Abstract: Described are systems and methods that utilize nodes distributed at different geographic locations to detect and track the approximate position, trajectory, and/or predicted path of aerial vehicles operating below a defined altitude (e.g., 500 feet). As nodes detect an aerial vehicle, the node determines a bearing toward the aerial vehicle and provides the bearing to an air-traffic system. The air-traffic system processes bearings received from each node and determines one or more of an approximate position, trajectory, and/or predicted path of the detected aerial vehicle. The approximate position, trajectory, and/or predicted path may be provided to one or more subscribing clients and/or used to alter paths of one or more aerial vehicles.

Abstract: Data from collecting devices may be transmitted to a destination by piggybacking the data on a mobile device. In one example, when a mobile device comes within communication range of a data-collecting device, the data-collecting device, which may lack direct Internet connectivity, may upload data to the mobile device to be carried to a destination. The mobile device may store the data received from the collecting device. When the mobile device enters a state of Internet connectivity, the mobile device may use the Internet to upload the data that is carrying to a destination. In this way, collecting devices can transmit data to Internet locations without maintaining a direct, live connection to the Internet.

Abstract: A plurality of images may be combined around a central image to form one image. In one example, aerial photographs of a geographic area are taken and stored in a database, and a user requests to see some geographic region. The photo whose center is closest to the user's selected region is chosen as the center. If that photo encompasses the entire selected region, then that photo may be delivered to the user. If it takes several photos to contain the selected region, then photos from surrounding areas are chosen and are transformed to match the perspective of the central photo. The transformed photos are then stitched to the central photo and shown to the user. High-resolution photos may be delivered to a client from a server, and the transformation and stitching calculations may be performed by the client.