System and method for maintaining a ski slope using snowmaking apparatuses
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Piste Snow Industries
InventorToshihide Satonaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for maintaining a desirable depth of snow on a ski slope, on which a plurality of snowmaking apparatuses are stationed to produce artificial snow. The system and method obtain the position of a snow compressing vehicle, and calculate the snow depth at the point by comparing the snow compressing vehicle's position against geographical information when there is no snow. The system and method evaluate the necessity for supplementing snow at the point, and output the necessary amount of snow for the point via the snowmaking apparatuses. Based on the need for supplementing snow at each point, the system further calculates an operating rate suitable for each snowmaking apparatus to achieve optimum efficiency.
Claims20
A system for maintaining a ski slope provided with a plurality of snowmaking apparatuses, said system comprising:
- first means for obtaining a geographical position of a snow compressing vehicle which is used for maintaining the ski slope;
- second means for comparing said geographical position of the snow compressing vehicle and geographical information of a snowless ski slope to thereby calculate snow coverage at each position of the ski slope;
- third means for determining snow supplement necessity based on said snow coverage at each position of the ski slope and outputting a required snow supplement amount in association with each position;
- and
- fourth means for calculating a required operating rate for at least one of the plurality of said snowmaking apparatuses based on said required snow supplement amount for each portion of the ski slope.
A method for maintaining a ski slope provided with a plurality of snowmaking apparatuses, said method comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a snow compressing vehicle position for the snow compressing vehicle used for maintaining the ski slope;
- comparing the snow compressing vehicle position, said snow compressing vehicle position obtained by said snow compressing vehicle position obtaining means, and geographical information of a snowless ski slope to thereby calculate snow coverage at each position of the ski slope;
- determining the snow supplement necessity for each position of the ski slope and outputting the required snow supplement amount in association with each position;
- and
- calculating a required operating rate for at least one of said plurality of snowmaking apparatuses based on the required snow supplement amount, said required snow supplement amount determined by said snow supplement necessity determination means.
A system for efficiently maintaining a ski slope comprising:
- a vehicle for moving snow on the ski slope;
- a control station for determining a snow depth on the ski slope;
- and
- a vehicle location system operatively connected to the vehicle and the control station for ascertaining a position of the vehicle to determine the snow depth, wherein the control station provides instructions to an operator of the vehicle as to how to transport snow based upon the snow depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.