System and method for streaming of dynamic weather content to the desktop
First Claim
1. A method for streaming dynamic weather content simultaneously to a plurality of end user clients in a wide area communication system, comprising the steps performed at a centralized weather content server of:
- collecting dynamic weather content continuously and directly from a plurality of weather stations that sense weather conditions at different weather station locations;
storing the dynamic weather content in the centralized weather content server;
receiving a request for dynamic weather content from each end user client at predetermined time intervals, each request including a desired user location;
selecting, as a selected weather station, a closest weather station in the plurality of weather stations for each end user client, the closest weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location for each end user client;
determining if the closest weather station for each end user client is operational or not operational, and selecting, as the selected weather station, an alternate nearby weather station for each user client when the closest weather station is determined to be not operational, the alternate nearby weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location, except for the closest weather station, for each end user client;
selecting dynamic weather content received from the selected weather station for each end user client based on the received desired user location and the determined operational status of the selected weather station; and
transmitting the selected dynamic weather content from the centralized weather content server to each end user client.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system and program product for streaming of dynamic information content over an interactive media such as the Internet. The dynamic content, such as dynamic weather data, is collected from a plurality of collection sources such as geographically distributed local weather reporting stations. The data information can be relatively static or dynamic, constantly changing data. The dynamic content is stored in databases maintained on a direct access storage device at the dynamic content server. The selection of dynamic content to be transmitted to the end user client is based on a demographic profile that is completed at the time of end user client registration and which precedes delivery of any selected content in response to end user client requests. An application resident on the dynamic content server streams selected content simultaneously to a plurality of end user client devices for each end user client request. An application resident on each end user client device generates a plurality of processing threads for a series of independent commands, each of which is transmitted to the dynamic content server at specified preset intervals and generates a server-selected response. In a weather content collection and delivery embodiment, local, real-time weather data can be received continuously from thousands of weather reporting stations, and transmitted simultaneously by the weather content server to millions of end user desktop clients, with each user receiving current weather data that is generated from a nearby weather collection station.
85 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for streaming dynamic weather content simultaneously to a plurality of end user clients in a wide area communication system, comprising the steps performed at a centralized weather content server of:
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collecting dynamic weather content continuously and directly from a plurality of weather stations that sense weather conditions at different weather station locations; storing the dynamic weather content in the centralized weather content server; receiving a request for dynamic weather content from each end user client at predetermined time intervals, each request including a desired user location; selecting, as a selected weather station, a closest weather station in the plurality of weather stations for each end user client, the closest weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location for each end user client; determining if the closest weather station for each end user client is operational or not operational, and selecting, as the selected weather station, an alternate nearby weather station for each user client when the closest weather station is determined to be not operational, the alternate nearby weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location, except for the closest weather station, for each end user client; selecting dynamic weather content received from the selected weather station for each end user client based on the received desired user location and the determined operational status of the selected weather station; and transmitting the selected dynamic weather content from the centralized weather content server to each end user client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for streaming dynamic weather content simultaneously to a plurality of end user clients in a wide area communication network, comprising:
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at least one storage device for storing a plurality of databases, including a weather content database; and a centralized weather content server connected to the storage device and operating a computer program including; an information handling component configured to collect dynamic weather content continuously and directly from a plurality of weather stations that sense weather conditions at different weather station locations; a storing component configured to store the dynamic weather content in the weather content database; a message receiving component configured to receive a request for dynamic weather content from each end user client at predetermined time intervals, each request including a desired user location; a weather station selecting component configured to select, as a selected weather station, a closest weather station in the plurality of weather stations for each end user client, the closest weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location for each end user client; a determining component configured to determine if the closest weather station for each end user client is operational or not operational, and configured to select, as the selected weather station, an alternate nearby weather station for each user client when the closest weather station is determined to be not operational, the alternate nearby weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location, except for the closest weather station, for each end user client; a selection component configured to select dynamic weather content received from the selected weather station for each end user client based on the received desired user location and the determined operational status of the selected weather station; and a transmission component configured to transmit the selected dynamic weather content from the centralized weather content server to each end user client. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer readable storage medium containing a computer program product for the streaming of dynamic weather content simultaneously to a plurality of end user clients in a wide area communication system, the computer program product comprising:
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program instructions that continuously collect dynamic weather content directly from a plurality of weather stations that sense weather conditions at different weather station locations; program instructions that store the dynamic weather content in a centralized weather content server; program instructions that receive a request for dynamic weather content from each end user client at predetermined time intervals, each request including a desired user location; program instructions that select, as a selected weather station, a closest weather station in the plurality of weather stations for each end user client, the closest weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location for each end user client; program instructions that determine if the closest weather station for each end user client is operational or not operational, and selecting, as the selected weather station, an alternate nearby weather station for each user client when the closest weather station is determined to be not operational, the alternate nearby weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location, except for the closet weather station. for each end user client; program instructions that select dynamic weather content received from the selected weather station for each end user client based on the received desired user location and the determined operational status of the selected weather station; and program instructions that transmit the selected dynamic weather content from the centralized weather content server to each end user client. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification