Audio hazard warning system

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for receiving weather forecast information in a mobile unit and using that information to warn a user of a future weather hazard with reference to the mobile unit's location and/or intended direction of travel. A hazard location algorithm compares a forecast location of each mobile unit with a forecast hazard and transmits a warning to each mobile unit that is predicted to encounter the hazard. As the mobile unit moves, its actual position is updated in the forecasting center, and a revised warning is transmitted to the mobile unit. 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.

1 . An event warning system, comprising: 
 a receiver for receiving computer-readable data comprising an event message;    an output system for providing audio output;    a database storing warning message components; and    control logic for selectively combining warning message components based on the received event message, and for outputting to the output system an audio alert informing a user of the system about an event to which the event message corresponds.    
   
   
       2 . The event warning system of  claim 1 , wherein the event comprises a meteorological condition.  
   
   
       3 . The event warning system of  claim 1 , wherein the warning message components comprise audio clips.  
   
   
       4 . The event warning system of  claim 1 , wherein the warning message components comprise text strings.  
   
   
       5 . The event warning system of  claim 4 , further comprising a text-to-speech module for converting the combined text strings into the audio alert.  
   
   
       6 . The event warning system of  claim 4 , further comprising a display device, and wherein the control logic causes the combined text strings to be displayed on the display device.  
   
   
       7 . The event warning system of  claim 1 , further including an output override configured to lower the volume of one or more other audio outputs and output the audio alert.  
   
   
       8 . A method for generating an audio hazard alert, comprising: 
 detecting a hazard warning;    identifying one or more attributes of the hazard warning;    extracting one or more stored warning message components based on the identified one or more attributes of the hazard warning; and    generating a customized audio warning from the extracted one or more stored warning message components.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more stored warning message components include text strings.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein generating a customized audio warning from the extracted one or more stored warning message components includes converting the text strings into speech.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more stored warning message components include audio clips.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein generating a customized audio warning includes combining the extracted one or more stored warning message components.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the identified one or more attributes of the hazard warning includes a type of hazard.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 8 , further including: 
 lowering the volume of one or more other audio outputs; and    outputting the customized audio warning.    
   
   
       15 . A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising: 
 detecting a hazard warning;    identifying one or more attributes of the hazard warning;    extracting one or more stored warning message components based on the identified one or more attributes of the hazard warning; and    generating a customized audio warning from the extracted one or more stored warning message components.    
   
   
       16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more stored warning message components include text strings.  
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein generating a customized audio warning from the extracted one or more stored warning message components includes converting the text strings into speech.  
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein generating a customized audio warning includes combining the extracted one or more stored warning message components.  
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the identified one or more attributes of the hazard warning includes a type of hazard.  
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , further including: 
 lowering the volume of one or more other audio outputs; and    outputting the customized audio warning.