Patent Application
20250108892
This disclosure relates in general to manufacturing and, in particular, to a system, method and apparatus for manufacturing products on a maritime vessel while at sea.
Conventional manufacturing on land is very well developed throughout the world. The complete manufacturing of entire products on a ship while at sea, however, has numerous difficulties and unique challenges. Accordingly, improvements in systems, method and devices for manufacturing quantities of products while at sea at the point of need continue to be of interest.
Embodiments of a maritime vessel for manufacturing products are disclosed. For example, the maritime vessel can include a factory ship that is ocean-going and comprises a propulsion system and navigation system for crossing an ocean, and may include a self-defense system for defending the factory ship against a hostile threat. Factory units are on board the ship and supported by the ship. Some factory units include at least two production units that are operable to concurrently and independently produce a respective intermediate product or a respective from a respective supply unit. Some factory units include at least one assembly unit operable to assemble a finished product from the respective intermediate products.
So that the manner in which the features and advantages of the embodiments are attained and can be understood in more detail, a more particular description can be had by reference to the embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. However, the drawings illustrate only some embodiments and are not to be considered limiting in scope since there can be other equally effective embodiments.
It shall be noted that some of the details and/or features shown in the drawings herein may not be drawn to scale for clarity purposes and some elements.
Typically, manufacturing of various products is performed in one or more facilities or locations. Each product and location may have various associated manufacturing procedures, processes, standards, and so on, which may be dependent upon various factors including, but not limited to, the product and/or type of product being manufactured, the facility or type of facility, and environmental factors affecting manufacturing procedures. For example, different locations may be associated with respective variations in procedures or processes.
Manufacturing systems and methods according to the present disclosure are configured to implement control of various manufacturing processes performed on a maritime vessel or ship (e.g., “a factory ship”). Complete or partial manufacturing of products on a ship (either while moving or stationary at sea, in port, etc.) may be associated with numerous difficulties and challenges. Example difficulties include, but are not limited to, difficulties associated with: movement of the ship during manufacturing; changes in a location of the ship during and/or between different manufacturing steps; changes in environmental conditions due to changes in location of the ship during and and/or between different manufacturing steps; multiple product types being manufactured in a single location or manufacturing compartment within a ship; multiple types of manufacturing processes being performed in a single location or manufacturing compartment within a ship (and hot-swapping between the types of manufacturing processes based on need); and/or combinations thereof. Systems and methods according to the present disclosure are configured to control various manufacturing parameters to compensate for difficulties associated with on-ship manufacturing.
In an example, a factory ship includes a plurality of factory units, containers, or compartments each configured to perform a portion of a manufacturing process. For example, each factory unit may include production machinery configured to perform one or more manufacturing steps or processes, such as one or more steps relating to manufacture of a part or component, assembly of two or more components (e.g., assembly of two or more components manufactured in a different factory unit), etc.
The production machinery may include one or more types of assembly robots. In an example, the assembly robots are configured to perform pouring or molding processes, such as pouring, injection molding, die-casting, sand casting, centrifugal casting, etc. In other examples, the assembly robots are configured to perform additive manufacturing processes (e.g., 3D printing). Typically, pouring and additive manufacturing processes are sensitive to movement and vibration, and these processes may be difficult to perform in environments and conditions associated with operation and movement of a maritime vessel.
Accordingly, manufacturing systems and methods according to the present disclosure are configured to control and adjust various manufacturing processes to compensate for movement and vibration of a ship at sea. In an example, a factory unit on a factory ship includes an inertial or stabilized platform configured to stabilize the production machinery. In one example, the inertial platform is provided within the factory unit and the production machinery is mounted on the inertial platform. In another example, the factory unit is supported on the inertial platform. The systems and methods (e.g., the inertial platform and associated computing devices, control circuitry, etc.) are configured to receive a plurality of measurement signals indicating movement, orientation, and vibration of the factory ship, the factory unit, etc., and to maintain, based on the plurality of measurement signals, a predetermined (e.g., fixed) orientation of the production machinery.
The factory ship according to the disclosure may be configurable to manufacture complex assemblies as well as replacement parts for assemblies and equipment. For example, an embodiment of a factory ship may be configurable to manufacture waterborne or submersible drones from various parts and materials loaded onboard, and may also have the capacity to deploy such vehicles. The disclosure further contemplates that a factory ship according to the disclosure may be capable of manufacturing replacement parts that can be transferred to other locations (including other ships at sea) to carry out repair/replacement operations. To this end, a number of autonomous and/or remote control watercraft may be carried on a factory ship to enable at-sea transfer of replacement parts to an awaiting vessel. In one example scenario, a submarine needing a replacement part may surface in the vicinity of the factory ship, which can transfer the replacement part thereto using an autonomous/remote control watercraft. The watercraft may then return to the factory ship after the replacement part transfer is complete.
In some embodiments, the factory ship may be deployed as a naval vessel to support operations of other naval vessels, e.g., ships in a carrier group. As such vessels may be expected to encounter hostile forces, the factory ship of the present disclosure may carry various armaments and the necessary equipment for deployment of the same for self-defense purposes. Such arms and armaments may include deck guns, missile batteries (surface-to-air, ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore), torpedoes, and depth charges, among other. The disclosure further contemplates embodiments of a factory ship that employ electronic warfare measures for spoofing enemy radars and disrupting guidance systems of aircraft and missiles. Decoys and chaff may also be deployed from the factory ship to create false radar targets. Some embodiments of a factory ship may also include directed energy weapons (e.g., lasers) against hostile actors. Drones and unmanned vehicles (airborne, waterborne, and/or submersible) may also be deployed from the factory ship, as well as being manufactured thereon. The factory ship of the disclosure may also, in various embodiments, employ both active and passive shielding against electromagnetic pulse weapons in order to protect the various electronics thereon.
Various embodiments and features of a factory ship according to the disclosure are now discussed in further detail. The description below includes discussion of various arrangements of a factory ship that may utilize modular factory units that may be re-arranged for various types of manufacturing operations. The description also includes discussion of mechanisms to move factory units around within the factory ship in order to configure/reconfigure a manufacturing operation (or multiple operations). The discussion also includes example mechanisms to transfer a factory unit off-ship, including mechanisms to eject a factory unit in the event of an emergency or catastrophic failure, thereby preventing or minimizing damage to the ship itself.
Manufacturing systems and methods according to the present disclosure include embodiments direct to maritime ships or vessels that comprise an entire factory for fabricating, manufacturing, assembling and testing final products. In
With reference to
In some examples, material-handling conveyance robots 115 (which can be autonomous) can be used to transfer raw materials between factory units (e.g., from the raw material storage unit 111 to motor-mounting factory unit 121, battery assembly factory unit 131, etc.), transfer products at various stages of manufacture between factory units, transfer raw materials or products to and from one or more assembly lines 171, etc. One or more cranes (mounted permanently or mobile) on the factory ship 101 also can be used to load, unload or otherwise transport the factory units.
As an example, the factory ship 101 can be configured to manufacture a final product such as an unmanned submersible vessel that can be autonomous or remotely controlled. The vessel may be retrievable and reusable, although embodiments where the autonomous vessel is expendable are also contemplated. The vessel may use batteries for propulsion, allowing the vessel to be recharged. In this example, the motor-mounting factory unit 121 is configured for fabrication of fin and body, including fabrication of a main tube, wiring, and assembly. The fin can be molded from resin which can be poured, hardened, and extracted in one or more respective factory units. A tube core can be inserted into a clam shell mold, into which resin can be poured, hardened and extracted. The fin and body can then be surface finished. The fins, motors and wiring can be assembled to the body and tested for continuity. In an example embodiment, battery assembly factory unit 131 can be configured for assembly of an electronics platform, wiring, and sensors and forming interconnections with a battery and the platform prior to testing the assembled platform. Examples of the testing factory unit 141 can include inserting the electronics and sensor assembly into the body and connecting all wiring to the electronics and sensor assembly. The finished assembly can be tested electronically and mechanically, and then (optionally) water-proof tested at pressure, sonar tested, etc.
In some examples, various components (e.g., fin and body components) are formed using pouring and molding processes. In an example, components are formed using one or more mixtures, such as a syntactic foam mixture (e.g., a mixture of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, micro bubbles, etc.). The mixture is poured into various molds (e.g., while avoiding forming air bubbles and other defects while pouring). In other examples, additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing) is used to form various components. In one example, servo mounts for high torque servos are formed using additive manufacturing. In another example, battery shells are formed using additive manufacturing. Pouring, molding, and additive manufacturing may be used to form various other components in one or more factory units of the factory ship 101.
The manufacturing systems and methods described herein provide attritable products with resilient (e.g., not easily disturbed or interrupted, even while at sea) supply chains and resilient manufacturing in contested arenas. The maritime vessels described, along with their crew, can provide complete contractor services, manufacturing and fabrication modeling, design, resin and mold pouring and extraction, gap sealing, component assembly, electronic and sensor assembly, final assembly, body surface finishing, painting, gel coating, and application and curing of spray resins or viscous coatings.
Moreover, these systems and methods can provide mechanical, electrical, water impingement, and/or sensor testing of the final products. Each function or type of manufacturing can be contained in a separate mobile container that can be retrieved and transported (e.g., by an autonomous robot and/or material handling conveyance robot) from warehouse factory units on the factory ship 101 and assembled using one or more assembly lines 171 for a particular product, or for a particular set of manufacturing techniques. Examples include, but are not limited to, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, extrusion, and sand casting. Effectively, entire assembly lines can be constructed on the factory ship 101 with thee modular solution described herein. In some examples, the warehouse 161 can contain numerous pods or containers (such as the testing factory unit 141) of supply materials and/or raw materials, transfer robots, fabrication and/or manufacturing stations, conveyors, assembly stations, finishing stations, testing stations, and final product storage stations. These pods, containers, and stations can be formed into separate, independent (or dependent) complete factories, which can be organized into parallel, autonomous assembly lines, to quickly and efficiently build whichever end products are needed for a particular mission or function.
In some examples, factory planning software configured to organize and plan a layout for each factory or factory unit on the factory ship 101. Layouts and implementations of the factory units can then be assembled in an agile and flexible manner based on outputs of the factory planning software.
Embodiments of the factory ship 101 can be implemented based on various missions or mission types. For example, one mission can be to manufacture attritable devices (e.g., that can be reusable, disposable, or affordably lost in attrition), such as for specific military missions. All components and other resources needed to build these devices can be warehoused in libraries that can later be installed and assembled to produce the devices when needed. After completion of a mission, the assembly lines can then be quickly disassembled and stored in libraries or a warehouse on the factory ship 101 to provide capacity for a next mission.
In alternate missions and embodiments, the factory ship 101 can be moored in a harbor (or anchored near shore, facilitating more stable environments and less motion of the factory ship 101 as compared to being at sea) to complete similar tasks for land-based needs, such as disaster recovery (e.g., as an NGO), building temporary shelter units or providing other food, clothing, and shelter needs on land. Thus, the factory ship 101 can operate as its own complete infrastructure, even in a situation or on a mission with no resources or capability to provide the factory ship 101 with any assistance from external entities.
The disclosure further contemplates use of the factory ship 101 in military environments (e.g., as part of an aircraft carrier task force). A factory ship 101 configured for used in a military environment may include various defensive armaments, such as missile battery 181, deck gun 182, and countermeasures unit 183. Missile battery 181 may be arranged to launch various types of missiles such as surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, and so forth. Deck gun 182 may be any type of deck gun suitable for use on a naval combat vessel. Countermeasures unit 183 may be capable of implementing various countermeasures against different types of attacks. In one implementation, countermeasures unit 183 may be capable of launching chaff to present false radar contacts to inbound missiles or aircraft. In another implementation, a countermeasures unit 183 is capable of launching acoustic countermeasures to cause false sonar contacts for homing torpedoes. Embodiments of a countermeasures unit 183 may also be configured for electronic warfare, and thus include equipment for jamming or spoofing hostile radars and/or communications. Furthermore, a particular instance of factory ship 101 suitable for operation in military environments may also include additional shielding in its construction to protect electronics implemented therein (as well as manufacturing inventory) from electromagnetic pulse weapons.
Factory ship 101 in the illustrated example also includes a landing pad 190 for a helicopter, which may be implemented in both military and civilian applications of the vessel. The landing pad 190 may facilitate both the onboarding of materials and cargo as well as the offloading of manufactured goods produced on factory ship 101.
The factory ship 101 can be further configured to perform commercial missions between ports, such as stopping at various ports to acquire raw materials and/or pods or containers used during manufacturing. Then, while at sea between such ports, at least portions of the manufacturing process can continue or resume so that there is little to no manufacturing downtime while in port or traveling to a next port. Such “offshore manufacturing” can reduce downtime between receiving an order and receipt of goods or containers. In addition, the factory ship 101 can readily accommodate order changes dynamically, even while in operation, effectively working as a free port.
Thus, the factory ship 101 can provide manufacturing at the point of need. The containers can be delivered at sea or in port, and can be delivered via land-based supply chains such as truck or rail, to make a “micro-factory” for any needs, such as surge manufacturing.
In some examples, manufacturing systems and methods of the present disclosure implement techniques for air filtration of the individual pods or units so that the curing of epoxy or other volatiles can be performed in controlled conditions. In addition, power delivery to individual units can be managed to coordinate power consumption among the units. Moreover, the system can monitor weather conditions to account for and make adjustments due to various weather parameters.
Some factory units according to the disclosure may include equipment such as a rotisserie spit or other rotational machinery for rotating respective products (intermediate or final) fabricated onboard the factory ship (e.g., such as a replacement part with at least one radial dimension). The disclosure further contemplates Factory units that provide air filtration for, e.g., curing of epoxies or other volatiles in controlled conditions. Generally, the disclosure contemplates a wide variety of factory units each capable of carrying out an industrial/manufacturing process, and thus the examples set forth here are not intended to be limiting. Factory units capable of manufacturing or fabricating both intermediate products and finished products are possible and contemplated. Furthermore, the use of one or more factory units to fabricate/manufacture a number of intermediate or finished products as well as performing custom manufacturing for as few as a single finished product (e.g., a custom-ordered replacement part) are also possible and contemplated.
The production flow includes the storage of supply materials and/or raw materials in raw material storage unit 111. The raw materials stored may include various materials such as epoxies, resins for 3D printers, plastics, raw metals, and virtually any other type of material that may be utilized in a manufacturing process. The raw materials may also include partially manufactured goods, which may include (but are not limited to) integrated circuit packages not yet mounted on a printed circuit board, a printed circuit assemblies including integrated circuits and PCBs, various types of motors (electrical, internal combustion), insulated wires and cables, batteries, various types of sensors, and so on.
The raw materials may be transferred via one or more instances of a material-handling conveyance robot 115 to their respective destinations. A material-handling conveyance robot 115 may be implemented in a number of different ways, including by a free moving robot, a conveyor belt, a conveyor system on predefined tracks, and so on. Generally speaking, the disclosure contemplates any suitable mechanism for moving materials from one station to the next in the implementation of material-handling conveyance robot 115.
In this particular example, one destination includes a factory unit for body fabrication and assembly and motor-mounting factory unit 121, while another destination includes a factory unit for harness fabrication and electronics, sensor, and battery assembly factory unit 131. In body fabrication and assembly and motor-mounting factory unit 121, fabrication of a body for, e.g., an autonomous waterborne vehicle may be carried out (e.g., by 3D printing, molding, or other suitable process) and a motor may be mounted thereupon. In harness fabrication and electronics, sensor, and battery assembly factory unit 131, one or more cable/wire harnesses may be assembled, along with electronics, sensor, and battery assembly into connected configurations to enable them to carry out their various functions.
After the assembly operations carried out in motor-mounting factory unit 121 and battery assembly factory unit 131, one or more additional instances of material-handling conveyance robots 115, to final assembly and testing factory unit 141. In this unit, the manufactured goods are assembled into their final form and subsequently tested, in a testing apparatus, to determine whether they meet various specifications. These specifications may include various functional specification (e.g., the ability of the manufactured goods to carry out their intended functions), along with various physical specifications (e.g., physical dimensions), and any other desired metric. A quality control and rework station 142 is also located in the vicinity of final assembly and testing factory unit 141 from which personnel may conduct visual inspections of completed goods as well as perform any reworks/repairs required to bring them to within specification. Manufactured goods that pass final test and meet specifications are then conveyed, by another instance of material-handling conveyance robots 115, to final storage unit 151 for storage until delivery/deployment.
Factory ship 101 in the illustrated example also includes a central control system 175. This system may be configured to communicate with the various factory units of factory ship 101, as well as with other systems thereon, and carry out various control functions. For example, central control system 175 may communicate with an on-board electrical power generation system included in factory ship 101, as well as with the operating factory units. Using information regarding power consumption and power requirements, a power control module of central control system may ensure sufficient electrical power is allocated to the various factory units. Central control system 175 may also carry out functions to ensure that the operating factory units are receiving necessary materials and services and maintaining desired production output.
A factory unit 204 in accordance with the disclosure may be implemented as coupled to or contained within a standard shipping container (20-foot or 40-foot) in some embodiments. In such embodiments, the production and assembly units, and in some cases, other manufacturing and industrial equipment, may be coupled to or enclosed within the shipping container. However, the disclosure is not limited in this manner, and thus shipping containers of other sizes are possible and contemplated. A particular implementation of factory ship 200 may be configured to use a particular factory unit of factory units 204 of at least one standardized size, although embodiments capable of accommodating more than one standardized size are possible and contemplated.
Each of the factory units 204 (e.g., containers or compartments) is configured to perform at least portion of a manufacturing process. For example, each of the factory units 204 may include production machinery configured to perform one or more manufacturing steps or processes, such as one or more steps relating to manufacture of a product part or component, assembly of two or more components (e.g., assembly of two or more components manufactured in a different factory unit), etc. Some of the factory units 204 may be configured to perform multiple manufacturing processes or steps, and two or more of the factory units 204 may configured to perform a same manufacturing process.
The production machinery may include one or more types of assembly robots configured to perform pouring or molding processes and/or additive manufacturing processes, which are sensitive to movement and vibration and various environmental factors. Movement and vibration may vary based on movement (e.g., pitch, roll, yaw, etc.) and vibration of the factory ship 200 as well as the environmental factors, such as weather and temperature, wind, sea conditions (e.g., wave height), etc.
Movement, vibration, and environmental factors may also vary at different locations on or within the factory ship 200. For example, movement for each of the factory units 204 may vary based on: whether the factory unit 204 is located within the cargo hold 208 or on the deck 212; elevation (e.g., a position in a vertical stack of the factory units 204); lateral position (e.g. a position relative to a longitudinal axis of the factory ship 200); and longitudinal position (e.g., whether the factory unit 204 is nearer to a lateral axis, stern, or bow of the factory ship 200). Similarly, vibration and environmental factors may vary based on location of the factory units 204, proximity to various ship components (e.g., proximity to a motor/engine of the factory ship 200), etc. Further, in some examples, the factory units 204 are mobile. Accordingly, the movement, vibration, and environmental factors affecting a particular factory unit of factory units 204 may vary as a location of the particular factory unit varies. Accordingly, the positions of factory units 204 may be associated with a respective set of calibration data.
In this manner, manufacturing systems and methods according to the present disclosure are configured to control and adjust various manufacturing processes to compensate for movement and vibration of the factory ship 200, environmental factors, and locations of the factory units 204 on the factory ship 200.
In the illustrated example, factory ship 200 also includes crane 215. This crane may be used in port environments for loading and unloading factory units 204, as well as for loading raw materials and parts. Crane 215 may also be utilized for re-arranging, e.g., factory units 204, on the main deck of factory ship 200. Although factory ship 200 depicts a single crane, in other embodiments, factory ship 200 includes any suitable number of cranes.
Factory ship 200 in the example shown also includes a power plant 225, a propulsion plant 226, and an electrical plant 227. The power plant 225 may be any type of power generating apparatus suitable for maritime use. This may include conventional power plants (e.g., a steam plant utilizing a coal-fired boiler) or a nuclear power plant. Supplementation by auxiliary power generation, e.g., using a diesel engine, is also possible and contemplated. Power plant 225 is configured to provide power to propulsion plant 226 in order to enable transport, as well as to electrical plant 227 to enable electricity generation. The propulsion plant may include at least one steam turbine driven by steam from power plant 225, and reduction gears coupling the steam turbine to one or more shafts configured to rotate a screw in the water to propel the ship. Similarly, the electrical plant 227 may include one or more steam turbines configured to drive one or more generators used to generate AC power that can be distributed throughout the ship, including to other electrical systems having different voltage, current, or frequency specifications.
Factory ship 200 also includes a command and control center (denoted as “CCC 250”), from which the ship's crew may control operations of the ship and various parameters thereof. For example, personnel in CCC 250 may control, during transit of factory ship 200, the ship's course (heading) and speed. Navigation may also be carried out in CCC 250, which may include the use of satellite navigation (with GPS or other navigation satellites), inertial navigation, navigation using dead reckoning, and combinations thereof.
CCC 250 in various embodiments may also include weather-monitoring equipment. This may allow adjustments and reconfiguration of factory ship 200 due to changing weather conditions. For example, if factory ship 200 is on a course that would bring it through rough seas, the manufacturing layout therein may be reconfigured to focus on processes that are less affected by the sea state in lieu of others that necessitate calmer waters. Alternatively, weather predictions may enable factory ship 200 to change course to avoid inclement weather to enable the manufacturing and assembly of desired products.
The transfer rails may enable various operations with regard to factory units 204. For example, if a given factory unit 204 encounters a catastrophic failure that could threaten the integrity of factory ship and/or the safety of its crew members, a corresponding set of transfer rails 234 may be extended in conjunction with the opening the associated one of hatches 224A-224B to enable its ejection overboard. Furthermore, in environments in port or in calm waters, the transfer rails 234 may be extended to allow the loading or unloading of a factory unit 204.
The ability to deploy watercraft from deployment hatches may enable factory ship to carry out various operations. In a military setting, both surface and submersible watercraft (which may be assembled on factory ship 200) may be deployed via either deployment hatch 244A or deployment hatch 244B to carry out various operations, such as intelligence gathering and/or munitions delivery to hostile targets. Such watercraft may be expendable. Non-expendable watercraft may also be deployed via deployment hatches for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance purposes.
In both military and non-military environments, autonomous and/or remote control watercraft may be deployed via deployment hatches for, e.g., parts delivery to another vessel. For example, the disclosure contemplates an example scenario where a replacement part or parts for equipment on a submarine, is manufactured by factory ship 200. For delivery, the submarine may surface near factory ship, with the part(s) being delivered thereto using a remote-controlled watercraft suitable for transferring the same. After delivery, the watercraft may return to factory ship 200 to be recovered via either deployment hatch 244A or deployment hatch 244B.
In another use case, autonomous and/or remote-controlled watercraft may be deployed from deployment hatch to deliver materials, food, and other items in, e.g., a disaster recovery scenario in a location where factory ship 200 is unable to moor at a pier. Watercraft may be deployed by factory ship from an offshore location to deliver materials to the disaster recovery location before returning.
In the example of
In docking a factory unit 204 into position within a factory unit docking port 325, docking probes 302A-302C may mate with docking units 330A-330C in deck 311. In doing so, this may connect piping/conduit 305F of factory unit 204 to a corresponding piping/conduit of piping/conduits 305S of the ship. Through these piping/conduits, various services may be delivered. In this particular example, the services includes water, electricity, and waste removal. The disclosure contemplates the delivery of other services in addition to, or in lieu of those shown here. Such other services may include the delivery of high-pressure air, hydraulics, fuel, oil, filaments for 3D printers, chemicals for various chemical industrial processes, and so on. Various instances of factory unit docking port 325 may thus be customized for certain types of industrial/manufacturing processes, and thus different piping/conduits may be provided thereto.
Below the piping/conduits 305S and between deck 311 and deck 312 is an access tube 307. Through this tube, personnel on the ship may access the various sets of piping/conduits 305S, e.g., to perform repairs in case of leaks, and so forth.
To dock the two illustrated components, docking ring 333 may initially receive the docking probe 332. Various embodiments may include spring-loaded latches that, when the docking probe 332 makes contact with docking ring 333, cause the former to engage the latter for initial soft docking. After soft docking is achieved, the docking probe 332 may open or retract to create a path for flow between piping/conduit 336 and piping/conduit 335. Additional docking latches arranged around the periphery of docking ring 333 may engage piping/conduit 336 to allow the former to secure the latter for hard docking. At this point, the two components may be connected to allow the transfer of fluids between a corresponding factory unit of factory units 204 and other portions of the ship. In implementations in which the piping/conduits shown here are used to transfer electrical power, the docking procedure includes engaging electrical connections.
It is noted that the description of a docking procedure set forth in the previous paragraphs is presented here by way of example, and are thus not intended to be limiting. Other implementations are possible and contemplated.
Conveyance tracks 337 in one embodiment may comprise rails that are embedded in a deck of factory ship 200. A factory unit 204 may include wheels or another mechanism arranged to engage the tracks. This may allow movement of a factory unit 204 on conveyance tracks 337 while keeping it on a controlled path, even when factory ship 200 is pitching and rolling in the water due to an elevated sea state. Furthermore, since a given factory unit 204 may be secured to the conveyance tracks 337, it may be moved to and from factory unit docking port 325 without human or other robotic intervention. This may in turn allow rapid reconfiguration of a production line on factory ship 200 with a minimal crew.
The spacing of the conveyance tracks 337 in the illustrated example matches that of the transfer rails 234 discussed above in reference to
Production machines 408A-408C may correspond to production and/or assembly units discussed elsewhere herein. These production machines may include fabrication tools, assembly tools, rotational tools (e.g., such as a rotisserie spit), soldering tools, welding tools, joining tools, heating tools, cooling tools, atmospheric control tools (for controlling an atmosphere in an enclosed environment), curing tools, molding tools, cleaning tools, air filtration systems, cutting tools, laser tools, testing tools, inspection tools, 3D printers, and virtually any other type of tool, system, or apparatus that may be used in a factory/production environment. The production machines of an individual factory unit may be capable of independently and concurrently producing intermediate products, final products, or both. This may include fabrication of individual parts as well as assembly of parts into a product. Although only three productions machines are depicted in the embodiment of
As shown, production machines 408A-408C are supported on a corresponding one of inertial platforms 404A-404C. In other examples, two or more of production machines 408A-408C may be supported on a common one of inertial platforms 404A-404C. In another example, an entirety of factory unit 400 is supported on an inertial platform 412. The inertial platform 412 may be provided instead of or in addition to inertial platforms 404A-404C. A bottom portion may be substituted in place of inertial platform 412 in at least some embodiments that also include inertial platforms 404A-404C. Inertial platform 412 (or a bottom portion substituted therefor) may include electric motors 434, which are coupled to conveyance mechanisms 435 (e.g., wheels configured for use with conveyance tracks 337 of
In some examples, the inertial platform 412 may support two or more of the factory units 400. In one example, the inertial platform 412 may be integrated with (e.g., form a portion of) a floor surface of the factory ship, such as a portion of a deck, a floor of a cargo hold, etc. In still other examples, some aspects of systems and methods of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented without inertial platforms.
In some examples, the factory unit 400 includes one or more vibration isolation elements 416 arranged between various components, such as between the inertial platforms 404A-404C and the production machines 408A-408C, between a lower surface or floor of the factory unit 400 and the inertial platforms 404, between the lower surface or floor of the factory unit 400 and the inertial platform 412, etc. For example, the vibration isolation elements 416 include foam pads, air bags, dampers, springs, etc. configured to isolate the production machines 408A-408C from vibration associated with movement and operation of the factory ship, including high-frequency vibration associated with a motor or engine, electronics, etc.
The production machines 408A-408C may each include at least one type of assembly robot. In an example, at least one of the production machines 408A-408C includes an assembly robot configured to perform a pouring/molding process or an additive manufacturing process. Typically, pouring/molding and additive manufacturing processes are sensitive to movement and vibration. The factory unit 400 according to the present disclosure is configured to compensate for movement, orientation, and vibration of the factory ship, as well as environmental factors and control the production machines 408A-408C accordingly.
For example, the inertial platforms 404 are configured to receive a plurality of measurement signals indicating movement, orientation, and vibration of the factory ship, the factory unit 400, etc., and to maintain, based on the plurality of measurement signals, a predetermined (e.g., fixed) orientation of the production machines 408. Further, a factory unit control system 420 is configured to control operating parameters of the production machines 408 based on one or more inputs, measurements, sensed values, etc., which may include, but are not limited to, inputs from the production machines 408A-408C, inputs from the inertial platforms 404A-404C, inputs from various sensors arranged on or within the factory unit 400 (e.g., vibration sensors, temperature sensors, movement sensors, humidity sensors, etc.), and external inputs (e.g., inputs from other factory units, user inputs, predictive data, etc.).
Although factory unit 400 is depicted using a single instance of factory unit control system 420, in other embodiments, the factory unit 400 may include two or more of factory unit control system 420. In other examples, one or more of factory unit control system 420 may be located external to the factory unit 400. For example, a single instance of factory unit control system 420 may be associated with a plurality of the factory units 400. The factory unit control system 420 may include one or a plurality of computing devices, including one or more remotely-located computing devices, remote servers, cloud computing systems, etc. Further, the factory unit control system 420 may be configured to communicate with (e.g., receive inputs from) one or more remote computing systems, servers, cloud computing systems, communication satellites, etc. Examples of other systems with which factory unit control system 420 may communicate are now discussed.
Production control unit 510 is also configured to receive various indications of service inputs to the corresponding factory units in operation. These service inputs, as discussed above, may include water, hydraulic fluid, filaments or resin (for 3D printers), high-pressure air, and so on. These inputs may be compared to demands by their corresponding production units, with adjustments made to ensure an optimal level of consumption.
Production control unit 510 in the illustrated example shown is also configured to output various indications and alerts. For example, production control unit 510 may output information indicating production rates, cumulative amount of production, and any surplus or deficit thereof developed over time for each of the factory units. The alerts may indicate conditions that may adversely impact production by the individual production units, as well as any condition that may affect the safety of the ship and/or its crew.
Power control unit 505 and production control unit 510 may both communicate with the operating factory modules via their respective factory unit control systems as discussed above by way of example with reference to
The computing device 600 may include control circuitry 604 that may be, for example, one or more processors or processing devices, a central processing unit processor, an integrated circuit or any suitable computing or computational device, an operating system 608, a memory 612, executable code 616, input devices or input circuitry 620, and output devices or output circuitry 624. The control circuitry 604 (or one or more controllers or processors, possibly across multiple units or devices) may be configured to implement functions of the systems and methods described herein. It is noted that, in some embodiments, more than one instance of computing device 600 may be employed, and, in such cases, the instances of computing device 600 may act as the components of, a system according to embodiments of the disclosure. Various components of the computing device 600 may be implemented with same or different circuitry, same or different processors or processing devices, etc.
The operating system 608 may be or may include any code segment (e.g., one similar to the executable code 616 described herein) configured and/or configured to perform tasks involving coordination, scheduling, arbitration, supervising, controlling or otherwise managing operation of the control circuitry 604 (e.g., scheduling execution of software programs or tasks or enabling software programs or other hardware modules or units to communicate). The operating system 608 may be a commercial operating system. The operating system 608 may be an optional component (e.g., in some embodiments, a system may include a computing device that does not require or include the operating system 608). For example, a computer system may be, or may include, a microcontroller, an application specific circuit (ASIC), a field programmable array (FPGA), network controller (e.g., CAN bus controller), associated transceiver, system on a chip (SOC), and/or any combination thereof that may be used without an operating system.
The memory 612 may be or may include, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SD-RAM), a double data rate (DDR) memory chip, Flash memory, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, cache memory, a buffer, a short-term memory unit, a long-term memory unit, or other suitable memory units or storage units. The memory 612 may be or may include a plurality of memory units, which may correspond to same or different types of memory or memory circuitry. The memory 612 may be a computer or processor non-transitory readable medium, or a computer non-transitory storage medium, e.g., RAM.
The executable code 616 may be any executable code, e.g., an application, a program, a process, task, or script. The executable code 616 may be executed by the control circuitry 604, possibly under control of the operating system 608. Although, for the sake of clarity, a single item of the executable code 616 is shown, a system according to some embodiments of the disclosure may include a plurality of executable code segments similar to the executable code 616 that may be loaded into the memory 612 and cause the control circuitry 604 to carry out methods described herein. Where applicable, the terms “process” and “executable code” may be used interchangeably herein. For example, verification, validation and/or authentication of a process may mean verification, validation and/or authentication of executable code.
In some examples, the memory 612 may include non-volatile memory having the storage capacity of a storage system. In other examples, the computing device 600 may include or communicate with a storage system and/or database. Such a storage system may include, for example, flash memory, memory that is internal to, or embedded in, a micro controller or chip, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, a CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive, a Blu-ray disk (BD), a universal serial bus (USB) device or other suitable removable and/or fixed storage unit. Content may be stored in the storage system and loaded from the storage system into the memory 612 where it may be processed by the control circuitry 604.
The input circuitry 620 may be or may include any suitable input devices, components, or systems, e.g., physical sensors such as accelerometers, thermometers, microphones, analog to digital converters, etc., a detachable keyboard or keypad, a mouse, etc. The output circuitry 624 may include one or more (possibly detachable) displays or monitors, motors, servo motors, speakers and/or any other suitable output devices. Any applicable input/output (I/O) devices may be connected to the control circuitry 604. For example, a wired or wireless network interface card (NIC), a universal serial bus (USB) device, or external storage device may be included in the input circuitry 620 and/or the output circuitry 624. It will be recognized that any suitable number of input devices and output devices may be operatively connected to the control circuitry 604. For example, the input circuitry 620 and the output circuitry 624 may be used by a technician or engineer in order to connect to the control circuitry 604, update software, and the like.
Embodiments may include an article such as a computer or processor non-transitory readable medium, or a computer or processor non-transitory storage medium, such as for example memory, a disk drive, or USB flash memory, encoding, including or storing instructions (e.g., computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor or controller, carry out methods disclosed herein), a storage medium such as the memory 612, computer-executable instructions such as the executable code 616, and a controller such as the control circuitry 604.
The storage medium may include, but is not limited to, any type of disk including magneto-optical disks, semiconductor devices such as read-only memories (ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), such as a dynamic RAM (DRAM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), flash memories, electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions, including programmable storage devices.
Embodiments of the disclosure may include components such as, but not limited to, a plurality of central processing units (CPU) or any other suitable multi-purpose or specific processors or controllers (e.g., controllers similar to the control circuitry 604), a plurality of input units, a plurality of output units, a plurality of memory units, and a plurality of storage units, etc. A system may additionally include other suitable hardware components and/or software components. In some embodiments, a system may include or may be, for example, a personal computer, a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a terminal, a workstation, a server computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a tablet computer, a network device, or any other suitable computing device.
In some embodiments, a system may include or may be, for example, a plurality of components that include a respective plurality of central processing units, e.g., a plurality of CPUs as described, a plurality of CPUs embedded in an on-board system or network, a plurality of chips, FPGAs or SOCs, microprocessors, transceivers, microcontrollers, a plurality of computer or network devices, any other suitable computing device, and/or any combination thereof. For example, a system as described herein may include one or more devices such as the control circuitry 604.
The computing device 600 may include and/or communicate with one or more storage devices or storage databases 628. For example, the storage database 628 may correspond to a storage device (e.g., a semiconductor storage device, such as a solid-state drive (SSD)) of the computing device 600, a remote storage device or database, a cloud computing system, etc. The storage database 628 may store data accessible by one or more of the factory unit control systems 420.
In some examples, the computing device 600 may implement an artificial intelligence (AI) engine configured to execute one or more AI or machine learning (ML) models, etc. trained using data (“training data”) obtained during operation of the product machines and performance of various manufacturing processes. For example, the training data may include data indicating results of various manufacturing processes (e.g., success and failures, defect counts, etc.) and corresponding conditions (e.g., movement, location on the ship, etc.) during the manufacturing processes. In some examples, computing device 600 may include a training engine configured to generate one or more ML models. Various components of the training data, AI engine, ML models, etc. may be stored within the computing device 600 or external to the computing device 600 (e.g., in a remote server, a cloud computing system, etc.).
In this manner, the computing device 600 is configured to control, using the trained models, various operating parameters of the production machines, including, but not limited to, changing operating parameters during processing steps and selectively starting, stopping, and pausing processes based on outputs of the models.
Method 700 includes receiving, by a factory ship, a plurality of manufacturing tasks to manufacture a particular item, wherein the factory ship includes a plurality of factory units (block 705). The method further includes performing, by a first factory unit of the plurality of factory units, a first manufacturing task of the plurality of manufacturing tasks (block 710) and performing, by a second factory unit of the plurality of factory units, a second manufacturing task of the plurality of manufacturing tasks (block 715). Method 700 continues by performing, by a third factory unit of the plurality of factory units, a quality control check of the particular item in response to determining that the plurality of manufacturing tasks has been completed (block 720), and thereafter, storing the particular item in a storage compartment on the factory ship (block 725). Alternatively, the particular item could be stored outside of a storage compartment, such as on a deck of the factory ship, or immediately deployed upon completion, such as launched at sea or transported by air.
In some embodiments, the method further comprises performing a second plurality of tasks to manufacture a different item. Performing the second plurality of tasks comprises using a different subset of the plurality of factory units than the first and second factory units. This may also include performing the second plurality of tasks concurrently with performing the first plurality of tasks.
In various implementations, a control system associated a given one of the plurality of factory units may provide an indication that the given one of the plurality of factory units is low on supplies needed for carrying out a corresponding manufacturing task. The method may also include monitoring, using a control system associated with a given one of the plurality of factory units, one or more environmental conditions associated with carrying out a corresponding manufacturing task. With regard to the monitoring of environmental conditions, the method may include ejecting the given one of the plurality of factory units in response to an emergency condition, wherein the emergency condition comprises the given one of the plurality of factory units exceeding one or more specified limits of the one or more environmental conditions.
Method 700 may also include receiving a request, from a requesting entity separate from the factory ship, for a replacement part and configuring the factory ship for manufacturing the replacement part, wherein configuring the factory ship comprises initializing operation of one or more of the plurality of factory units. Thereafter, the method continues with manufacturing, using the one or more of the plurality of factory units, the replacement part and testing and inspecting the replacement part. After completing testing and inspecting, the method further includes delivering the replacement to the requesting entity. Delivering the replacement part comprises deploying, from the factory ship, an unscrewed watercraft having the replacement part loaded therein and transporting, using the uncrewed watercraft, the replacement part to the requesting entity. After delivering, the method further includes recovering, at the factory ship, the uncrewed watercraft.
In various implementations of Method 700, the particular item is an uncrewed expendable watercraft, and thus further comprises deploying the uncrewed watercraft.
The method may also include reconfiguring the factory ship, Reconfiguring the factory ship includes transferring the first and second factory units, via respective sets of conveyance tracks, from first and second factory unit docking ports to a storage compartment upon completion of manufacturing of the particular item and storing, in a storage compartment, the first and second factory units. The reconfiguring also includes transferring fourth and fifth factory units, via the respective sets of conveyance tracks, to the first and second factory unit docking ports, respectively docking the fourth and fifth factory units with the first and second factory unit docking ports, respectively. The fourth and fifth factory units are configured to perform different tasks with respect to the first and second factory units. The method further includes providing one or more of the following services to each of the fourth and fifth factory units, via the first and second factory unit docking ports, respectively: electrical power; water; waste removal; hydraulic fluid; fuel; oil; 3D printer filaments or resins; and or high-pressure air.
Still other embodiments of the factory ship of the present disclosure can include one or more of the following items.
A maritime vessel for manufacturing products, comprising:
The vessel further comprising at least one storage unit proximal to the production units for storing supply material.
The vessel further comprising at least one final storage unit proximal to the at least one assembly unit for storing the finished product.
The vessel, wherein the at least one assembly unit is operable to test the finished product.
The vessel further comprising at least one material handling conveyance robot operable to convey supply material from the at least one storage unit to the at least two production units.
The vessel further comprising at least one material handling conveyance robot operable to convey the intermediate products from the at least two production units to the at least one assembly unit.
The vessel further comprising at least one material handling conveyance robot operable to convey the finished product from the at least one assembly unit to the at least one final storage unit.
The vessel wherein the factory units are each coupled to a respective shipping container.
The vessel wherein each of the at least two production units, the supply units and the at least one assembly unit are coupled to a respective shipping container.
The vessel, wherein at least one of the at least two production units comprises electronics assembly tools for assembling electronics components of a vehicle.
The vessel, wherein at least one of the at least two production units comprises body fabrication tools for assembling body components of the vehicle.
The vessel, wherein the at least one assembly unit comprises integration tools for combining the assembled body components and the assembled electronics components.
The vessel, wherein at least one of the at least two production units comprises a rotisserie spit for rotating the respective intermediate product during manufacturing.
The vessel, further comprising techniques for air filtration of a selected unit for curing of epoxy or other volatiles in a controlled condition.
The vessel, wherein power delivery to individual units is managed to coordinate power consumption among the units.
The vessel, further comprising a system to monitor weather conditions to account for and make adjustments due to weather parameters.
The vessel, further comprising a self-defense system for defending the factory ship against a hostile threat.
The vessel, further comprising a plurality of factory unit docking ports configured to receive a given factory unit, wherein a given factory unit, when coupled to a given one of the plurality of factory unit docking ports, is coupled to receive one or more services from the factory ship.
The vessel, wherein the one or more services comprise providing one or more of the following:
The vessel, wherein the given one of the plurality of factory unit docking ports includes a docking ring configured to receive a docking probe coupled to the given one of the factory units.
The vessel, further comprising a plurality of conveyance tracks coupled between ones of the plurality of plurality of factory unit docking ports and warehouse, wherein the conveyance tracks are configured to facilitate transfer of ones of the plurality of factory units between the warehouse and ones of the plurality of factory unit docking ports.
The vessel, wherein one or more of the plurality of factory units includes at least two production units that are operable to simultaneously and independently produce a particular intermediate product from a corresponding supply unit.
An ocean-going vessel, having a reconfigurable factory, the vessel comprising:
The vessel, further comprising a plurality of factory units of respective ones of a plurality of types, including at least one factory unit of the first type and at least one factory unit of the second type, wherein one of more of the plurality of factory units includes at least one production unit operable to produce a respective intermediate product from a respective supply unit.
The vessel, wherein one or more of the plurality of factory units includes at least one assembly unit operable to assemble a finished product from the respective intermediate products.
The vessel, wherein one or more of the plurality of factory units includes at least one apparatus configured to test the finished product.
The vessel, wherein ones of the plurality of factory units comprise a shipping container.
The vessel, wherein the given one of the plurality of docking ports includes a retractable retaining wall that, when extended, is configured to secure a factory unit in place while docked to the given one of the plurality of docking ports.
The vessel, wherein the given one of the plurality of docking ports is configured to facilitate the vessel providing one or more services to a factory unit docked thereto.
The vessel, wherein the one or more services comprise one or more of the following:
The vessel, wherein the given one of the plurality of docking ports includes at least one docking ring configured to receive a docking probe from a factory unit.
The vessel, wherein the docking ring is configured to, when the factory unit is docked to the given one of the plurality of docking ports, connect a conduit from the given one of the plurality of docking ports to a conduit of the factory unit.
The vessel, further comprising at least one deployment hatch proximate to a waterline of the vessel, wherein the deployment hatch, when opened, is operable to deploy and recover a watercraft.
The vessel, further comprising a plurality of hatches in a hull of the vessel, the plurality of hatches being proximate to corresponding ones of the plurality of docking ports.
The vessel, further comprising a plurality of sets of transfer rails proximate to corresponding ones of the plurality of hatches, wherein ones of the sets of transfer rails are extendible from a hull of the vessel and operable to eject overboard a factory unit.
A maritime vessel for manufacturing products, comprising:
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” “top”, “bottom,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element's or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptions used herein interpreted accordingly.
This written description uses examples to disclose the embodiments, including the best mode, and also to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. The patentable scope is defined by the claims, and can include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
In the foregoing specification, the concepts have been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of invention.
It can be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document. The term “communicate,” as well as derivatives thereof, encompasses both direct and indirect communication. The terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrase “associated with,” as well as derivatives thereof, can mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, have a relationship to or with, or the like. The phrase “at least one of,” when used with a list of items, means that different combinations of one or more of the listed items can be used, and only one item in the list can be needed. For example, “at least one of: A, B, and C” includes any of the following combinations: A, B, C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A and B and C.
Also, the use of “a” or “an” is employed to describe elements and components described herein. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the scope of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it states otherwise.
The description in the present application should not be read as implying that any particular element, step, or function is an essential or critical element that must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of the claims invokes 35 U.S.C. § 112 (f) with respect to any of the appended claims or claim elements unless the exact words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim, followed by a participle phrase identifying a function.
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific embodiments. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any feature(s) that can cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, sacrosanct or an essential feature of any or all the claims.
After reading the specification, skilled artisans will appreciate that certain features which are, for clarity, described herein in the context of separate embodiments, can also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, can also be provided separately or in any sub-combination. Further, references to values stated in ranges include each and every value within that range.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App No. 63/602,962, filed Nov. 27, 2023, and U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 63/541,466, filed Sep. 29, 2023, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63541466 | Sep 2023 | US | |
| 63602962 | Nov 2023 | US |
