Transmitting location-specific weather-related data to terminals within a plurality of regions

• US 6,240,369 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert R. Foust
• Original Assignee: Robert R. Foust
• Inventors: Foust, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oda, Christine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Victor J.
• Application Number:
  US09/300,571
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 395/211, 455/12, 342/26
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology

Abstract

A system for distributing weather information accepts differing types of such information for storage in a number of databases. Data representing levels of precipitation are stored in an overall database, to be overwritten as new data becomes available. Data representing storm warnings and lightening strikes are stored in a time-sensitive database, to be erased according to a predetermined schedule. Data representing a satellite photograph of cloud cover are stored in a cloud map database. These databases are read to obtain data which is transmitted to terminals within various regions, so that each terminal receives weather information for an area surrounding its region.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting location-specific weather-related data to terminals within a plurality of terminal regions, wherein said method comprises steps of:

a) receiving input weather information;

b) storing said input weather information in a buffer;

c) storing said input weather information in a database, wherein each portion of said weather information is addressable according to a geographical location associated with said portion of said weather information;

d) reading from said database each portion of said weather information associated with a geographical location within an area of interest surrounding a terminal region and associated with said terminal region;

e) writing a data packet for transmission to terminals within said terminal region wherein said data packet includes header information identifying said terminal region and said weather information associated with said geographical location within said area of interest surrounding said terminal region and associated with said terminal region

f) transmitting said data packet to terminals within said terminal region;

g) repeating steps d), e), and f) for another terminal region within said plurality of terminal regions until a data packet for transmission to terminal within each said terminal region has been transmitted to each terminal region within said plurality of terminal regions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each said terminal region is centrally disposed within said area of interest surrounding said terminal region and associated with said terminal region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

each said portion of said weather information includes a precipitation index describing a level of precipitation occurring at said geographical location associated with said portion of said weather information, and

wherein each said precipitation index is derived from data supplied by a weather radar installation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein

said portions of said weather information associated with a geographical location within an area of interest surrounding a terminal region and associated with said terminal region are combined into a format allowing transmission of motion sequences before transmission, and

before transmission, a rotating line extending from, and rotating about, a location corresponding to a center of said terminal region is added to a graphical image of said weather information superimposed on a map of said area of interest, with elements of said graphical image gradually fading with reduced contrast and being refreshed with increased contrast following passage of said rotating line.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said portions of said weather information are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another in accordance with levels of said precipitation index associated with said geographical locations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area larger than a threshold size having no changes in levels of said precipitation index are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a first distance,

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area having changes in levels of said precipitation index are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a second distance, and

said second distance is substantially less than said first distance.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area larger than a threshold size having no changes in levels of said precipitation index are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a first distance,

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area having changes in levels of said precipitation index with each precipitation index within said area indicating an absence of severe weather are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a second distance,

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area having changes in levels of said precipitation index with a precipitation index within said area indicating a presence of severe weather are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a third distance,

said second distance is substantially less than said first distance, and

said third distance is substantially less than said second distance.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein

portions of said input weather information associated with geographical locations in an area with a precipitation index, indicating a presence of severe weather within said area, are stored in said database at a high resolution according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a first distance,

other portions of said weather information are stored in said database according to geographical locations separated from one another by a second distance, and

said first distance is substantially greater than said second distance.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein distances between adjacent geographical locations are indicated by levels of precision with which said geographical locations are saved.

10. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising steps of:

following step d), determining if weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes weather information stored in said database at said high resolution, and

following step e), when it has been determined that weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes weather information stored in said database at said high resolution, transmitting data, at said high resolution, for a region including said weather information stored in said database at said high resolution.

11. A method for transmitting location-specific weather-related data to terminals within a plurality of terminal regions, wherein said method comprises steps of:

a) receiving said input weather information;

b) storing said input weather information in a buffer;

c) determining whether said input weather information is in a first or second class, wherein input weather information in said first class is stored to be overwritten by subsequent weather information, and wherein weather information in said second class is stored to be erased at a specified time;

d) storing said input weather information in said first class in an overall database, wherein each portion of said input weather information in said first class is addressable according to a geographical location associated with said portion of said weather information;

e) storing said input weather information in said second class in a time-sensitive database, wherein each portion of said weather information in said second class is addressable according to a geographical location associated with said portion of said weather information, and wherein each portion of said weather information in said second class is stored with an indication of a time when said weather information is to be erased;

f) for weather information stored in said time-sensitive database, checking said indication of said time when said weather information is to be erased, and erasing said weather information if said time has past,

g) reading from said overall database each portion of said weather information of said first class associated with a geographical location within an area of interest surrounding a terminal region and associated with said terminal region;

h) reading from said time-sensitive database each portion of said weather information of said second class associated with a geographical location within an area of interest surrounding said terminal region and associated with said terminal region;

i) formatting weather information read in steps g) and h) to superimpose information read in step h) over information read in step g)

j) transmitting weather information formatted in step i) to terminals within said terminal region; and

k) repeating steps g) through j) for another terminal region within said plurality of terminal regions until portion of said weather information have been transmitted to each terminal region within said plurality of terminal regions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

step c) includes determining if said input weather information includes data representing an occurrence of a lightening strike at a specific geographical location; and

if a determination is made in step (c) that said input weather information includes said data representing an occurrence of a lightening strike, step e) includes storing a lightening code representing a lightening strike, together with a time code representing when a displayed symbol for said lightening strike is to be erased, in said time-sensitive database, wherein said lightening code is addressable according to said specific geographical location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein

step d) includes storing a precipitation index describing a level of precipitation occurring at said geographical location,

said precipitation index is derived from data supplied by a weather radar installation, and

in step i), encoded information representing a lightening strike is superimposed over a map of precipitation indexes in a position indicating said specific geographical location of said lightening strike.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said precipitation indexes are stored in said database according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another in accordance with levels of said precipitation index associated with said geographical locations.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein

precipitation indexes associated with geographical locations in an area larger than a threshold size having no changes in levels of said precipitation index are stored in said database at a low resolution according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a first distance,

precipitation indexes associated with geographical locations in an area having changes in levels of said precipitation index with each precipitation index within said area indicating an absence of severe weather are stored in said database at an intermediate resolution according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a second distance,

precipitation indexes associated with geographical locations in an area having changes in levels of said precipitation index with a precipitation index within said area indicating a presence of severe weather are stored in said database at a high resolution according to adjacent geographical locations separated from one another by a third distance,

said second distance is substantially less than said first distance, and

said third distance is substantially less than said second distance.

16. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising steps of:

l) following step g), determining if weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes precipitation indexes stored in said database at said high resolution; and

c) following step j), when it has been determined that weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes precipitation indexes stored in said database at said high resolution, transmitting data, at said high resolution, for a region including said weather information stored in said database at said high resolution to terminals within said terminal region.

17. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising steps of:

l) following step g), determining if weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes precipitation indexes stored in said database at said high resolution;

n) following step i), when it has been determined that weather information associated with geographical locations within said area of interest includes precipitation indexes stored in said overall database at said high resolution, formatting data at said high resolution for a for a particular region including said weather information stored in said database at said high resolution, together with superimposed data from said time sensitive database occurring at geographical locations within said particular region; and

o) following step j), if data has been formatted in step n), transmitting said data formatted in step n) to terminals within said terminal region.

18. The method of claim 17, additionally comprising steps of:

p) following step l), determining if a lightening code stored in said time-sensitive database is addressable according to a specific geographical location within said area of interest but outside a region including precipitation indexes stored in said database at high resolution;

q) following step n), if it has been determined that a lightening code stored in said time-sensitive database is addressable according to a specific geographical location within said area of interest but outside a region including precipitation indexes stored in said database at high resolution, formatting weather data from said overall database, stored in accordance with geographical locations in a first region surrounding said specific geographical location, with a symbol representing a lightening strike superimposed in a location corresponding to said specific geographical location over said weather data from said overall database stored ion accordance with geographical locations in said first region; and

r) following step j), if data has been formatted in step q), transmitting said data formatted in step q) to terminals within said terminal region.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein

step c) additionally includes determining if said input weather information includes a text message, and if said input weather information includes a text message, parsing said text message to determine a geographical area to which said text message applies and a time at which said text message is to be erased, and

in step e), if said weather information is determined to include a text message in step c), storing said text message in said time-sensitive database along with a time code indicating said time at which text message is to be erased, wherein said text message is addressable according to geographical locations within said geographical area to which said text message applies.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein

step c) additionally includes determining if said input weather information includes a temperature measurement made at a specific location, and

said method additionally comprises, between steps c) and d), steps of, if a determination is made in step c) that said input weather information includes said temperature measurement, storing said temperature measurement in a temperature and humidity database, interpolating said temperature measurement with other temperature measurements stored in said temperature and humidity database to form a plurality of calculated temperatures addressable at a plurality of geographical locations, and providing said plurality of calculated temperatures as input data in said first class to be stored in step d) in said database, being addressable according to said plurality of geographical locations, and

step i) additionally includes formatting a temperature read in step g) to be superimposed over other weather information read in step g).

21. The method of claim 20, wherein

step c) additionally includes determining if said input weather information includes a humidity measurement made at a specific location,

said method additionally comprises, between steps c) and d), steps of, if a determination is made in step c) that said input weather information includes said humidity measurement, storing said humidity measurement in a temperature and humidity database, interpolating said humidity measurement with other humidity measurements stored in said temperature and humidity database to form a plurality of calculated humidity values addressable at a plurality of geographical locations, and providing said plurality of calculated humidity values as input data in said first class to be stored in step d) in said database, being addressable according to said plurality of geographical locations, and

step i) additionally includes formatting a humidity value read in step g) to be superimposed over other weather information read in step g).

22. The method of claim 11, wherein

step c) additionally includes determining if said input weather information includes a satellite photograph of cloud patterns, and

said method additionally comprises, between steps a step c) and d), a step of, if a determination is made in step c) that said input weather information includes a satellite photograph of cloud patterns, storing said satellite photograph in a cloud map database.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein, in step j), said weather information is transmitted to said terminals over the Internet.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein, in step j), said weather information is transmitted to said terminals over a cable television system with said terminal region being established by an individual cable television channel.

25. The method of claim 11, wherein, in step j), said weather information is transmitted to said terminals over a cable television system with transmission to various terminal regions occurring over various differing portions of said cable television system.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein,

in step j), said weather information is transmitted over a broadcast network with transmission to each said terminal region being assigned to a transmission channel, and

said method additionally includes steps of receiving said broadcast information over a receiver switchable to receive information over various of said transmission channels, and of transmitting information from said receiver to said terminal.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein,

in step j), said weather information is transmitted over a broadcast network with transmission to each said terminal region being assigned to a transmission channel, and

said method additionally includes steps of receiving said broadcast information over a receiver receiving information over a transmission channel selected in accordance with a geographical location of said receiver as determined by a navigational system, and of transmitting information from said receiver to said terminal.