System and method for providing a device with protection from a weather event

• US 20030169174A1
• Filed: 03/06/2002
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liebenow, Frank
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing a device with protection from a weather event. A method for providing a device with protection from weather events may include receiving a notification of a weather event. At least one weather characteristic of the weather event is determined and whether at least one device of a plurality of devices is ascertained as susceptible to the determined weather characteristic. Protective action is taken to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the notified weather event.

Claims

1. A method for providing a device with protection from weather events, comprising:

receiving a notification of a weather event;

determining at least one weather characteristic of the weather event;

ascertaining whether at least one device of a plurality of devices is susceptible to the determined weather characteristic; and

taking protective action to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the notified weather event.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the notification is received from a weather monitoring device.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the weather monitoring device includes a weather radio.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the weather characteristic of the weather event includes at least one of lightning, flooding, winds, precipitation and temperature.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein ascertaining includes querying a database of devices, the database including an indication of susceptibility of the device to a weather characteristic.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein protective action includes at least one of, disconnecting the device from an external connection, shutting down the device, saving data on the device, dampening an antenna turning off a water supply and turning off of a gas supply.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the notification of the weather event includes an indication of a geographic region for the weather event.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the indication includes at least one of data identifying current location of the weather event and data indicating a location to which the weather event may threaten.

9. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the geographic region is identified based on at least one of county and zip code.

10. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

determining an approaching weather event, the determination made by a local weather monitoring device, the local weather monitoring device monitoring weather conditions in a corresponding region to the device; and

accessing a weather data provider in response to the determined impending weather event, the weather data provider suitable for providing a notification of a weather event.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein a weather event is approaching, taking an initial protective action of at least one device of the plurality of devices.

12. A method for providing a device with protection from weather events, comprising:

receiving a notification of a weather event, the notification including an indication of a geographic region for the weather event, the indication including at least one of data identifying a current location of the weather event and data indicating a location to which the weather event may threaten;

determining at least one weather characteristic of the weather event;

ascertaining whether at least one device of a plurality of devices is susceptible to the determined weather characteristic; and

taking protective action to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the weather event.

13. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the notification is received from a weather monitoring device.

14. The method as described in claim 13, wherein the weather monitoring device includes a weather radio.

15. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the weather characteristic of the weather event includes at least one of lightning, flooding, winds, precipitation and temperature.

16. The method as described in claim 12, wherein ascertaining includes querying a database of devices, the database including an indication of susceptibility of the device to a weather characteristic.

17. The method as described in claim 12, wherein protective action includes at least one of, disconnecting the device from an external connection, shutting down the device, saving data on the device, dampening an antenna, turning off a water supply and turning off a gas supply.

18. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the geographic region is identified based on at least one of county and zip code.

19. The method as described in claim 12, further comprising:

determining an approaching weather event, the determination made by a local weather monitoring device, the local weather monitoring device monitoring weather conditions in a corresponding region to the device; and

accessing a weather data provider in response to the determined impending weather event, the weather data provider suitable for providing a notification of a weather event.

20. The method as described in claim 12, wherein a weather event is approaching, taking an initial protective action of at least one device of the plurality of devices.

21. A system for protecting devices from weather events, comprising:

a plurality of devices communicatively coupled over a network; and

a weather warning detection device communicatively coupled over the network to the plurality of devices, wherein the weather warning device receives a notification of a weather event, the weather warning device determines at least one weather characteristic of the weather event and ascertains whether at least one device of the plurality of devices is susceptible to the determined weather characteristic and takes protective action to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the notified weather event.

22. The system as described in claim 21, wherein the notification is received from at least one of a weather detector included with the weather warning detection device;

and a website.

23. The system as described in claim 21, wherein the weather warning detection device takes protective action to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the notified weather event and does not take protective action to protect the at least one device of the plurality of devices which is ascertained as not susceptible to the determined weather characteristic from the notified weather event.

24. The system as described in claim 21, wherein the weather characteristic of the weather event includes at least one of lightning, flooding, winds, precipitation and temperature.

25. The system as described in claim 21, wherein ascertaining includes querying a database of devices, the database including an indication of susceptibility of the device to weather characteristic.

26. The system as described in claim 21, wherein protective action includes at least one of, disconnecting the device from an external connection, shutting down the device, saving data on the device, dampening an antenna, turning off a water supply and turning off a gas supply.

27. The system as described in claim 21, wherein the notification of the weather event includes an indication of a geographic region for the weather event.

28. The system as described in claim 27, wherein the indication includes at least one of data identifying current location of the weather event and data indicating a location to which the weather event may threaten.

29. The system as described in claim 27, wherein the geographic region is identified based on at least one of county and zip code.

30. The system as described in claim 21, further comprising:

determining an approaching weather event, the determination made by a local weather monitoring device, the local weather monitoring device monitoring weather conditions in a corresponding region to the device; and

accessing a weather data provider in response to the determined impending weather event, the weather data provider suitable for providing a notification of a weather event.

31. The system as described in claim 21, wherein a weather event is approaching, taking an initial protective action of at least one device of the plurality of devices.

32. A system for configuring a device for protection from weather events, comprising:

means for receiving a notification of a weather event;

means for determining at least one weather characteristic of the weather event from the notification obtained from the receiving means;

means for ascertaining whether at least one device of a plurality of devices is susceptible to the weather characteristic as determined from the determining means; and

means for taking protective action to protect the at least one device susceptible to the determined weather characteristic of the notified weather event.