Table of Contents
Overview...................................................................................................................................... 3
System Specifics......................................................................................................................... 3
System Entry............................................................................................................................. 3
Language................................................................................................................................... 3
Station ID................................................................................................................................... 3
Observation Time...................................................................................................................... 4
Observation Reports (Elements).............................................................................................. 4
Temperature Report.................................................................................................................. 5
Precipitation Report................................................................................................................... 5
River Stage Report.................................................................................................................... 6
Evaporation Report.................................................................................................................... 6
Soil Temperature Report........................................................................................................... 6
Reservoir Report....................................................................................................................... 6
Special Event Report................................................................................................................. 6
Key Pad Options......................................................................................................................... 7
Key-Ahead................................................................................................................................. 7
Error Handling............................................................................................................................. 7
Interactive Voice Response Errors........................................................................................... 7
Data Access Errors................................................................................................................... 7
Data Errors................................................................................................................................ 8
Voice Script for Caller Entry Flow Chart.................................................................................. 8
Voice Scripts for Observation Station Flow Chart................................................................. 8
Voice Scripts for Observation Time Flow Chart................................................................... 10
Voice Script for Temperature Element Flow Chart.............................................................. 10
Voice Script for Temperature Element Flow Chart 2........................................................... 12
Voice Scripts for Precipitation Element Flow Chart............................................................. 13
Voice Scripts for Precipitation Element Flow Chart 2.......................................................... 16
Voice Scripts for River Element Flow Chart......................................................................... 17
Voice Scripts for Evaporation Element Flow Chart.............................................................. 18
Voice Scripts for Evaporation Element Flow Chart 2........................................................... 19
Voice Scripts for Soil Element Flow Chart............................................................................ 20
Voice Scripts for Soil Element Flow Chart 2......................................................................... 22
Voice Scripts for Reservoir Pool Element Flow Chart........................................................ 24
Voice Scripts for Special Event Flow Chart.......................................................................... 25
Voice Scripts for Special Reporting Flow Chart................................................................... 25
Voice Scripts for Element Sequence Flow Chart................................................................. 27
3x and Out Voice Scripts.......................................................................................................... 28
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The National Weather Service (NWS) Data Collection system (DCS) allows NWS COOP Observers calling into the system to report readings for river, precipitation, evaporation, wind, water temperature, soil temperature, and air temperature observations. |
System Entry |
When a call is received by the National Weather Service Data Collection system, the system first determines if the IVR is available. IVR availability is Administrator configurable through the Graphical User Interface. If the IVR is not available, the caller is informed and disconnected. If the IVR is available, a greeting message will play. Also, if an emergency message is recorded and enabled, an emergency message will playback following the greeting. |
Language |
The NWS Data Collection application is designed for both English and Spanish speaking callers. Those callers wishing to hear the system prompts in English should press 1 and those wishing to hear the system prompts in Spanish should press 2. If there is no response the call defaults to English. The Spanish call flow is identical to the English call flow, but with Spanish voice scripts. |
Station ID |
Callers are prompted to enter and confirm their 6-digit observation station identifier. The entry is then checked against records on the locally stored database. If the station ID entered is not found on the system, the caller is prompted to re-enter the number (subject to error handling maximum retries). If the station ID is found on the database, the system checks on the locally stored database to determine if the report is a Special Event report. An observer files a Special Event report only when readings need to be reported as determined by the observer. The observer is identified as a Special Event reporter in the locally stored database with a designated field. If this is not a Special Event report the system checks the internal reporting database to determine if the current observation date has been reported. § If the date has been reported, the system checks if the call time is two hours or more past the previously reported observation time. If it is more than two hours past the observation time, the caller is prompted to select to file a revised report or a Special Event report. If it is not two hours past the observation time the caller may file a revised report or end the call by hanging up. § If the current observation date has not been reported, the system checks the internal reporting database to determine if there are previous days in the month that have not been reported. If there are previous days that need reporting, it is determined if the number of days to be reported exceeds the GUI-configurable maximum allowed for the system. If there are more reporting days than are allowed to be reported through the system, the caller is informed that the past reports will have to be filed manually, but the current report can now be filed and the call continues with current date filing. If multiple days are allowed to be reported, the system begins with the current date first and then continues with the oldest date next. After an allowable number of reporting days is determined or revised report is determined, the observation time is entered. When Special Event is selected, the caller must then select the type of event. |
Observation Time |
The caller is prompted to enter and confirm the observation time for the observation date in military time (four digits). The system sets the actual date of the observation equal to the date of the observation in the caller's time zone. The system allows for an observation to be reported between midnight and 1:00 AM of the day following the observation but recorded with the actual date of the observation. |
Observation Reports (Elements) |
The station record is checked to determine which observation reporting elements are to be submitted. The system will prompt the caller for observation readings for each reported element on record. There are five possible reporting elements for submission for each station in the database record. The possible Observation Reporting elements are: § Temperature Report § Precipitation Report § River stage Report § Evaporation, wind, and water temperature Report § Soil temperature Report § Reservoir Pool Height, and tail water height Report After each element is reported, the system checks if all elements for the station have been reported. If not all elements have been reported, the caller is prompted to enter the measurements for the next report. If all reporting elements have been submitted for the observation day, the system determines if there are any other days (GUI configurable) that need reporting. If there is another day to report, the caller is prompted for the observation time and the readings for each reporting element on record. If all reporting elements for all observation days have been submitted, the caller is informed the report is complete. The caller is given the option to have a NWS representative call them or to end the call. NOTE: If the call is disconnected before all expected reports are successfully completed, the IVR system will not retain the data. If the observer calls back to finish filing a report that was not successfully completed, the IVR system will not prompt the observer to submit a revised report, but will treat it as a new observation. |
Temperature Report |
The caller is prompted to enter
and confirm the following readings. If
the caller enters # the caller is reporting missing data. § Temperature at time of observation § Maximum temperature § Minimum temperature Maximum and minimum temperature
entries are checked first to see if the entry exceeds the maximum/minimum
temperature allowed for that station.
If so, the caller is informed that maximum/minimum was exceeded, and
re-prompted for their entry. If the
maximum/minimum was not exceeded, the system then determines if the maximum
or minimum entry is above/below the threshold for reporting an extreme
temperature. If above/below the
threshold, the caller is informed that the temperature is unusually high/low
and must be categorized as an extreme event.
The caller is then prompted to confirm the entry and categorize it as
an extreme event or re-enter the temperature.
|
Precipitation Report |
The caller is prompted to enter and confirm the measurement over the last 24 hours (which can include a frozen converted to liquid measurement). If the caller enters # the caller is reporting missing data. The measurement is checked against a GUI-configurable precipitation (liquid) maximum extreme threshold. If the maximum is exceeded the caller must re-enter the measurement. The measurement is then checked against a GUI-configurable precipitation (liquid) extreme threshold. If the entry is considered to be an extreme precipitation the caller is prompted to confirm the entry as an extreme event. The caller is then prompted to enter and confirm the precipitation type or types observed. If snow was a type entered, the caller is prompted to enter and confirm the new snow measurement and also how many inches of snow are on the ground. The snow measurement is checked against a GUI-configurable snow extreme maximum threshold. If the maximum is exceeded the caller must re-enter the measurement. The snow measurement is then checked against a GUI-configurable snow extreme threshold. If the entry is considered to be an extreme precipitation the caller is prompted to confirm the entry as an extreme event. The caller is prompted to enter a ground snow depth value only if a value greater than zero has been reported in the most recent previous five days. |
River Stage Report |
Maximum and minimum river depths are checked against GUI-configurable river depth extreme thresholds and a maximum limit threshold. If the entry is considered to be an extreme river depth the caller is prompted to confirm the entry as an extreme event. |
Evaporation Report |
For evaporation, wind, and water temperature reporting the caller is prompted to enter and confirm each measurement separately. For water temperature the caller is to provide the maximum and minimum temperatures. The maximum temperature cannot exceed 120. |
Soil Temperature Report |
For soil temperature reporting the caller is prompted to provide the depth of the soil probe, identify the type of ground cover (bare or vegetated), enter and confirm the soil temperature at observation, and the maximum and minimum temperatures over a 24-hour period. Maximum and minimum temperatures
are checked against GUI-configurable soil temp extreme thresholds. If the
entry is considered to be an extreme soil temperature the caller is prompted
to confirm the entry as an extreme event.
The maximum temperature cannot exceed 120. The caller is given the options to enter additional soil temperatures or complete the soil temperature report. |
Reservoir Report
|
For reservoir reporting the
caller is prompted to provide the height of the pool and enter and confirm
the tail water height. |
Special Event Report |
For Special Event reporting,
after the observation time is entered, the caller is given the following
types of events from which to select. § Rainfall § 6-hour snowfall § 12-hour snowfall § River stage § Water equivalent of snow pack After an event type is selected,
the caller is prompted to enter and confirm the observation amount. When the
entry is confirmed the report is complete and the call is ended. |
Key-Ahead |
Callers are given the opportunity to key-ahead, that is, to press touch-tone digits prior to the completion of a voice message. This option allows frequent users to quickly navigate through the system without the necessity of listening to all voice prompts. (Key ahead will be disabled, however, during error messages and data entry confirmation.) |
Interactive Voice Response Errors |
A caller activity or inactivity is considered to be in error when the caller either responds incorrectly to a prompt or fails to respond within a predetermined time frame to a menu prompt. Errors resulting from a caller’s response or non-response to a menu prompt are handled as follows. For an incorrect menu selection, an error message is played indicating that the selection was invalid. For a no response to a menu selection, an error message is played indicating that there was no response detected. Caller errors during multiple digit entry (Station ID numbers, measurement data entries, etc.) are handled by playing an error message specific for that error. For incorrect digit length entry, an error message is played that states the entry must be a specified number of digits in length. This also applies to no response to a multiple digit entry prompt. The caller is given 3 opportunities to enter the input; however, the maximum number of allowable errors is Administrator configurable. When the caller has exceeded the allowed number of errors, the caller will be notified with an error message and disconnected. Refer to 3x and Out voice scripts and flow charts. |
Data Access Errors |
Data access errors are defined
by the following situations: § Failure of the data source to respond within predetermined time frame § Failure of the data source to respond in a predetermined manner § Failure to log on to the data source In the event of an error, an
active caller requesting data access is played an appropriate error message
and disconnected. |
Data Errors |
Data errors are generated when an answer from the data source fails to meet the predefined format or values. In the event of a data error, an active caller requesting data access would be played an appropriate error message, and either allowed to continue accessing other options or disconnected dependent on the specific error. |
|
English
Touchtone Voice Files |
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|
File Name |
Message |
|
Sysnotavailable.vox |
We’re sorry. The National Weather Service Data
Collection system is currently unavailable.
|
|
Greeting.vox |
Thank you for calling the National Weather Service Data Collection system. |
|
EnglishOpt.vox |
For reporting prompts in
English, press 1. |
|
English
Touchtone Voice Files |
|
|
File Name |
Message |
|
EnterStationID.vox |
Please enter your 6-digit
observation station identifier number now.
|
|
StationDigits.vox |
Your entry must be 6 digits. |
|
YouEntered.vox |
You entered… |
|
Confirm.vox |
If this is correct, press 1.
To re-enter, press 2. |
|
StationIDnotFound.vox |
The station identifier number
you entered was not found on our system. |
|
ManualReport.vox |
You have an excessive number
of reports not filed. Please file the
missing reports manually to your local weather office. |
|
PrevDayReport.vox |
You
did not file a report for the previous day. You will be prompted to enter the
current reporting measurements first and then you will be prompted to enter
the previous day’s reporting measurements. |
|
MissedDays1.vox |
You
have missed observations in the past… |
|
Days.vox |
days |
|
MissedDays2.vox |
You
can submit these observations following today's report. |
|
ReportDate.vox |
You
will now be prompted to file for the reporting date of… |
|
RevisedSpecial.vox |
To
file a revised report for the current reporting date, press 1. To file a
Special Event report, press 2. |
|
ReviseConfirm.vox |
If you continue you will be
filing a revised report for the current reporting date. To continue to file a
revised report, press 1. Otherwise, hang up and please file a report at the
next scheduled reporting time. |
|
English
Touchtone Voice Files |
|
|
File Name |
Message |
|
ObsvTime.vox |
Please enter the time of
observation in military time. |
|
TimeDigits.vox |
The time should be input as
four digits. |
|
InvalidTime.vox |
That is an invalid time
entry. Observation times are reported as military time and input as four
digits. For example, 3 p.m. should be input as 1-5-zero-zero and 7 a.m.
should be input as zero-7-zero-zero. |
|
YouEntered.vox |
You entered… |
|
Confirm.vox |
If this is correct, press 1.
To re-enter, press 2. |
|
Spanish
Touchtone Voice Files |
|
|
File Name |
Message |
|
ObsvTime.vox |
Por favor entre la hora de
observación en horario de 24 horas. |
|
TimeDigits.vox |
La hora debe entrarse con
cuatro dígitos. |
|
InvalidTime.vox |
Esa hora no es correcta. Las horas de observación se reportan en horario de 24 horas y deben indicarse con cuatro dígitos. Por ejemplo, las 3 de la tarde debe entrarse como 1-5-cero-cero , y las 7 de la mañana co |