Method and system for generating and sending user-centric weather alerts

• US 20060267783A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: User-Centric IP, L.P. (Locator IP LP)
• Original Assignee: User-Centric IP, L.P. (Locator IP LP)
• Inventors: Smith, Michael R.
• Application Number:
  US11/494,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20060267783A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A meteorological alert system for mobile devices and users that includes a weather information service for analyzing meteorological data, generating device-specific weather alerts and transmitting the alerts to a set of relevant devices is disclosed. The processing system may be built into existing wireless service provider infrastructure or consist of a standalone component capable of interacting with wireless services. The weather alerts and information transmitted to users may be based specifically on each mobile device'"'"'s particular location and focuses maps and diagrams on the device as a central reference point. Alerts may be sent automatically based on continually monitored weather hazard information as well as based on continually or regularly monitored device locations.

Claims

1. A method for notifying one or more mobile devices of a weather condition, the method comprising:

identifying a weather condition based on information received from one or more sources;

determining a geographic area associated with the weather condition;

receiving a location of each of the one or more mobile devices;

determining at least one mobile device from the one or more mobile devices to alert of the weather condition based on the location of each of the one or more mobile devices and the geographic area associated with the weather condition; and

issuing a notification to the determined at least one mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining at least one mobile device from the one or more mobile devices to alert of the weather condition is further based on a user profile of each of the one or more mobile devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes a type of alert to receive.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes a threshold severity of the weather condition.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the user profile includes a threshold distance of the weather condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location of each of the one or more mobile devices is determined based on at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and signal triangulation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of issuing a notification to the determined at least one mobile device further includes:

generating a device-specific alert for each mobile device of the determined at least one mobile device; and

transmitting the device-specific alert to a corresponding mobile device of the determined at least one mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying a weather condition based on information received from one or more sources further includes forecasting the weather condition based on the information received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a location of each of the one or more mobile devices includes requesting location information from one or more mobile service providers associated with each of the one or more mobile devices.

10. A system for notifying one or more mobile devices of a weather condition, the system comprising:

a weather notification service configured to;

identify a weather condition based on information received from one or more sources;

determine a geographic area associated with the weather condition;

receiving a location of each of the one or more mobile devices;

determine at least one mobile device from the one or more mobile devices to alert of the weather condition based on the location of each of the one or more mobile devices and the geographic area associated with the weather condition; and

issue a notification to the determined at least one mobile device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the weather notification service is further configured to forecast weather conditions based on the information received from the one or more sources.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the location of each of the one or more mobile devices is received from the one or more mobile devices.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the weather notification service is configured to determine the location of each of the one or more mobile devices by requesting location information from one or more mobile service providers associated with the one or more mobile devices.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the weather notification service is configured to determine the location of each of the one or more mobile devices using at least one of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and signal triangulation.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the weather notification service is configured to determine at least one mobile device from the one or more mobile devices to alert of the weather condition by evaluating a user profile associated with each of the one or more mobile devices.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user profile includes a threshold severity of the weather condition.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user profile includes a threshold distance of the weather condition.

18. A weather notification system, comprising:

a processor;

a database; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

detecting inclement weather conditions based on weather data received from one or more sources;

determining a geographic area associated with the detected condition;

identifying one or more mobile devices subscribing to weather notifications;

determining a first set of one or more mobile devices from the subscribing one or more mobile devices based on a location of each of the subscribing one or more mobile devices;

determining a second set of one or more mobile devices from the first set based on one or more user specified parameters including at least one of a threshold severity of the condition and a threshold distance of the condition; and

generating a device-specific notification for each of the second set of one of more mobile devices based on the one or more user specified parameters; and

transmitting the device-specific notifications to a corresponding mobile device of the second set of one or more mobile devices.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more user specified parameters further includes a type of weather condition.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein detecting inclement weather conditions based on weather data received from one or more sources further includes forecasting the weather condition based on the data received.