초록 ▼

An automated weather alert system using GIS technology automatically ingests weather data and processes the weather data to determine if localized weather conditions pose a threat to any of a plurality of business operations, each of which have a known location. In the event such threat exists, an e

An automated weather alert system using GIS technology automatically ingests weather data and processes the weather data to determine if localized weather conditions pose a threat to any of a plurality of business operations, each of which have a known location. In the event such threat exists, an employee having responsibility for a threatened business operation is provided with an alert message and asked to acknowledge receipt. Additional notification is automatically provided to the employee's supervisor if such acknowledgment is not received within a predetermined period of time.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for providing weather alert information on a subscription basis to a subscriber comprising: (a) a mobile, addressable workstation assigned to a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver and a cellular communication means;(b) a computer system compris

1. An apparatus for providing weather alert information on a subscription basis to a subscriber comprising: (a) a mobile, addressable workstation assigned to a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver and a cellular communication means;(b) a computer system comprising (i) a database which stores the address of the workstation assigned to the subscriber, a set of subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events and GIS mapping information related to segments of freeways, highways and other roads, and automatically stores location information related to the position of the subscriber comprising a unique site mapping around the position of the subscriber, at least some of such location information generated by and transmitted from the global positioning system receiver of the workstation to the computer system;(ii) a weather server application which controls the computer system such that the computer system automatically ingests weather data, automatically converts the weather data into at least one GIS-compatible format, automatically compares the weather data to the subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events, automatically performs a GIS spatial analysis by mapping a dynamically estimated coverage area reflecting actual dimension and intensity of weather events, in a manner unconstrained by a set of predefined shapes or areas stored on the computer system, to a current position of the subscriber and locations of segments of freeways, highways and other roads to determine if the subscriber is likely to encounter adverse weather conditions corresponding to the subscriber- defined thresholds; and(iii) a communications server application which controls the computer system such that the computer system automatically transmits at least one weather alert message to the workstation assigned to the subscriber if the subscriber is likely to encounter such adverse weather conditions. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cellular communication means is a cell phone. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the database further includes mapping information defining a separate location of interest to a subscriber and the computer system addresses messages to the workstation assigned to the subscriber if weather conditions corresponding to the subscriber-defined thresholds will exist at the separate location. 4. An apparatus for providing weather alert information on a subscription basis to a subscriber comprising: (a) a separate mobile, addressable workstation assigned to a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver, cellular communication means, and software which enables the workstation to receive and store a weather alert message addressed to the workstation for at least as long as the weather alert is active and which enables the subscriber to review weather alert messages related to active weather alerts covering the area in which the subscriber is located;(b) a computer system comprising (i) a database which stores the address of the workstation assigned to the subscriber, a set of weather parameters and location information related to segments of freeways, highways and other roads,. and automatically stores location information related to the position of the subscriber, at least some of the location information related to the position of the subscriber generated by the global positioning receiver of the workstation assigned to the subscriber and transmitted to the computer system;(ii) a weather server application which controls the computer system such that the computer system automatically ingests geographically referenced weather information from a plurality of sources, automatically converts the ingested geographically referenced weather data into at least one GIS-compatible format, automatically compares the ingested weather information to the weather parameters, and automatically uses the location information related to the segments of freeways, highways and other roads, the location information related to the position of the subscriber and the geographically referenced weather information to perform a spatial analysis performed by mapping a dynamically estimated coverage area reflecting actual dimension and intensity of the weather information in a manner unconstrained by a set of predefined shapes or areas stored on the computer system to locations of the segments of freeways, highways and other roads and a current position of the subscriber to thereby determine if the subscriber is likely to encounter weather conditions exceeding the weather parameters; and(iii) a communication server application which controls the computer system such that the computer system automatically and transmits at least one geographically referenced weather alert messages to the workstation assigned to the subscriber if the subscriber is likely to encounter such adverse weather conditions. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said addressable workstation includes a global positioning system receiver for determining the position of the workstation, a transmitter for providing information related to the location of the workstation to the computer system, and a receiver for receiving weather alert messages from the computer system. 6. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising an additional workstation and a second set of parameters stored in the database and associated with the additional workstation, wherein the computer system compares the second set of parameters to the ingested weather information and transmits a message to the additional workstation if the weather parameters are exceeded. 7. A subscription-based, weather information alerting processor-implemented method providing weather alert information comprising a unique site mapping around a subscriber workstation position on a subscription basis to a subscriber, comprising: receiving subscriber workstation position information comprising a unique site mapping around a subscriber workstation position for a mobile, addressable workstation associated with a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver and a wireless communication means;determining a set of subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events, and GIS mapping information related to segments of freeways, highways and other roads based on the received subscriber workstation position information;automatically ingesting and processing weather data, the ingested and processed weather data comprising data in an at least one GIS-compatible format;automatically comparing, via a processor, the ingested and processed weather data to the subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events;automatically performing a GIS spatial analysis by mapping a dynamically estimated coverage area reflecting actual dimension and intensity of weather events, unconstrained by a set of stored predefined shapes or areas, to received subscriber workstation position information and locations of segments of freeways, highways and other roads to determine if the subscriber is likely to encounter adverse weather conditions corresponding to the subscriber-defined thresholds; andautomatically issuing at least one weather alert message to the subscriber workstation associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is likely to encounter such adverse weather conditions. 8. A subscription-based, weather information alerting apparatus providing weather alert information on a subscription basis to a subscriber, comprising: a memory;a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of processing instructions stored in memory, wherein the processor issues instructions to: receive subscriber workstation position information comprising a unique site mapping around a subscriber workstation position for a mobile, addressable workstation associated with a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver and a wireless communication means;determine a set of subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events and GIS mapping information related to segments of freeways, highways and other roads based on the received subscriber workstation position information;automatically ingest and process weather data, the ingested and processed weather data comprising data in an at least one GIS-compatible format;automatically compare the ingested and processed weather data to the subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events;automatically perform a GIS spatial analysis by mapping a dynamically estimated coverage area reflecting actual dimension and intensity of weather events, unconstrained by a set of stored predefined shapes or areas, to received subscriber workstation position information and locations of segments of freeways, highways and other roads to determine if the subscriber is likely to encounter adverse weather conditions corresponding to the subscriber-defined thresholds; andautomatically issue at least one weather alert message to the subscriber workstation associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is likely to encounter such adverse weather conditions. 9. A subscription-based, weather information alerting processor-readable non-transitory medium storing processor-issuable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions to: receive subscriber workstation position information comprising a unique site mapping around a subscriber workstation position for a mobile, addressable workstation associated with a subscriber, the workstation comprising a global positioning system receiver and a wireless communication means;determine a set of subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events and GIS mapping information related to segments of freeways, highways and other roads based on the received subscriber workstation position information;automatically ingest and process weather data, the ingested and processed weather data comprising data in an at least one GIS-compatible format;automatically compare the ingested and processed weather data to the subscriber-defined thresholds related to weather events;automatically perform a GIS spatial analysis by mapping a dynamically estimated coverage area reflecting actual dimension and intensity of weather events, unconstrained by a set of stored predefined shapes or areas, to received subscriber workstation position information and locations of segments of freeways, highways and other roads to determine if the subscriber is likely to encounter adverse weather conditions corresponding to the subscriber-defined thresholds; andautomatically issue at least one weather alert message to the subscriber workstation associated with the subscriber if the subscriber is likely to encounter such adverse weather conditions.