CA2200830C - A precipitation measuring system and a method for precipitation measurement - Google Patents

A precipitation measuring system and a method for precipitation measurement Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2200830C
CA2200830C CA002200830A CA2200830A CA2200830C CA 2200830 C CA2200830 C CA 2200830C CA 002200830 A CA002200830 A CA 002200830A CA 2200830 A CA2200830 A CA 2200830A CA 2200830 C CA2200830 C CA 2200830C
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Canada
Prior art keywords
precipitation
impact force
signal
measuring
snow
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Expired - Fee Related
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CA002200830A
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French (fr)
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CA2200830A1 (en
Inventor
Satoshi Inoue
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National Agricultural Research Organization
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DIRECTOR GENERAL OF HOKURIKU NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
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Publication of CA2200830A1 publication Critical patent/CA2200830A1/en
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    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02ATECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02A90/00Technologies having an indirect contribution to adaptation to climate change
    • Y02A90/10Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

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  • Measurement Of Mechanical Vibrations Or Ultrasonic Waves (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials Using Thermal Means (AREA)

Abstract

There is provided a precipitation measuring system which comprises an impact force measuring means for measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation; a temperature measuring means for measuring an ambient temperature; a precipitation form detecting means for detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel; a microcomputer for converting the ambient temperature signal into a correction signal; a precipitation quantity measuring means for continuously measuring a precipitation quantity.

Description

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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A Precipitation Neasuring System and a Nethod for Precipitation Neasurement BACKGROUN~ OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a precipitation measuring system and a method for precipitation measurement.
In prior art, people usually use an electrically On/Off sensor to perform precipitation measurement, which sensor is constructed such that whether or not there is a precipitation may be determined by detecting whether or not there is a conduction between two specific electric contacts. Further, in order to determine the form of a precipitation, i. e., to determine whether the precipitaion is rain or snow, it is necessary to use some specific instruments to measure the temperature and the optical penetrability thereof so as to determine whether it is in solid or liquid phase. However, when determining if the precipitation is snow, sleet or graupel, an only usable method is to perform such a determination by way of eye observation.
Recently, there has been an increasingly high demand for precipitation measurement in people's daily life and their daily production activities, and it has become necessary for people to be kept constantly informed of a precipitation form (rain, snow, sleet or graupel) and quantity thereof. If such a precipitation measurement is possible in practice, it could allow people to obtain information such as snow depth, in particular it permits people to easily know what kind of trouble a snow fall will bring about to railways, highways, electric power supply cables However, the above-mentioned conventional system, because eye observation is inevitable, is in fact impossible to satisfy the above-mentioned requirements.

SUNNARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved precipitation measuring system and an improved method for precipitation measurement, by measuring (a) an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation falling down, (b) an ambient temperature when the precipitation occurs, and (c) an precipitation quantity, so as to solve the above-mentioned problems peculiar to the above-mentioned prior arts.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a precipitation measuring system which comprises: an impact force measuring means for measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation and for producing an impact force signal in accordance with a sound or a vibration freqency caused by the impact force; a temperature measuring means for measuring an ambient temperature when a precipitation occurs and for producing an ambient temperature signal; a precipitation form detecting means for detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel in accordance with thc impact force signal; a micro-computer for converting the ambient temperature signal into a correction signal so as to help the precipitation form detecting means to exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel; a precipitation quantity measuring means for continuously measuring a precipitation quantity and for producing an accumulated precipitation quantity signal.
The micro-computer is provided to also receive and process the accumulated precipitation quantity signal from the precipitation quantity measuring means, so as to constantly produce an output data indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
The impact force measuring means is a sound sensor or a vibration sensor capable of measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation impinging upon the sensor.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for precipitation measurement, which comprises: measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation and producing an impact force signal in accordance with a sound or a vibration freqency caused by the impact force; measuring an ambient temperature when a precipitation occurs and producing an ambient temperature - signal; detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel in accordance with the impact force signal; converting the ambient temperature signal into a correction signal so as to help exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel; continuously measuring a precipitation quantity and producing an accumulated precipitation quantity signal.
The accumulated precipitation quantity signal from the precipitation quantity measuring means is fed to and processed in a micro-computer, so as to constantly produce an output data indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become more understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawlngs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONON OF DRA~INGS
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a precipitation measuring system according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EhBODI~ENTS
Referring to Fig. 1, a precipitation measuring system to which the present invention is applied, comprises an impact force measuring means 1 for measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation and for producing an impact force signal 4 in accordance with a sound or a vibration freqency caused by the impact force; a temperature measuring means 2 for measuring an ambient temperature when a precipitation occurs and for producing an ambient temperature signal 8; a precipitation form detecting means 5 for detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel in accordance with the impact force signal 4; a micro-computer 3 for converting the ambient temperature signal 8 into a correction signal 9 so as to help the precipitation form detecting means 5 to exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel; a precipitation quantity measuring means 6 for continuously measuring a precipitation quantity and for producing an accumulated precipitation quantity signal 7.
In the system shown in Fig. 1, the micro-computer 3 is provided to also receive and process the accumulated precipitation quantity signal 7 from the precipitation quantity measuring means 6, so as to constantly produce an output data 12 indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
In detail, the impact force measuring means 1 is a sound sensor or a vibration sensor having a sensing element (not shown) so shaped that it is possible for rain, snow, sleet or graupel to first impinge upon and then drop off the sensing member. In practice, the impact force measuring means 1 is so constructed that a sound or vibration caused by the impinging of rain, snow, sleet or graupel upon the sensing member will be converted into an impact force signal in accordance with a sound or vibration freqency caused by the impact force, thereby making it possible to measure the impact force generated by a kind of precipitation falling down.
The operation of the precipitation measuring system shown in Fig. 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawing.
At first, an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation is measured in the impact force measuring means 1 so as to produce an impact force signal 4. The impact force signal 4 is fed to the precipitation form detecting means 5 to detect if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel in accordance with the impact force signal 4.
Neanwhile, an ambient temperature at that time is measured by the temperature measuring means 2 to produce an ambient temperature signal 8. The ambient temperature signal 8 is processed in the micro-computer means 3 so as to be converted into a correction signal 9. The correction signal 9 is then applied to the precipitation form detecting means 5 to help the detecting means 5 to finally and exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel, so as to output a precipitation form data 10 indicating the detected result.
Afterwards, the precipitation quantity measuring means 6 is caused to start operation to continuously measure a precipitation quantity and to produce an accumulated precipitation quantity signal 7. Neanwhile, a precipitation form signal 11 is produced from the precipitation form detecting means 5 and is fed to the preipitation quantity measuring means 6, so that the precipitation quantity measuring means 6 may produce a more correct accumulated precipitation quantity signal 7 by taking into account a precipitation form.
Finally, the accumulated precipitation quantity signal 7 from the precipitation quantity measuring means 6 is fed to and processed in the micro-computer 3, so as to constantly output a precipitation quantity data 12 indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
As is understood from the above description, in accordance with the present invention, it it possible to automatically and exactly detect a precipitation form (rain, snow, sleet or graupel), simply by measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation falling on the ground and an ambient temperature when the precipitation occurs.
Further, the present invention allows easy and correct measurement of a precipitation quantity by virtue of the precipitation form signal 11. In this way, the precipitation measuring system of the present invention can be placed in an unmanned cold area to carry out a desired and predetermined precipitation measurement.

~hile the presently preferred embodiments of the this invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that these disclosures are for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be - made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (4)

1. A precipitation measuring system, comprising:
an impact force measuring means for measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation and for producing an impact force signal in accordance with a vibration frequency caused by the impact force, said impact force measuring means being a vibration sensor having a sensing element so shaped that rain, snow, sleet or graupel can first impinge upon and then drop off the sensing element;
a temperature measuring means for measuring an ambient temperature when a precipitation occurs and for producing an ambient temperature signal;
a precipitation form detecting means for detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel in accordance with the impact force signal;
a micro-computer for converting the ambient temperature signal into a correction signal so as to help the precipitation form detecting means to exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel;
a precipitation quantity measuring means for continuously measuring a precipitation quantity and for producing an accumulated precipitation quantity signal;
wherein the impact force measuring means is so constructed that vibration caused by the impinging rain, snow, sleet or graupel upon the sensing element is converted into an impact force signal in accordance with a vibration frequence caused by the impact force;
wherein the micro-computer is provided to also receive and process the accumulated precipitation quantity signal from the precipitation quantity measuring means, so as to constantly produce an output data indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
2. A precipitation measuring system according to claim 1, wherein said impact force measuring means is a vibration sensor capable of measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation impinging upon the sensor.
3. A method for precipitation measurement, comprising:
measuring an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation and producing an impact force signal in accordance with a vibration frequency caused by the impact force, using an impact force measuring means which is a vibration sensor having a sensing element so shaped that rain, snow, sleet or graupel can first impinge upon and then drop off the sensing element;
measuring an ambient temperature when a precipitation occurs and producing an ambient temperature signal;
detecting if the precipitation is rain, snow sleet or graupel in accordance with the impact force signal;
converting the ambient temperature signal into a correction signal so as to help exactly determine if the precipitation is rain, snow, sleet or graupel;
continuously measuring a precipitation quantity and producing an accumulated precipitation quantity signal;
wherein the impact force measuring means is so constructed that a vibration caused by the impinging of rain, snow, sleet or graupel upon the sensing element is converted into an impact force signal in accordance with a vibration frequency caused by the impact force;
wherein the accumulated precipitation quantity signal force from the precipitation quantity measuring means is fed to and processed in a micro-computer, so as to constantly produce an output data indicating a correct precipitation quantity.
4. A precipitation measuring method according to claim 3, wherein a vibration sensor is used to measure an impact force generated by a kind of precipitation impinging upon the sensor.
CA002200830A 1997-03-18 1997-03-24 A precipitation measuring system and a method for precipitation measurement Expired - Fee Related CA2200830C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP9-064394 1997-03-18
JP9064394A JP2909533B2 (en) 1997-03-18 1997-03-18 Measuring method of precipitation using falling impact

Publications (2)

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CA2200830A1 CA2200830A1 (en) 1998-09-18
CA2200830C true CA2200830C (en) 2001-01-16

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Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FI116322B (en) * 2001-09-24 2005-10-31 Vaisala Oyj Rain and hail sensors and procedure for measuring rainfall
FR2830332A1 (en) * 2001-10-03 2003-04-04 Gaucherel Sandrine Measurement of all kinds of precipitation using a rain-meter that detects the sound or precipitation incident on a passive surface and transmits a measurement signal to a central data acquisition unit
JP5876705B2 (en) * 2011-10-21 2016-03-02 株式会社ネクスコ・メンテナンス新潟 Granular ice detector
CN102736133B (en) * 2012-06-19 2014-08-06 江汉大学 Rainfall measurement device and method
US11100918B2 (en) 2018-08-27 2021-08-24 American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. Event sensing system

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JP2909533B2 (en) 1999-06-23
CA2200830A1 (en) 1998-09-18
JPH10260269A (en) 1998-09-29

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