"The docking stations may incorporate a number of features to enable UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] to fly longer routes, to fly routes more accurately and to provide shelter during adverse conditions," Amazon's U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filing states.
While Amazon appears ready for drone deliveries, regulations still stand in the way. In June, the Federal Aviation Administration created new rules that stymied Amazon's plan — which is to use high-up docking stations as a method of transferring packages to human carriers, where packages are lowered via a "vacuum tube, dumbwaiter, elevator or conveyor." The stations could also be used as cellular towers that provide free or fee-based Internet service to the public with a minimal footprint, Amazon speculated.
