired intensity to imitate daylight including a predawn glow, a sunlight cycle and an after sunset glow, and the programmable microprocessor controlling spectral emissions to manipulate plant metabolism for the purpose of inhibiting growth of the invasive plant in the target area; and

at least one array of diffuse LED light sources comprises a predetermined number of pluralities of identical diffuse LED light sources having a predetermined number of respective photosynthetic promoting spectral emissions so that said predetermined number of respective photo-synthetic promoting spectral emissions is compatible with the photosynthetic characteristics of said plant of interest and sufficient to promote growth thereof.