Estimation apparatus, estimation method, and computer-readable storage medium

• US 10,379,259 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2016
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Tetsuya, Namiki, Aya, Mizutani, Fumihiko, Watanabe, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalbo, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US15/251,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/06 giving a combined indication of weather conditions catathermometers for measuring "cooling value" related either to weather conditions or to comfort of other human environment G01W1/17; computers per se G06
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F

Abstract

An estimation apparatus includes an acquirer, a deriver, and a determiner. The acquirer acquires time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude. The deriver derives a first change in cloud altitude from at least a first altitude at a first time and a second altitude at a second time. The deriver derives a second change in cloud altitude from at least a third altitude at a third time and a fourth altitude at a fourth time. The determiner determines a cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first and second changes in cloud altitude.

Claims

1. An estimation system comprising:

a meteorological apparatus and an acquirer,

said meteorological apparatus configured to observe atmospheric conditions in which include first and second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude, and transmit the first and the second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude to said acquirer,

said acquirer configured to communicate with the meteorological apparatus, and acquire at least the first and the second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude transmitted by the meteorological apparatus; and

a deriver configured to derive at least a first change in cloud altitude from at least a first altitude at a first time and a second altitude at a second time, the first and second times being different from each other, the first altitude and the second altitude being included in the first set of the time-sequential observation data, and the deriver being configured to derive a second change in cloud altitude from at least a third altitude at a third time and a fourth altitude at a fourth time, the third and fourth times being different from each other, the third time being different from the first and second times, the fourth time being different from the first and second times, the third altitude and the fourth altitude being included in the second set of the time-sequential observation data; and

a determiner configured to determine a cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first and second changes in cloud altitude,

wherein the acquirer is configured to further acquire third and fourth sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude,

the first and second sets of time-sequential observation data are of a first region,

the third and fourth sets of time-sequential observation data are of a second region different from the first region in at least one of latitude and longitude,

the first region includes a plurality of first sub-regions aligned in altitude direction,

the second region includes a plurality of second sub-regions aligned in altitude direction,

the deriver is configured to derive the first and second changes in cloud altitude of the first region,

the deriver is configured to further derive a third change of the second region, from at least a fifth altitude at a fifth time and a sixth altitude at a sixth time, the fifth and sixth times being different from each other, the fifth altitude and the sixth altitude being included in the third set of the time-sequential observation data,

the deriver is configured to further derive a fourth change of the second region, from at least a seventh altitude at a seventh time and an eighth altitude at an eighth time, the seventh and eighth times being different from each other, the seventh altitude and the eighth altitude being included in the fourth set of the time-sequential observation data, and

the determiner is configured to determine the cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first, second, third and fourth changes in cloud altitude.

2. The estimation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determiner is configured to determine a cloud-aggregate based at least in part on the first, second, third and fourth sets of time-sequential observation data, the determiner is configured to determine the cloud developmental stage of the cloud-aggregate, based at least in part on the first, second, third and fourth changes in cloud altitude.

3. The estimation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data generator configured to generate display-data indicating the cloud developmental stage.

4. The estimation apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the determiner is configured to determine, based at least in part on at least one of:

the first, second, third, fourth altitudes, and the first, second, third, and fourth changes in cloud altitude, a level of heavy rain risk associated with the cloud developmental stage for the first region, and based at least in part on at least one of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eight altitudes and the first, second, third and fourth changes in cloud altitude, a level of heavy rain risk associated with the cloud developmental stage for the second region.

5. The estimation apparatus according the claim 4, further comprising:

a data generator configured to generate display-data indicating the level of heavy rain risk.

6. An estimation system comprising:

a meteorological apparatus and an acquirer,

said meteorological apparatus configured to observe atmospheric conditions in which include first and second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude, and transmit the first and the second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude to said acquirer,

the acquirer configured to communicate with the meteorological apparatus, and acquire at least the first and the second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude transmitted by the meteorological apparatus; and

a deriver configured to derive at least a first change in cloud altitude from at least a first altitude at a first time and a second altitude at a second time, the first and second times being different from each other, the first altitude and the second altitude being included in the first set of the time-sequential observation data, and the deriver being configured to derive a second change in cloud altitude from at least a third altitude at a third time and a fourth altitude at a fourth time, the third and fourth times being different from each other, the third time being different from the first and second times, the fourth time being different from the first and second times, the third altitude and the fourth altitude being included in the second set of the time-sequential observation data; and

a determiner configured to determine a cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first and second changes in cloud altitude,

wherein the first time is prior to the second, third and fourth times, and the second time is prior to the third and fourth times, and the third time is prior to the fourth times,

the determiner is configured to determine that the cloud developmental stage is a cloud developing stage in a case that the determiner determines that the first change is smaller by at least a first threshold than the second change, and

the determiner is configured to determine that the cloud developmental stage is a cloud diminishing stage in a case that the determiner determines that the first change is greater by at least a second threshold than the second change.

7. The estimation apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the determiner is configured to determine that the cloud developmental stage is in a most developed stage in a case that the determiner determines that the difference between the first and second changes in cloud altitude is smaller than a smaller one of the first and second thresholds.

8. An estimation method comprising:

acquiring at least first and second sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude; and

deriving at least a first indicator indicating a first change in cloud altitude from at least a first altitude at a first time and a second altitude at a second time, the first and second times being different from each other, the first altitude and the second altitude being included in the first set of the time-sequential observation data;

deriving a second indicator indicating a second change in cloud altitude from at least a third altitude at a third time and a fourth altitude at a fourth time, the third and fourth times being different from each other, the third time being different from the first and second times, the fourth time being different from the first and second times, the third altitude and the fourth altitude being included in the second set of the time-sequential observation data; and

determining a cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first and second indicators,

wherein the acquiring further acquires third and fourth sets of time-sequential observation data related to cloud-altitude,

the first and second sets of time-sequential observation data are of a first region,

the third and fourth sets of time-sequential observation data are of a second region different from the first region in at least one of latitude and longitude,

the first region includes a plurality of first sub-regions aligned in altitude direction,

the second region includes a plurality of second sub-regions aligned in altitude direction,

the deriving includes,

deriving the first and second changes in cloud altitude of the first region,

deriving a third change of the second region, from at least a fifth altitude at a fifth time and a sixth altitude at a sixth time, the fifth and sixth times being different from each other, the fifth altitude and the sixth altitude being included in the third set of the time-sequential observation data, and

deriving a fourth change of the second region, from at least a seventh altitude at a seventh time and an eighth altitude at an eighth time, the seventh and eighth times being different from each other, the seventh altitude and the eighth altitude being included in the fourth set of the time-sequential observation data, and

the determining includes determining the cloud developmental stage based at least in part on the first, second, third and fourth changes in cloud altitude.