The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 09, 2021
Filed:
Feb. 13, 2019
Phillip George Torre, Lebanon, IL (US);
Thomas H. Torre, Dawsonville, GA (US);
Phillip George Torre, Lebanon, IL (US);
Thomas H. Torre, Dawsonville, GA (US);
Ottomation, LLC, Dawsonville, GA (US);
Abstract
A computer controlled robotic system that autonomously adjusts the location of a floating marine dock whenever water levels change in a body of water (e.g., a lake or reservoir) to maintain sufficient draft clearance for safe boat operation and ensure safe access to the dock. The system is comprised of an electric motor-driven tractor device attached to the shore-end of a walkway and a pair of electric-motor driven cable winch assemblies with a distributed control system to move the floating dock toward or away from the shore to maintain a relative desired water depth for safe boat operation and positioning in relation to the moving edge of the water shoreline. The tractor and winch motions are controlled by a combination of on-board (dockside) microprocessor and web-based computing that utilizes software to process location telemetry from distance measuring sensors such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors, Global Positioning System (GPS) data, and a compass bearing to calculate the incremental actuations of the tractor and winch motors. FIG.depicts the system's main elements installed on a marine dock floating near the water's edge (shoreline).