Amazon to create highway network that controls self-driving cars, trucks

In the patent, Amazon outlines a network that can communicate with self-driving vehicles so they can adjust to the change in traffic flow. That’s particularly important for self-driving vehicles traveling across state lines onto new roads with unfamiliar traffic laws.

In December 2016, the online retailer bought up thousands of its own truck trailers to deliver goods from one Amazon warehouse to another.

Amazon is expected to create self-driving delivery vehicles out of its drone division, Prime Air. The roadway management system will help “assign” lanes to autonomous vehicles depending on where the vehicle is going and what would best alleviate traffic.

It’s a system that’s similar to the cloud platforms that automakers and tech companies are creating so vehicles can communicate traffic patterns, safety stats and other information. Amazon’s proposed network would be owned and operated by Amazon, not each individual automaker. It also appears to be designed so any carmaker’s vehicles can take advantage of the technology.