Patent ID: 7275089
Filing Date: 2007-09-25
Classification: G01W,Y02A

Abstract:
1. A method for streaming dynamic weather content simultaneously to a plurality of end user clients in a wide area communication system, comprising the steps performed at a centralized weather content server of: collecting dynamic weather content continuously and directly from a plurality of weather stations that sense weather conditions at different weather station locations; storing the dynamic weather content in the centralized weather content server; receiving a request for dynamic weather content from each end user client at predetermined time intervals, each request including a desired user location; selecting, as a selected weather station, a closest weather station in the plurality of weather stations for each end user client, the closest weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location for each end user client; determining if the closest weather station for each end user client is operational or not operational, and selecting, as the selected weather station, an alternate nearby weather station for each user client when the closest weather station is determined to be not operational, the alternate nearby weather station being the weather station in the plurality of weather stations having a weather station location that is closest to the desired user location, except for the closest weather station, for each end user client; selecting dynamic weather content received from the selected weather station for each end user client based on the received desired user location and the determined operational status of the selected weather station; and transmitting the selected dynamic weather content from the centralized weather content server to each end user client.