SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF REMOTE WEATHER DETECTION FOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

• US 20090292470A1
• Filed: 05/20/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trimble Inc.
• Inventors: Curry, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,429,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/95 for meteorological use
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F
• 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

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for managing and regulating construction sites, particularly in light of inclement weather or hazardous conditions. In many jurisdictions, extreme weather conditions, including excessive precipitation, render a construction site closed, or unworkable, thereby wasting time and resources. This invention provides a system and processes to monitor, detect and measure precipitation on a construction site, and even several sub-sites on the construction site, from a remote location. The system and processes of the present invention also provide features to further investigate precipitation levels in a more efficient manner than conventionally available and to communicate the construction site conditions, e.g., precipitation levels, and whether the site has met the required regulatory thresholds for inspection. Moreover, the present invention may be used to determine the magnitude of rain events, and potential liabilities associated therewith.

Claims

1. A method for measuring precipitation impact on construction and engineering inspection locations comprising:

determining a particular geographic location, wherein the predetermined geographic location is the subject of construction and engineering;

setting a remote monitoring system to detect a threshold value of a weather condition at the geographic location;

obtaining information about the remotely monitored weather condition at the geographic location;

evaluating the weather condition against the threshold value to obtain an evaluated value; and

providing an end-user the evaluated value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather condition is one selected from the group consisting of precipitation level, rainfall, temperature, and wind speed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein weather condition is precipitation level.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the precipitation levels are measured for period of time in the past.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level is established by a regulatory body.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold level corresponds to an authorization control for construction and engineering duties.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deploying an on-site inspection of the geographic location when the evaluated value is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the ability to perform construction and engineering at the geographic location when the evaluated value is greater than or equal to threshold value.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the evaluated value to a rain event value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining potential liability associated with a construction or engineering company.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the potential liability corresponds to flood damages.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the potential liability corresponds to construction work days.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring system includes more than one monitored site on the geographic location.

14. The method of claim 13, where each monitored site provides weather condition data and is associated with the threshold value specific to the site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic location comprises a road, a bridge, a tunnel, a dam, a building, a combination thereof, or any construction site and the grounds of and adjacent to such site.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a first portion of the geographic location may have the evaluated value for the weather condition that exceeds the corresponding threshold value for the weather condition.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein first portion of the geographic location is determined to be closed to construction and engineering.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote monitoring system comprises one or more weather stations disposed on the predetermined location.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein each device of the monitoring system is located entirely remote from the predetermined location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote monitoring system comprises satellite imagery or radar.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving precipitation levels for the geographic location over a period of time; and

compiling precipitation levels for the geographic location over the period of time.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the period of time is between a range from one day to 100 years.

23. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote monitoring system comprises Doppler radar and one or more interpolation methods to calculate precipitation levels from rainfall.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value is variable.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the end-user is contacted via one or more of the following:

email, SMS message, MMS message, telephone, and the Internet.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather condition data are received in substantially real-time.

27. A method for measuring precipitation impact on construction and engineering inspection locations comprising:

receiving the coordinates for a particular geographic location, wherein the geographic location is the subject of construction and engineering;

processing a threshold value of a weather condition at the geographic location;

receiving data of the weather condition at the geographic location from a remote monitoring system;

processing the precipitation levels against the threshold value to provide an evaluated value; and

transmitting the evaluated value to an end user.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

processing a work report of construction and engineering at the geographic location;

processing an on-site inspection of the geographic location; and

transmitting an order for the on-site inspection to one or more inspectors.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

processing potential liability dependent on the weather condition for one or more construction and engineering entities.

30. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

a data structure stored thereon adapted and configured to route signals, wherein the data structure comprises a computer readable system for measuring precipitation impact on construction and engineering inspection locations;

a processing system configured and adapted to communicate with a plurality of computers, wherein the processing system is arranged to accept input of;

coordinates of a geographic location, wherein the predetermined geographic location is the subject of construction and engineering;

a remote monitoring system about the geographic location, wherein the remote monitoring system is programmed to detect a threshold value of a weather condition;

the weather condition on the geographic location;

an evaluation of the weather condition against threshold value, wherein the evaluation results in an evaluated value; and

an alert to an end-user comprising the evaluated value.

31. A system for measuring precipitation impact on construction and engineering inspection locations comprising:

means for determining a particular geographic location, wherein the geographic location is the subject of construction and engineering;

means for establishing a threshold value of a weather condition about the geographic location;

means for obtaining information from the remotely monitored weather condition on the geographic location;

means for evaluating the weather condition on the geographic location against the threshold value for the geographic location to obtain an evaluated value; and

means for alerting an end-user of the evaluated value.

32. A method for measuring precipitation impact on construction and engineering inspection locations comprising:

determining a particular geographic location, wherein the predetermined geographic location is the subject of construction and engineering;

setting a local device of a remote monitoring system to detect a threshold value of a weather condition at the geographic location;

obtaining information about the locally monitored weather condition at the geographic location at a remote location;

evaluating the weather condition against the threshold value to obtain an evaluated value; and

providing an end-user the evaluated value.