Systems and methods for distributing real-time site-specific weather information

Abstract

A system for providing real-time site specific weather information comprises a weather alert manager that receives meteorological data and combines the meteorological data with a geographical grid covering a predefined geographic area to produce a storm profile for the storms within the geographical area, wherein the geographic grid partitions the geographic area into a plurality of cells. A distribution network distributes the storm profiles to remote units that are responsive to the storm profiles. The remote units are configured to process the storm profiles and present real-time site specific weather information based upon the storm profile. The storm profiles may include a cell identifier that identifies a cell of the geographic grid that is affected by the storm. In addition, the storm profiles may further include a storm identifier, a storm type identifier, and a presence qualifier associated with each cell identified.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for providing weather event notifications, comprising: 
 memory for storing at least one contact identifier that identifies a remote unit; and    logic configured to make a determination as to whether the remote unit is located within a geographic region of an impending weather event, the logic further configured to transmit, responsive to determining that the remote unit is located within the geographic region of the impending weather event, a signal to the remote unit based on the contact identifier thereby enabling the remote unit to notify at least one person within the geographic region of the impending weather event.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one contact identifier is a telephone number associated with the remote unit.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic is further configured to correlate the at least one contact identifier with different locations and to make the determination based on whether the at least one contact identifier is correlated, by the logic, with a location that is within the geographic region.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is a pager.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is a telephone.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is a computer.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is a cell phone.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is a set top box.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the signal is an activation signal.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one person is a user of the remote unit.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one person is a person within a vicinity of the remote unit.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the logic is configured to provide the at least one contact identifier to a communication network, the communication network configured to route the signal to the remote unit based on the at least one contact identifier.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the communication network comprises a satellite network.  
     
     
         14 . A system for providing weather event notifications, comprising: 
 a plurality of remote units; and    a weather event manager configured to respectively associate the remote units with different locations and to receive meteorological data indicative of an occurrence of a weather event, the meteorological data indicating an expected location of the occurrence, the weather event manager further configured to analyze the meteorological data and to transmit, based on an analysis of the meteorological data by the weather event manager, a signal to at least one of the plurality of remote units that is associated with the expected location,    wherein the at least one of the plurality of remote unit is configured to communicate a weather notification in response to the signal.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the weather notification comprises an audible sound.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the weather notification comprises a visual message.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the signal activates the at least one of the plurality of remote units.  
     
     
         18 . A method for providing event notifications, comprising: 
 determining an occurrence of an event;    selecting, in response to said determining step, at least one remote unit appropriate to receive notification of the event; and    transmitting a signal to the at least one remote;    wherein the at least one remote unit provides a notification of the event in response to receiving the signal.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the event is a weather event.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a human determines the occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a human selects the at least one remote unit appropriate to receive notification of the event.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the notification of the event comprises an audible sound.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the notification of the event comprises a visual notification.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the signal is transmitted at least partially via a wireless network.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the signal is transmitted at least partially via a satellite network.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the signal activates the at least one remote unit.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one remote unit is selected based on a location information associated with the at least one remote unit.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the location information indicates the physical location of the at least one remote unit.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the location information is provided by a user of the at least one remote unit.