Patent ID: 7380259

Claim:
A system for integrating data representing weather parameters prevailing at a plurality of geographic locations into television broadcast signals originating from and related to the plurality of geographic locations, the system comprising: a portable monitoring station located at each of the plurality of geographic locations, the monitoring station including, means for sensing the weather parameters prevailing at each of the plurality of geographic locations, and for generating weather parameter signals representing the weather parameters, and means for transmitting the weather parameter signals from the monitoring station; a base station including, means for receiving the weather parameter signals from the monitoring station, means for generating icon signals representing weather parameter icons in response to the weather parameter signals, the weather parameter icons representing the weather parameters sensed at the plurality of geographic locations, and means for converting the icon signals into television signals representing the weather parameters, the television signals being in a format suitable for integration into the television broadcast signals; production switching means for receiving the television signals representing the weather parameters and the television broadcast signals, and for combining the television signals representing the weather parameters and the television broadcast signals so that first icon signals representing first weather parameter signals sensed at a first geographic location are combined with first television broadcast signals from the first geographic location, and so that second icon signals representing second weather parameter signals sensed at a second geographic location different from the first geographic location are combined with second television broadcast signals from the second geographic location; and means coupled with the production switching means for selecting an output television signal corresponding to either the first icon signals representing the first weather parameter signals sensed at the first geographic location combined with the first television broadcast signals from the first geographic location or the second icon signals representing the second weather parameter signals sensed at the second geographic location combined with the second television broadcast signals from the second geographic location.