US 8,738,160 B2 · Apparatus and method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output

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.

Claims24

Dependent claims

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.

4 more elements

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.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output

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Apparatus and method for plant metabolism manipulation using spectral output

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Abstract

Claims24