Apparatus and method for providing environmental predictive indicators to emergency response ...

41 Pages·2015·3.58 MB·English

US008209124B2
(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 8,209,124 B2
Dannevik et a]. (45) Date of Patent: Jun. 26, 2012
(54) APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR Goodwin et a1., “Best Practice for Road Weather Management”, May
PROVIDING ENVIRONMENTAL 2003 (retrieved Dec. 18, 2009).*
PREDICTIVE INDICATORS TO EMERGENCY Stouffer et al, Guide to Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
RESPONSE MANAGERS (SCADA) and Industrial Control Systems Security Recommenda
tions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Sep.
(75) Inventors: William Dannevik, St. Louis, MO (U S);
2006, pp. 1-F-6, Special Publication 800-82, National Institute of
Robert W. Pasken, St. Louis, MO (US)
Standards and Technology Technology Administration US. Depart
(73) Assignee: Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO
ment of Commerce.
(Us)
Goodwin, L.C. “Best Practices for Road Weather Management,”
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Version 2.0., Miterek Systems, May 2003 [Retrieved on: Dec. 18,
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 2009]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: http://ops.fhwa.d0t.g0v/
U.S.C. 154(b) by 412 days. weather/bestipractices/CaseStudiesFINALvZ-RPT.pdf>.
Shaw et al, “Implementation of the WRF Model for the Dubai Inter
(21) App1.No.: 12/618,012
national Airport Aviation Weather Decision Support System,” 13th
Conference on Aviation, Range, and Aerospace Meteorology New
(22) Filed: Nov. 13, 2009
Orleans, American Meteeorology Society, Jan. 20-24, 2008
(65) Prior Publication Data [Retrieved on: Dec. 18, 2009]. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL:
http:// ams.confex.com/ ams/ 8 8Annual/techpr0gram/paperi133 147.
US 2010/0131202 A1 May 27, 2010 htm>.
Related US. Application Data * cited by examiner
(60) Provisional application No. 61/114,357, ?led on Nov.
Primary Examiner * Phuong Huynh
13, 2008.
(74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmiMark E. Stallion, Esq.;
(51) Int. Cl. Husch Blackwell LLP
G01 W1/00 (2006.01)
H04B 15/00 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT
(52) US. Cl. ................... .. 702/3; 702/4; 702/5; 702/189 A method of predicting weather-exacerbated threats, said
(58) Field of Classi?cation Search ................ .. 702/3e5, method comprising inputting localized weather measurement
702/121e123, 179e189; 700/291 data into a weather threat prediction system; predicting future
See application ?le for complete search history. localized weather conditions based on said localized weather
measurement data combined with modeling from National
(56) References Cited Weather Service Data; inputting natural environment and
infrastructure data into said weather threat prediction system;
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS correlating said infrastructure data with said predicted future
2004/0230377 A1* 11/2004 Ghosh et a1. .................... .. 702/3 localized weather conditions; and determining a threat level
index over a region, a threat level indicating an area having a
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
certain probabilistic likelihood of being harmed by said
Shaw et al., “Implementation of the WFR for the Dubai International future weather conditions.
Airport Aviation Weather Decision Support System”, Jan. 2008
(retrieved Dec. 18, 2009).* 21 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
EAS Process overview
Mesonet Ingest National Weather Tree locatio n
Prooess Service Ingest DataBase FOSS
Process
Above ground
Mesonet Quality Power line
Control Process DataBase FOSS
Mesonet
DataBase FOSS National Weather
Service Data
DataBase FOSS
Mesonet
Graphics
Forecast Model
(WPS-WFlF)
Generate Generate Forecast Model Generate
Meteograms GoogleEanh Graphics GoogleEarlh
Station Plots KMZ files KMZ files
Web Page GoogleEanh web Page
Graphics g T Graphics

US. Patent
Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 2 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
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US. Patent Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 3 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
Figule 3
A representative sansor suite

US. Patent
Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 5 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
Clean up dregs from
the last forecast to
insure a clean art NOMADS is the
i National
Oceanographic and
Set the date and time Atmosphere
stamps for this Administration
forecast period (NOAA) real-time
model output server
Is the NAM
date available
from LDM
Copy initialization date Call NWS
from source to forecast V DataBase process
server to achieve this run
V
initialization files are
renamed to names
Is this the 3rd
needed by forecast
try for
process
NOMADS
V
initialization files are
renamed based on
Send mail to
forecast length and
forecaster on
start time as needed by
the model
i
Name lists for Model
initialization and Model
forecasts are built
based on forecast start
time and forecast
length
Reset times back
YES
one NWS forecast
slot time
Figure 5
Failure exit
National Weather Service date ingest process
US. Patent Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 6 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
Set the date and
time stamps for
this ingest cycle
NO] >
is this the is the
3rd try for mesonet data
the available on
remote the remote
server server
its i
YES
Call mesonet
Send mail to Copy this cycles
DataBase
forecaster on duty mesonet data to V
process to archive
forecast server
this cycle
Failure exit v
Quality Control this
cycles mesonet data
V
Call mesonet
DataBase
Exit
process to archi
this cycle
Figure 6
Mesonet data ingest process
US. Patent Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 7 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
Set the data/time
for the data to be
QC’d
Get location of
data to be QC‘d
Finished
read a stations
reading data
weather data
YES
Call level
1 Checks
Cail level
2 Checks
Call level
3 Checks
Write QC’d
data to database
Figure 7
Main flow chart for QC process
US. Patent Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 8 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
lsthe
Flag Rh
RHin
data
bounds
Flag temp
data
Flag wind
data
Flag rainfall
data
Flag pressure
pressure
data
in bounds
ls battery Flag battery
power in data
YES
Figure 7b
Main flow chart for QC process (level 1)
US. Patent
Jun. 26, 2012 Sheet 9 0f 15 US 8,209,124 B2
Flag wind for
YES corresponding
value for previous times (5,
past times 15, and/or 60 min)
Read current and
NO
past data (5 min, 15
min, and 60 min) for
each observation
Wind speed YES Flag wind speed
greater than ' and wind gusts
wind gust
Temp»
YES Flag temp, for
exceeding
corresponding NO
allowed value
previous times (5,
for any past
15, and/or 60 min)
times
Flag wind data
checks in
past week
W Flag temp and NO
Dewpoint
exceeding
YES Flag RH for
allowed _
value for Corresponding
past times prewous times (5,
15, and/or 60 min)
failed YES
Flag temp
75% QC
data NO
checksin
RH tailed
75% of QC
checksin
ast week
exceeding Flag pressureth
allowed corresponding
value for previous times (5,
ast times 15, and/or 60 min)
Pressure
failed 75% Flag pressure
Figure 7c
OC checks data
in past week
Main flow chart for QC
process (level 2)
NO