Monitored weather and emergency alert system

• US 8,698,640 B1
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel R. Gropper
• Original Assignee: Daniel R. Gropper
• Inventors: Gropper, Daniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US12/932,726
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/008 with transmission via TV or radio broadcast

Abstract

A system for a monitored weather alert is provided. Weather and weather alert information comes from many sources and is consolidated by a remote computer and is output and displayed on printers, signboards, email, web site and other means of communication including flat screens and mobile telephones. Each set in the process of acquiring, analyzing, displaying and distributing the information is monitored and diagnostics are provided. Status on each element of the system is consolidated, analyzed and displayed and distributed to provide for the best possible reliability of the system and the best means for troubleshooting the system.

Claims

1. A monitored weather and emergency alert system comprising:

a) a radio receiver for receiving digital weather and emergency alert messages over the airwaves;

b) an alert message decoder, connected to said radio receiver, to decode said digital weather and emergency alert messages;

c) a digital memory, connected to said alert message decoder, to automatically store each said digital weather and emergency alert message;

d) a digital communications connection to a remote computer, connected to said digital memory wherein said digital communications connection to said remote computer is automatically initiated by said digital communications connection;

e) a computer controller connected to said digital communications connection and to said digital memory, wherein said computer controller detects the reception of each new said digital weather and emergency alert message and wherein n said computer controller automatically sends each said digital weather and emergency alert message to said remote computer through said digital communications connection;

f) wherein said computer controller automatically sends a digital message on a timed basis to said remote computer for said remote computer to be able to monitor the presence of and the proper operation of said digital communications connection and of said computer controller and of said alert message decoder and of said radio receiver;

g) wherein said remote computer monitors, analyzes and responds to the timed reception of said timed digital message from said computer controller; and

h) wherein said remote computer automatically analyzes and processes said digital weather and emergency alert messages received from said alert message decoder.

2. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said radio receiver is a NOAA weather radio.

3. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital weather and emergency alert, messages are encoded in the emergency al err system or specific area message encoding format.

4. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1

wherein said alert message decoder is an FSK audio decoder.

5. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital memory is nonvolatile flash memory.

6. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital communications connection) is an Ethernet connection.

7. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer is a server.

8. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer is collocated, with said alert message decoder.

9. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer is not collocated with said alert message decoder.

10. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital weather and emergency alert messages are non-translated ASCII FIPS codes.

11. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 10, wherein said digital weather and emergency alert messages comprise up to three bursts of the same non-translated ASCII FIPS codes.

12. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital weather and emergency alert messages are analyzed and translated by said computer controller.

13. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital, communications connection to said remote computer is initiated by a microcontroller within said digital communications connection.

14. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer controller is a microcontroller.

15. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer controller detects the reception of the last received new said digital weather and emergency alert message by a time period beginning with the detection of the first new said digital weather and emergency alert message.

16. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said computer controller automatically sends each said digital weather and emergency alert message to said remote computer by TCP/IP.

17. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

further comprising a filter to remove all non-ASCII characters from said digital weather and emergency alert message before analysis and translation of said digital weather and emergency alert message.

18. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital message on a timed basis consists of at least one ASCII character.

19. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital message on a timed basis contains data created by said computer controller describing the stares of said radio receiver, said alert message decoder, said computer controller and said digital, communications connection.

20. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer will attempt to reinitiate said digital communications connection if said remote computer does not receive said digital message on a timed basis.

21. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer will create an alert status message if said remote computer is not successful in reinitiating said digital communications connection upon said remote computer not receiving said digital message on a timed basis.

22. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said digital weather and emergency alert messages are analyzed and translated by said remote computer.

23. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages by email.

24. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on web sites.

25. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages into a log file.

26. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on printers.

27. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on LED signboards.

28. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on web sites, further comprising a web site comparison between said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages and digital text alerts received digitally from the originator of said digital weather and emergency alert messages.

29. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on web sites, further comprising a web site comparison between said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages and digital text alerts received digitally from the originator of said digital weather and emergency alert messages as part of weather forecast information.

30. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on web sites, further comprising a web site comparison between said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages and digital text alerts received digitally from the originator of said digital weather and emergency alert messages as part of weather radar information.

31. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs a status message describing the current status of the analysis of the receipt of said digital message on a timed basis.

32. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs a status message describing the current status of the analysis of the receipt of said digital message on a timed basis to a web site.

33. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer analyzes and translates said digital weather and emergency alert message by parsing and comparing each logical text component of each burst of each said digital weather and emergency alert message.

34. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on web sites and where the remaining time of each said translated digital weather and emergency alert, message is calculated by said remote computer and is displayed on said web site.

35. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

wherein said remote computer outputs said analyzed and translated digital weather and emergency alert messages on websites and wherein the type of warning and warning status is color coded and is displayed on said web site.

36. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 24,

further comprising streaming said radio receiver audio and wherein said streaming said radio receiver audio is accessible through said web site.

37. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 36,

wherein said streaming said radio receiver audio and automatically mutes and unmutes with each new said digital weather and emergency alert messages through said web site.

38. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

further comprising a professional weather station wherein the output of said professional weather station 1 readings are displayed on a web site.

39. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

further comprising a camera wherein the output of said camera are displayed on a web site.

40. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer outputs a status message describing the current status and update time:

of each computer file used to display data on a web site.

41. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 40,

wherein said remote computer color codes a status message describing the current status and update time of each computer file used to display data on a web site.

42. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 40,

wherein said remote computer creates and outputs a status message describing the:

current status and update time of each computer file used to display data on a web site by email.

43. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer creates mad outputs a status message wherein a web site value has exceeded a user set threshold.

44. A monitored weather and emergency alert system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said remote computer creates and outputs a status message wherein a web site value has exceeded a user set threshold wherein said stares message is output by email.

45. A monitored weather and emergency alert, system, as recited in claim 1,

wherein said remote computer automatically reads and verifies an alert message and displays the email alert message on said web site.