Weather severity and characterization system

• US 7,561,970 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DTN, LLC (TBG AG)
• Original Assignee: WSI Incorporated
• Inventors: Harris, Ron Alan, Crawford, Todd Michael, Callahan, William Joseph, Kleist, Michael Robert, Kozinets, Masha, Neilley, Peter Paul, Bayer, Paul Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/975,566
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/6, 702/14
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/02 Instruments for indicating weather conditions by measuring two or more variables, e.g. humidity, pressure, temperature, cloud cover or wind speed G01W1/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09

Abstract

A method of presenting weather phenomenon information including receiving weather data. At least one weather phenomenon represented by the weather data is identified. A plurality of current parameters related to the current state of the at least one weather phenomenon is determined. A plurality of historical parameters corresponding to one or more previous states of the at least one weather phenomenon is associated with the current state of the at least one weather phenomenon if at least one previous state of the at least one weather phenomenon has been identified. A plurality of forecasted parameters for the at least one weather phenomenon is calculated. Characteristics of the at least one weather phenomenon based on at least a first subset of the current parameters, the historical parameters, and the forecasted parameters are displayed.

Claims

1. A method presenting weather phenomenon information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a set of weather data;

(b) receiving storm data corresponding to at least one weather phenomenon, wherein the storm data is a subset of the weather data;

(c) displaying a graphical representation of the weather data;

(d) displaying indicators of at least a subset of the storm data on the graphical representation of the weather data, the indicators corresponding to the at least one weather phenomenon;

(e) receiving a selection of one of the indicators; and

(f) displaying the storm data corresponding to the selected indicator and the corresponding at least one weather phenomenon, wherein the displayed storm data includes at least one severity index, the at least one severity index being a normalized indication of a different threat associated with the at least one weather phenomenon and being an aggregate representation of observed, measured, and derived information about the at least one weather phenomenon obtained from at least two different parameters included in the storm data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one weather phenomenon is a convective storm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storm data received in step (b) includes forecasted parameters of the least one weather phenomenon, the forecasted parameters including forecasted positions of the at least one weather phenomenon.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the forecasted parameters are determined relative to two or more forecasted positions of the at least one weather phenomenon over time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storm data received in step (b) reflects at least the environment in which the at least one weather phenomenon is embedded.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the storm data received in step (b) is associated with the at least one weather phenomenon in a time-relative manner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storm data is displayed according to predefined storm severity criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storm data is displayed in a storm-centric manner, such that the weather data displayed with the storm data is relative to the storm data corresponding to the selected indicator.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(g) filtering the weather data based on a geographic limitation, wherein the weather data is displayed according to the geographic limitation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicators are superimposed on the display of the graphical representation of the weather data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicators move over the display of the graphical representation of the weather data in accordance with forecasted positions of the at least one weather phenomenon.

12. A method of presenting weather phenomenon information, the method comprising:

(a) receiving data corresponding to at least one weather phenomenon, the data including a plurality of past, present, and future parameters corresponding to characteristics of the at least one weather phenomenon;

(b) displaying a graphical representation of the data;

(c) accepting selection of a subset of the past, present, and future parameters for display;

(d) accepting selection of a data presentation sequence, wherein the data presentation sequence is determined according to a set of severity indices, each severity index being a normalized indication of a different threat associated with the at least one weather phenomenon;

(e) automatically generating a sequence of the data according to the data presentation sequence; and

(f) displaying the data corresponding to the at least one weather phenomenon, wherein the data is displayed in the generated sequence and the display includes at least one severity index from the set of severity indices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data corresponding to different weather phenomenon is displayed according to a weather phenomenon display sequence.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each severity index describes an impact to property or population from a different threat associated with the one or more weather phenomena.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein step (f) includes displaying a graph of the time variation of a subset of the parameters.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the data is displayed using an icon that changes according to changes in one or more of the parameters of the at least one weather phenomenon.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the icon changes in response to changes in values for future predicted severity of the at least one weather phenomenon based on a subset of the past, present, and future parameters corresponding to the at least one weather phenomenon.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the icon changes over time according to the position of the at least one weather phenomenon in response to the actual or predicted characteristics of the at least one weather phenomenon at the position.

19. A method of presenting convective storm information, the method comprising:

(a) generating a presentation sequence for displaying data corresponding to at least one convective storm based on a composite severity index included in a set of severity indices of the at least one convective storm, wherein the data includes a plurality of past, present, and future parameters corresponding to characteristics of the at least one convective storm; and

(b) displaying at least some of the data, including a subset of the severity indices, corresponding to the at least one convective storm in the sequence generated in step (a) using an icon to represent the at least one convective storm, wherein the icon changes during the sequence to reflect changes in one or more characteristics of the convective storm indicated by a change in the set of severity indices, wherein the composite severity index comprises an aggregate representation of at least two of the other severity indices, each severity index corresponding to a normalized indication of an impact to at least one of property, population, and infrastructure from a different threat associated with the one or more convective storm.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one convective storm is a thunderstorm.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the icon changes over time according to an actual position of the at least one convective storm in response to the actual or predicted characteristics of the at least one convective storm at the actual position.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the icon changes over time according to a forecasted position of the at least one convective storm in response to the predicted characteristics of the at least one convective storm at the forecasted position.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the icon changes shape in response to relative changes between the values of the set of severity indices corresponding to the at least one convective storm, the severity indices obtained from a subset of the plurality of past, present, and future parameters.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the size of the icon changes in response to change of the composite severity of the at least one convective storm.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the color, the animation, the size, and the shape of the icon changes based on changes of the characteristics of the at least one convective storm indicated by a change in the set of severity indices.