Communications: electrical – Condition responsive indicating system – Specific condition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-14
2001-07-03
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Condition responsive indicating system
Specific condition
C340S539230, C340S628000, C073S170160, C073S384000, C702S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06255953
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of tornado warning systems and, more particularly, to a dedicated pager system for providing tornado alerts, as well as a method of providing a distributed warning signal on a county-by-county basis (or other geographically defined grid system) using a paging system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Tone activated alert receivers are well known and are regularly used by emergency agencies including fire, police, ambulance, and rescue services. The National Weather Service (NWS) transmits an alert signal to activate commonly available weather alert receivers to warn of impending severe and potentially life threatening weather such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, and blizzards. Known receivers can be set to issue a siren, flash an LED, and/or announce the voice weather alert message in response to receiving and decoding an alert signal.
The NWS and emergency agencies broadcast a digital code as a header preceding each alert message. This digital header usually contains the type of warning, the effective time and expiration time of the warning and the areas effected. Although the type of the warning can be obtained through decoding the header, it has been found that most of the effected public doesn't feel a compelling need for all of the information contained in the alert message, or even all the information contained in just the header. What the public wants is an alert of an impending severe weather condition, such as a tornado, that is specifically directed to them, in sufficient time to take evasive action.
Such warnings are often extremely time critical. Warnings must automatically be received by the ultimate end user, preferably on a dedicated system that will not be interfered with by other communications channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,852 to Gropper describes a capable system which provides an alert receiver interface. The receiver automatically detects the issuance of an emergency message broadcast on a radio channel, or on another communication system. The system records that alert message into the receiver with an audible day and time stamp for later playback. The system also provides an interface between the alert receiver and other communications systems, including paging system, whereby an alert message, or an alarm tone, is automatically relayed and repeated on the other communication system. The system also teaches selectively activating another communication system for only those alert messages of specific concern to users of the other communications system. In that mode, the alert receiver interface can be set by a user for specific needs such as to detect a fire company's alert signal on a public service radio channel and then go through the recording, day, and time stamp and playback sequences.
While the system described in the '852 is a very capable system, recent tragedies, such as that in Oklahoma City, indicate that a broadly available alert warning system is still badly needed. Such a system should be dedicated to a specific need, without the requirement of being selected by a user. Further, the system should eliminate the mystery of the known complex systems, and be readily acceptable in the market.
Sales figures show that consumers today readily accept pagers and smoke detectors. Consequently, an alert warning system preferably should extend the already widely accepted pager and smoke detector systems to provide an audible early warning of a tornado.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention teaches a method and apparatus for receiving and detecting a tornado alert from the National Weather Service, determining the region to which the alert applies, and broadcasting an alert signal to a plurality of pager receivers, all with the same pager number, within that region. Weather alerts are commonly issued today on a county-by-county basis, and it is anticipated that advancing technology will soon permit the NWS to issue such alerts that are broken down into an even smaller area than a county. The present invention anticipates such advancements within the scope of the present invention.
An object of the present invention is to create a dedicated, simple, and reliable tornado alert system. The system is preferably housed within the same enclosure as a common smoke detector, or in an enclosure that mimics but is distinguishable from a common smoke detector.
In the system of the present invention, a monitoring station continuously monitors broadcasts from the National Weather Service. All but tornado alerts are eliminated, so that the system only selects tornado alerts which are broadcast. The system next determines the region to which the alert applies, generally today specifying one or more counties. For each county (or other smaller region), the system broadcasts one, predetermined pager number, one pager number per region. Within the region are installed a plurality of pager receivers, each pager receiver installed within its own previously described enclosure. Thus, the tornado alert may be received by thousands of pager receivers, each assigned the same pager number, and all within the specified geographic area. That way, if a pager receiver installed within the system of this invention receives a number directed to it, the receiver is within the region to which the tornado alert applies. The pager receiver then activates a distinctive audible alert which is readily distinguishable from a smoke alarm.
The system of this invention is adapted to use well know pager receivers, but is modified to emit an alarm that is distinguishable from other alarms, such as smoke alarms, and is further modified to emit an alarm that is loud enough to awaken a soundly sleeping person.
These and other features and objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3603951 (1971-09-01), Bracken et al.
patent: 3753117 (1973-08-01), Downing et al.
patent: 5546800 (1996-08-01), Daniel
patent: 5781852 (1998-07-01), Gropper
patent: 5910763 (1999-06-01), Flanagan
patent: 6018699 (2000-01-01), Baron, Sr. et al.
patent: 6034608 (2000-03-01), Frank et al.
patent: 6125328 (2000-09-01), Baron et al.
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Wu Daniel J.
LandOfFree
Tornado warning system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Tornado warning system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Tornado warning system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2442542