Interactive weather advisory system

• US 6,985,813 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Locator IP LP
• Original Assignee: WeatherBank, Inc. (Accuweather Incorporated)
• Inventors: Root, Michael R., Root, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCELHENY JR, DONALD E
• Application Number:
  US10/991,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 702/3, 702/4, 702/5, 342/26, 342/460
• US Class Current: 702/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 2203/00 Application of thermometers in cryogenics
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized weather forecast signals to remote communicator devices. The broadcast network comprising a user input database, a communicator location database, a weather analysis unit and a communication network. The user input database contains user-defined parameters, each of the user-defined parameters includes a user profile. The user profile utilizes a user identifier code and identifies a communicator device associated with a particular user. The communicator location database contains data indicative of the real-time spatial locations of the communicator devices. The weather analysis unit compares the spatial location of each communicator device contained in the communicator location database with real-time weather forecast data or weather data and generates an individualized weather forecast signal upon demand of a user. The communication network receives the individualized weather output signals and transmits the individualized weather output signals to the communicator devices identified by the user identifier codes.

Claims

1. A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized weather output signals to at least one of a plurality of communicator devices remotely located from the broadcast network, the broadcast network comprising:

a user input database containing a plurality of user-defined parameters with each of the user-defined parameters including a user profile, the user profile including a user identifier code identifying a communicator device;

a communicator location database containing data indicative of the real-time spatial locations of the communicator devices;

a weather analysis unit comparing the spatial locations with real-time weather data to generate individualized weather output signals; and

a communication network receiving the individualized weather output signals and transmitting the individualized weather output signals to the communicator devices.

2. The broadcast network of claim 1, wherein at least one of the user defined parameters is a spatial range identifier.

3. The broadcast network of claim 1, wherein the individualized weather output signals are transmitted to the particular communicator device via a mobile telephone network.

4. The broadcast network of claim 3, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a mobile phone.

5. The broadcast network of claim 3, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a pager.

6. The broadcast network of claim 3, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a laptop computer.

7. The broadcast network of claim 3, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a personal digital assistant.

8. The broadcast network of claim 1, wherein the individualized weather output signal includes a video data signal.

9. The broadcast network of claim 1, wherein the video data signal includes an data for creating an animated graphic.

10. The broadcast network of claim 8, wherein the video data signal is a .wav file.

11. A broadcast network for selectively transmitting individualized weather output signals to at least one of a plurality of communicator devices remotely located from the broadcast network, the broadcast network comprising:

a user input database containing a plurality of user-defined parameters with at least one of the user-defined parameters including a user profile, the user profile including a user identifier code identifying a communicator device;

a communicator location database containing real-time data indicative of the spatial locations of the communicator devices;

a weather analysis unit comparing the spatial locations of the communicator devices contained in the communicator location database with real-time weather data to generate individualized weather output signals upon demand of the user; and

a communication network receiving the individualized weather output signals and transmitting the individualized weather output signals to the communicator devices.

12. The broadcast network of claim 11, wherein at least one of the user defined parameters is a spatial range identifier.

13. The broadcast network of claim 11, wherein the individualized weather output signals are transmitted to the particular communicator device via a mobile telephone network.

14. The broadcast network of claim 13, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a mobile phone.

15. The broadcast network of claim 13, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a pager.

16. The broadcast network of claim 13, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a laptop computer.

17. The broadcast network of claim 13, wherein at least one of the user identifier codes identifies a personal digital assistant.

18. The broadcast network of claim 11, wherein the individualized weather output signal includes a video data signal.

19. The broadcast network of claim 11, wherein the video data signal includes data for creating an animated graphic.

20. The broadcast network of claim 18, wherein the video data signal is a .wav file.