Airborne unmanned aerial vehicle monitoring station

US9741255B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC. · US

Inventors

• Amir Navot · Seattle, US
• Gur Kimchi · Bellevue, US
• Brandon William Porter · Yarrow Point, US
• Avi Bar-Zeev · Oakland, US
• Daniel Buchmueller · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 28, 2015
• Grant date: Aug 22, 2017
• Expiry date: Sep 3, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G5/57
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Described is an airborne monitoring station (“AMS”) for use in monitoring a coverage area and/or unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) positioned within a coverage area of the AMS. For example, the AMS may be an airship that remains at a high altitude (e.g., 45,000 feet) that monitors a coverage area that is within a line-of-sight of the AMS. As UAVs enter, navigate within and exit the coverage area, the AMS may wirelessly communicate with the UAVs, facilitate communication between the UAVs and one or more remote computing resources, and/or monitor a position of the UAVs.