Weather alerts

• US 8,325,034 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jason Lee Moore
• Original Assignee: Jason Lee Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Jason Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US13/279,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 409 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.28, 340/540, 340/541, 340/600, 340/601, 340/602, 340/690, 702/2, 702/4, 702/15
• US Class Current: 340/539.28
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/009 Signalling of the alarm condition to a substation whose identity is signalled to a central station, e.g. relaying alarm signals in order to extend communication range
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network

Abstract

Systems and methods to generate weather alerts are provided. A particular system includes one or more sensors to detect weather data. The system also includes a weather band radio receiver to receive weather alert messages. The system also includes a processor to perform an analysis of the weather data, to determine based on the analysis whether the weather data indicates a dangerous storm condition, and to initiate a first alert when the analysis indicates the dangerous storm condition and a weather alert message has been received. The first alert is not initiated when the weather alert message is received and the analysis does not indicate the dangerous storm condition.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more sensors to detect weather data;

a network interface to receive information from a remote device, wherein the information relates to a storm condition at a location of the remote device, wherein the remote device is not a component of a weather service;

a weather band radio receiver to receive weather alert messages from the weather service; and

a processor to perform an analysis, to determine based on the analysis whether the weather data, the received information, or both indicate a dangerous storm condition, and to initiate a first alert in a first condition, wherein the first alert is not initiated in a second condition, wherein the first condition corresponds to the weather alert message having been received and the analysis indicating the dangerous storm condition, and wherein the second condition corresponds the weather alert message having been received and the analysis not indicating the dangerous storm condition.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the analysis includes comparing the weather data to at least one predetermined storm model.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the weather data comprises electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the dangerous storm condition is indicated when the electromagnetic radiation indicates potential tornadic rotation in a storm system.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein a second alert distinct from the first alert is initiated in a third condition, the third condition corresponding to the weather data indicating the dangerous storm condition and the weather alert message having not been received.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an input device operable by a user to receive data specifying user configuration settings related to when alerts are initiated.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the location of the remote device is within a predetermined distance from the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the network interface receives the information via a wide area wireless network.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the network interface is adapted to send information indicating that the dangerous storm condition has been identified after the dangerous storm condition is identified and when no weather alert has been received.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a vote processing component to determine whether to generate a particular alert based on alert information received from two or more other devices, wherein first alert information received from a closer device is weighted more heavily than second alert information received from a more distant device.

10. A method, comprising:

sensing weather data;

monitoring a weather radio band;

receiving information from a remote device, wherein the information relates to a storm condition at a location of the remote device, wherein the remote device is not a component of a weather service;

performing an analysis of the weather data and the received information to determine based on the analysis whether the weather data, the received information, or both indicate a dangerous storm condition; and

determining whether to initiate an alert based on the analysis, wherein a first alert is generated in a first condition and the first alert is not generated in a second condition, wherein the first condition corresponds to the analysis indicating the dangerous storm condition and a weather alert message having been received, wherein the second condition corresponds to the weather alert message having been received and the analysis not indicating the dangerous storm condition.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the weather data comprises electromagnetic radiation sensed from an ambient environment, the method further comprising initiating a second alert that is distinct from the first alert in a third condition, wherein the third condition corresponds to the weather alert message having been received and the electromagnetic radiation does not indicating tornadic rotation in a storm system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein performing the analysis comprises comparing the weather data to at least one predetermined storm model.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising initiating a third alert that is distinct from the first alert in the second condition.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more alerts include a voice message indicating why the one or more alerts were triggered.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving second information from a second device; and

determining whether to generate a particular alert based on the received information and the received second information, wherein information received from a closer device of the remote device and the second device is weighted more heavily than information received from a more distant device of the remote device and the second device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first alert is indicated by first output at a first time of day and is indicated by second output at a second time of day.

17. A device comprising:

one or more sensors to detect weather data;

a weather band radio receiver to receive weather alert messages;

a vote processing component to determine whether to generate a particular alert based on alert information received from two or more other devices, wherein first alert information received from a closer device is weighted more heavily than second alert information received from a more distant device; and

a processor to perform an analysis of the weather data, to determine based on the analysis whether the weather data indicates a dangerous storm condition, and to initiate a first alert in a first condition, wherein the first alert is not initiated in a second condition, wherein the first condition corresponds to the analysis indicating the dangerous storm condition and a weather alert message having been received, and the second condition corresponds to the weather alert message having been received and the analysis not indicating the dangerous storm condition.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the dangerous storm condition is detected based on ultra-low frequency electromagnetic radiation.

19. A method comprising:

sensing weather data;

monitoring a weather radio band;

receiving alert information from two or more remote devices;

performing an analysis of the weather data and the alert information received from the two or more remote devices, wherein first alert information received from a closer device is weighted more heavily for the analysis than second alert information received from a more distant device;

determining based on the analysis whether a dangerous storm condition is indicated; and

determining a particular alert to be generated when the dangerous storm condition is indicated.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first alert is generated in a first condition, the first condition corresponding to the analysis indicating the dangerous storm condition and a weather alert message having been received, and wherein a second alert distinct from the first alert is generated in a second condition, the second condition corresponding to the weather alert message having bee received and the analysis not indicating the dangerous storm condition.