System and method of damage prevention from weather occurrences

• US 8,044,810 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Encarnacion, Antonio O. Jr., Moore, Stacey L., Delia, David J., Delia, Wayne M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang; Son M
• Application Number:
  US12/246,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 340/601, 340/541, 340/565, 34053926-53928, 340/628, 340/687, 340/539, 340/690, 340/7.48, 340/7.5, 455/404.1, 455/414.3, 731/701.6, 733/84
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology

Abstract

A method and system of damage prevention from weather occurrences is provided wherein incoming notifications from weather services are used to take action on user specified and configurable powered devices. Threshold levels may be set based on severity of weather occurrences. The threshold levels may be reset or reconfigured by a user of the system. Different threshold levels may be set for different devices in order that different devices may be deactivated at different threshold levels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a user configurable system that includes a plurality of enabled/programmable controllers, wherein the system is capable of recognizing a weather warning;

receiving one or more system threshold level settings on the user configurable system from the user;

receiving a weather warning;

converting the recognized weather warning into a predetermined severity level;

comparing the converted weather warning with a threshold level on the user configurable system;

sending a notification of the weather warning to a user'"'"'s cellular device or to a user'"'"'s email address if the threshold level is met;

translating the weather warning to an output command if the threshold level is met;

using the output command from the enabled/programmable controllers to deactivate one or more devices at a selected location based upon the predetermined severity levels;

deactivating the one or more devices via an Internet-enabled power device; and

automatically reactivating the one or more deactivated devices after the weather warning expires.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising reconfiguring the one or more system threshold levels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather warning is received from a weather monitoring service or weather monitoring device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein deactivating one or more devices comprises disconnecting the device from an external connection.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein deactivating one or more devices comprises disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the weather warning comprises a current location of a weather occurrence and a location to which the weather occurrence may threaten.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more system threshold level settings are set by severity of a weather occurrence.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein different system threshold level settings are set for different devices.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more devices may be deactivated at different system threshold level settings.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the deactivating step is carried out by the user remotely.

11. A system for prevention of weather-related damage comprising:

a weather alert system, wherein the weather alert system provides weather alert data;

a damage prevention application system, wherein the damage prevention application system receives the weather alert data;

a user configured database, wherein the user configured database sets one or more threshold parameters for the weather alert data in the damage prevention application system;

a cellular device, wherein the cellular device receives a notification from the damage prevention application system regarding a severe weather warning; and

one or more internet enabled power devices, wherein the one or more internet enabled power devices receive a deactivation command from the damage prevention application system and further wherein the one or more internet enabled power devices receive a reactivation command from the damage prevention application system after the weather warning expires.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the weather alert system comprises a weather monitoring device or a weather monitoring service.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more threshold parameters are set by severity of a weather occurrence.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the deactivation command comprises disconnecting the one or more devices from an external connection or disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

15. A computer program product encoded in a non-transitory computer readable medium for instructing the deactivation of one or more devices comprising instructions for performing the method of:

receiving one or more system threshold level settings for weather occurrences;

receiving a severe weather alert;

converting the severe weather alert into a predetermined severity level;

comparing the severity level of the weather alert with the threshold levels;

if the threshold level is met, sending a notification of a severe weather warning to a cellular device;

if the threshold level is met, translating the alert to an output command;

using the output commands to deactivate one or more devices via an Internet-enabled power device; and

automatically reactivating the one or more deactivated devices after the weather warning expires.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions for resetting the one or more system threshold level settings.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising instructions for sending the output commands to an enabled/programmable controller to deactivate the one or more devices.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the output commands comprise disconnecting one or more devices from an external connection or disabling power paths to sensitive electronic devices.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein different system threshold level settings for weather occurrences are set for different devices.