Method and apparatus of transmitting, receiving, displaying and playing weather data

• US 8,406,162 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: La Crosse Technology IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: La Crosse Technology IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Haupt, Rolf, McCormick, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shand, Roberta A
• Application Number:
  US12/466,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20090316671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A transmitter transmits time synchronized data via a pager/WiMax/802.x access to a receiver system, wherein the receiver system is programmed to receive data for specific geographic locations. The geographic locations may be specified by the user or by the receiver system, and includes state, zip codes, towns, counties, towns, or cardinal regions. The receiver is able to find its location when outside its cell region and is able to synchronize to the data transmitted in the new cell region. Further, the receiver system is able to remotely monitor weather data and other information at a different location via wireless Internet or voice over IP. A transceiver may also be used to receive weather or alert data. In response to receiving data, the transceiver transmits the data to low powered devices in a house using a different frequency band than the frequency band it received the data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first location associated with a weather data receiving device;

retrieving a first time code corresponding to the determined first location associated with the weather data receiving device;

receiving, at the weather data receiving device, a transmission of time synchronized weather data through a tower access, said transmission comprising header information;

retrieving a second time code from the header information of the time synchronized weather data transmission;

calculating, by the weather data receiving device, an activation time offset based on a difference between the first time code and the second time code;

determining a transmission time for the time synchronized weather data transmission;

determining an activation time for a receiver of the weather data receiving device based on the determined transmission time and the activation time offset;

activating the receiver of the weather data receiving device at the determined activation time to receive weather data from the transmission of time synchronized weather data; and

displaying weather data corresponding to the determined first location associated with the weather data receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

averaging or summarizing, at the weather data receiving device, data from one or more sensor devices at multiple different locations over a geographic region determined by the header information of the time synchronized weather data transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a first weather sensor location, and displaying weather sensor data corresponding to that first sensor location.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

periodically monitoring the transmission of time synchronized weather data at predetermined intervals for weather emergency alert data;

detecting a weather emergency alert time code at a first predetermined interval for weather emergency alert data;

determining that the weather emergency alert time code corresponds to the determined first location associated with the weather data receiving device;

activating the receiver at a time corresponding to the weather emergency alert time code; and

receiving weather emergency data for the determined first location associated with the weather data receiving device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the weather data receiving device has moved to a second location;

retrieving an updated first time code corresponding to the determined second location of the weather data receiving device;

activating the receiver of the weather data receiving device at a second determined activation time based on the updated first time code corresponding to the determined second location of the weather data receiving device; and

displaying updated weather data corresponding to the second location of the weather data receiving device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the first time code corresponding to the determined first location comprises accessing a time code table stored at the weather data receiving device.

7. A system for receiving data from a tower cell comprising:

a processor;

a receiver system; and

memory comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to;

determine a first location associated with the system;

determine a first time code corresponding to the determined first location associated with the system;

receive time synchronized data transmitted through a pager/WiMax/802.x access, wherein the time synchronized data includes header information;

retrieve a second time code from the header information in the time synchronized data;

calculate an activation time offset based on a difference between the first time code and the second time code;

determine a transmission time for the time synchronized data;

determine activation intervals for the receiver system based on the determined transmission time for the time synchronized data and the activation time offset;

activate the receiver system at the determined activation intervals to receive data corresponding to the determined first location; and

display data corresponding to the determined first location.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver system is further configured to display data averaging or summarizing data from each of one or more sensor devices at multiple different locations over a geographic region determined by the header information of the time synchronized data transmission.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the receiver system is further configured to receive a user selection of a first sensor location and to display sensor data corresponding to that first sensor location.

10. The system of claim 7, the memory comprising further computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

periodically monitor the transmission of time synchronized data at predetermined intervals for emergency alert data;

detect an emergency alert time code at a first predetermined interval for emergency alert data;

determine that the emergency alert time code corresponds to the determined first location associated with the system;

activate the receiver system at a time corresponding to the emergency alert time code; and

receive emergency data for the determined first location associated with the system.

11. The system of claim 7, the memory comprising further computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to:

determine that the receiver system has moved to a second location;

retrieve an updated first time code corresponding to the determined second location of the receiver system;

activate the receiver system at a second determined activation time based on the updated first time code corresponding to the determined second location of the receiver system; and

display updated data corresponding to the second location of the receiver system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein determining the first time code corresponding to the determined first location comprises accessing a time code table stored in the memory of the system.

13. A system for receiving data from a tower cell comprising:

a processor;

a receiver system; and

memory comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

receive transmitted data information from a transmitter;

retrieve a first time code from the transmitted data;

determine a transmission time for the transmitted data;

store geographic location information at the receiver system;

determine a second time code corresponding to the geographic location information stored at the receiver system;

calculate an activation time offset based on a difference between the first time code and the second time code;

determine activation intervals for the receiver system based on the determined transmission time for the transmitted data and the activation time offset; and

activate the receiver system at the determined activation intervals to receive data associated with the stored geographic location;

wherein the receiver system is configured to receive and display data for multiple different locations over a geographic region determined by header information in the transmission.

14. The system of claim 13, the memory comprising further computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

display data averaging or summarizing data from one or more sensor devices at the different locations over the geographic region.

15. The system of claim 13, the memory comprising further computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:

receive a user selection of a first sensor location; and

display sensor data corresponding to that first sensor location.