Patents Assigned to Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11805173
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include a wireless horticultural system, which includes a computer, an adapter configured to receive an input from the computer, in which the input is formatted in a first native communications protocol of the computer, convert the input from the first native communications protocol into a first wireless signal, and transmit the first wireless signal to one or more controllers. The system further includes the one or more controllers, in which a first controller in the one or more controllers is connected to the adapter and configured to receive the first wireless signal from the adapter, and provide the input encoded in the first wireless signal to a device connected to the first controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Cristin Dziekonski, Gregory Hovagim
  • Patent number: 11774082
    Abstract: Embodiments may utilize a series of exposed fins, which increase the surface area of the heat sink creating additional air flow. As hotter air rises within the system, cooler is drawn into the heatsink. The fins may be exposed on both sides of the longitudinal axis, allowing cooler air to be drawn towards the longitudinal axis above the heatsink and flow upward. This process may cool the fins. Additionally, the spacing between the fins may have to be wide enough to allow for air to freely enter the heatsink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Dung Duong, Randall Johnson, Nicholas Klase
  • Patent number: 11770885
    Abstract: Apparatuses of various forms and each having at least one LED string controlled by a current controller biased by voltage tap nodes in the LED string, and circuitry for implementing the same. In some implementations, circuitry made in accordance with the present disclosure includes a current controller and current-control circuitry. The current controller is biased by a voltage drop across one or more LEDs in an LED string and controls the current-control circuitry in a manner that controls the electrical current in the LED string. In some implementations, one or more additional LED strings and/or one or more other devices may be controlled directly or indirectly by operation of the current controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Jonathan Williams, Jose Garcia, Guruprakash Iyer
  • Patent number: 11663414
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to different techniques of controlling an agricultural system, as for example a controlled agricultural system, an agricultural light fixture and a method for agricultural management. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to an agricultural system, which comprises a plurality of processing lines for growing plants of a given plant type, wherein a first processing line in the plurality of processing lines is configured to move a first plurality of plants through the agricultural system along a route; and apply a first growth condition to the first plurality of plants to satisfy a first active agent parameter for the first plurality of plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Timo Bongartz, Sebastian Olschowski, Norbert Haas, Guido Angenendt, Marek Burza, Norbert Magg, Cristin Dziekonski
  • Patent number: 11612110
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include a method of illuminating plants in an indoor farming environment, including illuminating one or more plants using one or more lighting fixtures at a light intensity of approximately 1500 ?mol/m2/s during a daytime period, wherein each lighting fixtures comprises one or more LEDs, determining whether a daytime temperature of the indoor farming environment is within a daytime temperature range, adjusting the daytime temperature to be within the daytime temperature range in response to determining that the daytime temperature of the indoor farming environment is outside of the daytime temperature range, determining whether a daytime humidity of the indoor farming environment is within a daytime humidity range, and adjusting the daytime humidity to be within the daytime humidity range in response to determining that the daytime humidity of the indoor farming environment is outside of the daytime humidity range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Sean Sangster, Abhay Thosar
  • Patent number: 11559004
    Abstract: A horticultural luminaire includes a first and second horticultural light sources to provide growth lighting to a plant at a first and second wavelengths. A control unit provides first lighting control signals to the first horticultural light source to modulate the first growth lighting and provides second lighting control signals to the second horticultural light source to modulate the second growth lighting. A LiDAR sensor is connected to the lighting control unit to receive the first and second control signals, and having optics to detect reflected first and second growth lighting to determine the distance from plant to sensor and a biometric property of the plant from the received first and second control signals and detected first and second reflected second growth lighting. In some implementations the LiDAR sensor and first and second horticultural light sources are integrated into the horticultural luminaire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Michael A. Quilici, Richard C. Garner, Joseph J. Laski
  • Patent number: 11559005
    Abstract: A lighting system for temporal, irradiance-controlled photoacclimation includes a photoacclimation controller configured to generate control signals based on a photoacclimation schedule, a user interface configured to receive user input to the photoacclimation controller, the photoacclimation schedule based on the user input, a plurality of luminaires configured to emit light suitable for photosynthesis in plants at a plurality of different selectable levels of light output, and a communications network via which the control signals are provided to the plurality of luminaires, the luminaires adjusting the light output in response to the control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Steven Graves, Gregory Hovagim, M. Travis Higginbotham
  • Publication number: 20220369567
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include a lighting system that includes a power supply and a lighting fixture coupled to the power supply, the lighting fixture comprising a determined number of removable emitting surfaces, wherein the lighting system satisfies a target PPFD at a canopy of a plant bed having a specified area and a specified mounting height of the determined number of emitting surfaces above the canopy, the determined number of emitting surfaces is determined based on at least the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height, a system wattage supplied by the power supply is determined based on at least the determined number, the target PPFD, the specified area, and the specified mounting height, and a spacing between each of the emitting surfaces is determined based on at least the determined number and the specified mounting height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: John Smolik, Michael Fellabaum, Marthinus Christoffel Van der Schyf, Corinne Wilder, Mitchell Galton
  • Publication number: 20220360629
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include a wireless horticultural system, which includes a computer, an adapter configured to receive an input from the computer, in which the input is formatted in a first native communications protocol of the computer, convert the input from the first native communications protocol into a first wireless signal, and transmit the first wireless signal to one or more controllers. The system further includes the one or more controllers, in which a first controller in the one or more controllers is connected to the adapter and configured to receive the first wireless signal from the adapter, and provide the input encoded in the first wireless signal to a device connected to the first controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Cristin Dziekonski, Gregory Hovagim
  • Patent number: 11497099
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein includes a method for operating lighting fixtures in horticultural applications. The method may include receiving a user input of a desired irradiance for a first color channel of one or more lighting fixtures that irradiates a plant bed, in which each of the one or more lighting fixtures comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED) array, determining, for each of the one or more lighting fixtures, a PWM setting of the first color channel such that each of the one or more lighting fixtures irradiate the plant bed at the desired irradiance based on calibration data stored in each of the one or more lighting fixtures, and applying, to each of the one or more lighting fixtures, the determined PWM setting of the first color channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: David Hamby, Richard Speer, John Selverian, Alan Sarkisian, Rodrigo Pereyra
  • Publication number: 20220260240
    Abstract: Embodiments may utilize a series of exposed fins, which increase the surface area of the heat sink creating additional air flow. As hotter air rises within the system, cooler is drawn into the heatsink. The fins may be exposed on both sides of the longitudinal axis, allowing cooler air to be drawn towards the longitudinal axis above the heatsink and flow upward. This process may cool the fins. Additionally, the spacing between the fins may have to be wide enough to allow for air to freely enter the heatsink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Dung Duong, Randall Johnson, Nicholas Klase
  • Patent number: 11346540
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for heat sinks within light fixtures. In embodiments, the heat sink may be a passive system that creates a cross-flow thermal management system to dissipate large amounts of heat in a slim light fixture. Embodiments may utilize a series of wings assembled in a linear design that are positioned perpendicular to the length of the light fixture to preserve the cross-flow heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Klase, Randall Johnson
  • Publication number: 20220159911
    Abstract: A lighting system for temporal, irradiance-controlled photoacclimation includes a photoacclimation controller configured to generate control signals based on a photoacclimation schedule, a user interface configured to receive user input to the photoacclimation controller, the photoacclimation schedule based on the user input, a plurality of luminaires configured to emit light suitable for photosynthesis in plants at a plurality of different selectable levels of light output, and a communications network via which the control signals are provided to the plurality of luminaires, the luminaires adjusting the light output in response to the control signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven Graves, Gregory Hovagim, M. Travis Higginbotham
  • Patent number: 11333341
    Abstract: Embodiments may utilize a series of exposed fins, which increase the surface area of the heat sink creating additional air flow. As hotter air rises within the system, cooler is drawn into the heatsink. The fins may be exposed on both sides of the longitudinal axis, allowing cooler air to be drawn towards the longitudinal axis above the heatsink and flow upward. This process may cool the fins. Additionally, the spacing between the fins may have to be wide enough to allow for air to freely enter the heatsink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Dung Duong, Randall Johnson, Nicholas Klase
  • Publication number: 20220132746
    Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed herein include a method of illuminating plants in an indoor farming environment, including illuminating one or more plants using one or more lighting fixtures at a light intensity of approximately 1500 ?mol/m2/s during a daytime period, wherein each lighting fixtures comprises one or more LEDs, determining whether a daytime temperature of the indoor farming environment is within a daytime temperature range, adjusting the daytime temperature to be within the daytime temperature range in response to determining that the daytime temperature of the indoor farming environment is outside of the daytime temperature range, determining whether a daytime humidity of the indoor farming environment is within a daytime humidity range, and adjusting the daytime humidity to be within the daytime humidity range in response to determining that the daytime humidity of the indoor farming environment is outside of the daytime humidity range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Sean Sangster, Abhay Thosar
  • Patent number: 11320126
    Abstract: Examples of the present disclosure are related to systems and methods for lighting fixtures. More particularly, embodiments disclose directly embedded a smart module with a lighting fixture utilizing metal core PCB (MCPCB).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Dung Duong, Randy Johnson, Nick Klase
  • Publication number: 20220132637
    Abstract: Apparatuses of various forms and each having at least one LED string controlled by a current controller biased by voltage tap nodes in the LED string, and circuitry for implementing the same. In some implementations, circuitry made in accordance with the present disclosure includes a current controller and current-control circuitry. The current controller is biased by a voltage drop across one or more LEDs in an LED string and controls the current-control circuitry in a manner that controls the electrical current in the LED string. In some implementations, one or more additional LED strings and/or one or more other devices may be controlled directly or indirectly by operation of the current controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Williams, Jose Garcia, Guruprakash Iyer
  • Patent number: 11266076
    Abstract: A lighting device may have a planar array of electrically-powered light radiation sources partitioned into a plurality of sets of light radiation sources. The light radiation sources of the same set may emit light radiation of the same color, and different sets of radiation sources may emit light radiation of different colors. Each one of the different sets of light radiation sources may include a respective fraction of the total number of light radiation sources in the array. The light radiation sources have respective planar coordinates relative to a common center of the array, and the different sets of light radiation sources have respective centers located at the common center. The array comprises at least two complementary sub-arrays, opposite to the common center. The different sets of radiation sources are present in the sub-arrays in respective partial fractions of the number of radiation sources included in the sub-array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: FLUENCE BIOENGINEERING, INC.
    Inventors: Renato Frison, Xiaolong Li
  • Patent number: 11266082
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods associated with light mounting systems. Embodiments may include lighting shelves that are configured to be mounted to a fixed structure, such as to a wall or supports within a room via a cantilever design that is mounted to strut channels. The lighting shelves may be anchored at only a single end to the strut channels, and the lighting shelves may protrude away from the strut channels. The lighting shelves may have a sufficient width and length to cover an entire region of interest below the lighting shelves, which may enable to lighting shelves to uniformly distribute light to plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas Klase, Randall Johnson
  • Patent number: D951524
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Fluence Bioengineering, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan Becker Schmidt