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PATENT
APPLICATION NUMBER: GB1301488.1
Filing date: 28 January, 2013. Publication date: 17 September 2014
The
above patent application, GB1301488
(published on the 17th of September 2014, under number GB2511731),
identifies shortcomings in many of the patents
cited below. The invention builds on existing technology, with innovation
in several areas to provide a marine vessel (platform) that is capable of
operating at respectable speeds autonomously, optionally using only energy
from nature, the robot ship (or robot assisted ship) making (for example) route
planning and course correction decisions intelligently and in most cases
more accurately and superior to any human captain, to include
radio and
satellite communications, and other sensors for advanced interface with
the environment.
The
result is a significant improvement on the problems identified in the prior art cited
below and other problems not cited in any prior art, but newly
identified:-
CITATIONS
| US4102291 |
Sep 29, 1976 |
Jul 25, 1978 |
|
Electrical
generator for a sailboat |
| US4159427 |
Dec 20, 1976 |
Jun 26, 1979 |
Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm
Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung |
Apparatus
for utilizing natural energies |
| US4371347 |
Apr 3, 1980 |
Feb 1, 1983 |
|
Wave
motor, especially for propulsion of boats |
| US5236378 |
Aug 4, 1992 |
Aug 17, 1993 |
|
Storage
of photovoltaic arrays on a ship |
| US5291847 |
Oct 14, 1992 |
Mar 8, 1994 |
|
Autonomous
propulsion within a volume of fluid |
| US5449307 |
Dec 6, 1993 |
Sep 12, 1995 |
|
Sea
surveillance and control apparatus |
| US5687137 |
Jan 10, 1996 |
Nov 11, 1997 |
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology |
Methods
and apparatus for adaptive oceanographic sampling |
| US5713293 |
Sep 22, 1995 |
Feb 3, 1998 |
The United States of America as
represented by the Secretary of the Navy |
Unmanned
sea surface vehicle having a personal watercraft hull form |
| US5863228 |
Apr 29, 1996 |
Jan 26, 1999 |
Solomon Technologies, Inc. |
Method
and apparatus for propelling a marine vessel |
| US5894450 |
Apr 15, 1997 |
Apr 13, 1999 |
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology |
Mobile
underwater arrays |
| US5995882 |
Feb 12, 1997 |
Nov 30, 1999 |
|
Modular
autonomous underwater vehicle system |
| US6273015 |
May 1, 2000 |
Aug 14, 2001 |
Maruta Electric Boatworks LLC |
Stabilized
electric watercraft for high speed cruising, diving and
sailing |
| US6536272 |
Aug 4, 2000 |
Mar 25, 2003 |
University of Miami
International Society of Ocean Monitoring and Research |
Water
monitoring, data collection, and transmission module |
| US6807921 |
Mar 7, 2002 |
Oct 26, 2004 |
|
Underwater
vehicles |
| US6854406 |
Apr 10, 2003 |
Feb 15, 2005 |
Board of Regents, The
University of Texas System |
Autonomous
surface watercraft |
| US7290496 |
Oct 12, 2006 |
Nov 6, 2007 |
|
Unmanned
autonomous submarine |
An
unmanned, autonomous, waterborne vehicle for marine use capable of
operating on and below the surface of water, said vehicle including
an enclosed hull having a payload bay, a hybrid propulsion
system having energy collection means in the form of a wing sail covered with photovoltaic cells and energy storage means
for
utilizing at least solar energy and wind energy, a plurality of sensors
for detecting predetermined environmental parameters and a
communications system for transmitting data from said sensors to and for receiving command signals from one or more remote
stations and/or cooperating vehicles.
REFERENCED
BY
| US8123577 |
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vehicle with fuel cell and autonomous flushing system |
CLAIMS
The
claims of this present application are subject to the observations
of the patent officer and subsequent revision after consideration of
those observations.
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6, 1987 |
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5, 1989 |
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cathodes and materials therefor |
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20, 1988 |
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6, 1990 |
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cathode and materials therefor |
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29, 1989 |
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21, 1990 |
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Systems Corporation |
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battery with easily removable anodes |
| US4950562 |
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19, 1989 |
Aug
21, 1990 |
Toa
Nenryo Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha |
Solid
electrolyte type fuel cells |
| US5032473 |
Apr
27, 1990 |
Jul
16, 1991 |
Alupower,
Inc. |
Electrochemical
cathode |
| US5053375 |
Jan
8, 1990 |
Oct
1, 1991 |
Alupower,
Inc. |
Electrochemical
cathode and materials therefor |
| US5292598 |
Apr
21, 1993 |
Mar
8, 1994 |
|
Method
for renewing fuel cells using magnesium anodes |
| US6009823 |
Oct
27, 1998 |
Jan
4, 2000 |
|
Marine
scoop strainer with cleaning access |
| US6250235 |
Aug
1, 2000 |
Jun
26, 2001 |
Global
New Energy Technology Corporation |
Method
and product for improved fossil fuel combustion |
| US6706432 |
Aug
1, 2001 |
Mar
16, 2004 |
Magpower
Systems, Inc. |
Methods
and products for improving performance of batteries/fuel
cells |
| US6854406 |
Apr
10, 2003 |
Feb
15, 2005 |
Board
of Regents, The University of Texas System |
Autonomous
surface watercraft |
| US7789723 |
Jul
30, 2004 |
Sep
7, 2010 |
Solar
Sailor Pty Ltd |
Unmanned
ocean vehicle |
| US7938077 |
May
27, 1993 |
May
10, 2011 |
The
United States of America as represented by the Secretary
of the Navy |
Hydrogen
generation apparatus for an underwater vehicle |
| US20030054208 |
Aug
1, 2001 |
|
|
Method
and products for improving performance of batteries/fuel
cells |
| US20050016430 |
Aug
23, 2004 |
|
|
Autonomous
surface watercraft |
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Wing-sail
system and Man-O-War
model as developed from the Solar Sailor patent cited as prior art
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Max
Energy Ltd and Bluebird Marine Systems Ltd
Solar
House, BN27 1RF, United Kingdom
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