Patent Document ID: 8095314
Application ID: 11906815
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A process for forecasting a probability of at least one a hazard existing at a plurality of three-dimensional points in space at a plurality of times comprising: a. providing a computer program product, including a non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a four-dimensional grid of probability values; b. wherein said four-dimensional grid comprises a plurality of individual nodes separated by defined increments in longitude, latitude, altitude, and time; c. providing a first set of raw data input to said computer program product, said raw data input including known values for defined input parameters for at least some of said plurality of individual nodes within said four-dimensional grid, said raw data input including data drawn from at least two separate sources; d. providing within said computer program product a set of rules which relate each of said plurality of nodes to its neighboring nodes whereby a value for one of said defined input parameters at a first node influences the calculation of a probability of said at least one hazard for nodes neighboring said first node, said set of rules being applied by said computer program product; e. using said computer program product to transform said first set of raw data into a first set of gridded hazard probability data, said first set of gridded hazard probability data describing the likelihood of said hazard existing at each of said nodes at said first time in the future, said computer program product further configured to use said first set of gridded hazard probability data to produce a series of gridded hazard probability data for each of said nodes at fixed time intervals into the future describing the likelihood of said hazard existing at each of said nodes at said fixed time intervals into the future; and f. using said first and subsequent sets of gridded hazard probability data as part of a decision support tool provided as part of said computer program product.