AUTOMATED GLOBAL WEATHER NOTIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20160061992A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DTN, LLC (TBG AG)
• Original Assignee: Weather Channel LLC (CF Entertainment, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Ian James, Geer, Jason Linden
• Granted Patent: US 11,346,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2201/00 Weather detection, monitoring or forecasting for establishing the amount of global warming
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2203/00 Real-time site-specific personalized weather information, e.g. nowcasting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

An automated global weather notification system is provided. The automated global weather notification system is capable of obtaining observational weather data, including data form of forecast grids, and applying business rules and conditional variables to that data. Based on the business rules and conditional variables, notifications are generated. Relevant users are identified in particular geographic areas and notifications are delivered to those users via, for example, SMS, MMS, email, or other methods of electronic information delivery.

Claims

1. A method of producing informational weather notifications based on a weather forecast, the method comprising:

obtaining aggregated forecast data corresponding to a geographic location, wherein the aggregated forecast data comprises data for a plurality of notification categories;

comparing the weather data to a first threshold condition for the at least one notification category, the first threshold condition taking into account aggregated forecast data relating to the at least one notification category over a predetermined period of time; and

if the first threshold condition is met for the at least one notification category, automatically producing an informational weather notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition comprises a plurality of business rules.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the automated informational weather notification to a user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering the informational weather notification comprises incorporating the informational weather notification into a website or smart-phone application.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering the informational weather notification comprises pushing the informational weather notification, via a telecommunication network, to subscribed users in proximity to the geographic location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregated forecast data comprises global forecast grids, and wherein the geographic location relates to at least one box of the global forecast grids.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the global forecast grids have a first resolution and a second resolution, the first resolution being finer than the second resolution.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition is based on a period of time less than 48 hours in the future.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold condition is based on a period of time of at least 3 hours.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing the weather data to a second threshold condition for a second notification category, and if the second threshold condition is met, producing an automated informational weather notification for the second threshold condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the comparisons of the first and second threshold conditions, respectively, are done independently of one another.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of notification categories comprise rainfall, snowfall, ice, extreme heat, extreme cold, high wind, thunderstorm, and/or fog.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the informational weather notification automatically expires after a predetermined period of time.

14. A system for producing informational weather notifications, comprising:

a database comprising aggregated global forecast data;

a plurality of business rules to be applied to at least a subset of the aggregated global forecast data;

a plurality of conditional variables to be applied to the subset of aggregated global forecast data;

a processor for automatically interpreting results of the business rules and conditional variables applied to the subset of aggregated global forecast data, and based on the results, automatically generating an informational weather notification.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a network for automatically distributing the informational weather notification to users located in a relevant geographic location.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the aggregated global forecast data comprises global forecast grids.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of business rules is applied to forecast data over a predetermined period of time.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the informational weather notification automatically expires after a predetermined period of time.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the business rules consider data relating to at least one of rain, snow, ice, extreme heat, extreme cold, wind, thunderstorms, and fog.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a computer to execute the steps of:

obtaining aggregated forecast data corresponding to a geographic location, wherein the aggregated forecast data comprises data for a plurality of notification categories;

comparing the weather data to a first threshold condition for the at least one notification category, the first threshold condition taking into account aggregated forecast data relating to the at least one notification category over a predetermined period of time; and

if the first threshold condition is met for the at least one notification category, automatically producing an informational weather notification.