# US 10,767,322 B1 · Digital snow and ice sensor and heating apparatus including same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,767,322 B1 - Document ID: US10767322B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/246,983 - Filed: 2016-08-25 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-25 - Assignees: Chromalox, Inc. - Applicants: Chromalox, Inc. - Inventors: Adam Heiligenstein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767322B1 ## CPC - E01C 11/265: {Embedded electrical heating elements (in floors F24D13/00); Mounting thereof} - F25D 21/002: {Defroster control} - E01C 11/26: Permanently installed heating or blowing devices {(specially for combating fog E01H; built-in melting devices for dislodged snow E01H5/102); Mounting thereof} - E01H 5/10: by application of heat {for melting snow or ice, whether cleared or not, combined or not with clearing or removing mud or water, e.g. burners for melting in situ, heated clearing instruments} (stationary blowing or paving heating means E01C11/26) {; Cleaning snow by blowing or suction only} - F25D 21/006: {with electronic control circuits} - H02G 7/16: Devices for removing snow or ice from lines or cables - E01C: CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR (forming roads or like surfaces by compacting or grading snow or ice E01H) - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - E01H: STREET CLEANING; CLEANING OF PERMANENT WAYS; CLEANING BEACHES; DISPERSING {OR PREVENTING} FOG IN GENERAL {CLEANING STREET OR RAILWAY FURNITURE OR TUNNEL WALLS}(cleaning in general B08B) - H02G: INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES ## Abstract An apparatus and method heat a structure during frozen precipitation. The apparatus comprises: (i) heating means for heating the structure; a control unit 14 for controlling operation of the heating means; and a frozen precipitation forecast sensor that: receives, over a time frame, weather data for a geographic region of the structure; determines, at time instances during the time frame, whether there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in a geographic zone around the structure based on the received weather data; and transmits command signals to the control unit based on the determinations of whether there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure. The command signals can be commands to the control unit for the operational state of the heating means. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for heating a structure during frozen precipitation, the apparatus comprising: heating means located near the structure for heating the structure; a control unit connected to the heating means for controlling operation of the heating means; a memory configured to store at least one geographic coordinate within a user-defined geographic zone around the structure; a frozen precipitation forecast sensor that is in communication with the control unit, wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor comprises one or more programmed processors that program the frozen precipitation forecast sensor to: receive, over a time frame, weather data for a geographic region in which the structure is located; determine, at time instances during the time frame, at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation based on the received weather data; determine whether the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure; and transmit command signals to the control unit, based on the determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, wherein the command signals comprise command signals for the operational state of the heating means, and wherein the control unit controls the heating means based on the command signals transmitted by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor; wherein: upon a determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, the frozen precipitation forecast sensor transmits a first command signal to the control unit that the heating means should be in an ON state; upon a determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is not the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, the frozen precipitation forecast sensor transmits a second command signal to the control unit that the heating means should be in an OFF state; and the geographic zone is sufficiently large such that upon the determination of the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure, the control unit controls the heating means so that that the heating means is in the ON state before the frozen precipitation sensor determines that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as at least one geographic coordinate of the structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the frozen precipitation forecast sensor are programmed to: receive the weather data from one or more Internet-connected weather service servers that serve weather data via the Internet; and determine at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure based on the weather data received from the one or more Internet-connected weather service servers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor is programmed to: receive periodic weather data over the time frame from the one or more Internet-connected weather service servers, wherein the frozen precipitation sensor waits a predefined period of time before it receives weather data; and determine at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation in a geographic zone around the structure at the time instances based on the periodic weather data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor is in wireless communication with the control unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor is in wired communication with the control unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating means comprises an electrical resistive heater. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating means comprises a pipe for carrying a fluid. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the frozen precipitation forecast sensor further comprises: a radio receiver for receiving digital weather codes via a radio broadcast; and a decoder in communication with the radio receiver and the one or more programmed processors, wherein the decoder is for decoding the digital weather codes received via the radio broadcast; and the one or more programmed processors of the frozen precipitation forecast sensor are programmed to utilize both the decoded digital weather codes from the radio broadcast and from the one or more Internet-connected weather service servers to determine whether there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the frozen precipitation forecast sensor further comprises: a radio receiver for receiving digital weather codes via a radio broadcast; and a decoder in communication with the radio receiver and the one or more programmed processors, wherein the decoder is for decoding the digital weather codes received via the radio broadcast; and the one or more programmed processors of the frozen precipitation forecast sensor are programmed to utilize the decoded digital weather codes from the radio broadcast to determine whether there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure. ### Claim 10 A method for heating a structure during frozen precipitation, the method comprising: storing, within a memory, at least one geographic coordinate within a user-defined geographic zone around the structure; receiving, over a time frame, by a frozen precipitation forecast sensor that comprises one or more programmed processors, weather data for a geographic region in which the structure is located; determining, by the one or more programmed processors of the frozen precipitation forecast sensor, at time instances during the time frame, that at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure based on the received weather data; transmitting, by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor, command signals to a control unit that controls the operation of a heater used for heating the structure, wherein the command signals comprise command signals for the operational state of the heater and the command signals are based on the determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure; controlling, by the control unit, the operational state of the heater based on the command signals received from the frozen precipitation forecast sensor; transmitting, by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor, a first command signal to the control unit that the heater should be in an ON state upon a determination by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure; and transmitting, by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor, a second command signal to the control unit that the heater should be in an OFF state upon a determination by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is not the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure; and wherein: the geographic zone is sufficiently large such that upon the determination of the at least one geographic coordinate where there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure, the control unit controls the heater so that that the heater is in the ON state before the frozen precipitation sensor determines that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as at least one geographic coordinate of the structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein: receiving the weather data comprises receiving the weather data from one or more Internet-connected weather service servers that serve weather data via the Internet; and determining comprises determining that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate in the user-defined geographic zone around the structure based on the weather data received from the one or more Internet-connected weather service servers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting step comprises wirelessly transmitting, by the frozen precipitation forecast sensor, the command signals to the control unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein: receiving the weather data comprises receiving and decoding digital weather codes that are received via a radio broadcast; and determining comprises determining that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure based on the decoded digital weather codes from the radio broadcast. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: receiving the weather data further comprises receiving and decoding digital weather codes that are received via a radio broadcast; and determining comprises determining that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure based on both the decoded digital weather codes from the radio broadcast and the weather data received from the one or more Internet-connected weather service servers. ### Claim 15 An apparatus for heating a structure during frozen precipitation, the apparatus comprising: heating means located near the structure; a control unit connected to the heating means for controlling operation of the heating means; and a memory configured to store at least one geographic coordinate within a user-defined geographic zone around the structure; a host server that is in communication with the control unit via the Internet, wherein the server is programmed to: receive, over a time frame, weather data for a geographic region in which the structure is located, wherein the weather data are received via the Internet from one or more Internet-connected weather service servers that serve weather data via the Internet; determine, at time instances during the time frame, at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation based on the received weather data; determine whether the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure; and transmit command signals to the control unit via the Internet based on the determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, wherein the command signals comprise command signals for an operational state of the heating means, and wherein the control unit controls the heating means based on the command signals transmitted by the host server; wherein: upon a determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, the host server transmits a first command signal to the control unit that the heating means should be in an ON state; upon a determination that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is not the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure, the host server transmits a second command signal to the control unit that the heating means should be in an OFF state; and the geographic zone is sufficiently large such that upon the determination of the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic zone around the structure, the control unit controls the heating means so that that the heating means is in the ON state before the frozen precipitation sensor determines that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as at least one geographic coordinate of the structure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor is programmed to: receive, over the time frame, weather data for the geographic region from a second data source; and determine, at time instances during the time frame, whether there is a likelihood of frozen precipitation in the geographic region by algorithmically weighing the weather data for the geographic region from the first data source and the weather data for the geographic region from the second data source. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the frozen precipitation forecast sensor is programmed to wait a user-defined period of time after it determines that the at least one geographic coordinate associated with a likelihood of frozen precipitation is the same as the at least one geographic coordinate within the user-defined geographic zone around the structure prior to transmitting the second command signal to the control unit that the heating means should be in an OFF state.