System and method for providing personalized weather reports and the like

• US 6,498,987 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DTN, LLC (TBG AG)
• Original Assignee: Weather Central, Inc. (The Weather Company)
• Inventors: Marsh, Victor W., Moore, John S., Kelly, Terence F., Daly, Richard T., Wilt, Brett A., Brohm, Grant H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr., Donald E.
• Application Number:
  US09/547,195
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2, 702/3, 702/4, 342/26
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2203/00 Application of thermometers in cryogenics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method for generating weather reports and the like which are precisely computed automatically for a particular individual user'"'"'s geographic location and which are provided automatically directly to the individual user. A user establishes an individualized user profile in which the user defines a particular location of interest, a contact address, and optionally, a personalized activity weather condition profile, establishing a preferred weather condition profile for activities of interest. A detailed and accurate weather forecasting model is run to provide high geographical and temporal resolution forecast data. The high resolution forecast data is compared to the individual user profile and a personalized weather report for the particular location, times, and conditions of interest are provided directly and automatically to the individual, e.g., via e-mail. The high resolution forecast data is preferably generated locally for a limited region, e.g., at a television station for the station'"'"'s viewing area, using initialization conditions provided from a central location.

Claims

1. A method for generating a personalized weather report, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a user profile including a user defined user location and a user contact address;

(b) generating forecast weather condition data for an area including the user location;

(c) generating a personalized weather forecast and weather report of forecast weather conditions at the user location automatically from the user profile and the forecast weather condition data; and

(d) delivering the personalized weather report to the user contact address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of establishing a user profile includes the step of providing a user profile set-up menu user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user contact address is an e-mail address, the step of generating a personalized weather report includes the step of generating a personalized weather report e-mail message, and the step of delivering the personalized weather report includes the step of sending the personalized weather report e-mail message to the user contact e-mail address.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of running a weather forecast model to generate weather forecast model data for an area including the user location.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating a personalized weather forecast and weather report includes the step of extrapolating weather conditions for the user location from the weather forecast model data.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of receiving periodically atmosphere initialization conditions for a weather forecast model from a remote location.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the steps of generating forecast weather condition data, generating a personalized weather forecast and weather report, and delivering the personalized weather report are performed periodically each time the atmosphere initialization conditions are received from the remote location.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of:

(a) establishing a user weather condition profile including weather condition profile values;

(b) comparing the forecast weather condition data with the weather condition profile values;

(c) generating a report indicating that the weather condition profile will be satisfied if the forecast weather condition data satisfy the weather condition profile values; and

(d) delivering the report to the user contact address.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of establishing a user weather condition profile includes the step of providing a user weather condition profile setup menu user interface.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of establishing a user weather condition profile includes the step of selecting an activity location, wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of generating forecast weather condition data for the selected activity location, wherein the step of comparing the forecast weather condition data includes the step of comparing the forecast weather condition data for the selected activity location with the weather condition profile values, and wherein the step of generating the report includes the step of generating the report if the forecast weather condition data for the selected activity location satisfy the weather condition profile values.

11. A method for generating a personalized weather report, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a user profile including a user defined location of interest;

(b) generating forecast weather condition data for an area including the location of interest;

(c) generating a weather forecast and weather report of forecast weather conditions at the location of interest automatically from the user profile and the forecast weather condition data; and

(d) providing the weather report to a user.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of establishing a user profile includes the step of providing a user profile set-up menu user interface.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of providing the weather report to a user includes the step of providing the weather report to an addressable device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of establishing a user profile includes the step of establishing a user contact address and wherein the step of providing the weather report to a user includes the step of delivering the weather report to the user contact address.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the user contact address is an e-mail address, the step of generating a weather report includes the step of generating a weather report e-mail message, and the step of delivering the weather report includes the step of sending the weather report e-mail message to the user contact e-mail address.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the user contact address is a phone number, the step of generating a weather report includes the step of generating a weather report voice message, and the step of delivering the weather report includes the step of sending the weather report voice message to a phone at the user contact phone number.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the user contact address is a pager number, the step of generating a weather report includes the step of generating a weather report text message, and the step of delivering the weather report includes the step of sending the weather report text message to a pager at the user contact pager number.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of running a weather forecast model to generate weather forecast model data for an area including the location of interest.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating a weather forecast and weather report includes the step of extrapolating weather conditions for the location of interest from the weather forecast model data.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of receiving periodic atmospheric initialization conditions for a weather forecast model from a remote location.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the steps of generating forecast weather condition data, generating a weather forecast and weather report, and providing the weather report are performed periodically each time the atmospheric initialization conditions are received from the remote location.

22. The method of claim 11 comprising the additional steps of:

(a) establishing a user weather condition profile including weather condition profile values;

(b) comparing the forecast weather condition data with the weather condition profile values;

(c) generating a weather condition profile report indicating whether the forecast weather condition data satisfy the weather condition profile values; and

(d) providing the weather condition profile report to a user.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of establishing a user weather condition profile includes the step of providing a user weather condition profile setup menu user interface.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the step of establishing a user weather condition profile includes the step of selecting a profile location, wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of generating forecast weather condition data for an area including the selected profile location, wherein the step of comparing the forecast weather condition data includes the step of comparing the forecast weather condition data for the selected profile location with the weather condition profile values, and wherein the step of generating the weather condition profile report includes the step of generating the weather condition profile report if the forecast weather condition data for the selected activity location satisfy the weather condition profile values.

25. A method for generating a personalized weather report, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a user profile including a user defined location of interest and weather condition profile values;

(b) generating forecast weather condition data for an area including the location of interest;

(c) comparing the forecast weather condition data at the, location of interest with the weather condition profile values;

(d) generating a weather condition profile report indicating whether the forecast weather condition data satisfy the weather condition profile values; and

(e) providing the weather condition profile report to a user.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of establishing a user profile includes the step of providing a user profile set-up menu user interface including a weather condition profile set-up menu user interface.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the user profile set-up menu user interface includes a user selectable list of activities and selected weather conditions for each activity.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the user profile set-up menu user interface includes user overrideable default weather condition profile values for the selected weather conditions.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of providing the weather condition profile report to a user includes the step of providing the weather condition profile report to an addressable device.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of establishing a user profile includes the step of establishing a user contact address and wherein the step of providing the weather condition profile report to a user includes the step of delivering the weather condition profile report to the user contact address.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the user contact address is an e-mail address, the step of generating a weather condition profile report includes the step of generating a weather condition profile report e-mail message, and the step of delivering the weather condition profile report includes the step of sending the weather condition profile report e-mail message to the user contact e-mail address.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the user contact address is a phone number, the step of generating a weather condition profile report includes the step of generating a weather condition profile report voice message, and the step of delivering the weather condition profile report includes the step of sending the weather condition profile report voice message to a phone at the user contact phone number.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the user contact address is a pager number, the step of generating a weather condition profile report includes the step of generating a weather condition profile report text message, and the step of delivering the weather condition profile report includes the step of sending the weather condition profile report text message to a pager at the user contact pager number.

34. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of running a weather forecast model to generate weather forecast model data for an area including the location of interest.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of generating a weather condition profile report includes the step of extrapolating weather conditions for the location of interest from the weather forecast model data.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of generating forecast weather condition data includes the step of receiving periodically atmospheric initialization conditions for a weather forecast model from a remote location.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the steps of generating forecast weather condition data, generating a weather condition profile report, and providing the weather condition profile report are performed periodically each time the atmospheric initialization conditions are received from the remote location.

38. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of generating the weather condition profile report includes the step of generating the report if the forecast weather condition data for the location of interest satisfy the weather condition profile values.

39. A personalized weather report generating system, comprising:

(a) a user profile generator for generating a user profile including a user defined location of interest;

(b) a weather forecast model data generator for generating weather forecast model data for an area including the location of interest; and

(c) a weather report generator for generating a weather forecast and a report of forecast weather conditions at the location of interest automatically from the user profile and the weather forecast model data.

40. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 wherein the user profile generator, the weather forecast model data generator, and the weather report generator are implemented in at least one general purpose computer.

41. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 wherein user profile generator includes means for generating a user profile set-up menu user interface and for providing the user profile set-up menu user interface to a user.

42. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 41 wherein the means for providing the user profile set-up menu user interface to a user includes means for providing the user profile set-up menu user interface to a user over a computer network.

43. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 comprising additionally means for providing the weather report to an addressable device.

44. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 comprising additionally means for delivering the weather report to a user contact address.

45. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 44 wherein the user contact address is an e-mail address and the weather report generator is adapted to generate a weather report e-mail message.

46. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 44 wherein the user contact address is a phone number and the weather report generator is adapted to generate a weather report voice message.

47. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 44 wherein the user contact address is a pager number and the weather report generator is adapted to generate a weather report text message.

48. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 wherein the weather report generator is adapted to extrapolate weather conditions for the location of interest from the weather forecast model data.

49. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 wherein the weather forecast model data generator includes a weather forecasting model which generates the weather forecast model data from atmospheric initialization conditions.

50. The personalized weather report generating system of claim 39 wherein the user profile generator is adapted to generate a user weather condition profile including weather condition profile values, and wherein the weather report generator is adapted to compare the weather forecast model data with the weather condition profile values and to generate a weather condition profile report indicating whether the weather forecast model data satisfies the weather condition-profile values.