# US 10,502,696 B2 · Water vapor observing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,696 B2 - Document ID: US10502696B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/748,063 - Filed: 2016-06-08 - Published: 2018-07-26 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-28 - Assignees: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masahiro Minowa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502696B2 ## CPC - G01N 22/04: Investigating moisture content - G01S 13/95: for meteorological use - G01S 13/951: {ground based} - G01S 13/958: {Theoretical aspects} - Y02A 90/10: Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Y02A: TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE ## Abstract The purpose is to reliably calculate a water vapor amount at a given position. A water vapor observing apparatus may include a transmitting part (which may also be referred to as a transmitter circuitry) configured to transmit a first transmission wave and a second transmission wave having different frequencies, a receiving part (which may also be referred to as a receiver circuitry) configured to receive, as reception waves, reflection waves caused by the transmission waves reflected on and returned from a ground surface portion or a water surface after passing through water vapor, and an arithmetic processor configured to calculate an amount of the water vapor in a passing area of the transmission waves based on first reception information generated from a first reception wave obtained from the first transmission wave, and second reception information generated from a second reception wave obtained from the second transmission wave. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A water vapor observing apparatus for calculating an amount of water vapor contained within atmospheric air, comprising: a transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a first transmission wave and a second transmission wave having different frequencies; a receiver circuitry configured to receive, as reception waves, reflection waves caused by the transmission waves reflected on and returned from one of a ground surface portion and a water surface after passing through the water vapor; and an arithmetic processor configured to calculate an amount of the water vapor in a passing area of the transmission waves based on first reception information generated from a first reception wave obtained from the first transmission wave, and a second reception information generated from a second reception wave obtained from the second transmission wave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the arithmetic processor calculates the water vapor amount in the passing area of the transmission waves based on a level difference between a first reception signal as the first reception information and a second reception signal as the second reception information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the arithmetic processor is configured to: detect a level difference between the first reception signal obtained from a reflection location on which the transmission wave reflects, and the second reception signal obtained from the reflection location; and convert the level difference detected into an amount of water vapor in an area from a reference position that is an installation position of the transmitter circuitry to the reflection location. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the arithmetic processor is further configured to calculate an amount of water vapor at an arbitrary location between the reference position and the reflection location, based on the water vapor amount in the area extending from the reference position to the reflection location and a distance of the arbitrary location from the reference position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 4, wherein, the arithmetic processor is further configured to; generate a cumulative water vapor amount graph by plotting the water vapor amounts in respective areas from the reference position to a plurality of the reflection locations, on coordinates that are defined by a distance position from the reference position and the water vapor amount, and calculate the water vapor amount at each reflection location by differentiating the cumulative water vapor amount graph. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 3, wherein, the arithmetic processor is processor is further configured to; calculate the water vapor amounts at two reflection locations of which azimuths with respect to the reference position are the same while distances from the transmitter circuitry are different, and calculate a water vapor amount in an area between the two reflection locations, based on the two water vapor amounts calculated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitter circuitry and the receiver circuitry are integrally formed to be provided as a transducer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display an index of the water vapor amount calculated by the arithmetic processor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display displays a distribution of the water vapor amount calculated by the arithmetic processor as the index. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The water vapor observing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an interface configured to output to an external device one of an index and a distribution of the water vapor amount calculated by the arithmetic processor. ### Claim 11 A water vapor observing system for calculating an amount of water vapor contained within atmospheric air, comprising: a transmitter circuitry configured to transmit a first transmission wave and a second transmission wave having different frequencies; a receiver circuitry positioned at a different position from the transmitter circuitry and configured to receive the transmission waves after passing through the water vapor as reception waves; and an arithmetic processor configured to calculate an amount of the water vapor in a passing area of the transmission waves based on a first reception information generated from a first reception wave obtained from the first transmission wave, and a second reception information generated from a second reception wave obtained from the second transmission wave, wherein the arithmetic processor calculates the water vapor amount in the passing area of the transmission waves based on a level difference between a first reception signal as the first reception information and a second reception signal as the second reception information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The water vapor observing system of claim 11, comprising at least two of the receiver circuitry positioned at positions of which azimuths with respect to a reference position that is an installation position of the transmitter circuitry are the same and distances from the transmitter circuitry are different. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The water vapor observing system of claim 11, comprising a plurality of the receiver circuitries positioned in one of a lattice shape and a radial shape.