PATENTS - AUTONOMOUS VESSELS

HOME | BIOLOGY | BOOKS | FILMS | GEOGRAPHY | HISTORY | INDEX | INVESTORS | MUSIC | NEWS | SOLAR BOATS | SPORT

PATENT NUMBER: 7789723
Filing date: Jul 30, 2004
Issue date: Sep 7, 2010
Application number: 10/565,449

An unmanned, autonomous, waterborne vehicle (500) for marine use capable of operating on and below the surface of water, said vehicle (500) including an enclosed hull (501) having a payload bay (506), a hybrid propulsion system having energy collection means (504) in the form of a wing sail (503) covered with photovoltaic cells and energy storage means (511) for utilizing at least solar energy and wind energy, a plurality of sensors (508, 514) for detecting predetermined environmental parameters and a communications system (509, 515) for transmitting data from said sensors (508, 515) to and for receiving command signals from one or more remote stations and/or cooperating vehicles.

Inventors: Robert A. Dane, Edward Payne Kilbourn
Original Assignee: Solar Sailor Pty Ltd

SOLAR SAILOR PTY LTD. 
1 KATHERINE STREET 
SUITE 206 
CHATSWOOD, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA 2067 
Primary Examiner: Ajay Vasudeva
Attorney: Thomas, Karceski, Raring & Teague, P.C.
Current U.S. Classification: 440/6; 114/39.21; 114/312; 114/333; 114/337

View patent at USPTO
Search USPTO Assignment Database

Robert dane

CITATIONS

Man-O-War model

PATENT NUMBER: 8123577
Filing date: Jul 9, 2009
Issue date: Feb 28, 2012
Application number: 12/500,586

An autonomous aquatic vehicle with one or more fuel cells, a controller, a plurality of sensors, a battery, and at least one electric motor and propeller. The one or more fuel cells provide power to the battery, and the battery provides power for the vehicle. Seawater is provided to anodes of the fuel cell and air or oxygen is provided to the cathode to produce power for supply to the battery. The seawater-anode reaction creates waste or byproduct that tends to decrease output of the fuel cell. The waste or byproduct is automatically flushed from the fuel cell using seawater.

Inventor: Allan Riggs
Original Assignee: Argopower, LLC
Primary Examiner: Stephen Avila
Attorneys: Miles & Stockbridge P.C., David R. Schaffer, Patrick L. Miller
Current U.S. Classification: 440/6

View patent at USPTO
Search USPTO Assignment Database
Download USPTO Public PAIR data

CLAIMS

1. A buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle comprising:

a base portion;

a controller to control autonomous operations of the aquatic vehicle, said controller being arranged on said base portion;

one or more sensors;

a power source to supply power for the aquatic vehicle;
a plurality of fuel cell devices to supply power to said power source for recharging, each said fuel cell device including a plurality of anode/cathode pairs;
a first partially submersible hull portion, said power source being housed by said first hull portion;
a second partially submersible hull portion, one of said fuel cell devices being housed by said second hull portion, and said second hull portion having a first plurality of apertures arranged on a bottom side thereof to allow entry of seawater to react with anodes of said one fuel cell device;
a third partially submersible hull portion, another of said fuel cell devices being housed by said third hull portion, and said third hull portion having a second plurality of apertures arranged on a bottom side thereof to allow entry of seawater to react with anodes of said another fuel cell device; and
first, second, and third electric motors respectively coupled to said first, second, and third hull portions to propel the aquatic vehicle,
wherein said second hull portion is configured to allow air from outside the second hull portion to access and interact with the cathodes of said one fuel cell device, and said second hull portion is configured substantially to prevent seawater passed through said first plurality of apertures from contacting the cathodes of said one fuel cell,
wherein said third hull portion is configured to allow air from outside the third hull portion to access and interact with the cathodes of said another fuel cell device, and said third hull portion is configured substantially to prevent seawater passed through said second plurality of apertures from contacting the cathodes of said another fuel cell, and
wherein said first and second plurality of apertures are configured to allow byproduct produced by reactions between the seawater and corresponding anodes to exit therethrough to outside the second hull portion and the third hull portion, respectively.

2. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the byproduct is substantially environmentally neutral.

3. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the plurality of fuel cell devices are configured to facilitate extended-use anodes, the extended-use anodes initially being substantially longer than corresponding cathodes, and

wherein the extended-use anodes are physically biased by a biasing means for biasing the anodes.

4. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said second electric motor is canted from the longitudinal axis of said second hull portion, and

wherein said third electric motor is canted from the longitudinal axis of said third hull portion.

5. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said second electric motor is canted at five degrees inward, toward said first hull portion, and said third electric motor is canted at five degrees inward, toward said first hull portion.

6. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous aquatic vehicle is configured to be controlled based on an off-vehicle controller.

7. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the autonomous aquatic vehicle is configured to be controlled based on a signal received from outside the vehicle.

8. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each said fuel cell device further is configured to supply power for the aquatic vehicle.

9. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each anode is fixedly attached to a support structure of the corresponding fuel cell device.

10. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each anode rests on a support structure of the corresponding fuel cell device.

11. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said one fuel cell device includes a first support tray having a plurality of apertures formed by ribs to allow passage therethrough of the seawater having entered through the first plurality of apertures of the second hull portion, the first support tray being sealingly coupled to said second hull portion to create a water-tight seal therewith and to create a first void therebetween, and

wherein said another fuel cell device includes a second support tray having a plurality of apertures formed by ribs to allow passage therethrough of the seawater having entered through the second plurality of apertures of the third hull portion, the second support tray being sealingly coupled to said third hull portion to create a water-tight seal therewith and to create a second void therebetween.

12. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein the second partially submersible hull portion houses a third one of said fuel cell devices, and

wherein the third partially submersible hull portion houses a fourth one of said fuel cell devices.

13. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein at least one aperture of the first plurality of apertures is configured to facilitate intake of seawater, and at least one aperture of the first plurality of apertures is configured to facilitate removal of the byproduct from the second hull portion therethrough, and

wherein at least one aperture of the second plurality of apertures is configured to facilitate intake of seawater, and at least one aperture of the second plurality of apertures is configured to facilitate removal of the byproduct from the third hull portion therethrough.

14. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 13,

wherein the at least one aperture of the first plurality of apertures configured to facilitate intake of seawater is a scoop, and

wherein the at least one aperture of the second plurality of apertures configured to facilitate intake of seawater is a scoop.

15. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a filter extends over the opening of each of the apertures of the first and second plurality of apertures to prevent unwanted foreign objects from entering the second and third hull portions, respectively, and to allow the byproduct to exit the second and third hull portions, respectively.

16. The buoyant autonomous aquatic vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each individual fuel cell of said fuel cell devices is sealed to hold the seawater, but open at a top thereof to permit air to contact the cathode.

17. A method for operating a buoyant aquatic vehicle having a base, a controller to control operations of the vehicle, at least one sensor, a battery, first and second fuel cell apparatuses coupled to the battery, a first motor, and a second motor, a first hull that houses the first fuel cell apparatus, and a second hull that houses the second fuel cell apparatus, the method comprising:

providing seawater to anodes of the first fuel cell apparatus through a first plurality of openings in the first hull;

providing air to cathodes of the first fuel cell apparatus through a first air-permeable and water-proof opening of the first hull;

allowing discharge of a byproduct of the anodes of the first fuel cell through at least one of the openings of the first plurality of openings;

providing seawater to anodes of the second fuel cell apparatus through a second plurality of openings in the second hull;
providing air to cathodes of the second fuel cell apparatus through a second air-permeable and water-proof opening of the second hull;
allowing discharge of a byproduct of the anodes of the second fuel cell through at least one of the openings of the second plurality of openings; and
supplying to the battery, an output of at least one of the first fuel cell apparatus and the second fuel cell apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 17,

wherein the first fuel cell apparatus includes a first support tray to support a plurality of housing apparatuses housing respective anode/cathode pairs of the first fuel cell apparatus, the first support tray including a plurality of openings associated with each anode/cathode pair, each opening being formed by rib portions, and said providing seawater to anodes of the first fuel cell apparatus further comprises providing the seawater through the plurality of openings of the first support tray, and

wherein the second fuel cell apparatus includes a second support tray to support a plurality of housing apparatuses housing respective anode/cathode pairs of the second fuel cell apparatus, the second support tray including a plurality of openings associated with each anode/cathode pair, each opening being formed by rib portions, and said providing seawater to anodes of the second fuel cell apparatus further comprises providing the seawater through the plurality of openings of the second support tray.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising autonomously controlling the vehicle.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein said supplying to the battery further comprises one of charging or recharging the battery.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said supplying to the battery further comprises maintaining an output level of the battery.

22. A floating aquatic vessel comprising:

means for floating the vessel;

means for moving the vessel;

means for controlling the vessel;

means for sensing a characteristic of the environment in which the vessel is situated;
means for supplying power to the vessel;
means for supplying fuel to said power supplying means;
means for providing salt water to said fueling means;
means for providing oxygen to said fueling means; and
means for removing a waste product created by said fueling means.

23. The vessel of claim 22, further comprising means for sensing a characteristic of the vessel.

24. The vessel of claim 22, wherein the waste is a slurry comprised of Magnesium.

25. The vessel of claim 22, wherein the waste is non-toxic to marine flora and fauna.

26. The vessel of claim 22, further comprising means for supporting one or more anodes of said means for fueling.

27. The vessel of claim 22, wherein said means for providing salt water to said fueling means includes a scoop.

28. The vessel of claim 22, wherein said means for providing salt water to said fueling means includes means for regulating unwanted objects with respect to said means for supplying fuel and for regulating exit of the waste product.

ECONOMICS

Rationale

Ii is a common misconception that there are four primary incentives embodied in the patent system:

1. the incentive to invent in the first place; 

2. the incentive to disclose the invention once made; 

3. the incentive to invest the sums necessary to experiment, to produce, and finally get the invention on the market; 

4. and the incentive to design around and improve upon earlier patents.

1. Unfortunately patents do not provide incentives for economically efficient research and development (R&D) because of the high cost of the patent and the fact that many inventions are from individuals of limited means and not corporations with a large R&D budget. Many large modern corporations have annual R&D budgets of hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars leaving them to believe that they know all there is to know, and so are loath to enter into agreements with individuals who may have acquired patent rights - because they know that that know-how will soon be available to them free of charge and without any cost attaching. History shows us that individuals come up with most of the ground breaking ideas - not corporations. Invention is as the result of a lateral spark, not grinding research.

2. Without patents, R&D spending would be significantly less or eliminated altogether, but this would not stop technological advances or breakthroughs, because of the spark of lone inventors. The present patent system thus works to persuade corporations to maintain R&D budgets, and to give them a virtual monopoly on intellectual property and finance for developing that intellectual property. This second justification does not give inventors any real protection for their ideas, more, it tricks them into believing that they might benefit from patent protection, when in fact no such protection exists where a corporation can freely copy their work secure in the knowledge that the lone inventor cannot afford to litigate in the patent of trademark courts - and that if they were to try, the establishment - especially the trademark courts would wipe them out with costs awards left right and center, as clever corporate lawyers used the system to win by attrition. This is the real world. It has been designed by corporations for corporations and shareholders, with politicians simply going along for the ride - in some case to protect their investments in corporations.

The notion of disclosing innovations into the public domain for the common good, is counter productive to the aim of 'letters patent' to protect the ideas of the inventor. As described above an inventor does not have the legal protection of patents, because they do not have the wherewithal to litigate. For this reason it is better to keep their inventions secret, until governments wake up to the facts. The facts are that inventors need to eat and pay mortgages too. And that is why so many inventors end up bankrupt. The system is grossly unfair when compared to writers and artists who benefit free of charge from copyright.

3. In many industries (especially those with high fixed costs and either low marginal costs or low reverse engineering costs - computer processors, software, and pharmaceuticals being prototypical examples), once an invention exists, the cost of commercialization (testing, tooling up a factory, developing a market, etc.) is far more than the initial conception cost. (For example, the internal "rule of thumb" at several computer companies in the 1980s was that post-R&D costs were 7-to-1). Unless there is some way to prevent copies from competing at the marginal cost of production, companies will not make that productization investment. What this means is that by the time a product may be developed by a lone inventor, his or her patent will have expired. Again, what is the point of a patent that has no chance of providing the owner of those rights, any real prospect of benefiting from the invention. Here we come back to the unfairness of the patent system, where an artist, writer or film maker has no such limitations.

4. Patent rights do not create an incentive for companies to develop workarounds to patented inventions for all the reasons above. Products will be improved not because of any temporary state granted right, but because in order to sell their goods, companies must offer some incremental market advantage.

The small-time inventor cannot use the exclusive right status to become a licensor, because companies know they can outgun him or her financially. It is utter nonsense to suggest otherwise and anyone who does so is not speaking from real life experience.

Man-O-War illustration: Reflection on nature

Criticism

The four cited incentives is not achieved by the patent system. The patent system has countervailing costs, and those costs fall more heavily in some contexts than others. There are many critics and criticisms of patents and this has resulted in the formation of a large number of groups who oppose patents in general, or specific types of patents, and who lobby for their abolishment.

One criticism is that a patent confers a "negative right" upon a patent owner, permitting them to exclude competitors from using or exploiting the invention, even if the competitor subsequently develops the same invention independently. This may be subsequent to the date of invention, or to the priority date, depending upon the relevant patent law. This argument must be viewed in the context of corporations effectively taking control of the patents that they should not have rights to.

Another criticism is that monopolies may create inefficiency. If the grant of a patent is the grant of a monopoly, the patent system may stifle competition and result in higher prices, lower quality, and shortages. In this context, patents are not socially optimal but are considered to be second best alternatives. The solution is to grant protection to small inventors, to include state funded legal assistance, provided that the inventor licenses his or her invention to all companies at a low rate - to encourage competition.

Another theoretical problem with patent rights was proposed by law professors Michael Heller and Rebecca Sue Eisenberg in a 1998 Science article. Building from Heller's theory of the tragedy of the anticommons, the professors postulated that intellectual property rights may become so widely fragmented that, effectively, no one can take advantage of them as to do so would require an agreement between the owners of all of the fragments.

Since at least the early 1980s, patent offices around the world have accepted that computer programs can lie within the realm of patentable subject matter, although the regulations for when a computer program is a patentable invention differ markedly between countries. It is argued that the resulting software patents inhibit innovation in contrast to the underlying purpose of patents.

In response to perceived problems with the grant of patents, and the evolving nature of technology and industry, there is on-going debate about, and reform of, patent systems around the world. The TRIPs agreement, developed by the WTO has led to the alignment of many patent systems with regard to certain controversial issues, such as what can be protected by patents and the issue of compulsory licences in cases of national need.

• Applying

  • Should you apply?

  • Costs and timeline

  • How to apply

  • After you apply

• The decision making process

  • Patent law and how we interpret it

  • How we classify

  • Hearings and challenging a decision

• Find patents

  • Using esp@cenet
    What is esp@cenet?

  • By patent number

  • By publication

  • By SPC number

• Journal

  • Patents & Designs Journal

• Managing your patents

  • Changing and renewing

  • Using and enforcing

  • Selling

  • Status

• Other people's patents

  • Using and buying

  • Monitoring

  • Objecting

• Forms and fees

  • PDF and Word versions

EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE

The European Patent Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation that was set up on 7 October 1977 on the basis of the European Patent Convention (EPC) signed in Munich in 1973. It has two bodies, the European Patent Office and the Administrative Council, which supervises the Office's activities. The Organisation currently has 32 member states.

The European Patent Office (EPO) provides a uniform application procedure for individual inventors and companies seeking patent protection in up to 37 European countries. It is the executive arm of the European Patent Organisation and is supervised by the Administrative Council .

The Administrative Council was set up under Article 4, paragraph 2(b), EPC. Detailed provisions relating to the Council can be found in Articles 26 to 36 EPC.

Chairman / Deputy Chairman

Chairman

Roland GROSSENBACHER, Directeur, Institut Fédéral de la Propriété Intellectuelle (CH)
mail : council_chairman@epo.org

Deputy Chairman

Benoît BATTISTELLI, Directeur général, Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (FR)

Grant procedure

How to apply for a patent: a simple guide to the grant procedure 

epoline

Appeals

Search decisions of the boards of appeal
New decisions
Pending decisions
Business distribution scheme
Forms

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

For over 200 years, the basic role of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has remained the same: to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries (Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the Nation’s technological progress and achievement.

The USPTO is a federal agency in the Department of Commerce. The USPTO occupies five interconnected buildings in Alexandria, Virginia. The office employs over 7,000 full time staff to support its major functions--- the examination and issuance of patents and the examination and registration of trademarks.

The USPTO has evolved into a unique government agency. Since 1991--under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1990--the agency has been fully fee funded. The primary services the agency provides include processing patent and trademark applications and disseminating patent and trademark information.

Through the issuance of patents, the USPTO encourages technological advancement by providing incentives to invent, invest in, and disclose new technology worldwide. Through the registration of trademarks, the agency assists businesses in protecting their investments, promoting goods and services, and safeguarding consumers against confusion and deception in the marketplace. By disseminating both patent and trademark information, the USPTO promotes an understanding of intellectual property protection and facilitates the development and sharing of new technologies worldwide.

USPTO programs are conducted under the following principal statutory authorities:

• 15 U.S.C. 1051-1127 contains provisions of the Trademark Act of 1946 that govern the administration of the trademark registration system of the Patent and trademark Office.
  

• 15 U.S.C. 1511 states that the Patent and Trademark Office is under the jurisdiction and supervision of the Department of Commerce.
  

• 35 U.S.C. contains basic authorities for administration of patent laws, derived from the Act of July 19, 1952, and subsequent enactment. Revenues from fees are available, to the extent provided for in appropriations acts, to the Commissioner to carry out the activities of the Office. The Patent and Trademark Office is authorized to charge international fees for activities undertaken pursuant to the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Deployment of automated search systems of the Office to the public is authorized.
  

• 44 U.S.C. 1337-1338 contains authority to print patents, trademarks, and other matters relating to the business of the Office.

 Patents
      - What can be patented
      - Who may apply for a patent?
 Trademarks
 Copyrights
 Domain names
 Trade secrets
 International IP
 What are patents, trademarks,
          servicemarks, and copyrights?

ABOUT IP AUSTRALIA

Patents - Charter Service Level Commitments

Charter Home | Patents | Trade Marks | Designs | Plant Breeder's Rights | Reports

Examination:

• We are working towards issuing first reports on applications for standard patents within 14 months of receiving the request for examination.

• We will examine and issue a report on your innovation patent within one month of receiving the request for examination.

• We will issue an international search report for your application for a patent within nine weeks of receiving the search copy of the international application unless the application is for more than one invention.

• We will issue an international-type search report for your application for a patent within four weeks of receiving the request for the search, unless the search request covers more than one invention, or we ask you to supply a written search statement.

• We will respond to correspondence relating to the examination of your application within four weeks of receiving it.

• We will achieve 95% compliance with all our published Product Quality Standards (opens in new window).

Hearings:

• We will issue our decision within three months of holding a hearing, unless we receive further submissions or evidence.

Registration:

• We will seal your patent within one month after the opposition period has expired, provided no one has opposed the application and any applicable fees have been paid.

• We will grant your innovation patent, provided you have paid the fee and complied with the formalities, within one month of the application being lodged.

For our current compliance with these commitments, go to our Charter Report.

More Patents statistics are available at our IP Statistics page.

ONLINE SERVICES

Apply for your patent online

What is a patent?

Before you apply

The application process

Maintaining your patent

International applications

Fees

Examples

Search databases

Forms & publications

The Role of the Japan Patent Office

The aim of industrial property (IP) system (general term for patent, utility model, design, and trademark systems) is to contribute to the nation’s industrial development through adequate protection and effective utilization of inventions and other forms of intellectual creations. To help promote science and technology, the IP system is expected to play an increasingly important role in Japan in the 21st century.

The Japan Patent Office (JPO) consists of the General Affairs Department, the Examination Department, the Appeals Department, and other sections and departments. The main functions of these departments include; 1) granting adequate rights for patents, etc., 2) drafting plans for IP policies, 3) international exchange and cooperation, 4) review of the IP system, and 5) dissemination of information on IP. These functions provide for the positive advancement of industrial development.

1. Granting Exclusive Rights for Patents, Etc.

When the JPO receives an application from anywhere in the world, its examiners from the appropriate technical department must first conduct a strict examination of the filed documents from the viewpoint of technological and legal standards in order to determine whether exclusive patent or other rights can or cannot be granted.

If there is an objection to the result of this examination, the Appeals Department is authorized to act as the court of first instance for a local court in strict accordance with the Civil Procedure Code

2. Drafting Plans for Industrial Property Policies

In order to realize a “Nation Built on Intellectual Property” for the future, IP policies must be drafted and implemented to promote; 1) prompt examination of patents, 2) support in the use of IP by regions as well as small and mid-sized enterprises, 3) establishment of a “Japan brand”, 4) anti-counterfeit programs, and 5) create an environment which encourages the “Intellectual Creation Cycle” (the cycle of creation, protection, and exploitation).

3. International Exchange and Cooperation

To establish an IP environment aimed at an international harmonization, the JPO has been actively working on international activities. Specifically, it has been making collaborative efforts with the USPTO and EPO, extending assistance to developing nations in such areas as office computerization, examination processes, and human resources development, and implementing tougher anti-counterfeiting measures.

4. Review of the Industrial Property System

The JPO continues to review and revise related laws and examination standards based on plans drafted for IP policies, and on the results of international negotiations.

5. Dissemination of Information on Industrial Property

To satisfy diversified user needs, the JPO has been expanding IP information services. For example, improvements have been added to the Industrial Property Digital Library (IPDL) services to be provided over the Internet. We also started publishing DVD-ROM version official gazettes.

This website is Copyright © 1999 & 2013 Max Energy Limited  an educational charity  working hard for world peace.  The blue  bird logos and names Solar Navigator, Blueplanet Ecostar and Utopia Tristar are trademarks. All rights reserved.  All other trademarks are hereby acknowledged.

AUTOMOTIVE   |   BLUEPLANET BE3   |   ELECTRIC CARS  |   ELECTRIC CYCLES  |   SOLAR CARS  |  SOLARNAVIGATOR  | UTOPIA