[TXSTYLE]

WOW... Just WOW!!!

Note to every other retailer on the planet... Game Over!

http://www.yahoo.com/news/m/fbc8db06...ent-for-a.html

Amazon wins patent for a flying warehouse that will deploy drones to deliver parcels in minutes!

AMAZON has been awarded a patent for a giant flying warehouse that acts as a launchpad for drones to deliver items within minutes.

The U.S. e-commerce giant described plans for an "airborne fulfillment center" (AFC) such as an airship or blimp that would float at an altitude of around 45,000. The airship will be stocked with lots of products.

When a customer places an order, a drone or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will fly down and deliver the package. Amazon insists that this would require little power because the drone would be gliding down rather than having to take off and land.

"When the UAV departs the AFC, it may descend from the high altitude of the AFC using little or no power other than to guide the UAV towards its delivery destination and/or to stabilize the UAV as it descends," the patent filing explains.

Amazon's filing reveals several uses for the warehouse blimp. One example is at a football match where customers may want certain items such as food or merchandise. Ahead of the game, the AFC could stock up on items and deploy these during the game with drones when they are ordered. The airship could also be used as a giant advertising board, allowing customers to order the items on display. All of these can be ordered "within minutes".

The drones would be able to communicate with each other via a mesh network to give information such as weather and route. UAVs could also recharge on the airship.

Amazon's filing explains that the blimp would remain in the air and be refueled and replenished using a shuttle. This could be a smaller aircraft capable of docking onto the AFC and unloading products as well as fuel.

If this plan saw the light of day, Amazon would likely need regulatory approval from aviation authorities which could be complex.

The patent filing was awarded in April this year but only circulated this week. It's not the first patent that Amazon has been awarded regarding drone deliver. In July, a patent showed how Amazon was thinking about tall buildings and structures such as lampposts or churches as docking stations for drones to recharge. Another patent described how drones would "talk" to each other to plan routes and communicate.

Amazon successfully trialed its first delivery by drone in the U.K. earlier this month and is pushing ahead with plans to make this widely available. The U.S. firm files and is awarded many patents but it does not necessarily mean the ideas will become reality.

Honestly... AMAZON has changed the way I shop for damn near everything since I became a PRIME member years ago. In fact, the only items I don't buy directly via Amazon: Groceries and some clothing. Supplements, electronics, hardware, tools, paper products, toys, etc all come from Amazon. Their customer service is second to none! Returns and credits/refunds are super simple and I have received countless credits amounting to hundreds of dollars over the years.

[Zippster]

I wonder how this would work in densely populated areas where commercial, police, and general aviation operate? These drones would be large enough to do considerable damage in a mid-air.

[Dekansnowman]

So now imagine the skyline of Blade Runner, but add an Amazon blimp in the background, lol.

[Alvinized52]

I doubt this will ever fly. Patent being awarded does not necessarily mean its going to happen. There's way too many liabilities associated with this concept.

[GuidoK]

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

I doubt this will ever fly. Patent being awarded does not necessarily mean its going to happen.

The patent is likely to be valid for 20 years....
Tough job getting this done within 20 years and making a profit of of it.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by Alvinized52

I doubt this will ever fly.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Not sure how safe packages would be.

Also, will be funny to see real estate agents describing views as unobstructed from perceived falling objects and drones as a selling point.

[PoorLurker]

They need to build all new houses with tunnels that will allow the products to just show up!

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

They need to build all new houses with tunnels that will allow the products to just show up!

Vacuum lines direct to amazon warehouses.

[WhatsADSM]

Getting awarded a patent is orders of magnitude easier than getting through the various regulating bodies, and actually implementing something like this. At this point I think they are trying to just come to an agreement in having autonomous UAVs operate at all.

[KennySRFElite]

LOL, Really, this has to be the best example of FAKE news i've seen yet.
KP

[ASBSECU E93]

Skeptics....the lot of you!!

Imagine how far drone tech has progressed in the last 10 years though....

[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

Vacuum lines direct to amazon warehouses.

Hahaha! There would be some serious landscaping and excavation going on!

This solution is much more economical.

[Zippster]

Originally Posted by cautjit

LOL, Really, this has to be the best example of FAKE news i've seen yet.
KP

I saw it on the TV news, a little more believable.

[BayMoWe335]

Amazon is an amazing company. That said, this is typical snake oil Bezos pumps to get people like you excited.

AMZN's valuation is still crazy and they do have a cap on how big they can actually become. AMZN has lost money every single quarter up until about a year ago and still operates on incredibly small margins.

Just to give you some perspective on net income (profit) for 2015:

AMZN - $566M profit - Valuation of $375b (non finance people, this is an insane valuation relative to earnings power and predicts future earnings will be much, much higher)

Walmart - $15b profit - Valuation of $210b - Market values Walmart about 1/2 of Amazon, but Walmart makes 40X the profit.

Apple - $46b in profit (almost 100x amzn) - Valuation of $615b (less than 2x AMZN)

[Zippster]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

Vacuum lines direct to amazon warehouses.

I like it, they can bury all the telephone and power lines along side the vacuum tubes, nice and clean, no telephone poles.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

Hahaha! There would be some serious landscaping and excavation going on!

This solution is much more economical.

Cardboard box air pollution on tonight's Channel 9 news!

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Amazon is an amazing company. That said, this is typical snake oil Bezos pumps to get people like you excited.

AMZN's valuation is still crazy and they do have a cap on how big they can actually become. AMZN has lost money every single quarter up until about a year ago and still operates on incredibly small margins.

Just to give you some perspective on net income (profit) for 2015:

AMZN - $566M profit - Valuation of $375b (non finance people, this is an insane valuation relative to earnings power and predicts future earnings will be much, much higher)

Walmart - $15b profit - Valuation of $210b - Market values Walmart about 1/2 of Amazon, but Walmart makes 40X the profit.

Apple - $46b in profit (almost 100x amzn) - Valuation of $615b (less than 2x AMZN)

Because Amazon is in California! If it was located in Texas it wouldn't be nearly as attractive.

[BayMoWe335]

By the way, you should see some of the patents companies have. Means absolutely nothing. Apple has some crazy patents. Doesn't mean they'll ever come to fruition or make money.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Because Amazon is in California! If it was located in Texas it wouldn't be nearly as attractive.

Apple is in California and I own thousands of shares. Don't try to be funny and just look at the numbers I provided. You can learn something.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Apple is in California and I own thousands of shares. Don't try to be funny and just look at the numbers I provided. You can learn something.

What does your post offer people that already isn't obvious to anyone who spent 10 seconds researching stocks?

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

What does your post offer people that already isn't obvious to anyone who spent 10 seconds researching stocks?

99% of America wouldn't have a clue about what I posted and you know it. Most of America would think Amazon makes crazy amounts of money and would have no yard stick for how much profit is a lot.

More people think stock prices have something to do with their valuation than than p/e multiples or number of shares outstanding.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

99% of America wouldn't have a clue about what I posted and you know it. Most of America would think Amazon makes crazy amounts of money and would have no yard stick for how much profit is a lot.

More people think stock prices have something to do with their valuation than than p/e multiples or number of shares outstanding.

Did you just call me a 1%r?



Yes, I agree with everything you posted.