WO2022060234A1

WO2022060234A1 - Meteorological data acquisition stations for information dissemination

Info

Publication number: WO2022060234A1
Application number: PCT/PH2021/050022
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alvin E. RETAMAR; Gerwin P. GUBA; Harold Bryan S. PALER; Glenn Vincent C. LOPEZ; Ian C. MOSQUERA; Jericho C. CAPITO; Jasmin Jane M. YABUT; Marjon N. DE PAZ; Jeanette B. CARLOS
Original assignee: Department Of Science And Technology – Advanced Science And Technology Institute (Dost-Asti)
Priority date: 2020-09-21
Filing date: 2021-06-14
Publication date: 2022-03-24

Abstract

The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information. Meteorological data acquisition stations measure meteorological, soil, and water parameters. The meteorological data acquisition stations are configured with two modes of meteorological data transmission, namely, via GSM network and satellite internet network. The priority mode of transmission is via GSM network while the secondary is satellite internet network in times of unavailable or weak signal from GSM network. When connected to the GSM network, the measured meteorological data is encoded in an SMS text message for transmission to a remote server. Otherwise, the measured meteorological data is encoded in a short data message for transmission via satellite internet network. The remote server receives and parses meteorological data from either of the SMS text message or short data message. A computer application then displays and updates in real-time the meteorological data presented in tabular and graphical format.

Description

METEOROLOGICAL DATA ACQUISITION STATIONS FOR INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a method for monitoring meteorological conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information. Specifically, the present invention relates to a dual-mode network design of transmitting meteorological data.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Each year, an average of twenty tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility, and most are strong typhoons bringing heavy rains and floods. Such a catastrophe happens, extensive damages to property and a huge number of casualties are inevitable. This raises the need for early disaster warning systems to reduce economic losses and mitigate the number of injuries and deaths from such disasters. Early disaster warning systems empower key decision-makers by providing consistent, timely, and accurate weather information that can be used for risk assessment, disaster forecasting, and communicating alerts to high-risk communities.

[0003] Automated weather stations are key components of early disaster warning systems. They measure various meteorological parameters at different locations with the goal of providing a comprehensive picture of the local weather conditions. Design considerations of automated weather stations should naturally include robustness, network reliability, and security. In a preprint paper entitled "Satellite-based loT Networks for Emerging Applications" by S. Routray and H. Hussein, network reliability is attempted to be resolved by means of dual-mode Internet of Things (loT) systems intended for similar applications such as agricultural monitoring systems. In cases of weak or unavailable cellular services, which may be caused by power interruptions, dual-mode loT systems shift to satellite networks for data communication. In another paper entitled "Automatic Meteorological Measuring Systems for Microclimate Monitoring" by M. Kiselev et al., an atmospheric-soil measuring system is presented. Equipped with various sensors— for measuring atmospheric, soil, and water parameters— and communication modules, it can transmit meteorological data (e.g., air temperature, humidity, soil moisture, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, atmospheric precipitation, solar radiation, groundwater level, snow cover depth, and carbon dioxide concentration) via different communication networks such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) networks, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks, and satellite internet networks.

[0004] In view of the previously mentioned prior art, there still exists a need for a more exhaustive, cost-effective, and reliable early disaster warning systems capable of disseminating weather-related information and communicating alerts to key decision-makers and high-risk communities.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information. Various environmental sensors are equipped in an at least one meteorological data acquisition station, which measures meteorological, soil, and water parameters related to water level, amount of rainfall, air temperature, air pressure, air humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil electrical conductivity, solar radiation, solar duration, wind speed, and wind direction.

[0006] The at least one meteorological data acquisition station provides two modes for meteorological data transmission, namely, via GSM network and satellite internet network. The at least one meteorological data acquisition station prioritizes data transmission over the GSM network by means of SMS text messages for long-term cost-efficiency. However, during times of weak or unavailable signal from GSM network, the at least one meteorological data acquisition station switches to satellite internet network for continuous data transmission. Upon switching to satellite mode, a short data message comprising the meteorological data is generated and transmitted via satellite internet network to the remote server. The remote server then receives and parses meteorological data from either of the transmitted SMS text message or short data message. A computer application (e.g., mobile, desktop, or web application) displays the meteorological data in tabular and graphical representations, which are updated in real-time upon receipt of meteorological data. As experts monitor the collected meteorological data and assess the situation in high-risk areas, they may trigger the alert beacons and sound alarms in those areas to warn the residents of an approaching disaster. Alternatively, these can be triggered automatically when at least one parameter (e.g., flood level) from the collected meteorological data exceeds a corresponding predefined threshold value.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, the transmission of the generated SMS text message is performed up to a maximum number of attempts before switching the mode of transmission from GSM network to satellite internet network. In the same aspect, data transmission via satellite internet network is also attempted up to a maximum number of tries. After failing to transmit through both networks, the collected meteorological data are stored in the memory of the at least one meteorological data acquisition station for retransmission on the next transmission time interval schedule.

[0008] In a further aspect of the present invention, the mode of transmission of any meteorological data acquisition station can be configured with a single-mode transmission, which limits data transmission via GSM network or satellite internet only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated herein to illustrate embodiments of the invention. Along with the description, they also serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:

[00010] FIG. 1 illustrates a system for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[00011] FIG. 2 is a flowchart describing the method for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[00012] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a web application for browsing through the meteorological data acquisition stations installed in different areas according to one embodiment of the present invention. [00013] FIG. 4 displays the web application showing the meteorological data gathered from a single meteorological data acquisition station according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[00014] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a meteorological data acquisition system for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information. The meteorological data acquisition system comprises at least one meteorological data acquisition station 100, a GSM cellular network 102, a GSM gateway 104, a remote server 106, a satellite internet network 108 (i.e., satellite 110 and internet 112), and an external database 114. The meteorological data acquisition station 100 continuously measures at a predefined time interval various meteorological parameters related to at least one of water level, amount of rainfall, air temperature, air pressure, air humidity, dew point, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil electrical conductivity, solar radiation, solar duration, sunshine count, wind chill, wind speed, and wind direction. Two modes of data transmission are provided in this system, namely, via GSM cellular network 102 and satellite internet network 108. When a sufficiently strong signal from GSM network 102 is available, the meteorological data acquisition station 100 chooses to transmit the meteorological data encoded in SMS text messages via this network 102. SMS text messages are relayed by the GSM cellular network 102 to a GSM gateway 104 before arriving at a remote server 106 for storage and processing. On the other hand, if signal is inadequately low or there is no signal from GSM cellular network 102, the meteorological data acquisition station 100 transmits the meteorological data encoded in short data messages to the remote server 106 via satellite internet network 108. The remote server 106 parses the meteorological data and stores them in the database module of the remote server 106. The parsed meteorological data are also stored in an external database 114 or in another remote server for data redundancy.

[00015] The following are different types of meteorological data acquisition stations provided by the present invention:

1. Automated Rain Gauge Station - a stand-alone station that can gather and record the amount of rainfall and automatically send data via text messaging to the remote server.

2. Water Level Monitoring Station - monitors critical flood prone areas by measuring the water level and rate of change of water level using an ultrasonic sensor. This can be used to signal potential danger and evacuation to communities.

3. Tandem Station - includes a mechanical tipping bucket and an ultrasonic sensor for measuring rainfall parameters and water level, respectively. It is a combination of the automatic rain gauge and water level monitoring station.

4. Automated Weather Station - integrated with multi-parameter sensors, a datalogger, and mechanical tipping bucket used for acquiring, recording, and storing weather-related data (e.g., wind chill, wind speed, wind direction, rainfall amount, air temperature, air humidity, air pressure, dew point). 5. Agrometeorological Station - geared with multi-parameter weather sensors that can simultaneously measure wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air humidity, air pressure, rainfall amount, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil electrical conductivity, sunshine count, and solar radiation.

6. Flood Alerting Station - solar-powered station used for notifying residents in landslide and flood-prone areas of an approaching disaster. This can be triggered automatically or manually via hard buttons or wireless applications.

7. Tsunami Early Warning Station - solar-powered station composed of one or more sirens and beacons that can be used for notifying communities of incoming tsunamis.

Other meteorological parameters such as maximum and minimum air temperature, maximum and minimum wind speed, sunlight/solar duration, rainfall duration, rainfall intensity, and rainfall cumulative can also be derived. In the preferred embodiment, all collected data is saved in the on-board flash memory of the station. If the on-board flash memory is fully consumed (e.g., 32MB memory space is full), first-in, first-out (FIFO) memory can be used for additional memory space.

[00016] These meteorological data acquisition stations can be powered by solar panels and batteries for long-term operability. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sampling and transmission frequency of each meteorological data acquisition station can be programmed individually. This may depend, for example, on the risk level of each geographical area. For example, automated weather stations installed in the direction of typhoons near coastal areas are programmed to collect data every minute while automated rain gauge stations installed in cities away from coastal areas samples data every ten minutes. In this way, these automated weather stations provide real-time monitoring of weather disturbances leading to a comprehensive weather forecasting analysis. On the other hand, the automated rain gauge stations can save power efficiently as sampling and transmission frequency is lower. In the same manner, the sampling rate of each sensor connected to a meteorological data acquisition station can also be programmed individually. In another embodiment of the present invention, before sending raw sensor data, the average measurement of two or more data points collected within an interval can be calculated and transmitted. For instance, the average air temperature reading of three data points sampled with one second gap is calculated on-board and transmitted in place of the raw data. As another means of averaging, the water level monitoring station, for example, collects 15 water level samples. Subsequently, the processing module of the station calculates the average of the inner data by removing, for example, the highest three and lowest three samples so that somehow, outliers or noise in the dataset can be removed and avoided. Therefore, any method of averaging may be used as a way of calibration that eliminates small variations in the sensor readings. In addition, the processing module may check if each sensor reading is within the normal range. If outside the normal range, a notification is sent via the web application informing that the sensor may be currently at fault.

[00017] In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG 2, the method for monitoring weather conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information comprises collecting meteorological data by a plurality of environmental sensors of at least one meteorological data acquisition station (step 200). The GSM module of the meteorological data acquisition then generates an SMS text message comprising the collected meteorological data and transmits it to a remote server through the GSM network (step 202). If the SMS text message is successfully sent (step 204), the remote server should receive it and parse the meteorological data from the SMS text message (step 206). If, however, transmission of SMS text messages still fails after several attempts, the mode of transmission is switched from GSM network to satellite internet network (step 208). Other possible causes of GSM network failure may be account issues such that the SIM (subscriber identification module) card installed in the GSM module of the station does not have sufficient prepaid load, or its postpaid line gets disconnected. Afterwards, a short data message comprising the collected meteorological data is generated and transmitted via the satellite internet network to the remote server (step 210). The remote server then receives and parses the meteorological data from the short data message (step 206). The web application is then updated with the new meteorological data and displays them in tabular and graphical format for monitoring and analysis (step 212). Should experts perceive it is necessary to alarm the residents of an impending harm from an anticipated disaster, they may perform a web-based or manual approach (i.e., onsite via hard buttons) to trigger activation of one or more alert beacons and sound alarms in an at least one geographical area predicted to be affected by the anticipated disaster (step 214). For example, emergency lights and sound alarms are turned on when the water level in a river is estimated to overflow quickly within a significant amount of time. [00018] In one aspect of the present invention, the computer-implemented method further comprises a step of performing several attempts to send through SMS first before switching the mode of transmission to satellite internet network when there exists a problem with the GSM network. Here, the meteorological data acquisition attempts to send through SMS until successful but limited to the maximum allowable number of tries. For example, given that the meteorological data acquisition station is programmed to gather and send data every 10 minutes, if it fails to send via GSM network after, for example, five attempts, the meteorological data acquisition station will transmit the data thru satellite internet. In the same way, transmission attempts via satellite internet is limited up to the maximum allowable number of tries. In the case that transmission via GSM and satellite internet is both unsuccessful, the unsent meteorological data will be stored in the station's memory for retransmission in the next transmission cycle. However, if both networks are still unavailable by the next cycle, it will continue to collect and store the data for the next transmission cycles until a network becomes available. Thus, by the time a network signal resumes availability, multiple messages with successive timestamps are generated from all previously unsent data and transmitted at once. In a different scenario, a single message that compiles all the previously unsent data with corresponding timestamps can be generated and transmitted instead. According to this aspect of the present invention, using partly or this whole protocol can lower the operational cost of the system since usage of expensive satellite internet can be minimized.

[00019] In other aspects of the present invention, the meteorological data acquisition station can connect to two or more GSM networks for better network io reliability. In several embodiments, each meteorological data acquisition station connected to the monitoring system can be configured with a single-mode or dual-mode mode of transmission. By single-mode transmission, the meteorological data acquisition station can only connect to either GSM network or satellite internet network for data transmission. This may seem practical, for example, when GSM network is not currently available within the area of the station during installation. In this scenario, the meteorological data acquisition station should preferably be configured with a singlemode transmission via satellite internet network only.

[00020] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, SMS text messages are relayed by the GSM gateway to the internet for uploading in the remote server. In another embodiment, no internet connection is needed such that the whole process of monitoring meteorological conditions and disseminating meteorological- related information is localized within a community. This implies transmission is only possible through GSM networks. Data from the meteorological station is transmitted as SMS text messages through a GSM gateway to a local computer server. This limits monitoring and analysis of meteorological data by authorized personnel within the community. This can be helpful for providing immediate response to incoming disasters. [00021] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a web application for displaying the meteorological data acquisition stations installed in different locations. As shown, information (i.e., station type and quantity) about the different meteorological data acquisition stations is displayed by the "AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGE (ARG)" panel 300, "AUTOMATED WEATHER STATIONS (AWS)" panel 302, "WATER LEVEL MONITORING SYSTEMS (WLMS)" panel 304, "WLMS with ARG" panel 306, "ALERTING STATIONS" panel 308, and TOTAL STATIONS panel 310. Current date and time are displayed on the date and time panel 312. The main window 314 of the web application shows the list of the various stations installed in different regions, provinces, and addresses. Using the "search" text field 316, a user can input any address and search if there are stations located in the specified address. The list can also be narrowed down by clicking the region filter 318, province filter 320, and station type filter 322. To check the data from one site, the user may choose to select the corresponding "view data" button 324. The user will then be directed to a new page, which is shown in FIG. 4. As illustrated, there are three modal windows, namely, sensor description window 400, time duration window 402, and sensor data window 404. The sensor description window 400 shows the location, address, geographical coordinates, and type of the selected sensor. The time duration window 402 allows the user to limit the displayed sensor data within the desired date range. The sensor data window 404 displays the collected data of each parameter in tabular or graphical format (e.g., map visualization, bar graph, pie chart, line graph, scatter plot) upon user selection of the "Tabular View" button 406 or "Graphical View" button 408. To check the prior sensor readings, the user may choose to select the navigation button 410.

[00022] In some embodiments of the present invention, different threshold values for each sensor may correspond to different levels of alert. For example, the water level sensor installed near the Marikina river may respond to three alert threshold levels. Level 1 indicates when the water level is 15 meters above sea level; level 2 indicates when it is 16 meter above sea level; and level 3 indicates when above 18 meters. Alert levels 1, 2, and 3 mean "prepare to evacuate," "evacuate to designated center, and forced evacuation, respectively. Corresponding recorded audio samples can also be played via speakers in conjunction with the beacons and alarms. Alternatively, the operation (e.g., switching on or off) of the beacons and alarms can be performed via manual switches, mobile applications, desktop applications, or web applications.

[00023] Although most embodiments of the present invention can be described as transmitting the meteorological data from each meteorological data acquisition station connected to the system, it can be appreciated that the system may further comprise a sink node that aggregates the collected meteorological data from all meteorological data acquisition stations installed in one or nearby sites. Rather than the data being transmitted by each station, the sink node collects the data from each station first and sends them to the remote server. Furthermore, additional third-party sensors can also be integrated in each station.

[00024] Although most embodiments utilize GSM network and satellite internet for data transmission, it can be appreciated that the system may further connect to other networks including, but not limited to, LORA (Long Range Radio) networks, Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE standards 802.12, 802.12a, 802.12b, 802.12e, 802.12g, 802.12i, and 802.12n), Bluetooth, WiMAX, ZigBee, and broadband cellular networks such as 2G, 3G, and 4G networks for better reliability. Data transmission can also be performed by ad hoc networks during emergency situations.

[00025] With respect to various embodiments of the present invention, users may interact with the computer application (e.g., mobile, desktop, or web application) using an at least one graphical user interface control element. User interactions with the computer application comprise clicking, touching, holding, moving, scrolling, swiping, pinching, rotating, or any related action permitted by the at least one graphical user interface control element. The at least one graphical user interface control element can be at least one of icons, buttons, arrows, arrow bars, text boxes, tabs, cursors, pointers, sliders, bars, widgets, checkboxes, droplists, or any graphical element permitting user interaction. Indicators, labels, icons, or any image presenting information visually can have one or more variations with respect to shape, contour, color, and size.

[00026] It is contemplated for embodiments described herein to extend to individual elements and concepts described herein, independently of other concepts, ideas, or system, as well as for embodiments to include combinations of elements recited anywhere in this application. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. As such, many variations and modifications will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. Moreover, it is contemplated that a feature described either individually or as part of an embodiment may be combined with other individually described features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the other features and embodiments make no mention of the said feature. Hence, the absence of describing combinations should not preclude the inventor from claiming rights to such combinations.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring meteorological conditions and disseminating meteorological-related information, comprising: a. collecting meteorological data by a plurality of environmental sensors of an at least one meteorological data acquisition station, wherein the collected meteorological data comprises an at least one parameter related to water level, amount of rainfall, dew point, air temperature, air pressure, air humidity, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil electrical conductivity, solar radiation, solar duration, sunshine count, wind chill, wind speed, or wind direction; b. generating a short message service (SMS) text message comprising the collected meteorological data and transmitting the generated SMS text message to a remote server through a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network; c. switching the mode of transmission of the at least one meteorological data acquisition station from the GSM network to a satellite internet network when the transmission of the generated SMS text message is unsuccessful, wherein the process of switching the at least one meteorological data acquisition station's mode of transmission from the GSM network to the satellite internet network further includes the steps of: i. generating a short data message comprising the collected meteorological data; and ii. transmitting the generated short data message via the satellite internet network to the remote server; d. receiving and parsing, by the remote server, meteorological data from one of the transmitted SMS text message and the transmitted short data message; e. displaying via a computer application the parsed meteorological data; and f. triggering activation of one or more alert beacons and sound alarms in an at least one geographical area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of environmental sensors of the at least one meteorological data acquisition station is programmed with a specific sampling rate of collecting meteorological data.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising calculating an average of each of the at least one parameter from the collected meteorological data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmission via the GSM network is performed up to a maximum allowable number of attempts before switching the mode of transmission from the GSM network to the satellite internet network.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein transmission via the satellite internet network is performed up to the maximum allowable number of attempts.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising storing the collected meteorological data in the at least one meteorological data acquisition station's memory for retransmission on the next transmission cycle when transmission through the GSM and satellite internet networks both fails. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mode of transmission of any of the at least one meteorological data acquisition station can be configured with a single-mode transmission, which limits transmission via the GSM network or the satellite internet only. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activation of the one or more alert beacons and sound alarms is triggered manually by means of the computer application or hard buttons of the at least one meteorological data acquisition station. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activation of one or more alert beacons and sound alarms is triggered automatically when any of the at least one parameter from the collected meteorological data exceeds a corresponding predefined threshold value.

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