Forecast weather video presentation system and method
View Patent ↗A system and method for generating a realistic weather forecast visualization. Realistic weather graphics and animations are combined with a few of view of location of interest to allow weather presentation viewers to visualize future forecast weather conditions as the would actually be seen. A forecast weather video presentation may be formed by selecting and combining pre-rendered or pre-recorded video segments based on user selected time period and location parameters and model generated forecast weather data.
1. A method for generating a video presentation of forecast weather conditions, comprising:
(a) selecting a forecast location and forecast time period;
(b) obtaining forecast weather condition model data for the forecast location for a plurality of forecast intervals throughout the forecast time period;
(c) automatically determining a single cloud forecast for the forecast time period from the forecast weather condition model data for the plurality of forecast intervals;
(d) selecting a location view video of the selected forecast location;
(e) automatically generating a background weather condition video showing sky conditions corresponding to the single cloud forecast; and
(f) combining the selected location view video and the background weather condition video into a combined video of forecast weather conditions wherein at least a portion of the selected background weather condition video appears as the sky portion of the selected location view video.
2. The method of claim 1 comprising additionally:
(a) automatically determining a single precipitation forecast for the forecast time period from the forecast weather condition model data for the plurality of forecast intervals;
(b) automatically selecting a precipitation video showing precipitation corresponding to the single precipitation forecast; and
(c) combining the selected precipitation video with the selected location view video and the selected background weather condition video into the combined video of forecast weather conditions wherein the precipitation shown in the precipitation video appears in front of both the location view video and the sky conditions shown in the background weather condition video.
3. An apparatus for generating a video presentation of forecast weather conditions, comprising:
(a) a weather database including forecast weather condition model data for a forecast location for a plurality of forecast intervals throughout a forecast time period;
(b) a video database including a plurality of location view videos including sky portions thereof;
(c) an output display device; and
(d) a system processor coupled to the weather database, to the video database, and to the output display device and adapted to determine automatically a single weather forecast for the forecast time period from the forecast weather condition model data for the plurality of forecast intervals in the weather database, to select a location view video of the forecast location from the video database, to generate a weather condition video corresponding to the single weather forecast from the video database, to combine the selected location view video and the weather condition video into a combined video presentation of forecast weather conditions wherein at least a portion of the weather condition video appears as the sky portion of the selected location view video, and to display the combined video presentation on the output display device.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising additionally a weather forecasting model adapted to generate the forecast weather condition model data for the forecast location for a plurality of forecast intervals throughout the forecast time period as stored in the weather database.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising additionally a user input device and wherein the system processor is coupled to the user input device and adapted to receive from the user input device manual adjustments to the single weather forecast and to select the weather condition video from the video database based on the manually adjusted single weather forecast.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the system processor is adapted to select the location view video from the video database based on the single weather forecast.
7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the system processor is adapted to determine a single cloud forecast for the forecast time period from the forecast weather condition model data for the plurality of forecast intervals in the weather database, to generate a weather condition video showing sky conditions corresponding to the single cloud forecast from the video database, and to combine the selected location view video and the selected weather condition video into the combined video of forecast weather conditions wherein at least a portion of the selected weather condition video appears as the sky portion of the selected location view video.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the system processor is adapted to determine a single precipitation forecast for the forecast time period from the forecast weather condition model data for the plurality of forecast intervals in the weather database, to select a weather condition video showing precipitation corresponding to the single precipitation forecast from the video database, and to combine the selected weather condition video showing precipitation with the selected weather condition video showing sky conditions and with the selected location view video into the combined video of forecast weather conditions wherein the precipitation shown in the selected weather condition video showing precipitation appears in front of both the location view video and the sky conditions shown in the selected weather condition video showing sky conditions.