NASA patents.

They have some weird patents...

*snip*
United States Patent 6,318,666
Brotz November 20, 2001

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Superconductive geomagnetic craft


Abstract
A craft that includes superconductive materials that are supported within the geomagnetic field of the earth by means of the Meissner effect. The craft is propelled by means of directing a current from a point to another therein which creates a propelling force thereon within such magnetic field as determined by the right-hand motor rule.


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Inventors: Brotz; Gregory R. (P.O. Box 1322, Sheboygan, WI 53081)
Appl. No.: 440187
Filed: November 15, 1999

*snip*
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The device of this invention resides in the field of aircrafts for transportation, and more particularly relates to a craft that is supported and propelled by using the earth´s geomagnetic field.

2. History of the Prior Art

It is well known that superconductive materials can be supported by a magnetic field which phenomenon is referred to as the Meissner effect. It is also known that if current is passed through a conductor crossing magnetic field lines, a force is exerted on such conductor in a direction determined by the right-hand motor rule. It is also known that if a large current is passed through a superconducting material, it will cause that material to become non-superconducting and to return to being a normal conductor. This level of current is referred to as the critical current density.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of this invention to utilize the geomagnetic field of the earth to support and propel a superconducting lightweight craft. In a preferred embodiment such craft can be spherical in shape. Other shapes such as a cylindrical or planar shape, etc. can also be used. In its simplest form such craft can be a superconducting layer formed on a lightweight aerogel insulation hollow sphere. The Meissner effect is well known and is usually demonstrated by cooling a fixed superconductor and having a rare earth permanent magnet levitate above it. This configuration is utilized because if one levitates the superconductor, it is no longer in contact with the coolant and soon warms above the critical temperature and thus is no longer levitated. The superconducting sphere of this invention acts as a diamagnet which repels the geomagnetic force fields thereagainst and tends to position itself at right angles to such magnetic lines of force. The magnetic force field utilized in this invention is the earth´s geomagnetic field.


[link to patft.uspto.gov]

Who wants to ride the space tram?

United States Patent 6,311,926
Powell , et al. November 6, 2001

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Space tram


Abstract
A spacecraft may be launched into outer space around the earth by magnetically suspending a sky tube having an inlet on earth and an outlet at altitude. The sky tube is evacuated, and the spacecraft is propelled therethrough to achieve escape velocity for reaching outer space.


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Inventors: Powell; James R. (P.O. Box 547, Shoreham, NY 11786); Maise; George (180 Harbor Rd., Stony Brook, NY 11790)
Appl. No.: 558423
Filed: April 25, 2000

*snip*
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A spacecraft may be launched into outer space around the earth by magnetically suspending a sky tube having an inlet on earth and an outlet at altitude. The sky tube is evacuated, and the spacecraft is propelled therethrough to achieve escape velocity for reaching outer space.

[link to patft.uspto.gov]

United States Patent 6,606,370
Kasprowicz August 12, 2003

System for the storage and transportation of anti-matter

Abstract
According to the invention, anti-matter can be stored in a spherical shell container (10) and is introduced into or extracted from the latter by being loaded in an attached piece (42) adjoining an.opening in the container from the exterior of the sphere into its interior, and this always taking place without touching the container wall and attached piece, which consist of matter. In accordance with a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment; spherical shell segments (18) generate in the interior of the sphere an electrostatic field which keeps electrically charged anti-matter in a stable position in a fashion centered about the center of the sphere of the storage system.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for storage of anti-matter comprising:

an evacuable hollow body comprised of at least one inner shell adapted for generating in the hollow body a force field for permitting anti-matter to be kept within the hollow body without contact with the inner shell;

And this?
United States Patent 6,550,114
Reece April 22, 2003

Cremation on atmospheric reentry.
[link to patft.uspto.gov]
I guess NASA is good at something at least.

United States Patent 6,488,233
Myrabo December 3, 2002

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Laser propelled vehicle

Abstract
Provided is a laser propelled craft having a) a forebody or nose, b) a tapering parabolic afterbody optic or mirror, c) a shroud mounted therebetween and extending aft to define an annular space around a portion of the afterbody near its base and d) means to transmit a pulsed laser beam toward the laser craft and afterbody optic and thence to focus into the annular shroud. The laser beam is pulsed to heat and pressurize the air in the annular space to expand same and propel such craft, the afterbody and shroud being so shaped as to self center or remain in the laser beam as the craft is propelled thereby. Such craft, which is spin-stablized, can also carry a fuel insert ring mounted in the shroud around the afterbody, to be ablated by the laser beam at a desired altitude, so as to transition from an air breathing craft to a rocket craft, when the atmospheric density becomes too low, e.g., at 30 km altitude so that the lasercraft can thereafter be propelled into, e.g., low earth orbit.

Inventors: Myrabo; Leik N. (Bennington, VT)
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air (Washington, DC)
Appl. No.: 846683
Filed: April 30, 2001

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[link to patft.uspto.gov]


Electronic full text is not currently available.
Title Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program. Fourth annual report to Congress for FY 1980
Publication Date 1981 Jan 01
System Entry Date 2001 May 13


quote:
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Description/
Abstract This fourth annual report on the implementation of the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-413, as amended by Public Law 95-238, referred to as the Act) complies with the reporting requirements established in Section 14 of the Act.^In addition to informing the Congress of the progress and plans of the Department`s Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program, this report is intended to serve as a communication link between the Department and all of the public and private interests involved in making the program a success.^During FY 1980, significant progress was made toward implementing the policies established by Congress in the Act.^There has been a noticeable increase in interest shown by both the market and the supply segments of our economy in electric and hybrid vehicles.^The demonstration site operators have increased in number to 68 with demonstration sites located in 94 cities across the Nation.^Loan guarantees were awarded to two electric vehicle manufacturers.^Research and development efforts in batteries and propulsion components, as well as total vehicle systems, continue to reveal significant progress toward providing industry with technology options that will result in vehicles with greater public acceptance.^The second electric test vehicle (ETV-2) developed under the DOE EHV Program was delivered.^This year, the EHV Program was restructured into five specific projects that are formulated to enhance the research, development, and demonstration of electric and hybrid vehicles leading to their expeditious introduction into the Nation`s transportation fleet to reduce our dependence on petroleum.
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[link to www.osti.gov]

United States Patent 6,667,487
Sims, III , et al. December 23, 2003

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Radio frequency trap for containment of plasmas in antimatter propulsion systems using rotating wall electric fields

Abstract
A containment apparatus for containing a cloud of charged particles comprises a cylindrical vacuum chamber having a longitudinal axis. Within the vacuum chamber is a containment region. A magnetic field is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber. The magnetic field is time invariant and uniform in strength over the containment region. An electric field is also aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber and the magnetic field. The electric field is time invariant, and forms a potential well over the containment region. One or more means are disposed around the cloud of particles for inducing a rotating electric field internal to the vacuum chamber. The rotating electric field imparts energy to the charged particles within the containment region and compress the cloud of particles. The means disposed around the outer surface of the vacuum chamber for inducing a rotating electric field are four or more segments forming a segmented ring, the segments conforming to the outer surface of the vacuum chamber. Each of the segments is energized by a separate alternating voltage. The sum of the voltages imposed on each segment establishes the rotating field. When four segments form a ring, the rotating field is obtained by a signal generator applying a sinusoidal signal phase delayed by 90, 180 and 270 degrees in sequence to the four segments.

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Inventors: Sims, III; William Herbert (Decatur, AL); Martin; James Joseph (Huntsville, AL); Lewis; Raymond A. (Boalsburg, PA)
Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the (Washington, DC)
Appl. No.: 361034
Filed: January 31, 2003


United States Patent 6,341,372
Datig January 22, 2002

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Universal machine translator of arbitrary languages

Abstract
A universal machine translator of arbitrary languages enables the semantic, or meaningful, translation of arbitrary languages with zero loss of meaning of the source language in the target language translation, which loss is typical in prior art human and machine translations. The universal machine translator embodies universal transformations itself and comprises the means for identifying high-level grammatical constructions of a source language word stream, constructing a grammatical world model of the syntax of the source language high-level word stream, decomposing source and target languages into universal moments of meaning, or epistemic instances, translating the epistemic moments of source and target languages with substantially no loss in meaning, constructing a grammatical world model of the syntax of the target language high-level word stream, optionally adjusting the target language syntax to comply with a preferred target language grammar, and generating the translated target language word stream. The universal machine translator also comprises the means to embody arbitrary sensory/motor receptions and transmissions of arbitrary word streams, which allows universally translated communications to occur among human beings and machines.

Inventors: Datig; William E. (P.O. Box 528, Centerport, NY 11721)
Appl. No.: 876378
Filed: June 16, 1997

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the creation and use of synthetic forms of existence, or androids, and more specifically relates to the development of a universal epistemological machine in which any forms of the universe, conventional technologies included, are represented, embodied and realized as eternal moments of an infinitely expanding continuum of enabled existential forms, as an alternative approach to resolving the problems of the human condition.

quote:
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Since the theory and science of androids advances a technology of beings who themselves know and perceive the world around us, an understanding of the biological forms of the universe, tied in with our views of medicine, will lay the groundwork for new definition that is established in the theory for what is living in the universe. The science of androids constructs beings, in the world around us, who obtain form from our definitions of who and what we think we are, as human beings. A misunderstanding of what is living in the universe may prevent one from coming to know the forms of androids. Coupled with this, a knowledge of the philosophies of humankind also is prerequisite, since they typically define who and what we think we are, and therefore are used in defining what an android is.

Androids embody consciousness. A background in psychology and psychiatry (since androids are corporal beings as well) is extremely beneficial to understanding the cognitive aspects of androidal construction. Thoughts, ideas, streams of consciousness and the whole realm of human cognition are not only explored in the theory and science of androids but are enabled in the material forms of the physical universe. A precise comprehension of what the humanities have said in regard to the human intellectual experience is background for a reading of this specification
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quote:
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves the problems faced in the prior art by addressing with the certainty of science and the broad philosophical views of the humanities the essence of human existence, in the context of its embodiment in a machinery or material form of the universe as a synthetic form of (human and otherwise) existence, referred to as an android, or more broadly a universal epistemological machine--as an intrinsically-endowed thinking machine. The present invention further involves not only a (single) thinking machine, or android, but pluralities of them, under the structure of the universal epistemological machine, in resolution to the higher efforts of humankind where the prior art approaches have met with difficulty in the technology of the workerless factory, since the present invention expands the human universe instead of replicating it.
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Much more information on [link to patft.uspto.gov]

More to come.