System and method of integrating global convective weather

• US 10,302,815 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Kronfeld, Kevin M., Breiholz, Arlen E., Sishtla, Venkata A., Walling, Karen L., Fulton, Ryan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US14/872,942
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/953 mounted on aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/003 Transmission of data between radar, sonar or lidar systems and remote stations
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/10 Devices for predicting weather conditions computers per se G06; display devices G09
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/16 Measuring atmospheric potential differences, e.g. due to electrical charges in clouds measuring potentiels in general G01R
• 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 method of providing convective weather data includes accessing lightning data, accessing statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data, and accessing at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data. The method includes generating a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data. The lightning flash map indicates at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat. The method provides the lightning flash map to an output port.

Claims

1. A method of providing convective weather data in an avionic weather system comprising a weather radar system, the method comprising:

accessing lightning data;

accessing statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data;

accessing at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data;

generating a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data, the lightning flash map indicating at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat;

providing first weather radar beams from a radar antenna at a first vertical angle;

providing second weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a second vertical angle;

receiving radar returns associated with the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams;

processing the radar returns from the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams to obtain weather radar data using the weather radar system, the weather radar data comprising weather height information;

accessing the weather radar data;

generating a weather threat level map by combining the lightning flash map and the weather radar data; and

providing the weather threat level map to an output port, wherein the weather threat level map is provided by the output port to a forecasting system, the forecasting system generating a reflectivity or convective forecast based on satellite derived reflectivity, lightning derived reflectivity, and numerical weather model conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

accessing wind data indicating a weather motion vector; and

combining the weather threat level map with the wind data to predict a location of convective weather.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

comparing successive lightning flash maps for changes;

deriving motion information from changes in the successive lightning flash maps; and

adjusting the lightning flash map based on the motion information, the adjusting comprising at least one of compensating the lightning flash map for latency and providing a weather prediction on the lightning flash map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the output port provides the lightning flash map to at least one of an electronic display, a weather avoidance decision support system, and an automated weather avoidance or rerouting system located in an aircraft, on a handheld device, or at a terrestrial station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the lightning flash map comprises standard weather reflectivity threat levels.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lightning flash map comprises at least one of horizontal reflectivity data and vertical reflectivity data.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating the weather threat level map by combining satellite data, the lightning flash map and the weather radar data.

7. A method of providing convective weather data in an avionic weather system comprising a weather radar system, the method comprising:

providing first weather radar beams from a radar antenna at a first vertical angle;

providing second weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a second vertical angle;

receiving radar returns associated with the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams;

processing the radar returns from the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams to obtain weather radar data using the weather radar system, the weather radar data comprising weather height information;

accessing lightning data;

accessing statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data associated with the weather radar data;

accessing at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data;

generating a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data, the lightning flash map indicating at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat;

accessing satellite data indicating convective activity;

generating a weather threat level map by combining the lightning flash map the weather radar data, and the satellite data;

providing the weather threat level map to an output port; and

accessing global statistical data representing a relationship between satellite infrared or visible data and the at least one of reflectivity and weather threats,

wherein the generating the weather threat level map comprises weighting the satellite data, the lightning flash map, and the statistical data based on a respective threat level relationship defined by the global statistical data and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the weather threat level map is provided by the output port to a forecasting system, the forecasting system generating a reflectivity or convective forecast based on satellite derived reflectivity, lightning derived reflectivity, and numerical weather model conditions.

10. A weather processing device comprising an avionic weather radar system for providing weather radar beams from a radar antenna to provide weather radar data, the weather processing device comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

provide first weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a first vertical angle;

provide second weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a second vertical angle;

receive radar returns associated with the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams;

process the radar returns from the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams to obtain the weather radar data using the weather radar system, the weather radar data comprising at least one of reflectivity information at different heights and weather threat information;

access lightning data;

access statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data;

access at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data;

generate a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data, the lightning flash map indicating at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat; and

an output port coupled with the at least one processor and configured to provide the lightning flash map to at least one of a display, a weather avoidance decision support system, and an automated weather avoidance or rerouting system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

compare successive lightning flash maps for changes;

derive motion information from changes in the successive lightning flash maps; and

adjust the lightning flash map based on the motion information, the adjusting the lightning flash map comprising at least one of compensating the lightning flash map for latency and providing a weather prediction on the lightning flash map;

generate a weather threat level map by combining the lightning flash map and the weather radar data.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

access satellite data indicating convective activity;

generate the weather threat level map by combining the lightning flash map and the satellite data, and

wherein the output port is configured to provide the weather threat level map to at least one of the display, the weather avoidance decision support system, and the automated weather avoidance or rerouting system.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

access wind data indicating a weather motion vector; and

combine the weather threat level map with the wind data to predict a location of convective weather.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

wherein the output port is configured to provide the weather threat level map to at least one of the display, the weather avoidance decision support system, and the automated weather avoidance or rerouting system.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the weather threat level map comprises standard weather reflectivity threat levels.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the display is located in an aircraft, a handheld device, or a terrestrial station and the at least one processor is remote from the display.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the weather threat level map comprises at least one of horizontal reflectivity data and vertical reflectivity data.

17. A weather processing device for an avionic weather system comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

provide first weather radar beams from a radar antenna at a first vertical angle;

provide second weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a second vertical angle;

receive radar returns associated with the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams;

process the radar returns from the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams to obtain weather radar data using the weather radar system, the weather radar data comprising weather height information;

access lightning data;

access statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data;

access at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data;

generate a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data, the lightning flash map indicating at least one of a first reflectivity and a first weather threat; and

an output port coupled with the at least one processor and configured to provide the lightning flash map to at least one of a display, a weather avoidance decision support system, and an automated weather avoidance or rerouting system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

access satellite data indicating convective activity;

generate a weather threat level map by combining the lightning flash map, the weather radar data, and the satellite data, and

wherein the output port is configured to provide the weather threat level map to at least one of the display, the weather avoidance decision support system, and the automated weather avoidance or rerouting system; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to

access global statistical data representing a relationship between satellite infrared or visible data and at least one of reflectivity associated with the weather radar data and weather threats; and

derive at least one of reflectivity and weather threat data based on the satellite data using the global statistical data, the at least one of reflectivity and weather threat data based on the satellite data being used to generate the weather threat level map.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

compare successive lightning flash maps for changes;

derive motion information from changes in the successive lightning flash maps; and

adjust the lightning flash map based on the motion information, the adjusting the lightning flash map comprising at least one of compensating the lightning flash map for latency and providing a weather prediction on the lightning flash map.

19. A weather processing system for an aircraft including a weather radar system, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

provide first weather radar beams from a radar antenna at a first vertical angle;

provide second weather radar beams from the radar antenna at a second vertical angle;

receive radar returns associated with the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams;

process the radar returns from the first weather radar beams and the second weather radar beams to obtain weather radar data using the weather radar system, the weather radar data comprising weather height information;

access lightning data;

access statistical data representing a relationship between lightning flash rate data and at least one of reflectivity data and weather threat data;

access at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data;

generate a lightning flash map based on the accessed lightning data, the accessed statistical data, and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data, the lightning flash map indicating at least one of reflectivity and a weather threat;

access satellite data indicating convective activity; and

generate a weather threat level map by combining the weather radar data, the satellite data and the lightning flash map; and

an output port coupled with the at least one processor and configured to provide the weather threat level map to at least one of a display, a weather avoidance decision support system, and an automated weather avoidance or rerouting system, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access global statistical data representing a relationship between satellite infrared or visible data and at least one of reflectivity and weather threats,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the weather threat level map by weighting the satellite data, the lightning flash map, and the statistical data based on a respective threat level relationship defined by the global statistical data and the at least one of time of year data, geographic location data, temperature data, and altitude data.

20. The system of claim 19,

generate the weather threat level map as a global map.