Patents by Inventor David Alexander William GRANT
David Alexander William GRANT 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).
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Patent number: 11591049Abstract: A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2020Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS LIMITEDInventors: David Alexander William Grant, Arran James Holloway
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Publication number: 20210094656Abstract: A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 14, 2020Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: David Alexander William Grant, Arran James Holloway
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Patent number: 10894582Abstract: A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS LIMITEDInventors: David Alexander William Grant, Arran James Holloway, James Charles Hill, William James Birdsall
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Patent number: 10472035Abstract: An underwater vehicle comprising: port and starboard thrusters spaced apart in a port- starboard direction, each thruster being oriented to generate a thrust force in a fore-aft direction perpendicular to the port-starboard direction; a vertical thruster which is oriented to generate a thrust force substantially perpendicular to the fore-aft and port- starboard directions; port, starboard and vertical ducts which contain the port, starboard and vertical thrusters respectively, each duct providing a channel for water to flow through its respective thruster; and a moving mass which can be moved relative to the thrusters in the fore-aft direction to control a pitch of the underwater vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS LIMITEDInventors: David Alexander William Grant, Arran James Holloway
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Patent number: 10427763Abstract: A submersible device (2) for deploying or retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the submersible device comprising: two or more platforms (130) arranged in a stack (3a, 3b), wherein each platform is configured to carry two or more of the AUVs; a port (300, 310); and a transfer mechanism (200) comprising a transfer device (210) arranged to load or unload the AUVs onto or from the platforms, and an actuator arranged to move the transfer device between the platforms and the port in order to transfer the AUVs between the platforms and the port.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2016Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Autonomous Robotics LimitedInventors: David Alexander William Grant, Arran James Holloway, James Charles Hill, William James Birdsall
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Publication number: 20180319463Abstract: A method of deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the method comprising loading the AUVs into a deployment device; submerging the deployment device containing the AUVs after the AUVs have been loaded into the deployment device; towing the submerged deployment device containing the AUVs with a surface vessel; deploying the AUVs from the submerged deployment device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and operating a thruster of each AUV after it has been deployed so that it moves away from the submerged deployment device. A method of retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is also disclosed, the method comprising towing a submerged retrieval device with a surface vessel; loading the AUVs into the submerged retrieval device as it is towed by the surface vessel; and after the AUVs have been loaded into the submerged retrieval device, lifting the submerged retrieval device containing the AUVs out of the water and onto the surface vessel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2016Publication date: November 8, 2018Inventors: DAVID ALEXANDER WILLIAM GRANT, Arran James HOLLOWAY, James Charles HILL, William James BIRDSALL
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Publication number: 20180304977Abstract: A submersible device (2) for deploying or retrieving autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the submersible device comprising: two or more platforms (130) arranged in a stack (3a, 3b), wherein each platform is configured to carry two or more of the AUVs; a port (300, 310); and a transfer mechanism (200) comprising a transfer device (210) arranged to load or unload the AUVs onto or from the platforms, and an actuator arranged to move the transfer device between the platforms and the port in order to transfer the AUVs between the platforms and the port.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2016Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: David Alexander William GRANT, Arran James HOLLOWAY, James Charles HILL, William James BIRDSALL
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Publication number: 20180297678Abstract: An underwater vehicle comprising: port and starboard thrusters spaced apart in a port-starboard direction, each thruster being oriented to generate a thrust force in a fore-aft direction perpendicular to the port-starboard direction; a vertical thruster which is oriented to generate a thrust force substantially perpendicular to the fore-aft and port-starboard directions; port, starboard and vertical ducts which contain the port, starboard and vertical thrusters respectively, each duct providing a channel for water to flow through its respective thruster; and a moving mass which can be moved relative to the thrusters in the fore-aft direction to control a pitch of the underwater vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2016Publication date: October 18, 2018Inventors: David Alexander William GRANT, Arran James HOLLOWAY