Systems and methods for managing a weight of a plant in a grow pod

{
  "publication_number": "US11154016B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Systems and methods for managing a weight of a plant in a grow pod",
  "abstract": "An assembly line grow pod includes a seeding region, a harvesting region, a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region, a cart including a tray for holding plant matter, and a wheel coupled to the tray, where the wheel is engaged with the track, and a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An assembly line grow pod comprising: a seeder system within a seeding region, wherein the seeder system is configured to dispense seeds; a harvester system within a harvesting region, wherein the harvester system is configured to harvest plant matter; an ascending portion that moves upward in a vertical direction and a descending portion that moves downward in the vertical direction, wherein the ascending portion and the descending portion are positioned between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a track that extends between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a cart comprising: a tray for holding the plant matter; and a wheel coupled to the tray, wherein the wheel is engaged with the track; a weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart; and a controller communicatively coupled to the weight sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a computer readable and executable instruction set, which when executed, causes the processor to: determine the weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart with the weight sensor; retrieve a preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the cart; compare the determined weight of the plant matter with the retrieved preferred weight; and change a recipe for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the determined weight with the preferred weight, wherein the recipe for the plant matter comprises water and nutrient requirements, lighting requirements, and temperature requirements for the plant matter.",
    "2. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1, wherein the weight sensor is positioned on the tray of the cart.",
    "3. The assembly line grow pod of claim 2, wherein the weight sensor is a first weight sensor, and the assembly line grow pod further comprises a second weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track.",
    "4. The assembly line grow pod of claim 1, further comprising an environmental sensor positioned in the tray of the cart, wherein the environmental sensor detects a level of water in the tray of the cart.",
    "5. The assembly line grow pod of claim 4, wherein the environmental sensor and the weight sensor are communicatively coupled to a master controller.",
    "6. An assembly line grow pod system comprising: a track; a seeder system within a seeding region, wherein the seeder system is configured to dispense seeds; a harvester system within a harvesting region, wherein the harvester system is configured to harvest plant matter; an ascending portion that moves upward in a vertical direction and a descending portion that moves downward in the vertical direction, wherein the ascending portion and the descending portion are positioned between the seeding region and the harvesting region; a cart comprising: a tray for holding the plant matter; and a wheel coupled to the tray, wherein the wheel is engaged with the track; a weight sensor positioned on at least one of the cart or the track, where the weight sensor is positioned to detect a weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart; a watering system for dispensing a mixture to the plant matter positioned within the cart; and a controller communicatively coupled to the weight sensor, the controller comprising a processor and a computer readable and executable instruction set, which when executed, causes the processor to: receive an identification of a type of the plant matter positioned within the cart; determine the weight of the plant matter positioned within the cart with the weight sensor; retrieve a preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the received identification of the type of plant matter; compare the determined weight of the plant matter with the retrieved preferred weight; change a recipe for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the determined weight with the preferred weight, wherein the recipe for the plant matter comprises water and nutrient requirements, lighting requirements, and temperature requirements for the plant matter; and direct the watering system to dispense the mixture according to the changed recipe to the plant matter positioned within the cart.",
    "7. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6, wherein the weight sensor is a first weight sensor positioned on the tray of the cart, and the assembly line grow pod system further comprises a second weight sensor positioned on the cart or the track.",
    "8. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 7, wherein: the second weight sensor is positioned on the tray of the cart at a position that is different than the first weight sensor; and the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to determine a first weight of plant matter positioned at a first portion of the tray with the first weight sensor and to determine a second weight of plant matter positioned at a second portion of the tray with the second weight sensor.",
    "9. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 8, wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to: receive a first identification of a type of plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart; receive a second identification of a type of plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart; retrieve a first preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart based at least in part on the received first identification of the type of plant matter; retrieve a second preferred weight for the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart based at least in part on the received second identification of the type of plant matter; compare the first determined weight of the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart with the first preferred weight; compare the second determined weight of the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart with the second preferred weight; change a recipe for at least one of the plant matter positioned within the first portion of the cart and the plant matter positioned within the second portion of the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the first and second determined weights of the plant matter positioned in the first portion and the second portion of the cart with the first preferred weight and the second preferred weight; and direct the watering system to dispense the changed recipe to the plant matter positioned within the at least one of the first portion of the cart and the second portion of the cart.",
    "10. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6, wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to: detect a weight of the cart with the weight sensor; retrieve a known weight of the cart; and determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart based at least in part on the detected weight of the cart and the known weight of the cart.",
    "11. The assembly line grow pod system of claim 6, wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to: detect a water level in the cart with an environmental sensor; determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart based at least in part on the detected water level in the cart.",
    "12. The assembly line grow pod of claim 6, wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to: determine when the cart is at a first position on the track; determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart when the cart is at the first position on the track; determine when the cart is at a second position on the track that is different than the first position; and determine the weight of the plant matter within the cart at the second position.",
    "13. The assembly line grow pod of claim 6, wherein the executable instruction set, when executed, further causes the processor to: store determined weights of the plant matter; determine a trend of determined weights of the plant matter; and change a stored recipe for the plant matter positioned within the cart based at least in part on the trend of determined weights.",
    "14. A method for managing growth of plant matter in an assembly line grow pod, the method comprising: moving a cart along a track, the cart comprising a tray and a wheel coupled to the tray, wherein the wheel is engaged with the track; moving the cart up an ascending portion that moves upward in a vertical direction and down a descending portion that moves downward in the vertical direction, wherein the ascending portion and the descending portion are positioned between a seeding region and a harvesting region; detecting a weight of plant matter positioned within the tray with a weight sensor, wherein the weight sensor is positioned on one of the cart or the track; comparing the detected weight of the of the plant matter with a preferred weight of the plant matter; changing a recipe for the plant matter positioned in the cart based at least in part on the comparison of the detected weight with the preferred weight, wherein the recipe for the plant matter comprises water and nutrient requirements, lighting requirements, and temperature requirements for the plant matter; and dispensing a mixture based on the changed recipe to the plant matter with a watering system; harvesting the plant matter with a harvester system within the harvesting region; and dispensing a plurality of seeds to the cart with a seeder system within the seeding region.",
    "15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting the weight of the plant matter comprises detecting a weight of the cart and determining the weight of the plant matter based at least in part on the detected weight of the cart and a known weight of the cart.",
    "16. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting a water level in the cart with an environmental sensor; determining the weight of the plant matter within the cart based at least in part on the detected water level in the cart.",
    "17. The method of claim 14, wherein the preferred weight of the plant matter is based at least in part on an elapsed grow time of the plant matter within the cart.",
    "18. The method of claim 17, further comprising detecting a distance traveled by the cart along the track and determining the elapsed grow time based at least in part on the detected distance traveled by the cart.",
    "19. The method of claim 14, further comprising: depositing the plurality of seeds into the cart; detecting a weight of the plurality of seeds within the cart; and determining a number of seeds positioned on the cart based at least in part on the detected weight of the plurality of seeds and a known average weight of a seed of the plurality of seeds.",
    "20. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining when the cart is at a first position on the track; determining the weight of the plant matter within the cart when the cart is at the first position on the track; determining when the cart is at a second position on the track that is different than the first position; and determining the weight of the plant matter within the cart at the second position."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for managing a weight of plant matter in an assembly line grow pod and, more specifically, to managing a weight of plant matter in an assembly line grow pod by changing a recipe for the plant matter based at least in part on a measured weight of the plant.\n\nWhile crop growth technologies have advanced over the years, there are still many problems in the farming and crop industry. As an example, while technological advances have increased efficiency and production of various crops, many factors may affect a harvest, such as weather, disease, infestation, and the like. Additionally, while the United States currently has suitable farmland to adequately provide food for the U.S. population, other countries and future populations may not have enough farmland to provide the appropriate amount of food.\n\nControlled environment growing systems may mitigate the factors affecting traditional harvests. In such controlled environment growing systems, it is desirable to monitor plant growth and to monitor the performance of different mechanisms and systems within the controlled environment growing system. Increases and/or fluctuations in the weights of plants may be indicative of plant growth and/or the performance of different mechanisms and systems within the controlled environment growing system.",
  "cpc": [
    "A01G 9/088",
    "A01G 31/042",
    "A01G 9/085",
    "A01G 9/247",
    "G01F 23/00",
    "G01F 23/20",
    "G01G 11/003",
    "G01G 11/043",
    "G01G 19/042",
    "G01G 19/393",
    "G01G 19/4144",
    "G01G 19/415",
    "G01G 19/42",
    "G01G 19/52",
    "G06Q 50/02",
    "Y02A 40/25",
    "Y02P 60/21"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "A01G 9/08",
    "A01G 9/24",
    "G01G 11/04",
    "G01G 19/415",
    "G01G 19/42",
    "A01G 31/04",
    "G01F 23/00",
    "G01G 11/00",
    "G01G 19/04",
    "G01G 19/52"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Grow Solutions Tech LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Gary Bret Millar",
    "Michael Stephen Hurst",
    "Taylor John Woodbury"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-05-21",
  "publication_date": "2021-10-26",
  "grant_date": "2021-10-26",
  "priority_date": "2017-06-14",
  "application_number": "US-201815985119-A",
  "family_id": "64656013",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}