Mechanical strain-based weather sensor

Abstract

Provided herein is technology relating to weather sensors and particularly, but not exclusively, to devices, methods, and systems related to collecting weather data by measuring bending and compression stresses in a weather sensor device.

1 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A method for providing hail data to an insurance agency, the method comprising:
 a) collecting hail data using a weather-sensing apparatus; and   b) providing said hail data to an insurance agency.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said weather-sensing apparatus comprises:
 i) a rigid fixture; 
 ii) a drag-generating component directly attached to said rigid fixture by a plurality of strain sensors; and 
 iii) a processor configured to produce hail data from signals provided by said plurality of strain sensors. 
 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising producing a time series of hail data. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said hail data comprises hail size. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said hail data comprises hail energy, hail momentum, hail volume, hail density, number of individual hail impacts, hail direction, and/or hail velocity. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising providing an alert to an insurance agency. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising predicting hail impacts using said hail data. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising producing historical hail data. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising producing a statistical analysis of historical hail data. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising producing a statistical analysis of real-time hail data. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising modeling or predicting hail using historical hail data and real-time hail data. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said processor is configured to process said signals by frequency analysis to determine an amount of hail impacting the device during a time period. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 47  wherein said weather-sensing apparatus further comprises an accelerometer and/or a sound sensor. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 47  wherein providing hail data to an insurance agency comprises transmitting said hail data from a wireless communications component. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 47  further comprising providing hail location data to an insurance agency. 
     
     
         62 . A system comprising:
 a) a weather-sensing apparatus; and   b) an alerting component configured to communicate hail data to an insurance agency.   
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said weather-sensing apparatus comprises:
 i) a rigid fixture; 
 ii) a drag-generating component directly attached to said rigid fixture by a plurality of strain sensors; and 
 iii) a processor configured to produce hail data from signals provided by said plurality of strain sensors. 
 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said alerting component is configured to issue a hail alert to an insurance agency. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said alerting component is configured to communicate a statistical analysis of historical and/or real-time hydrometeor data. 
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said alerting component is configured to communicate hail size. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 62  wherein said alerting component is configured to communicate hail energy, hail momentum, hail volume, hail density, number of individual hail impacts, hail direction, and/or hail velocity. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 62  comprising a computer configured to provide a historical record of hail. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 62  configured to communicate hail data and/or an alert to a mobile phone.