Patents by Inventor Lars AIKALA

Lars AIKALA has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8549787
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for facilitating plant growth and a light emitting component. The fixture comprises a single light emission source LED device which provides at least two emission peaks in the wavelength range of 300-800 nm and at least one of the emission peaks has Full Width of Half Maximum (FWHM) at least 50 nm or higher. The emission peaks of the LED match well with a plant photosynthesis response spectrum and is therefore particularly suitable for high efficiency artificial lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Valoya Oy
    Inventor: Lars Aikala
  • Publication number: 20130047503
    Abstract: An illumination device with a semiconductor light emission solution has a wavelength up conversion feature and is suited for plant cultivation in a greenhouse environment. The best mode is considered to be a light device with at least one blue LED (101) with wavelength up conversion binary alloy quantum dots (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) made by colloidal methods that are arranged to produce an emission spectrum similar to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectrum with the blue LEDs. The methods and arrangements allow more precise spectral tuning of the emission spectrum for lights used in plant cultivation. Therefore unexpected improvements in the photomorphogenetic control of plant growth, and further improvements in plant (310, 311) production are realized. The device is especially advantageous for greenhouses that already have legacy LED systems. These LED systems can often just be upgraded by adding the quantum dot array to arrive at the lighting solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventors: Lars Aikala, Ilkka Kivimaki
  • Publication number: 20130044474
    Abstract: An improved method to produce artificial light for plant cultivation, an illumination device with a semiconductor light emission solution and device suited for plant cultivation in a greenhouse and/or dark growth chamber environment are described. The best mode is considered to be a lighting device with LEDs that produces an emission spectrum similar to the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectrum in a dark growth chamber. The methods and arrangements allow more precise spectral tuning of the emission spectrum for lights used in plant (310, 311) cultivation. Therefore unexpected improvements in the photomorphogenetic control of plant growth, and further improvements in plant production, especially in dark growth chambers, such as basements, are realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventors: Lars Aikala, Ilkka Kivimaki
  • Publication number: 20130042527
    Abstract: An improved method to produce artificial light for plant cultivation, an illumination device with a semiconductor light emission solution and device suited for plant cultivation in a greenhouse environment are described. The best mode is considered to be a lighting device with binary alloy quantum dots (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) made by colloidal methods to produce a size distribution of quantum dots that produces an emission spectrum similar to the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectrum. The methods and arrangements allow more precise spectral tuning of the emission spectrum for lights used in plant (310, 311) cultivation. Therefore unexpected improvements in the photomorphogenetic control of plant growth, and further improvements in plant production are realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventors: Lars Aikala, Ilkka Kivimaki
  • Publication number: 20130008085
    Abstract: Lighting method and devices can be used to treat a seedling in a growth chamber or greenhouse prior to the introduction of the seedling to outdoors. A light by which the plants can be prepared for the outdoors, by giving them certain wavelengths of light they do not currently receive from the light in the greenhouse or growth chambers. The light can be applied in smaller doses during the major part of nursing of the seedlings or as a “sun-shock” period in the end of the indoors nursing period. By giving the seedlings this light, they are prepared to Sun light and do not need to spend a few weeks under the sunshade curtains. Thus, the growth cycle of tree seedlings is shortened, the proportion of viable seedlings is enhanced, and one work phase in the growth process is eliminated, thereby improving the economics of seedling cultivation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventors: Lars Aikala, Ilkka Kivimaki
  • Publication number: 20120311925
    Abstract: The invention relates to the cultivation of insect (840) pollinated plants (710, 711) in a greenhouse (700, 701 and 802) environment. In more particular, the invention relates to a lighting device and a method of illumination designed to enhance insect pollination in plants, such as the tomato. The best mode of the invention is considered to be the use of a LED (101, 102, 103 and 104) lighting device having emission peaks (401, 402, 403, 410 and 510) matching the photosynthetic relative absorption peaks of green plants, and the relative reflectance peaks of flowers of plants being cultivated and the relative sensitivity peaks of the insect's vision being used in the pollination. The inventive lighting device and method reduces insect mortality and increases pollination efficiency, photosynthetic growth and thereby increases the productivity of plant cultivation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventors: Lars AIKALA, Ilkka KIVIMÄKI, Titta KOTILAINEN
  • Publication number: 20100259190
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for facilitating plant growth and a light emitting component. The fixture comprises a single light emission source LED device which provides at least two emission peaks in the wavelength range of 300-800 nm and at least one of the emission peaks has Full Width of Half Maximum (FWHM) at least 50 nm or higher. The emission peaks of the LED match well with a plant photosynthesis response spectrum and is therefore particularly suitable for high efficiency artificial lighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: VALOYA OY
    Inventor: Lars AIKALA