AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING PRECIPITATION PROXIMITY NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20090175489A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Harrington, Nathan John
• Granted Patent: US 7,945,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/951 ground based
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/295 Means for transforming co-ordinates or for evaluating data, e.g. using computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/13 Satellite images
• 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 method and system for automatically generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by a user-defined detection zone within a geographic area. An image of the geographic area is received. The image includes pixels associated with the detection zone. Each pixel is associated with a sub-area of the detection zone. Characteristics (e.g., colors) of the pixels are obtained. The characteristics indicate intensities of precipitation being received by sub-areas of the detection zone. The intensities of precipitation that are greater than a first user-defined threshold are counted to produce a count. Based on the count'"'"'s comparison to a second user-defined threshold, a status of precipitation being received or not being received by the detection zone is determined. A notification of the status is generated and sent.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by an area, comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, an image of a geographic area, wherein said image includes a plurality of pixels, wherein said plurality of pixels includes a set of pixels associated with a detection zone within said geographic area, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels is associated with a sub-area of a plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone, and wherein said detection zone is predefined by a user of said computing system;

obtaining, by a computing system, a set of characteristics of said set of pixels, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels has a characteristic of said set of characteristics, and wherein said set of characteristics indicates a set of intensities of precipitation being received by said plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone;

counting, by said computing system, one or more intensities of said set of intensities, wherein each intensity of said one or more intensities is greater than a per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold, and wherein said counting results in a count;

determining, by said computing system and based on said count, a status of a precipitation event, wherein said status indicates precipitation is being received by said detection zone or said precipitation is not being received by said detection zone; and

generating, by said computing system, a notification of said status.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is receiving said precipitation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising sending, by said computing system, said notification of said indication that said detection zone is receiving said precipitation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is not greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is not receiving said precipitation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining said status further comprises retrieving a previous status, wherein said previous status indicates said detection zone was receiving said precipitation prior to said determining said status.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising sending, by said computing system, said notification of said indication that said detection zone is not receiving said precipitation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by said computing system, a plurality of parameters predefined by a user of said computing system, wherein said plurality of parameters includes a set of geospatial coordinates, a detection distance, said per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold and a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

defining said detection zone based on said set of geospatial coordinates and said detection distance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said image of said geographic area is a reflectivity radar image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said reflectivity radar image is publicly available and accessible via the Internet.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said reflectivity radar image is a Weather Surveillance Radar 88 Doppler (WSR-88D) base reflectivity radar image.

11. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instructions that when executed by said processor implement the method of claim 1.

12. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computing system implement a method of generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by an area, said method comprising:

receiving an image of a geographic area, wherein said image includes a plurality of pixels, wherein said plurality of pixels includes a set of pixels associated with a detection zone within said geographic area, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels is associated with a sub-area of a plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone, and wherein said detection zone is predefined by a user of said computing system;

obtaining a set of characteristics of said set of pixels, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels has a characteristic of said set of characteristics, and wherein said set of characteristics indicates a set of intensities of precipitation being received by said plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone;

counting one or more intensities of said set of intensities, wherein each intensity of said one or more intensities is greater than a per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold, and wherein said counting results in a count;

determining a status of a precipitation event based on said count, wherein said status indicates precipitation is being received by said detection zone or said precipitation is not being received by said detection zone; and

generating a notification of said status.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is receiving said precipitation.

14. The program product of claim 12, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is not greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is not receiving said precipitation.

15. The program product of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a plurality of parameters predefined by a user of said computing system, wherein said plurality of parameters includes a set of geospatial coordinates, a detection distance, said per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold and a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

defining said detection zone based on said set of geospatial coordinates and said detection distance.

16. The program product of claim 12, wherein said image of said geographic area is a reflectivity radar image.

17. A process for supporting computing infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing a method of generating a notification of a status of precipitation being received by an area, said method comprising:

receiving an image of a geographic area, wherein said image includes a plurality of pixels, wherein said plurality of pixels includes a set of pixels associated with a predefined and user-defined detection zone within said geographic area, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels is associated with a sub-area of a plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone;

obtaining a set of characteristics of said set of pixels, wherein each pixel of said set of pixels has a characteristic of said set of characteristics, and wherein said set of characteristics indicates a set of intensities of precipitation being received by said plurality of sub-areas of said detection zone;

counting one or more intensities of said set of intensities, wherein each intensity of said one or more intensities is greater than a per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold, and wherein said counting results in a count;

determining a status of a precipitation event based on said count, wherein said status indicates precipitation is being received by said detection zone or said precipitation is not being received by said detection zone; and

generating a notification of said status.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is receiving said precipitation.

19. The process of claim 17, wherein said determining said status comprises:

determining said count is not greater than a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

setting said status to an indication that said detection zone is not receiving said precipitation.

20. The process of claim 17, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a plurality of user-defined parameters, wherein said plurality of user-defined parameters includes a set of geospatial coordinates, a detection distance, said per-pixel precipitation quantity threshold and a total precipitation quantity threshold; and

defining said detection zone based on said set of geospatial coordinates and said detection distance.