Patents by Inventor Steven James Wilkins

Steven James Wilkins has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11587030
    Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be configured and deployed to maintain inventory and retrieve products for delivery. The UAVs can be equipped with a plurality of sensors used to assess the condition of inventory items, report the condition to a central control, and to retrieve inventory items. The UAVs can scan fruits and vegetables, for example, to determine the current ripeness. The UAV can then harvest the items if ready or provide a status update if they are not ready. The UAVs can be used in conjunction with transporters and harvesters to deliver products from the field or warehouse to a central control or directly to the customer. In scanning the products for readiness, the UAVs can also detect issues such as spoilage, fungus, and pests. This information can be used for the specific application of treatments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven James Wilkins
  • Patent number: 10796275
    Abstract: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be configured and deployed to maintain inventory and retrieve products for delivery. The UAVs can be equipped with a plurality of sensors used to assess the condition of inventory items, report the condition to a central control, and to retrieve inventory items. The UAVs can scan fruits and vegetables, for example, to determine the current ripeness. The UAV can then harvest the items if ready or provide a status update if they are not ready. The UAVs can be used in conjunction with transporters and harvesters to deliver products from the field or warehouse to a central control or directly to the customer. In scanning the products for readiness, the UAVs can also detect issues such as spoilage, fungus, and pests. This information can be used for the specific application of treatments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven James Wilkins
  • Patent number: 10303415
    Abstract: A plurality of UAVs may be operated in a fleet, each of the UAVs in the fleet being configured to work collectively to achieve one or more functions, such as to create a display or implement an antenna array. The fleet of UAVs may operate individually and/or may be coupled to one another to operate as a collective unit. In some embodiments, one or more UAVs in the fleet may operate individually, while two or more UAVs in the fleet may be connected to one another. In such embodiments, the individual UAVs and the connected UAVs may together comprise the fleet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Peruvemba Ranganathan Sai Ananthanarayanan, Danny Chan, Anuj Dron, Adrian Napoles, Rohit Sammeta, Steven James Wilkins
  • Patent number: 9973737
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for providing miniaturized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are disclosed. The techniques and systems can include significant off-board processing support for the UAVs to enable the UAVs to be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than conventional UAVs. The techniques and systems can include routines to provide enhanced support for police during routine traffic stops. The techniques and systems can also include routines to locate objects or people including, for example, locating a lost child in a crowd or a lost vehicle in a parking lot. The miniaturized UAVs can provide enhances perception for the user to enable the user to over and around objects for improved visibility and safety, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven James Wilkins
  • Patent number: 9471059
    Abstract: Techniques and systems for providing miniaturized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are disclosed. The techniques and systems can include significant off-board processing support for the UAVs to enable the UAVs to be smaller, lighter, and less expensive than conventional UAVs. The techniques and systems can include routines to provide enhanced support for police during routine traffic stops. The techniques and systems can also include routines to locate objects or people including, for example, locating a lost child in a crowd or a lost vehicle in a parking lot. The miniaturized UAVs can provide enhances perception for the user to enable the user to over and around objects for improved visibility and safety, among other things.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven James Wilkins