Vertical profile display including weather icons

• US 10,037,124 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2014
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Khatwa, Ratan, Mathan, Santosh, Bunch, Brian P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US14/326,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20160011741A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 342 26 A, 342 26 B, 342 24 A, 342 24 B, 715765, 715763
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/00 Combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value, e.g. for aircraft; Combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement, e.g. distance, speed or acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/18 Distance-height displays; Distance-elevation displays, e.g. type RHI, type E
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/22 Producing cursor lines and indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0008 with other aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

A vertical profile display includes weather information for an aircraft. In some examples, the vertical profile display includes one or more weather icons, each weather icon indicating a weather condition for a volume of space at a particular altitude. Each weather icon is displayed within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the altitude of the weather condition indicated by the particular weather icon.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, weather information; and

generating, by the processor, a vertical profile display based on the weather information, wherein the vertical profile display comprises a plurality of weather icons, a first weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a first type of weather condition for a first volume of space at a first altitude and a second weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a second type of weather condition for a second volume of space at a second altitude, wherein the first type of weather condition is different than the second type of weather condition, wherein the first weather icon is visually distinct from the second weather icon, the first weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the first type of weather condition and the second weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the second type of weather condition, wherein the visual characteristic of the first weather icon is different than the visual characteristic of the second weather icon, and wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises positioning the first weather icon within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the first altitude and positioning the second weather icon within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the second altitude,

wherein generating the vertical profile display further comprises determining, by the processor, an altitude band around a flight path of an aircraft, wherein the vertical profile display further comprises a vertical profile view of the flight path, an indication of primary weather located within the altitude band, and an indication of secondary weather located outside of the altitude band, wherein the indication of the secondary weather is visually distinct from the indication of the primary weather.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weather information comprises at least one of radar reflectivity data generated by a radar system onboard an aircraft, weather information from one or more other aircraft, or weather information from a weather reporting service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises:

determining, based on the weather information, the first type of weather condition for the first volume of space and the second type of weather condition for the second volume of space, the first altitude of the first volume of space, and the second altitude of the second volume of space;

selecting the first weather icon for the first volume of space and the second weather icon for the second volume of space based on the respective type of weather condition; and

positioning the first weather icon and the second weather icon within the vertical profile display at portions of the vertical profile display corresponding to the respective first and second altitudes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the first weather icon and the second weather icon comprises selecting the first weather icon and the second weather icon from a plurality of stored weather icons based on the first type of weather condition and the second type of weather condition, respectively, the plurality of stored weather icons including icons indicating a respective type of weather condition from a plurality of types of weather conditions comprising at least one of:

air turbulence, windshears, microbursts, volcanic ash, storms, rain, snow, hail, low-visibility areas, or high-altitude ice crystals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises generating the vertical profile display including a hazard band indication, wherein generating the vertical profile display including the hazard band indication comprises determining, by the processor, an upper altitude above which there is no hazardous weather detected based on the weather information, wherein the hazard band indication includes an upper limit line positioned within the vertical profile display at a position that corresponds to a third altitude greater than or equal to the upper altitude.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the vertical profile display including the hazard band indication further comprises determining a lower altitude below which there is no hazardous weather detected based on the weather information, wherein the hazard band indication further includes a lower limit line positioned within the vertical profile display at a position that corresponds to a fourth altitude less than or equal to the lower altitude, wherein the upper limit line and the lower limit line define a hazard block representing a range of altitudes in which hazardous weather was detected.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting, based on the weather information, hazardous weather along the flight path of the aircraft, wherein determining the upper altitude comprises determining the upper altitude based on the hazardous weather along the flight path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises generating the vertical profile display comprising a plurality of weather blocks, each weather block of the plurality of weather blocks indicating weather in a volume of space associated with the weather block.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises:

identifying a plurality of voxels of space;

determining, based on the weather information, weather associated with each voxel of space;

selecting, by the processor, a visual characteristic for each of the weather blocks based on a severity of the weather for the volume of space associated with the respective weather block; and

generating the weather blocks having the selected visual characteristics based on the voxels and the weather associated with each voxel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein generating the vertical profile display comprises positioning the first weather icon in a respective one of the weather blocks based on the first altitude of the first weather condition and the volumes of space indicated by the weather blocks.

11. A system comprising:

a display; and

a processor configured to;

receive weather information,

generate a vertical profile display based on the weather information, and

present the vertical profile display via the display, wherein the vertical profile display comprises a plurality of weather icons, a first weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a first type of weather condition for a first volume of space at a first altitude and a second weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a second type of weather condition for a second volume of space at a second altitude, wherein the first type of weather condition is different than the second type of weather condition, wherein the first weather icon is visually distinct from the second weather icon, the first weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the first type of weather condition and the second weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the second type of weather condition, wherein the visual characteristic of the first weather icon is different than the visual characteristic of the second weather icon, wherein the first weather icon is positioned within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the first altitude, and wherein the second weather icon is positioned within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the second altitude,

wherein the processor is configured to generate the vertical profile display by at least determining an altitude band around a flight path of an aircraft, wherein the vertical profile display further comprises a vertical profile view of the flight path, an indication of primary weather located within the altitude band, and an indication of secondary weather located outside of the altitude band, wherein the indication of the secondary weather is visually distinct from the indication of the primary weather.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to generate the vertical profile display by at least:

determining, based on the weather information, the first type of weather condition for the first volume of space and the second type of weather condition for the second volume of space, the first altitude of the first volume of space, and the second altitude of the second volume of space;

selecting the first weather icon for the first volume of space and the second weather icon for the second volume of space based on the respective type of weather condition; and

positioning the first weather icon and the second weather icon within the vertical profile display at portions of the vertical profile display corresponding to the respective first and second altitudes.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a memory that stores a plurality of weather icons, the plurality of stored weather icons including icons indicating a respective type of weather condition from a plurality of types of weather conditions comprising at least one of:

air turbulence, windshears, microbursts, volcanic ash, storms, rain, snow, hail, low-visibility areas, or high-altitude ice crystals, wherein the processor is configured to select the first weather icon and the second weather icon from the plurality of weather icons based on the first type of weather condition and the second type of weather condition, respectively.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the vertical profile display by at least generating a hazard band indication, wherein the processor is configured to generate the hazard band indication by at least determining an upper altitude above which there is no hazardous weather detected based on the weather information, wherein the hazard band indication comprises an upper limit line positioned within the vertical profile display at a position that corresponds to a third altitude greater than or equal to the upper altitude.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the hazard band indication by at least determining a lower altitude below which there is no hazardous weather detected based on the weather information, wherein the hazard band indication further includes a lower limit line positioned within the vertical profile display at a position that corresponds to a fourth altitude less than or equal to the lower altitude, wherein the upper limit line and lower limit line define a hazard block representing a range of altitudes in which hazardous weather was detected.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured generate the vertical profile display to include a plurality of weather blocks, each weather block of the plurality of weather blocks indicating weather in a volume of space associated with the weather block.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to generate the vertical profile display by at least positioning the first weather icon in a respective one of the weather blocks based on the first altitude of the first weather condition and the volumes of space indicated by the weather blocks.

18. A computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive weather information; and

generate a vertical profile display based on the weather information, wherein the vertical profile display comprises a plurality of weather icons, a first weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a first type of weather condition for a first volume of space at a first altitude and a second weather icon of the plurality of weather icons indicating a second type of weather condition for a second volume of space at a second altitude, wherein the first type of weather condition is different than the second type of weather condition, wherein the first weather icon is visually distinct from the second weather icon, the first weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the first type of weather condition and the second weather icon having a visual characteristic that is based on the second type of weather condition, wherein the visual characteristic of the first weather icon is different than the visual characteristic of the second weather icon, and wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate the vertical profile display by at least positioning the first weather icon within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the first altitude and positioning the second weather icon within the vertical profile display at a portion of the vertical profile display corresponding to the second altitude,

wherein the instructions that cause the processor to generate the vertical profile display comprise instructions that, when executed, further cause the processor to determine an altitude band around a flight path of an aircraft, wherein the vertical profile display further comprises a vertical profile view of the flight path, an indication of primary weather located within the altitude band, and an indication of secondary weather located outside of the altitude band, wherein the indication of the secondary weather is visually distinct from the indication of the primary weather.