Station keeping buoy system
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorGregory J. Juselis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a buoy system capable of maintaining a b in a fixed position on the ocean or another body of water without the use of an anchoring device. The buoy system includes a navigation control system for determining the position of the buoy relative to a desired station and a propulsion system for maneuvering the buoy to and maintaining it at the desired location or station. The navigation system receives positional information from a global positioning system antenna, and a compass. The propulsion system on the buoy may be formed by one or more thrusters.
Claims17
A station keeping buoy system comprising:
- a buoy having a housing which is at least partially submerged in a body of water;
- a real time position determining means having a first antenna disposed on said buoy and joined to a receiver for receiving a global positioning signal;
- said real time position determining means further having a differential global positioning system antenna joined to said receiver to correct global positioning signal error;
- a navigation system disposed in said buoy and joined to said real time position determining means, said navigation system including a computer programmed with information about a preselected position for said buoy and capable of determining a positional difference between the real-time position of said buoy and a preselected position for said buoy, said navigation system generating a control signal representative of said positional difference;
- and
- a propulsor joined to said buoy and responsive to said navigation system control signal for maneuvering said buoy to said preselected position and maintaining said buoy at said preselected position.
A station keeping buoy system comprising:
- a buoy having a housing which is at least partially submerged in a body of water;
- a real time positioning determining means having a first antenna disposed on said buoy and joined to a receiver for receiving a global positioning signal;
- a navigation system disposed in said buoy and joined to said real time position determining means, said navigation system including a computer program with information about a preselected position for said buoy and capable of determining a positional difference between the real time position of said buoy and a preselected position for said buoy, said navigation system generating a control signal representative of said positional difference;
- said navigation system further including a compass for determining the orientation of said buoy and for providing directional information to said navigation system to use in generating said control signal;
- and
- a propulsor joined to said buoy and responsive to said navigation system control signal for maneuvering said buoy to said preselected position and maintaining said buoy at said preselected position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.