Apparatus, a system, a method and a light control device for facilitating hydroponic cultivation

Abstract

A hydroponic cultivation apparatus, a system and a method for facilitating hydroponic cultivation is disclosed. The hydroponic cultivation apparatus includes a reservoir, a plinth, a grow tray with a grow tray lid, and a docking with coupler. The reservoir, placed upon the plinth, is located at a higher position adjacent to the grow tray for optimizing liquid circulation from the reservoir to the grow tray and vice-versa using one or more pipes, a solenoid valve and a pump. The base further includes a dock coupled to the grow tray for providing an electrical connectivity to the grow tray and simultaneously allowing the liquid to flow through the grow tray without being leaked. Further, the apparatus is having a roof which is provided with sources of illumination for providing light required for plant growth.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydroponic cultivation apparatus, comprising: a cabinet for providing a housing for a reservoir, a plinth, and a grow tray with a grow tray lid placed on a base of the cabinet in such a manner that the reservoir, placed upon the plinth, is located at a higher position adjacent to the grow tray for optimizing liquid circulation from the reservoir to the grow tray and vice-versa using one or more pipes, a solenoid valve and a pump, wherein the base further comprises a dock coupled to the grow tray for providing an electrical connectivity to the grow tray and simultaneously allowing the liquid to flow through the grow tray without being leaked, wherein the base further comprises one or more touch buttons for receiving user input and a display for displaying notification to the user, and wherein the cabinet is having a roof provided with sources of illumination for providing light required for plant growth, and wherein the roof comprises connection pads coupled to a sensing probe placed within the reservoir for providing an electrical connectivity to the sensing probe and simultaneously allowing the liquid to flow through the plinth without being leaked. 
     
     
         2 . The hydroponic cultivation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sources of illumination comprise a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs, and wherein the display comprises at least one of a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display and an LCD display. 
     
     
         3 . The hydroponic cultivation apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the dock is coupled to the grow tray using a pair of couplers and a pair of pogo pins for providing the electrical connectivity to the grow tray. 
     
     
         4 . A system for facilitating hydroponic cultivation, the system comprising:
 a reservoir placed upon a plinth;   a grow tray with a grow tray lid;   a grow tray liquid level sensor associated with the grow tray;   a reservoir liquid level sensor associated with the reservoir;   a solenoid valve;   a pump;   a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, the processor is configured to execute a plurality of programmed instructions stored in the memory for:
 detecting whether the reservoir, the grow tray, and the reservoir liquid level sensor are placed in a predefined position; 
 performing, based upon the detecting,
 opening the solenoid valve for allowing liquid to flow from the reservoir to the grow tray through a first pipe connecting the reservoir to the grow tray, wherein the reservoir is located at a higher position adjacent to the grow tray, and 
 detecting liquid level in the grow tray and the reservoir using the grow tray liquid level sensor and the reservoir liquid level sensor respectively; 
 performing, based upon the liquid level detection,
 closing the solenoid valve to stop the flow of the liquid from the reservoir to the grow tray when the liquid level in the grow tray reaches at a predefined maximum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches at a predefined minimum level, 
 activating the pump, after closing the solenoid valve, to allow the liquid to flow back from the grow tray into the reservoir through a separate second pipe in order to optimize dissolving of oxygen into the liquid through a separate path, and 
 deactivating the pump once the liquid level in the grow tray reaches to a predefined minimum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches to a predefined maximum level. 
 
 
   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate a notification if the reservoir, the grow tray, and the reservoir liquid level sensor are not placed in the predefined position; and   display the notification on a display of the system.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising an electrical conductivity sensor to measure nutrient concentration value indicating nutrient concentration of the liquid. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising displaying a notification on the display when the measured nutrient concentration value falls outside the maximum and minimum threshold values associated with nutrient concentration of the liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a nutrient dispenser, coupled to the electrical conductivity sensor, to inject nutrient into the reservoir when the measured nutrient concentration value falls below the threshold value associated with nutrient concentration of the liquid. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the detecting liquid level in the grow tray and the reservoir comprises:
 detecting,
 whether the liquid level in the grow tray reaches at least one of the predefined maximum level and the predefined minimum level, and 
 whether the liquid level in the reservoir reaches at least one of the predefined minimum level and the predefined maximum level; 
   generating a notification based on the detecting; and   displaying the notification on a display of a system.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the processor is coupled to a sensing probe, placed within the reservoir, using a pair of connection pads and pogo pins for providing an electrical connectivity to the sensing probe and collecting sensor data sensed by the sensing probe, wherein the sensing probe comprises the reservoir liquid level sensor and the electrical conductivity sensor. 
     
     
         11 . A method for facilitating hydroponic cultivation, the method comprising:
 detecting, via a processor, whether a reservoir, a grow tray, and a reservoir liquid level sensor are placed in a predefined position;   performing, via the processor, based on the detecting,
 opening a solenoid valve for allowing liquid to flow from the reservoir to the grow tray through a first pipe connecting the reservoir to the grow tray, wherein the reservoir is located at a higher position adjacent to the grow tray, and 
 detecting liquid level in the grow tray and the reservoir using the grow tray liquid level sensor and the reservoir liquid level sensor respectively; 
 performing, via the processor, based upon the liquid level detection,
 closing the solenoid valve to stop the flow of the liquid from the reservoir to the grow tray when the liquid level in the grow tray reaches at a predefined maximum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches at a predefined minimum level, 
 activating a pump, after closing the solenoid valve, to allow the liquid to flow back from the grow tray into the reservoir through a separate second pipe in order to optimize dissolving of oxygen into the liquid through a separate path, and 
 deactivating the pump once the liquid level in the grow tray reaches to a predefined minimum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches to a predefined maximum level. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating a notification if the reservoir, the grow tray, and the reservoir liquid level sensor are not placed in the predefined position; and   displaying the notification on a display of a system.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for facilitating hydroponic cultivation, the program comprising instructions for:
 detecting whether a reservoir, a grow tray, and a reservoir liquid level sensor are placed in a predefined position;   performing, based upon the detecting,
 opening a solenoid valve for allowing liquid to flow from the reservoir to the grow tray through a first pipe connecting the reservoir to the grow tray, wherein the reservoir is located at a higher position adjacent to the grow tray, and 
 detecting liquid level in the grow tray and the reservoir using the grow tray liquid level sensor and the reservoir liquid level sensor respectively; 
 performing, based upon the liquid level detection,
 closing the solenoid valve to stop the flow of the liquid from the reservoir to the grow tray when the liquid level in the grow tray reaches at a predefined maximum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches at a predefined minimum level, 
 activating a pump, after closing the solenoid valve, to allow the liquid to flow back from the grow tray into the reservoir through a separate second pipe in order to optimize dissolving of oxygen into the liquid through a separate path, and 
 deactivating the pump once the liquid level in the grow tray reaches to a predefined minimum level or the liquid level in the reservoir reaches to a predefined maximum level. 
 
   
     
     
         14 . A light control device for hydroponic cultivation, the light control device comprising:
 sources of illumination;   a plurality of channels, wherein each of the plurality of channels comprises the sources of illuminations;   a user interface for receiving user input;   a processor; and   a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to execute a plurality of instructions stored in the memory for:
 receiving user input, via the user interface, indicating a mode selected amongst a plurality of modes, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes has a predefined intensity level required for growth of plant; and 
 adjusting intensity of the sources of illumination of the one or more channels based on the user input. 
   
     
     
         15 . The light control device of  claim 14 , wherein the sources of illumination comprise a plurality of light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs. 
     
     
         16 . The light control device of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of modes comprise a germination mode, a normal planting mode, a fast planting mode, a slow planting mode, and a harvest mode. 
     
     
         17 . The light control device of  claim 14 , further comprising an ambient sensor for sensing ambient light. 
     
     
         18 . The light control device of  claim 17 , wherein the intensity of the sources of illumination of the one or more channels is modified based on the ambient light. 
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling light for hydroponic cultivation, the method comprising:
 receiving a user input, via a user interface, indicating a mode selected amongst a plurality of modes, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes has a predefined intensity level required for growth of plant; and   adjusting, via a processor, intensity of a sources of illumination of the one or more channels based on the user input.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of modes comprise a germination mode, a normal planting mode, a fast planting mode, a slow planting mode, and a harvest mode. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for controlling a light for hydroponic cultivation, the program comprising instructions for:
 receiving a user input, via a user interface, indicating a mode selected amongst a plurality of modes, wherein each mode of the plurality of modes has a predefined intensity level required for growth of plant; and   adjusting, via the processor, intensity of a sources of illumination of the one or more channels based on the user input.