Collection vessel for collecting, measuring, and aggregrating precipitation accumulation data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11099298-B2
Application number	US-201916420312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

Embodiments for controlling precipitation collection vessels to accurately and efficiently collect, measure, and aggregate precipitation accumulation data are disclosed. In one embodiment according to aspects of the present invention, a computer-implemented method includes measuring a frozen precipitation level of the frozen precipitation in a collection vessel. The method further includes heating the collection vessel to convert the frozen precipitation into melted precipitation. The method further includes measuring a melted precipitation level to determine an equivalent water accumulation of the frozen precipitation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for measuring frozen precipitation, the method comprising:
collecting frozen precipitation in a collection vessel, prior to measuring the frozen precipitation level, by orienting the collection vessel based at least in part on a wind model;
measuring the frozen precipitation level of the frozen precipitation in the collection vessel;
heating the collection vessel to convert the frozen precipitation into melted precipitation;
measuring a melted precipitation level to determine an equivalent water accumulation of the frozen precipitation; and
actuating a release valve of the collection vessel to eliminate the melted precipitation responsive to the melted precipitation level exceeding a threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the release valve is activated periodically.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the frozen precipitation is snow.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the measuring is performed using a camera.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the heating is performed by a heating element, and wherein the heating element comprises a metal wire integrated into the heating element and heats up when a current is applied.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein orienting the collection vessel comprises orienting the collection vessel with respect to an x-y plane by adjusting a first motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model, and orienting the collection vessel with respect to a z-axis by adjusting a second motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model such that an open end of the collection vessel is aligned perpendicular to a direction of the wind.

7. A system comprising:
a memory comprising computer readable instructions; and
a processing device for executing the computer readable instructions for performing a method for measuring frozen precipitation, the method comprising:
collecting frozen precipitation in a collection vessel, prior to measuring the frozen precipitation level, by orienting the collection vessel based at least in part on a wind model;
measuring the frozen precipitation level of the frozen precipitation in the collection vessel;
heating the collection vessel to convert the frozen precipitation into melted precipitation;
measuring a melted precipitation level to determine an equivalent water accumulation of the frozen precipitation; and
actuating a release valve of the collection vessel to eliminate the melted precipitation responsive to the melted precipitation level exceeding a threshold.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the release valve is activated periodically.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the frozen precipitation is snow.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein the measuring is performed using a camera.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the heating element comprises a metal wire integrated therein that heats up when a current is applied.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein orienting the collection vessel comprises orienting the collection vessel with respect to an x-y plane by adjusting a first motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model, and orienting the collection vessel with respect to a z-axis by adjusting a second motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model such that an open end of the collection vessel is aligned perpendicular to a direction of the wind.

13. A computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing device to cause the processing device to perform a method for measuring frozen precipitation, the method comprising:
collecting frozen precipitation in a collection vessel, prior to measuring the frozen precipitation level, by orienting the collection vessel based at least in part on a wind model;
measuring the frozen precipitation level of the frozen precipitation in the collection vessel;
heating the collection vessel to convert the frozen precipitation into melted precipitation;
measuring a melted precipitation level to determine an equivalent water accumulation of the frozen precipitation; and
actuating a release valve of the collection vessel to eliminate the melted precipitation responsive to the melted precipitation level exceeding a threshold.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein orienting the collection vessel comprises orienting the collection vessel with respect to an x-y plane by adjusting a first motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model, and orienting the collection vessel with respect to a z-axis by adjusting a second motor that is structurally associated with the collection vessel based at least in part on the wind model such that an open end of the collection vessel is aligned perpendicular to a direction of the wind.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Klein Levente
• Lu Siyuan
• Marianno Fernando J
• Van Kessel Theodore G

Classifications

• G01W1/14 Primary

  Rainfall or precipitation gauges (measuring volume in general G01F) · CPC title

• G01W1/10

  Devices for predicting weather conditions (computers per se G06; display devices G09) · CPC title