SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DAMAGE PREVENTION FROM WEATHER OCCURRENCES

• US 20100085197A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Encarnacion, Antonio O. JR., Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne M., Moore, Stacey L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,044,810 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology

Abstract

A method and system of damage prevention from weather occurrences is provided wherein incoming notifications from weather services are used to take action on user specified and configurable powered devices. Threshold levels may be set based on severity of weather occurrences. The threshold levels may be reset or reconfigured by a user of the system. Different threshold levels may be set for different devices in order that different devices may be deactivated at different threshold levels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a user configurable system that includes a plurality of enabled/programmable controllers, wherein the system is capable of recognizing severe weather warnings;

setting system threshold levels on the user configurable system;

converting the recognized severe weather warnings into predetermined severity levels;

comparing the converted weather warnings with the threshold levels on the user configurable system;

translating the warnings to output commands if the threshold level is met;

using the output commands from the enabled/programmable controllers to deactivate one or more devices at selected locations based upon the predetermined severity levels; and

deactivating one or more devices.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reconfiguring the thresholds.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the severe weather warnings are received from a weather monitoring service or weather monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein deactivating one or more devices comprises disconnecting the device from an external connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein deactivating one or more devices comprises disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather warnings comprise current location of a weather occurrence and location to which the weather occurrence may threaten.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold levels are set by severity of a weather occurrence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein different threshold levels are set for different devices.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more devices may be deactivated at different threshold levels.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a notification of a severe weather warning to a user'"'"'s cellular device or to a user'"'"'s email address.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the deactivating step is carried out by the user remotely.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the deactivating step is carried out by internet enabled power devices.

13. A system for prevention of weather-related damage comprising:

a weather alert system, wherein the weather alert system provides weather alert data;

a damage prevention application system, wherein the damage prevention application system receives the weather alert data;

a user configured database, wherein the user configured database sets threshold parameters for the weather alert data in the damage prevention application system; and

one or more internet enabled power devices, wherein the one or more internet enabled power devices receive a command from the damage prevention application system.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the command deactivates one or more devices.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the weather alert system comprises a weather monitoring device or a weather monitoring service.

16. The system of claim 13 further comprising a cellular device, wherein the cellular device receives a notification from the damage prevention application system regarding a severe weather warning.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the threshold parameters are set by severity of a weather occurrence.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the command that deactivates the one or more devices comprises disconnecting the one or more devices from an external connection or disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

19. A computer program product encoded in a computer readable medium for instructing the deactivation of one or more devices comprising instructions for performing the method of:

setting threshold levels for weather occurrences;

receiving a severe weather alert;

converting the severe weather alert into a predetermined severity level;

comparing the severity level of the weather alert with the threshold levels;

if the threshold level is met, translating the alert to an output command;

using the output commands to deactivate one or more devices.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for resetting the threshold levels.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for sending the output commands to an enabled/programmable controller to deactivate the one or more devices.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the output commands comprise disconnecting one or more devices from an external connection or disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising instructions for sending a notification of a severe weather warning to a cellular device.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein different threshold levels for weather occurrences are set for different devices.