Plant growth lighting device and method

• US 9,854,749 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: illumitex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: illumitex, Inc.
• Inventors: Klase, Nicholas Peter, Duong, Dung T., Radkov, Emil, Winberg, Paul N.
• Primary Examiner(s): NEILS, PEGGY A
• Application Number:
  US14/706,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20150305252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 971 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/10 comprising photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for promoting plant growth that combine beam angle control with spectral control. In one embodiment, an optical device can be configured to emit multiple colors of light at particular wavelengths. The optical device may also be configured to generate an emission spectrum with multiple peaks. The spectrum can be selected based on stimulating biological processes of a plant.

Claims

1. A system for plant growth comprising:

a first LED device configured to emit light of a first color, wherein the first LED device is configured to emit light with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees and at least 50% of the light emitted by the first LED device is in the controlled beam half angle of the first LED device; and

a second LED device configured to emit light of a second color, wherein the second LED device is configured to emit light with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees; and

wherein the system is configured to generate an emission spectrum having a first emission peak below 600 nm and a second emission peak above 600 nm.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emission peak is at 425-475 nm, and the second emission peak is at 635-685 nm.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to have a third emission peak at 500-600 nm.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the emission spectrum has at least one emission peak in each of the blue, green and red regions.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the emission spectrum has emission peaks within at least three color regions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the emission spectrum has emission peaks within at least four color regions.

7. A method of illuminating plants comprising:

providing a first LED device configured to emit light of a first color, wherein the first LED device is configured to emit light with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees and at least 50% of the light emitted by the first LED device is in the controlled beam half angle of the first LED device; and

providing a second LED device configured to emit light of a second color, wherein the second LED device is configured to emit light with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees; and

illuminating plants using the system to generate an emission spectrum having a first emission peak below 600 nm and a second emission peak above 600 nm.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first emission peak is at 420 nm to 470 nm, and the second emission peak is at 635 nm to 685 nm.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the system is configured to have a third emission peak at 500-600 nm.

18. The method of claim 7, wherein the emission spectrum has emission peaks within at least three color regions.

19. The method of claim 7, wherein the emission spectrum has emission peaks within at least four color regions.

10. A system for plant growth comprising:

a light bar defining a light source holding area;

one or more packaged LEDs arranged in the light source holding area, wherein the set of packaged light sources include a packaged LED configured to emit light of a first color, wherein the packaged LED is configured to emit light of the first color with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees and at least 50% of the light of the first color emitted by the packaged LED is in the controlled beam half angle of the packaged LED, and

configured to emit light of a second color with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees, and

wherein the packaged LED is configured to generate an emission spectrum having a first emission peak below 600 nm and a second emission peak above 600 nm.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the one or more packaged LEDs is configured to emit light of a first color with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees and at least 50% of the light of the first color is in the controlled beam half angle of that packaged LED, is configured to emit light of a second color with a controlled beam half angle of less than or equal to 60 degrees, and wherein that packaged LED is configured to generate an emission spectrum having a first emission peak below 600 nm and a second emission peak above 600 nm.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the one or more packaged LEDs is configured to provide a controlled light area.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the packaged LED includes at least one blue LED and at least one red LED.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the one or more packaged LEDs corresponds to a different spectra.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the packaged LED includes multiple color channels.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the light bar includes control hardware for controlling the light output of the light bar.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the light bar may be controlled to emit light with a controlled beam angle of less than 120 degrees, less than 90 degrees, or less than 60 degrees.