Container for containing a living organism, a docking station and a transportation system

Abstract

The invention relates to a container for containing a living organism, a docking station for docking the container, and a transportation system comprising the container and the docking station. The container comprises a docking for docking the container to a docking station. The docking station comprises a light emitter. The container comprises light-guiding means for guiding at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter to the living organism. The effect of the measures according to the invention is that the light required for illuminating the living organism is generated by the light emitter of the docking station. As a result, no light emitters are necessary in the container according to the invention which reduces the cost of the container.

Claims

1. A transportation container and an external docking station for containing living organisms, comprising: the transportation container, wherein the transportation container is substantially enclosed and configured to contain the living organisms within the container; the external docking station having complementary docking means for docking the container to the external docking station, the external docking station including at least one light emitter, wherein the at least one light emitter is separate from and external to the transportation container, and wherein the transportation container does not contain the at least one light emitter, the transportation container separable from the docking station and having docking means, the docking station including the at least one light emitter and the transportation container including light guiding means within the container, wherein the light guiding means comprise a hollow tube having semi-transparent mirrors configured for redirecting the guided light to plurality of exit points in the hollow tube; wherein the light-guiding means is operable for guiding at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter to the living organisms, and wherein the at least one light emitter is located outside of the light-guiding means.

2. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the docking means are selected from the group consisting of: rail system, connector, and alignment means.

3. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 1, further comprising alignment means for aligning the light-guiding means of the transportation container to the light emitter of the docking station for coupling at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter into the light-guiding means.

4. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 1, wherein the container comprises a sensor for sensing a biological state of the living organism, or for sensing a temperature in the transportation container, or for sensing a moisture-level in the container, or for sensing an illumination level in the transportation container, or for sensing a level of carbon dioxide in the container, or for sensing a level of nutrients in the container, or for sensing a level of pesticides or fungicides in the transportation container.

5. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 1, the at least one light emitter configured for coupling at least part of the light emitted by the at least one light emitter into the light-guiding means of the transportation container when docked in the docking station.

6. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 5, further comprising: an alignment means of the transportation container configured for cooperating with a complementary alignment means of the docking station.

7. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transportation container comprises a connector connectable to a complementary connector of the docking station for coupling the transportation container to the docking station, the connector and the complementary connector being configured for providing conditioned air to the transportation container, or for providing nutrients to the transportation container, or for providing water to the transportation container, or for providing pesticides and/or fungicides to the transportation container, or for providing carbon dioxide to the transportation container, or for providing a sense-signal from the sensor to the docking station.

8. The transportation container and docking station as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transportation container comprises an identification tag and wherein the docking station comprises an identification unit for reading the identification tag to identify the transportation container.

9. A transportation container for containing a living organism and docking with a docking station, the transportation container comprising: a connector coupling the transportation container to an external docking station, wherein the external docking station is configured to include a plurality of light emitters separate from and external to the transportation container; wherein the transportation container is separable from the external docking station using the connector on the container and a complementary connector on the docking station, wherein the transportation container is substantially enclosed and configured to contain the living organism within the container, and wherein the transportation container does not contain any light emitters; light guides in the transportation container are configured to optically couple with the light emitters in the docking station, wherein the light guides comprise hollow tubes having semi-transparent mirrors configured for redirecting the guided light to plurality of exit points in the hollow tubes; wherein the light guides guide at least part of the light emitted by the light emitters to the transportation container, and wherein the light emitters are located outside of the light guides.

10. The transportation container of claim 9 wherein the connector is a mechanical docking system facilitating docking of the transportation container to the docking station.

11. A transportation container for containing a living organism and docking with a docking station, comprising: the transportation container, wherein the transportation container is substantially enclosed and configured to contain the living organism within the container; a plurality of light emitters in the docking station separate from and external to the transportation container, and wherein the transportation container does not contain any light emitters; an optical interface between the docking station and the container; a mechanical interface between the docking station and the transportation container to allow the transportation container to be docked with the docking station; light guides in the transportation container optically coupled with the plurality of light emitters in the docking station, wherein the light guides comprise hollow tubes having semi-transparent mirrors configured for redirecting the guided light to plurality of exit points in the hollow tubes; wherein the light guides guide at least part of the light emitted by the light emitters to a plurality of differing locations in the transportation container, and wherein the light emitters are located outside of the light guides.

12. The transportation container of claim 11 wherein the mechanical interface is a mechanical docking system for docking the container to the docking station.

13. The transportation container of claim 12 wherein the mechanical docking system is a rail system.

14. The transportation container of claim 11 wherein optical interface is a connector of the container and a complementary connector on the docking station.

15. The transportation container of claim 14 wherein the connector also provides an air supply from the docking station to the transportation container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

(2) In the drawings:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview of a transportation system according to the invention comprising a container and a docking station for docking the container.

(4) The FIGURE is purely diagrammatic and not drawn to scale. Particularly for clarity, some dimensions are exaggerated strongly. Similar components in the FIGURE are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview of a transportation system 200 according to the invention comprising a container 10 and a docking station 100 for docking the container 10. The docking station 100 is configured for docking the container 10 and comprises a light emitter 110. The container 10 is configured for containing living organisms 5, for example, plants 5 as shown in FIG. 1. The container 10 further comprises light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36 for guiding at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter 110 to the living organism 5. The light-guiding means may, for example, comprise a reflective element 36 and/or an optical wave-guide 30, 32, 34. The reflective element 36 may, for example, be a mirror 36 or a dielectric layer 36 applied on a carrier plate (not shown). Such a reflective element 36 may be substantially fully or partially reflective. The optical wave-guide 30, 32, 34 may, for example, comprise a solid light conductor 30, 34 constituted of PMMA, or may comprise a hollow tube 32 for guiding at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter 110. The hollow tube 32 may, for example, comprise semi-transparent mirrors 36 for redirecting part of the guided light to one of the living organisms 5, while the remainder of the light continues through the hollow tube to a further living organism 5. The use of the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36 causes the container 10 to be relatively robust. The container 10 may further comprise docking means 40, 42. These docking means 40, 42 may, for example, be mechanical docking means 40, 42 such as a rail system 42 for docking the container 10 to the docking station 100. Alternatively, the docking means 40, 42 may be constituted of a connector 40 of the container 10 which may be connected to a complementary connector 140 of the docking station 100. The connector 40 may, for example, comprise a flexible optical guide 35 or a flexible fiber 35 for enabling the connector 40 to be connected to the complementary connector 140 even when the height of the container 10 with respect to the docking station 100 is not optimal. Alternatively (not shown), the flexible optical guide or fiber may be part of the complementary connector 140. The coupling between the docking station 100 and the container 10 via a connector 40 and a complementary connector 140 further enables the docking station 100 to provide additional supplies to the container 10, such as conditioned air from an air-conditioning unit 122, water from a water supply 124, nutrients from a nutrients supply 126. To control the light emitted by the light emitter 110, and to control the air-conditioning unit 122, the water supply 124 and the nutrients supply 126 the docking station 100 comprises a controller 120. The controller 120 may, for example, control an intensity and/or spectrum of the light emitted by the light emitter 110. The controller 110 may, for example, choose the optimum intensity and/or spectrum to achieve a predetermined effect. For example, when animals are transported across the ocean, the controller 110 may gradually change the day/night rhythm such that the animal can already adapt to the day/night rhythm at its destination. The controller 110 may, for example, use a signal from the sensor 60 of the container 10 to control the effect of the spectrum and/or intensity on the living organism 5 and adapt the spectrum and/or intensity based on the signal from the sensor 60.

(6) The coupling between the docking station 100 and the container 10 may also be used to exchange a sense-signal (not shown) from a sensor 60 inside the container to the docking station 100. The container comprises a sensor 60, which, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated as a wireless sensor 60. The sensor 60 may be configured to sense a biological state of the living organism 5, and/or to sense a temperature in the container 10, and/or to sense a moisture-level in the container 10, and/or to sense an illumination level in the container 10, and/or to sense a level of carbon dioxide in the container 10, and/or to sense a level of nutrients in the container 10, and/or for sensing a level of pesticides and/or fungicides in the container 10. When a plurality of sensors 60 are used, the plurality of sensors 60 may provide information about the biological state of individual living organisms 5 in a plurality of living organisms, may provide information about the temperature at different locations in the container, may provide information about the distribution of moisture, nutrients, pesticides and/or fungicides in the container 10. This enables the controller to adapt the conditions throughout the container 10 such that each plant 5, for example, comprises optimal growth conditions.

(7) The wireless sensor 60 may wireless be connected to an antenna 160 which provides the information sensed by the sensor 60 to the controller 120 of the docking station 100. Alternatively, the sensor 60 may be connected to the controller 120 via a wire (not shown) through the connector 40 and the complementary connector 140.

(8) The docking means 40, 42 may, for example, be a rail system 42. In such an embodiment, the container may comprise a rail 42 or ledge 42 which is connected, for example, at a side-wall (not indicated) of the container 10. The docking station 100 may comprise, for example, complementary docking means 142 which, for example, comprise a plurality of wheels 143 on which support the rail 42 and which enable the container 10 to be moved relatively accurately onto the docking station 100, for example, such that the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36 are positioned with respect to the light emitters 110 such that at least part of the light emitted by the light emitter 100 is guided by the light-guiding means 110 to the living organisms 5.

(9) The light emitter 110 of the docking station 100 may be configured for altering a spectrum and/or intensity of the light emitted by the light emitter 110. The light emitter 110 may, for example, be constituted of a plurality of light sources (not shown) which emit, for example, a different color of light. By altering the intensity of the different light sources of the plurality of light sources, the color of the light emitted by the light emitter 110 may be influence. The light emitter 110 preferably comprises light emitting diodes as a light source because light emitting diodes are relatively robust and have a relatively long lifetime. However, also other light sources may be used as light emitter 110, for example, high pressure discharge lamps, low pressure discharge lamps, incandescent lamps and/or halogen lamps. By altering the intensity and/or color of the light emitted by the light emitter 110, the light emitter 110 may, for example, emulate the spectrum and/or intensity variation of the light emitted by the sun such that the living organism 5 maintains its natural circadian rhythm. Alternatively, the color and/or intensity of the light emitted by the light emitter 110 may be chosen to obtain a specific effect, for example, improve the growth conditions for the horticultural plants 5 or, alternatively, to reduce the growth of the horticultural plants 5 to generate some kind of rest-state such that the plants during transport consume only little energy. The controller 120 may be used to automate the color and/or intensity variation of the light emitted by the light emitter 110.

(10) The docking station 100 may further comprise an inspection camera 130 for inspecting the living organism 5. The inspection camera 130 may, for example, be connected to the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36 of the container 10. The inspection camera 130 may be used to visually inspect the living organisms 5 by an operator. Furthermore, the inspection camera may also be used to sense other parameters of the living organism 5. For example, a single inspection camera 130 may sequentially be connected to inspect different plants 5 from a plurality of plants 5 and may be used, for example, to provide an indication of the growth-speed of the individual plants 5. If, for example, a subgroup of plants 5 is growing at a different speed, this information may be provided to the controller 120 to, for example, locally adapt the conditions of the plants 5 such that substantially all plants 5 have similar growth speed. Alternatively, the inspection camera may inspect the living organism 5 in a different manner that via the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36, for example, via a window in the container 10 which may be aligned with the position of the inspection camera of the docking station 100.

(11) In the transportation system 200 according to the invention, alignment means 50 of the container 10 may be configured for cooperating with complementary alignment means 150 of the docking station 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the alignment means 50 and the complementary alignment means 150 are configured for mechanically align the container 10 with respect to the docking station 100. Using mechanical alignment means 50, 150 generally limits the accuracy of the alignment between the container 10 and the docking station 100. Still, the mechanical alignment means 50, 150 are relatively cheap and may be sufficiently accurate to enable coupling part of the light emitted by the light emitter 110 into the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36 of the container 10. The mechanical alignment means 50, 150 as shown in FIG. 1 comprise of a pin-shaped alignment means 50 connected to the container 10 and a cone-shaped complementary alignment means 150 connected to the docking station 100. By using both the alignment means 50 and the complementary alignment means 150 a relatively accurate alignment of the container 10 to the docking station 100 may be achieved allowing a relatively high efficiency of the coupling of the light from the light emitter 110 into the light-guiding means 30, 32, 34, 36. Alternatively, other alignment means 50 and complementary alignment means 150 may be used to align the position of the container 10 with respect to the docking station 100.

(12) In the transportation system 200 according to the invention, the container 10 comprises an identification tag 70 and the docking station 100 comprises an identification unit 170 for reading the identification tag 70. Using the identification tag 70 and the identification unit 170 the container 10 may be identified by the docking station 100 which may be used to, for example, trigger a specific predefined control sequence in the controller 120 of the docking station 100. Alternatively, the identification tag 70 may comprise, next to identification information, also the specific predefined control sequence which is required for the living organism 5 inside the container 10. For example, the identification tag 70 may indicate that the plants 5 in the container 10 are orchids requiring a specific illumination sequence, temperature and humidity. After recognizing the identification tag 70, the controller 120 will start to control the illumination, temperature and humidity inside the container 10 such that the environment inside the container 10 substantially complies with the requirements predefined for orchids. A further identification tag 70 may comprise a winter-simulation program which may, for example, be suited for roses inside the container 10. The controller 120 will read the winter-simulation program and will initiate the winter-simulation program such that, for example, at the end of the journey the roses will start blooming, thus increasing the commercial value of the plants 5 during their journey.

(13) It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

(14) In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.