Apparatus and methods for sensing rainfall

• US 9,927,517 B1
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet
• Application Number:
  US15/369,971
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/14 Rainfall or precipitation gauges measuring volume in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/1027 assessing signal quality or detecting noise/interference for the received signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/02 Automatically-operated arrangements

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a rainfall sensor having a rainfall analyzer configured to induce transmitted electromagnetic waves that are guided by a transmission medium to propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the rainfall analyzer receives reflected electromagnetic waves from the transmission medium in response to the transmitted electromagnetic waves and wherein the rainfall analyzer analyzes the reflected electromagnetic waves and generates rainfall data in response thereto. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A rainfall sensor comprising:

a transmission medium; and

a rainfall analyzer configured to induce transmitted electromagnetic waves that are guided by the transmission medium to propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the rainfall analyzer receives reflected electromagnetic waves from the transmission medium in response to the transmitted electromagnetic waves and wherein the rainfall analyzer analyzes the reflected electromagnetic waves and generates rainfall data in response thereto;

wherein the transmission medium comprises a guided wave cable having an exposed core portion that facilitates formation of water droplets in response to rainfall, and wherein the reflected electromagnetic waves are reflected by the water droplets.

2. The rainfall sensor of claim 1, wherein the exposed core portion includes a tapered end that facilitates formation of the water droplets.

3. The rainfall sensor of claim 1, wherein the exposed core portion includes a bend that facilitates formation of the water droplets.

4. The rainfall sensor of claim 1, wherein the rainfall analyzer comprises:

a reflectometer configured to generate transmitted RF signals;

a launcher that induces the transmitted electromagnetic waves in response to the transmitted RF signals and that receives the reflected electromagnetic waves and generates reflected RF signals in response thereto;

wherein the reflectometer generates a reflected signal strength in response to the reflected RF signals; and

a signal processor that generates the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength.

5. The rainfall sensor of claim 4, wherein the signal processor generates the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength by identifying an amount of the water droplets.

6. The rainfall sensor of claim 4, wherein the signal processor generates the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength by identifying a frequency of the water droplets.

7. A method comprising:

generating transmitted electromagnetic waves that are guided by a transmission medium to propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path;

receiving reflected electromagnetic waves from the transmission medium in response to the transmitted electromagnetic waves, wherein the transmission medium comprises a guided wave cable coupled to a dielectric antenna that forms water droplets in response to rainfall at an aperture of the dielectric antenna, and wherein the reflected electromagnetic waves are reflected by the water droplets; and

analyzing the reflected electromagnetic waves to generate rainfall data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the analyzing the reflected electromagnetic waves comprises:

generating a reflected signal strength in response to the reflected electromagnetic waves; and

generating the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength includes identifying an amount of the water droplets.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength includes identifying a frequency of the water droplets.

11. A rainfall sensor comprising:

means for inducing transmitted electromagnetic waves that are guided by a transmission medium to propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmitted electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path;

means for receiving reflected electromagnetic waves from the transmission medium in response to the transmitted electromagnetic waves; and

means for analyzing the reflected electromagnetic waves and for generating rainfall data in response thereto.

12. The rainfall sensor of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium comprises a guided wave cable having an exposed core portion that forms water droplets in response to rainfall, and wherein the reflected electromagnetic waves are reflected by the water droplets.

13. The rainfall sensor of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium comprises a guided wave cable having an exposed core portion that forms water droplets in response to rainfall, and wherein the reflected electromagnetic waves reflect from the water droplets, and wherein the means for analyzing generates the rainfall data by identifying an amount of the water droplets or a frequency of the water droplets.

14. The rainfall sensor of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium comprises a guided wave cable coupled to a dielectric antenna that forms water droplets in response to rainfall at an aperture of the dielectric antenna, and wherein the reflected electromagnetic waves are reflected by the water droplets.

15. The rainfall sensor of claim 12, wherein the exposed core portion includes a tapered end that facilitates formation of the water droplets.

16. The rainfall sensor of claim 12, wherein the exposed core portion includes a bend that facilitates formation of the water droplets.

17. The rainfall sensor of claim 12, wherein the means for inducing comprises:

a reflectometer configured to generate transmitted RF signals; and

a launcher that induces the transmitted electromagnetic waves in response to the transmitted RF signals and that receives the reflected electromagnetic waves and generates reflected RF signals in response thereto.

18. The rainfall sensor of claim 17, wherein the means for analyzing comprises:

a signal processor that generates the rainfall data based on a reflected signal strength.

19. The rainfall sensor of claim 18, wherein the signal processor generates the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength by identifying an amount of the water droplets.

20. The rainfall sensor of claim 18, wherein the signal processor generates the rainfall data based on the reflected signal strength by identifying a frequency of the water droplets.