Patent ID: 7721669

Claim:
A common payload rail for externally supporting a payload having longitudinally extending receiving means on a marine vehicle comprising: a vehicle interface module having a conforming surface and feed-through conduits extending therethrough, said conforming surface of said vehicle interface module being rigidly secured to the marine vehicle; a functionality module secured to said vehicle interface module having internal components for interfacing the payload and the marine vehicle; and a payload interface module secured to said functionality module having feed-through conduits extending therethrough, at least one securing mechanism, and at least one longitudinally extending rail structure sized to engage the longitudinally extending receiving means on the payload, wherein said longitudinally extending rail structure is shaped to extend into at least one correspondingly shaped longitudinally extending receiving means on the payload to arrest lateral displacement between said payload interface module and the payload and said securing mechanism is disposed to engage the payload to arrest longitudinal displacement between said payload interface module and the payload and wherein said feed-through conduits extending through said payload interface module and said vehicle interface module receive select ones of electrical conductors and optical fibers for power and data transmission and communication requirements of the payload, said functionality module, and the marine vehicle.