Rotating map and user-centric weather prediction

• US 6,845,324 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: User-Centric IP, L.P. (Locator IP LP)
• Original Assignee: User-Centric Enterprises, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCELHENY JR, DONALD E
• Application Number:
  US10/386,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20040181340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2, 702/3, 702/4, 702/5, 342/26, 340/601, 340/539.13, 340/539.17, 340/539.2, 340/628
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/006 with transmission via telephone network
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for receiving weather forecast information in a mobile unit (MU) and using that information to warn a user of a future weather hazard with reference to the MU'"'"'s location and/or intended direction of travel. A hazard location algorithm compares a forecast location of each MU with a forecast hazard and transmits a warning to each MU that is predicted to encounter the hazard. As the MU moves, its actual position is updated in the forecasting center, and a revised warning is transmitted to the MU. The hazard information may be displayed on the user'"'"'s system in the form of a rotating map with an automatically adjustable range to display warning information in relation to the system'"'"'s location. Warnings, including audio warnings for playback and crawls for display on a television, can be automatically generated and spoken or displayed to a user.

Claims

1. A method for providing information regarding observed hazard conditions, comprising:

(a) in proximity to a hazard condition, observing the hazard condition;

(b) inputting into a mobile data processing device, data comprising information corresponding to the observed hazard condition, wherein said data includes a type of hazard, and includes a location of the hazard based on the location of the mobile data processing device; and

(c) wirelessly sending from the mobile data processing device to a server, the hazard type and a determined location of the hazard.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hazard condition comprises a meteorological condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined location of the hazard condition is based on a GPS-determined location of the mobile data processing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein inputting data comprising the location of the hazard comprises inputting a direction and a distance from a current location of the mobile data processing device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein inputting the location of the hazard comprises selecting a position on a map displayed on a display screen of the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises selecting a category of meteorological hazard and a specific meteorological hazard in the selected category.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected category is selected from groups comprising tornado, precipitation, and lightning.

6. A computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions for a method for providing information regarding observed hazard conditions, comprising:

(a) receiving data comprising information corresponding to a user-observed hazard as input into a hazard application executing on a mobile data processing device, wherein the data includes a type of hazard and a location of the hazard based on the location of the mobile data processing device; and

(b) wirelessly sending from the mobile device to a server the hazard type and a determined location of the hazard.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the user observed hazard comprises a meteorological hazard.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the determined location of the hazard condition is based on a GPS-determined location of the handheld mobile data processing device.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inputted location of the hazard comprises a direction and a distance from a current location of the mobile data processing device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the inputted location of the hazard is based on a position on a geographic map displayed on a display screen of the mobile device as selected by a user of the device.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein step (b) comprises receiving input based on a user selecting a category of meteorological hazard and a specific meteorological hazard in the selected category.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the selected category is selected from groups comprising tornado, precipitation, and lightning.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions further comprise:

displaying on a display of the device the geographic map including an icon indicating on the geographic map a present location of the device; and

rotating the displayed geographic map based on a directional orientation of the device so that a direction of travel of the device remains constant with respect to a predetermined position on the display.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the icon maintains a constant position on the display so that the geographic map appears to move underneath the icon.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the predetermined position on the display is the top of the display.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer executable instructions control a range of the geographic map, and wherein when a future location of the device is predicted to be within a predetermined distance of a future forecast hazard not visible on a current range of the geographical map, the control logic increases the current range of the geographical map so that the icon and the forecast hazard are both visible in the increased range of the geographical map.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the predetermined distance is zero.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions extrapolate the future location of the device based on a current direction of travel.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the computer executable instructions determine the future location of the device based on a current road on which the device is traveling.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the device comprises a mobile telephone.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the determined location of the hazard comprises a latitude and longitude based on the GPS-determined location of the mobile device as offset by the inputted direction and distance from the current location of the mobile data processing device.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the determined location of the hazard comprises a latitude and longitude based on the OPS-determined location of the mobile device as offset by the inputted direction and distance from the current location of the mobile data processing device.

23. A handheld data processing device, comprising:

a transceiver for sending and receiving data to and from a data communication network;

a display screen;

a hazard warning application comprising executable instructions stored in memory, wherein the hazard warning application performs a method comprising steps of;

(a) determining a present location of the handheld data processing device;

(b) displaying on the display screen a geographic map based on the present location of the handheld data processing device;

(c) displaying a list of a plurality of hazard categories and receiving user input selecting one of the plurality of categories;

(d) displaying a list of a plurality of hazards based on the selected category and receiving user input selecting one of the hazards;

(e) receiving user input identifying a location of the selected hazard based on the present location of the handheld data processing device; and

(f) sending via the transceiver data corresponding to the selected hazard and identified location.

24. The handheld device of claim 23, wherein step (c) comprises displaying the plurality of hazard categories in a drop down list.

25. The handheld device of claim 23, wherein step (e) comprises receiving user input identifying the location on the geographic map.

26. The handheld device of claim 25, wherein the display screen comprises a touch-sensitive display screen, and step (e) comprises detecting a point on the map touched by a user.

27. The handheld device of claim 23, wherein step (e) comprises receiving user input identifying a direction from the handheld device and a distance from the handheld device.

28. The handheld device of claim 23, wherein the hazard condition comprises a meteorological event.