Display system for remote weather conditions

• US 5,943,630 A
• Filed: 02/05/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Weather Computation Systems, L.C.
• Original Assignee: Weather Computation Systems, L.C.
• Inventors: Foster, Carl A. II, Duey, James D., Busby, Bryan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US08/795,991
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/4
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

A display system for remote weather conditions includes a plurality of remote weather data collection stations and a base unit which polls the collection stations for the most recent weather data. Communication between the base unit and collection stations uses wireless signals on the same frequency. The base unit stores weather data from each station in a buffer from which display signals are provided to a broadcast television display. The base unit is operable to complete a polling cycle before the buffer for a given weather station is depleted of data.

Claims

1. A weather data collection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of weather data collection stations each including

means for sensing weather conditions selected from the group consisting of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, barometric pressure and precipitation,

means for storing weather data representative of said weather conditions, and

means for receiving and responding to a wireless polling signal containing an identifier for transmitting a wireless weather data signal representative of said weather data with each of said weather stations responding to a different identifier; and

a base unit including means for regularly and selectively transmitting polling signals in predetermined sequence to selected ones of said weather stations and for receiving weather data signals therefrom, and including means for selectively producing a display output as NTSC display signals representative of said weather data, said polling signals and said weather data signals being at the same frequency.

2. A weather data collection apparatus comprising:

at least one weather data collection station including means for sensing weather conditions and means for storing weather data representative thereof and including means for receiving a wireless polling signal and responsive thereto for transmitting a wireless weather data signal representative of said weather data; and

a base unit including means for selectively transmitting said polling signal and for receiving said weather data signal and including means for producing a display output representative of said weather data,

said weather data representing a sequence of weather conditions, said base unit including means for producing said display output as a series of display signals respectively representing said weather conditions in sequence,

said base unit further including means for transmitting a succession of polling signals in order to receive corresponding weather data representative of successive sequences of weather conditions,

further including a plurality of said collection stations, each of said stations having an associated identifier and including means for responding only to a polling signal containing said associated identifier, said base unit including means for polling a selected collection station by transmitting a polling signal containing the identifier of said selected collection station,

said weather data representing a sequence of weather conditions for each of said collection stations, said base unit including means for storing said weather data in a data buffer and for producing said display output from said data buffer as a series of display signals respectively representing said weather conditions in sequence, said base unit further including means for regularly polling selected ones of said collection stations in turn and for completing the polling before completion of said series of display signals for a given one of said collection stations in order to refresh the weather data in said data buffer before depletion thereof.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said collection stations and said base unit receiving and sending wireless signals at the same frequency.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said collection stations each including a directional antenna aimed at said base unit.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said weather conditions including at least one selected from the group consisting of temperature, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, barometric pressure precipitation, and extremes and times thereof for a day.

6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said base unit including means for providing said display output as NTSC display signals for broadcast display.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, said weather data including wind data, said base unit including a computer operable for producing said display output representative of said wind data on a first-in, first-out basis.