Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will facilitate extended flight duration. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV also includes a thrusting motor and propeller assembly that is oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, it may be determined if the horizontal airspeed of the UAV exceeds an airspeed threshold. If the horizontal airspeed exceeds the airspeed threshold, the thrusting motor may be engaged and the thrusting propeller will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) configured to autonomously deliver items of inventory to various destinations. The UAV may receive inventory information and a destination location and autonomously retrieve the inventory from a location within a materials handling facility, compute a route from the materials handling facility to a destination and travel to the destination to deliver the inventory.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described for systems and methods for managing data. The system may include a device group configured for peer-to-peer communications, the device group including a computing device and one or more peer computing devices. The system includes a cross device application programming interface (API) that is implemented as a device group API client executed on the computing device and each of the peer computing devices. Each device group API client includes a permissions module that is configured to determine whether a request satisfies a device-group-specific permission for access to data stored on any device associated with the device group. Upon authorization of the request, a file storage module is configured to retrieve and output the requested file.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system and method for determining the center of gravity of a payload engaged by an automated aerial vehicle and adjusting components of the automated aerial vehicle and/or the engagement location with the payload so that the center of gravity of the payload is within a defined position with respect to the center of gravity of the automated aerial vehicle. Adjusting the center of gravity to be within a defined position improves the efficiency, maneuverability and safety of the automated aerial vehicle. In some implementations, the stability of the payload may also be determined to ensure that the center of gravity does not change or shift during transport due to movement of an item of the payload.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a system and method for operating an automated aerial vehicle wherein the battery life may be extended by performing one or more electricity generation procedures on the way to a destination (e.g., a delivery location for an item). In various implementations, the electricity generation procedure may include utilizing an airflow to rotate one or more of the propellers of the automated aerial vehicle so that the associated propeller motors will generate electricity (e.g., which can be utilized to recharge the battery, power one or more sensors of the automated aerial vehicle, etc.). In various implementations, the airflow may consist of a wind, or may be created by the kinetic energy of the automated aerial vehicle as it moves through the air (e.g., as part of a normal flight path and/or as part of an aerial maneuver).

Abstract: Techniques for content customization with security for client preferences are described herein. The techniques describe the customization of content provided by websites according to preferences, such as the interests, “likes” and demographic and/or geographic information of users. Additional techniques describe aspects of keeping the users' preferences secure from the website, so that the users' privacy and anonymity are protected. In one implementation, a “trusted entity” is trusted by users to obtain and store the preferences. Content may be obtained by the trusted entity from a content provider, such as a website. The content may be changed according to the preferences. The content is then provided to the users. In view of the changes made by the trusted entity, the user enjoys a customized version of the content. Additional techniques describe limits to customization, based on permissible customizations and frameworks generated by the content providers.

Abstract: Techniques for content customization with security for client preferences are described herein. The techniques describe the customization of content provided by websites according to preferences, such as the interests, “likes” and demographic and/or geographic information of users. Additional techniques describe aspects of keeping the users' preferences secure from the website, so that the users' privacy and anonymity are protected. In one implementation, a “trusted entity” is trusted by users to obtain and store the preferences. Content may be obtained by the trusted entity from a content provider, such as a website. The content may be changed according to the preferences. The content is then provided to the users. In view of the changes made by the trusted entity, the user enjoys a customized version of the content. Additional techniques describe limits to customization, based on permissible customizations and frameworks generated by the content providers.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can provide for a second-person avatar. The second-person avatar can rely upon a second-person-based perspective such that the avatar is displayed to appear to encompass all or portions of a target user. Accordingly, actions or a configuration of the avatar can serve as a model or demonstration for the user in order to aid the user in accomplishing a particular task. Updates to avatar activity or configuration can be provided by a dynamic virtual handbook. The virtual handbook can be constructed based upon a set of instruction associated with accomplishing the desired task and further based upon features or aspects of the user as well as those of the local environment.

Abstract: Embodiments enable the evaluation of injected queries within a monad. One or more operators with closures are received from a first process. The operators with closures represent one or more functions to be applied by a second process. The second process evaluates the received operators with closures to apply the functions within the monad. During evaluation, the second process converts the closures to simply typed closures. Further, the second process binds the converted closures within the monad to restrict execution of the functions. In some embodiments, the queries (e.g., sequences of one or more operators with closures) are composed using a set of query operators from the language integrated query (LINQ) framework encoded in uniform resource locators (URLs) in the representational state transfer (REST) style.

Abstract: Various embodiments are described for systems and methods for managing data. The system may include a device group configured for peer-to-peer communications, the device group including a computing device and one or more peer computing devices. The system includes a cross device application programming interface (API) that is implemented as a device group API client executed on the computing device and each of the peer computing devices. Each device group API client includes a permissions module that is configured to determine whether a request satisfies a device-group-specific permission for access to data stored on any device associated with the device group. Upon authorization of the request, a file storage module is configured to retrieve and output the requested file.

Abstract: Provided is a single repository for capturing, connecting, sharing, and visualizing information based on a geographic location, for example. Provided is a schema, repository, index, and APIs for any information, place, entity, attribute, service or person that can be referenced geographically. A system to provide real time image data includes an input component that receives image data associated with a specific geographic area, a splitter component that splits the image data into at least two quadrants, and a storage component that stores at least a portion of the at least two quadrants. Also provides is on-line or real-time advertising based on a user's mapped location and/or a user preference.

Abstract: Described are systems and methods for considering a user equipment (UE) location and Evolved Node B (eNodeBs) locations as a factor in determining whether a handoff of a wireless connection between the UE and a first eNodeB to a second eNodeB should be initiated. Alternatively, the systems and methods include selection of an eNodeB with which a wireless connection is to be established. In addition to considering a signal strength for an eNodeB and determining whether to established a wireless communication or initiate a handoff based on the signal strength, the UE location and eNodeB locations may likewise considered. Likewise, a navigation path or anticipated trajectory of the UE may also be considered when selecting an eNodeB with which a wireless communication is to be established or to which a handoff of an existing wireless communication is to be initiated.

Abstract: Noises that are to be emitted by an aerial vehicle during operations may be predicted using one or more machine learning systems, algorithms or techniques. Anti-noises having equal or similar intensities and equal but out-of-phase frequencies may be identified and generated based on the predicted noises, thereby reducing or eliminating the net effect of the noises. The machine learning systems, algorithms or techniques used to predict such noises may be trained using emitted sound pressure levels observed during prior operations of aerial vehicles, as well as environmental conditions, operational characteristics of the aerial vehicles or locations of the aerial vehicles during such prior operations. Anti-noises may be identified and generated based on an overall sound profile of the aerial vehicle, or on individual sounds emitted by the aerial vehicle by discrete sources.

Abstract: In server/client architectures, the server application and client applications are often developed in different languages and execute in different environments specialized for the different contexts of each application (e.g., low-level, performant, platform-specialized, and stateless instructions on the server, and high-level, flexible, platform-agnostic, and stateful languages on the client) and are often executed on different devices. Convergence of these environments (e.g., server-side JavaScript using Node.js) enables the provision of a server that services client applications executing on the same device. The local server may monitor local events occurring on the device, and may execute one or more server scripts associated with particular local events on behalf of local clients subscribing to the local event (e.g., via a subscription model).

Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAVs”) which fly to destinations (e.g., for delivering items) may land on transportation vehicles (e.g., delivery trucks, etc.) for temporary transport. An agreement with the owner of the transportation vehicles (e.g., a shipping carrier) may be made for obtaining consent and determining compensation for landings, and the associated transportation vehicles that are available for landings may be identified by markers on the roof or other identification techniques. The routes of the transportation vehicles may be known and utilized to determine locations where UAVs will land on and take off from the transportation vehicles, and in cases of emergencies (e.g., due to low batteries, mechanical issues, etc.) the UAVs may land on the transportation vehicles for later retrieval.

Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can provide for a second-person avatar. The second-person avatar can rely upon a second-person-based perspective such that the avatar is displayed to appear to encompass all or portions of a target user. Accordingly, actions or a configuration of the avatar can serve as a model or demonstration for the user in order to aid the user in accomplishing a particular task. Updates to avatar activity or configuration can be provided by a dynamic virtual handbook. The virtual handbook can be constructed based upon a set of instruction associated with accomplishing the desired task and further based upon features or aspects of the user as well as those of the local environment.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to varying a speed of one or more motors in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to reduce unwanted sound (i.e., noise) of the UAV. A UAV may include motors coupled with propellers to provide lift and propulsion to the UAV in various stages of flight, such as while ascending, descending, hovering, or transiting. The motors and propellers may generate noise, which may include a number of noise components such as tonal noise (e.g., a whining noise such as a whistle of a kettle at full boil) and broadband noise (e.g., a complex mixture of sounds of different frequencies, such as the sound of ocean surf). By varying the controls to the motors, such as by varying the speed or revolutions per minute (RPM) of a motor during operation by providing random or pseudo-random RPM variations, the UAV may generate a noise signature with reduced tonal noise.

Abstract: Aspects of modular airborne delivery are described. When a shipping container is provided to an airborne carrier for delivery, the airborne carrier may assess weather across a route for airborne delivery of the shipping container, evaluate an approach to drop the shipping container at a delivery zone, and calculate a remaining amount of time until a target delivery time, for example. The airborne carrier may then select components to assemble a modular unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on those or other factors, and assemble the UAV using the selected components. The modular UAV may then be directed to deliver the shipping container according to instructions from the airborne carrier. According to the concepts described herein, flexibility and other advantages may be achieved using modular UAVs for airborne delivery.

Abstract: This disclosure is directed to monitoring a noise signature of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and varying the speed of the motors of the UAV to reduce unwanted sound (i.e., noise) of the UAV based on the noise signature. The noise signature of the UAV may be measured by an audio sensor of a vibration sensor, and feedback may be provided to the UAV. The UAV may generate noise during flight, which may include a number of noise components such as tonal noise (e.g., a whining noise such as a whistle of a kettle at full boil) and broadband noise (e.g., a complex mixture of sounds of different frequencies, such as the sound of ocean surf). By measuring the noise signature of the UAV, and varying the motor revolutions per minute (RPM) during flight operations, the UAV may reduce tonal components of the UAV noise signature.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a frame that provides both structural support for the UAV and protection for foreign objects that may come into contact with the UAV. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV may also include one or more pushing motor and propeller assemblies that are oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the pushing motor(s) may be engaged and the pushing propeller(s) will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.