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US 10,767,839 B2Granted
Lighting system
AssigneeDow AgroSciences LLC
InventorsYang Yang, Frank Burroughs, Kristen Curlee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and a method of using at least one of a distance sensor and a light intensity sensor to adjust the distance between an artificial light source and plant canopy to control light intensity at the plant canopy is disclosed.
Claims14
An apparatus for controlling the light intensity received at a plant canopy comprising:
- a frame;
- an artificial light source supported by the frame and positioned at a distance generally above a plant canopy;
- a light intensity sensor positioned to measure a light intensity, the light intensity sensor positioned at one of the plant canopy and a distance above the plant canopy;
- a first height adjustment unit configured to adjust the distance between the artificial light source and plant canopy;
- and
- a distance sensor supported by the frame and moveable with the artificial light source, the distance sensor measuring a distance between the distance sensor and the plant canopy, wherein the first height adjustment unit adjusts the distance between the artificial light source and the plant canopy in response to at least one of the light intensity measured by the light intensity sensor and the distance measured by the distance sensor further comprising a second height adjustment unit configured to adjust the relative position of the light intensity sensor to the artificial light source, wherein the second height adjustment unit adjusts the relative distance between the artificial light source and the light intensity sensor to maintain the light intensity sensor at a predetermined distance above the plant canopy.
3 more elements
A method of controlling the light intensity received at a plant canopy comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of plants defining a plant canopy;
- providing artificial light from an artificial light source positioned above the plant canopy;
- measuring a light intensity with a light intensity sensor at one of the plant canopy and a predetermined distance above the plant canopy;
- adjusting the distance between the plant canopy and artificial light source in response to the measured light intensity;
- determining the distance between the light intensity sensor and the plant canopy with a distance sensor;
- and
- adjusting the position of the light intensity sensor relative to the artificial light source in response to the measured distance to position the light intensity sensor at the predetermined distance above the plant canopy.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.