Disney files patent applications to use drones in its theme parks

[Baitball Blogger]

Has Disney decided to go all in with the U.S. military’s anti-terrorism efforts? After all, why else would the company file patents to use drones?

A closer look at Disney’s UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] patent applications reveals language about the company’s plans for “entertainment” and “projections screens” at its theme parks, but surely that is just subterfuge in these dangerous times. Loose lips can sink steamboats, right Willie?

At any rate and according to a report that first surfaced last week on the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch blog, Disney has filed a trio of applications involving drones.

One of the applications is for a multi-drone system that would hold aloft a projection screen for a nighttime display. Such a display would utilize what Disney calls “flixels,” which is an Imagineer word creation for “floating pixels,” according to the background information Disney submitted.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/the-daily-disney/os-disney-files-patent-applications-to-use-drones-in-its-theme-parks-20140824,0,1657797.story

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I think where we went wrong was in allowing patents on anything other

than manufactured items. 'Processes' should not be allowed to be patented, nor patents on using things for a given purpose.

If you create a new lightbulb or whatever, fine, patent away.

But things like 'online shopping carts', 'one click shopping' or 'photographing items against a white background for selling online' should not be. Ditto, 'using drones to 'do x''. People shouldn't be forced into patenting every idea they have simply to prevent another company with a larger workforce from coming along and starting to work on the same thing later and finishing it earlier because they've got more coders, patenting it, and then sending cease and desist letters to people who started working on the idea first but are still not done, but didn't patent it beforehand because of the expense involved.

That sort of crap not only STIFLES creativity, but is structurally enabling to megacorporations while keeping small startups down.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

2. Drone =/= military...

You or I can buy a drone right now. It won't have weapons, but it will have a camera.
I have friends who have drones for aerial photography (one is a news reporter, the other a hobbyist).

[liberal N proud]

3. Could be that they want to use them for entertainment purpose

Not all drones are military or for big brother uses.

[d_r]

4. they could

let you stand in line for one so that you could fly it up to see how long the line in front of you is.

Actually, the entertainment use of holding up screens like that sounds pretty cool.


And of course they should be able to patent it. Why would they put that money into an attraction to attract customers if bush gardens and universal could just copy it. For the same reason that Disney shouldn't be able to just put up a Harry Potter world to copy universal, etc.

[peabody]

5. That sounds like a good idea.

If they can make a done that looks like Tinker Bell so she can fly around
the park, that would be pretty cool too. Imagine, no more having to
hang some park employee high up in the sky during the fireworks
display to wave around a wand. Of course, the park employee probably
can do a better job because she can move and wave like a real person.

[Lex]

6. Donald . . . duck!

[jmowreader]

8. Golf courses will be big users of the technology

Consider: Cell phones can report their GPS locations. 911 uses this. The course would put a cell phone of its own on every cart. If you wanted beers, more balls or whatever, you'd call the pro shop on a course-owned phone and a caddy drone would bring your order to you. And then the two cute ladies driving Gators with ice chests around the course could be given better jobs within the company.