Automated marine vessel storage and retrieval system

Abstract

A system and method for automated marine vessel storage and retrieval in connection with a residential building is disclosed. The system and method include lifting device to vertically move the marine vessel in and out of a wet dock to and from land transfer height. A cradle engages the hull of the marine vessel and also engages a robotic carrier capable of moving said marine vessel horizontally and vertically to or from an internal storage location. The robotic carrier may receive instructions from a controller. A resident of the residential building may provide instructions to the robotic carrier using the controller to retrieve a marine vessel from storage and launch in the wet dock or transport a marine vessel from the wet dock to a storage location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for automated vessel storage, comprising:
 a storage structure, the storage structure comprising a plurality of storage locations inside the storage structure;   a residential structure comprising a plurality residential units, wherein said residential structure is connected to the storage structure;   a wet dock that receives a marine vessel, said wet dock including a lift, wherein said lift has a cradle portion on the top of the lift to engage the marine vessel;   said lift elevates said cradle holding the marine vessel to a land transfer height such that said marine vessel is removed from the water;   said cradle is transferred to a robotic carrier to move the cradle holding the marine vessel horizontally and vertically to transport the marine vessel to a storage location within the storage structure.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage structure includes storage locations for automotive vehicles. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said storage structure incudes storage locations for storage containers. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the residential structure is the upper portion of a building and the storage structure is the lower portion of a building. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a controller configured to receive instructions from a human user. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said controller is configured to receive instructions to store said marine vessel in said storage structure. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said controller may identify status information to the user as to the status of the storage of the marine vessel. 
     
     
         8 . A system for automated vessel retrieval from storage, comprising:
 a storage structure, the storage structure comprising a plurality of storage locations inside the storage structure;   a residential structure comprising a plurality residential units, wherein said residential structure is connected to the storage structure;   a cradle to hold a marine vessel;   a robotic carrier to engage the cradle;
 whereas, said robotic carrier receives instructions to locate and retrieve said marine vessel; said robotic carrier engages the cradle to retrieve said marine vessel and move said marine vessel horizontally and vertically to arrive at land transfer height; 
 said cradle holding said marine vessel is transferred to a wet dock, said wet dock including a lift; 
 said lift receiving said cradle holding said marine vessel at land transfer height and lifting said marine vessel below land transfer height into water. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said storage structure includes storage locations for automotive vehicles. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said storage structure incudes storage locations for storage containers. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the residential structure is the upper portion of a building and the storage structure is the lower portion of a building. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , further including a controller configured to receive instructions from a human user. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein said controller is configured to receive instructions to retrieve said marine vessel from said storage structure. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein said controller may identify status information to the user as to the status of the retrieval of the marine vessel. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method of automatically storing, retrieving, and launching a marine vessel comprising:
 receiving a request from a communication device associated with a resident of a residential complex;   determining whether the request is to store or launch a marine vessel associated with the resident;   retrieving the marine vessel from a storage location if the request is to launch the marine vessel, wherein retrieving the marine vessel from the storage location further comprises:
 locating the storage location of the marine vessel within a storage complex; 
 transporting the marine vessel from the storage location to a wet dock using a robotic carrier; 
 transferring the marine vessel from the robotic carrier; and 
 placing the marine vessel in a body of water; 
   retrieving the marine vessel from the wet dock if the request is to store the marine vessel, wherein retrieving the marine vessel from the wet dock further comprises:
 lifting the marine vessel out of the body of water; 
 placing the marine vessel on the robotic carrier; and 
 transporting the marine vessel from the wet dock to the storage location. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the storage location is associated with the resident. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein said marine vessel is secured outside of the water using a cradle that engages the hull of said marine vessel. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein said cradle engages the robotic carrier and said robotic carrier is capable of moving said cradle in three-dimensions. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , further including a controller configured to receive instructions from a human user. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein said controller receives instructions to retrieve said marine vessel from said storage structure. 
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein said controller receives instructions to store said marine vessel in said storage structure. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein said controller is configured to receive status information regarding the status of the marine vessel during retrieval and storage.