REAL-TIME COMPUTATION OF AN ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION RATE FROM A DIGITAL IMAGE OF AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE AN ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION IS TAKING PLACE

摘要

An atmospheric precipitation rate computation system, comprising an electronic digital image/video capture apparatus to capture digital images/videos of an environment in which an atmospheric precipitation is taking place; an electronic digital image processing apparatus connected to the electronic digital image/video capture apparatus to receive therefrom and process captured digital images/videos to compute atmospheric precipitation rates of atmospheric precipitations which are taking place in the environments shown in the received digital images/videos; and an electronic display device connected to the electronic digital image processing apparatus to receive therefrom and display the computed atmospheric precipitation rate. The electronic digital image processing apparatus is configured to compute an atmospheric precipitation rate of an atmospheric precipitation which is taking place in an environment shown in a captured digital image based on the atmospheric precipitation brightness in the captured digital image and on a mathematical model that expresses the atmospheric precipitation brightness in a captured digital image as a function of an atmospheric precipitation rate of an atmospheric precipitation that is taking place in an environment shown in a captured digital image.