I don't understand why or how a rough sketch of a system is patentable in the first place. The air traffic control system isn't patented, our system of roads and highways aren't patented, bike paths, trails, and so on are not patented. Patenting a system of automated "see and avoid" for autonomous flight is a maybe, but ultimately all such aircraft have to fit into a standardized system that cannot depend on any one patent. One company can't "own" the drone air traffic control system.

Yeah, I am wondering about the limits of range, package weight, recharging operations and more for this kind of use. There are probably many headaches involved in implementing such projects.

I'm keenly interested reducing package weight and waste. I'd love to see innovation in that value chain.

For instance, shipping medications in baggies (pouches), where the script label is printed directly on the baggie.

Boxes within boxes, plus all the packing material, drives me nuts.

Range could be handled by having recharging stations spread out through a city (a drone could also swap batteries). However, the challenge is to keep the solution as low-cost as possible, because drones will be lost to weather, crashes, etc.

None of this is addressed though.

Why is the challenge to keep costs low?

If this means I can have something delivered in 45 minutes, or maybe 20 minutes!, they can charge a premium for that. Otherwise I wait for the big truck to bring it by within 2 days and it's free. Right now there is no solution at any cost, in my market, by which I can order almost any product from Amazon and have it within a few hours.

Amazon already does same-day delivery in more areas than you're likely to see drone-delivery in the next 5-10 years.

In most places, the fancy technology has zero advantage over employing a handful of couriers. Exceptions would include extreme geography or traffic conditions.

Straight line delivery and Amazons ability to mark a job finished more quickly are both valuable in any area.