Management of Intellectual Property Rights

(MSL 802)

PATENT ANALYSIS
OF
UAV DELIVERY SYSTEM
(AMAZON TECH. INC.)

1 to :
Presented Presented by:
Dr. S.K. Jain Deepali Mamtani(2015SMN6547)
Vinay Joshi (2016SMN6658)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

 In the 20th Century, military research precipitated many widely used

technological innovations.

 Drones came into first use after World War II , and with advanced
usage in military, NY referred UAVs as “New paradigm for warfare”

 Tesla was the first to patent (US613809A , 1898) a remote-control for

unmanned vehicles (which he described as 'teleautomation'), becoming
one of the foundational principles for today's UAV's.

 From flying machines to aerial robots : “Aerial robot with dispensable

conductive filament”-Patent filed by Stealth Robotics, LLC In 2007 ,
granted in 2009 : with plurality of sensors for detecting different types
of environmental aspects associated with the aerial robot including
orientation information and images of an observed area.
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 UAV-CURRENT PATENT SCENARIO

The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) in China, United States Patent and Trademark
Office (USPTO), European Patent Office (EPO), Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) &
Japan Patent Office (JPO). 3
Source : ipwatchdog.com , Graph represents 20 years data (1997 – 2016)
AMAZON PRIME AIR- THE CONCEPT

 Introduction : December 1,
2013 Concept revealed by
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezoz

 Vision : Use multi-rotor

miniature unmanned aerial
vehicle (miniature UAV)
technology to deliver packages to
customers within 30 minutes of
ordering.

 Objectives :
 To increase the speed of delivery
for customers.
 Increase the safety and efficiency
of the overall transportation
system by reducing road traffic.
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THE PATENT – SALIENT POINTS
 Invention : UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE DELIVERY SYSTEM
 24 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
 Applicant : Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
 Inventors : Gur Kimchi, Bellevue, WA (US);
Daniel Buchmueller, Seattle, WA (US);
Scott A. Green, North Bend, WA (US);
Brian C. Beckman, Newcastle, WA (US);
Scott Isaacs, Bellevue, WA (US);
Amir Navot, Seattle, WA (US);
Fabian Hensel, Zurich (CH);
Avi Bar-Zeev, Oakland, CA (US);
Severan Sylvain Jean-Michel Rault, Bellevue, WA (US)
 Patent Application No. : 14/502,707
 Date of Application Filing : Sep. 30, 2014
 Prior Publication Data : US 2015/O12O094A1 Dated Apr. 30, 2015
 Patent No.: US 9,573,684 B2 5
 Date of Grant of Patent: Feb. 21, 2017
 Anticipated Expiration : Sep. 30, 2034
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

 This application claims priority to :

 U.S. Provisional Application 61/896,065, filed Oct. 26,

2013, entitled “Automated Aerial Delivery Vehicle,”

 U.S. Provisional Application 61/901,431, filed Nov. 7,

2013, entitled “Automated Aerial DeliveryVehicle
Routine And Safety,”

 Both of which are incorporated herein by reference in

their entirety.

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DRAWINGS AND THEIR BRIEF DESCRIPTION

 Fig 1 : Graphical user

interface for selecting
a delivery option for
the delivery of an
item, in an
implementation.

 Fig 2 : Block diagram

of a top-down view of
an unmanned aerial
vehicle, according to
an implementation.
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DRAWINGS AND THEIR BRIEF DESCRIPTION

 Fig 3A-3F : Block

diagrams of various
inventory engagement
mechanisms for engaging
and disengaging
inventory handled by the
unmanned aerial vehicle.

 Fig 4 : Block diagram of a

secure delivery location

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DRAWINGS AND THEIR BRIEF DESCRIPTION

 Fig 5 : Diagram of
a UAV environment,
according to an
implementation.

 Fig 6 : Block diagram of

a UAV landing at an
attended delivery location

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DRAWINGS/BLOCK DIAGRAMS AND THEIR BRIEF
DESCRIPTION

 Fig 7 : Flow diagram

illustrating an example
process for presenting
an unmanned aerial
vehicle delivery option
for an item

 Fig 8 : Flow diagram

illustrating an example
aerial delivery planning
process

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DRAWINGS/FLOW DIAGRAMS AND THEIR BRIEF
DESCRIPTION

 Fig 9 : Flow diagram

illustrating an example
automated
aerial delivery process

 Fig 10 : Flow diagram

illustrating an example
unmanned aerial
vehicle route planning
process

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DRAWINGS/BLOCK DIAGRAMS AND THEIR BRIEF
DESCRIPTION

 Fig 11 : Flow
diagram
illustrating an
example route
navigation
process

 Fig 12 : Flow
diagram
illustrating an
example delivery
notification
process
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DRAWINGS/BLOCK DIAGRAMS AND THEIR BRIEF
DESCRIPTION

 Fig 13 : Flow
diagram
illustrating an
example
unmanned
aerial vehicle
landing
process.

 Fig 14 : Block
diagram
illustrating
various
components of
an unmanned
aerial vehicle
control system
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DRAWINGS/BLOCK DIAGRAMS AND THEIR BRIEF
DESCRIPTION

 Fig 15 : Block diagram

of an illustrative
implementation of a
server system that may
be used with various
implementations.

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FUTURE AHEAD: RECENTLY GRANTED UAV PATENTS

“Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle Flight Path •Verizon: Filed in 2014 , Granted in 2016
Determination, •This patent covers a technology for computing
an efficient flight path for a UAV from a specific
Optimization, and location to a specific location based on weather
Management” conditions, air traffic already in the air or
schedule to be in the air, obstacles along the
U.S. Patent No. flight path (electric transmission towers come to
mind), restricted airspace and other factors.
9,334,052

“Systems and •Honeywell :Filed in 2013, Granted in 2015

Methods for •The technology in the patent addresses the
Unmanned Aerial instance that a drone visually detects an
obstacle in its flight path and enables the drone
Vehicle Navigation” to calculate a second flight plan to avoid the
obstacle.
U.S. Patent No.
8,543,265
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FUTURE AHEAD: RECENTLY GRANTED UAV PATENTS

“Deployment and
Adjustment of •Amazon :Filed in 2014 , Granted in 2016
•This patent covers a technology in which there are
Airborne Unmanned spots along the electric power grid at which a drone
can hover and recharge its batteries without having
Aerial Vehicles” to land.
U.S. Patent No.
9,421,869

“Systems and •SZ DJI Technology :Filed in 2014, Granted in 2016

Methods for UAV •This patent creates an “Energy Provision Station” at
which a drone can autonomously land, swap out its
Battery Exchange” battery or batteries, and take off. The drone
equivalent of a pit stop. The Energy Provision
U.S. Patent No. Station rep-charges the swapped-out batteries so
they are fully charged when the next drone shows
9,346,560 up.

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FUTURE AHEAD: RECENTLY GRANTED UAV PATENTS

“Unmanned Aerial • John Jarel : Filed in 2014 , Granted in 2016

•His invention uses a “lighting assembly” to
Vehicle communicate with overhead drones by shining
an image up into the sky for drones to read and
Communication, interpret. The minimum and maximum
Monitoring, and altitudes at which the drone should fly to avoid
collisions with other aircraft or ground objects,
Traffic and the location of a nearby landing zone are
just some of the data transmitted to the drone
Management” U.S. via a light beam.

Patent No. 9,087,451

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REFERENCES

 https://patents.google.com/patent/US9573684B2/
en?q=UAV&q=delivery&q=system&oq=UAV+deli
very+system

 https://www.lifewire.com/amazon-delivery-
drones-4155300

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Prime_Air

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