SYSTEM, METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROVIDING POPULACE MOVEMENT SENSITIVE WEATHER FORECASTS

• US 20130285820A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Slingshot IOT LLC
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Assuncao, Marcos Dias De, Flach, Bruno Da Costa, Gatti, Maira Athanazio de Cerqueira, Netto, Marco Aurelio Stelmar, Imamichi, Takashi, Rudy, Raymond Harry
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,219 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

A weather forecast system, method of forecasting weather and a computer program product therefor. A forecasting computer applies a grid to a forecast area and provides a weather forecast for each grid cell. Population movement sensors sense population movement in the area. A swarm detector detects patterns in area population movement that indicate swarm activity, from which the swarm detector predicts swarm patterns. A planning module receives area weather forecasts and swarm patterns, and provides swarm path indications to the forecasting system for adjusting the grid applied to the forecast area.

Claims

1. A weather forecast system comprising:

a forecasting system providing a gridded weather forecast for an area;

one or more population movement sensors sensing population movement in said area;

a swarm detector detecting patterns in said population movement indicating swarm activity and predicting swarm patterns responsive to said swarm activity; and

a planning module receiving area weather forecasts and said swarm patterns, said forecasting system adjusting a grid applied to said area responsive swarm path indications from said planning module.

2. A weather forecast system as in claim 1, wherein said planning module further receives indications of non-weather related events and responsive thereto, provides said swarm path indications to said forecasting system.

3. A weather forecast system as in claim 1, further comprising a grid correlation detector correlating said predicted swarm patterns with cells in a current pattern and providing said correlation to said planning module.

4. A weather forecast system as in claim 1, wherein said planning module further generates warnings responsive to a revised forecast based on an adjusted said grid.

5. A weather forecast system as in claim 4, further comprising a notification system notifying affected population, said planning module providing said warnings to said notification system for notifying said affected population.

6. A weather forecast system as in claim 1, wherein said one or more population movement sensors include at least one fixed sensor.

7. A weather forecast system as in claim 1, wherein said one or more population movement sensors include at least one mobile sensor.

8. A method of forecasting weather, said method comprising:

forecasting weather for an area, said area being overlain with a populace centric grid segmenting said forecast area into cells, weather being forecast for each area within each said cell;

monitoring for indications within one or more of said cells of population swarming to or from one or more different locations;

revising said grid for population swarm responsive to each indication;

re-forecasting weather for said area with said area being overlain with said revised grid; and

once population swarm has ceased

returning to forecasting the weather with a populace centric grid.

9. A method of forecasting weather as in claim 8, wherein monitoring for indications comprises monitoring for inclement weather and swarm associated area behavior.

10. A method of forecasting weather as in claim 9, wherein responsive to indications of inclement weather, said method comprises requesting a determination of current and expected population swarms.

11. A method of forecasting weather as in claim 9, wherein swarm associated area behavior comprises:

indications of a swarm; and

indications of non-weather related events in said area.

12. A method of forecasting weather as in claim 11, wherein responsive to indications of said swarm, said method comprises:

requesting a determination of a path of a current swarm; and

requesting a current weather forecast along said path.

13. A method of forecasting weather as in claim 11, wherein responsive to indications of said non-weather related events, said method comprises requesting a determination of a path of an expected swarm, said non-weather related events comprising the occurrence of emergencies.

14. A computer program product for forecasting weather, said computer program product comprising a non-transient computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, said computer readable program code causing one or more computer executing said code to:

forecast weather for an area, said area being overlain with a populace centric grid segmenting said forecast area into cells, weather being forecast for each area within each said cell;

monitor for indications within one or more of said cells of population swarming to or from one or more different locations;

revise said grid for population swarm responsive to each indication;

re-forecast weather for said area with said area being overlain with said revised grid; and

once population swarm has ceased

return to forecasting the weather with a populace centric grid.

15. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 14, wherein monitoring for indications comprises said one or more computer monitoring for inclement weather and swarm associated area behavior.

16. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 15, wherein responsive to indications of inclement weather, said one or more computer requests a determination of current and expected population swarms.

17. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 15, wherein swarm associated area behavior comprises:

indications of a swarm; and

indications of non-weather related events in said area, said non-weather related events including emergencies.

18. A computer program product forecasting weather as in claim 17, wherein responsive to indications of said swarm, said one or more computer requests a determination of a path of a current swarm and a current weather forecast.

19. A computer program product forecasting weather as in claim 17, wherein responsive to indications of said non-weather related events, said one or more computer requests a determination of a path of an expected swarm.

20. A computer program product for forecasting weather, said computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code means for providing a gridded weather forecast for an area;

computer readable program code means for receiving population information from one or more population movement sensors in said area;

computer readable program code means for detecting movement patterns indicating swarm activity from said population information;

computer readable program code means for predicting swarm patterns responsive to said swarm activity; and

computer readable program code means for receiving area weather forecasts and said swarm patterns, said computer readable program code means for providing a gridded weather forecast adjusting a weather forecast grid applied to said area responsive to said swarm path indications.

21. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 20, further comprising computer readable program code means for waiting for swarm activity.

22. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 20, further comprising computer readable program code means for correlating said predicted swarm patterns with cells in a current pattern.

23. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 20, wherein said computer readable program code means for detecting movement patterns detect non-weather related events causing movement in said area.

24. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 20, further comprising computer readable program code means for generating targeted warnings responsive to a revised forecast based on an adjusted said weather forecast grid.

25. A computer program product for forecasting weather as in claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code means for notifying affected population responsive to said targeted warnings.